Issue 11, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

arts // indie pop, dance parties and fashion crimes >> PAgE 14 Volume 142 · Issue 11 · November 13, 2008

thebruns.ca

the brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

A Different Attitude Cranky columnist has a change of heart when it comes to our veterans

OPINION / PAGE 10

Union exec voted to fund AQ: document

World Class

Fredericton doctor is the next president of the World Medical Association

NEWS / PAGE 2

Learning Curves X-Country gain experience at CIS championchips

SPORTS / PAGE 13

ODE TO THE FALLEN

Josh O’Kane

Sarah Ratchford

The Brunswickan

The St. Thomas University Students’ Union executive passed by a majority vote to fund the Aquinian’s newsroom renovations this past summer, the Brunswickan has learned.

In a copy of the in-camera minutes from the STU SU council meeting on Oct. 30 obtained by the Brunswickan, STU SU President Duncan Gallant also stated that it was never said that the Aquinian would need to appear before the students’ representative council (SRC).

During periods when the SRC are unable to convene, such as the summertime, the executive is the governing body of the STU SU. The SRC voted 9-3 against funding $1919.24 for the Aquinian’s newsroom at that council meeting, despite that Gallant made a written guarantee in April that the STU SU would provide funding if they followed a list of agreements.

In the minutes, VP Education Melissa Wah stated that she believed the Aquinian met the agreements.

It is also noted that an evaluation by SRC of the Aquinian was not needed to obtain the funding.

Councillor Raul Dominguez said he wanted to know if the agreement made in the summer was valid because it was made before the executive took office. Gallant responded saying the agreement was legally invalid, and that there were no legal ramifications to council’s actions. He stated that it was within the authority of the SRC to accept or reject the motion.

The President had spoken to a lawyer regarding the issue. The document notes, however, that during the conversation he did not bring up the fact he was not in office as president at the time of the agreement.

Gallant also said in the document that the lawyer gave the SU a 70 per cent chance of winning a court case. VP Administration Corben McLean noted that the amount of money spent at small claims court “would not be a lot.”

Dominguez challenged the reasoning for the extensive debate.

“During the summer you could have made the decision, and so you have brought this up at council because you all were not fully in power. If the [executive council] has already decided why is this issue here and up for debate?” Dominguez asked at the meeting.

Colin Banks, the 2007-08 STU SU President and current Board of Governors representative stated that he believes Gallant should “offer council an apology for the decision made before he took office.” Gallant said he would do so if necessary.

The minutes also stated that Banks, who sits on the Board of Directors of the Aquinian, said that the paper could not request money without permission from the board. Prior to the council meeting the board of directors had not been fully elected and no meetings had been recently held.

McKendy probe continues The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

A sentry stands at the Fredericton Cenotaph on Nov. 11. Hundreds of people showed up at the downtown monument Tuesday morning to pay respect for those who lost their lives serving our country.

Putting a stop to dating abuse Doug Estey

The Brunswickan

Simone Leibovitch of Fredericton is a very proud woman.

She is co-founder of New Brunswick’s highly successful Making Waves program; an initiative that rounds up 60 high school students each year and takes them on a journey through the hardships and predicaments of the dating world. With the support of the Status of Women Canada and the Canadian

Women’s Foundation, the program is now officially bilingual (as Vague par Vague) and held its first bilingual conference this past weekend, Nov. 7 - 9, at the Riverside (formerly Holiday) Inn in Mactaquac.

Making Waves is facilitated by teachers and shelter workers across the province along with a team of students – branded as SAC, the Student Advisory Committee – to coordinate an actively engaging weekend of events for all those involved.

Students take part in a number of different activities to develop a better understanding of the types of abuse that can develop in relationships and how to deal

with it.

The primary mission of the conference is to raise awareness about the pressing issues that exist in the everyday lives of young adults abroad. This message is broadcasted in a number of ways through workshops, talking groups, and other energy-infused events put on by the program’s enthusiastic coordinators.

Some of the workshops that students took part in were relatively lighthearted; others were much more serious, but all were very hands-on and encour-

SEE WAVES PAGE 16

Additional details surrounding the events of STU professor John McKendy’s death have been uncovered.

It has been found that there were threatening emails received from the man who murdered McKendy: McKendy’s son in law, 27-year-old Nicholas Baker.

McKendy’s body was found in his Douglas home on the morning of October 31. Baker was charged with first-degree murder. He was then found dead in a Moncton hotel parking lot the next morning. Police do not suspect foul play to have played a part in Baker’s death.

A press release has been issued by the RCMP admitting that an error was made in commenting on the actions of Baker prior to McKendy’s death. Baker was under investigation for credit card theft, a stolen vehicle, and fraud. No allegations were made, however, of threatening emails. A family member of McKendy’s spoke with the RCMP about Baker’s threats on October 27, a mere three days before McKendy’s death. However, this information was not immediately placed on the file.

In the earlier part of last week, a RCMP spokesperson said that police were aware of e-mails, but nothing insinuating threats, said a report issued by the CBC. “For this, the RCMP apologizes to the McKendy family for any perception the family did not bring forward concerns to the police,” Lafosse told reporters.

Sylvia Hale was a colleague of McKendy’s in the sociology department at STU. She was the first person to discuss the passing along of the e-mails by the family to the police.

Hale preferred not to make a comment to the Brunswickan, but stated to the CBC that the RCMP told the family that the e-mails were not death threats.

“Yes they owe a big apology and it’s more than, ‘Gee, we had gap between our communication,’” Hale told the CBC. “They were not handling this case appropriately.”

In order to deal with the error, A/commr. LaFosse is ordering an independent review. The files surrounding McKendy’s death will be examined. The purpose of the investigation will be to determine whether or not police took appropriate action in dealing with this case, and the investigation will be made public.

Rather then being governed by an outside committee, this investigation will be overseen by the P.E.I. RCMP. The review is scheduled to begin shortly.

brunswickannews

2 • Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • news@thebruns.ca

Frederictonian to head World Medical Association Jens Ourom

The Brunswickan

Fredericton’s own dermatologist Dr. Dana Hanson has become the president-elect of the World Medical Association. Dr. Hanson, a Saint John native and UNB Fredericton Science graduate was elected last month at the WMA’s General Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. The WMA represents over 90 medical associations worldwide, and as a past head of the Canadian Medical Association and WMA board member, Dr. Hanson should be up to the task. However, he’s not yet getting too big for his bowtie, modestly stating, “I was very honoured and humbled by the fact that people had the confidence in me to suggest that I could do the job.”

The WMA has an ever-changing mandate, though it is always concerned with issues such as the world-wide shortage of medical professionals and combating uberculousis and HIV/AIDS. The WMA also advises governments, non-government organizations and the World Health Organization on the ethics of various medical issues including genetic experimentation.

Dr. Hanson further added to the list of issues concerning the WMA, “tobacco cessation, alcohol reduction, treatment of chronic diseases… There are some very practical aspects that the WMA has been involved with on a day-to-day basis.”

Over the two years Dr. Hanson will serve as President, from 20092010, the stated focus of the WMA will be shifted towards health and the environment, culminating

Jens Ourom / The Brunswickan

Fredericton dermatoligist Dr. Dana Hanson is the president-elect of the World Medical Association. Dr. Hanson is a Saint John native, and has much background in the medical world, including a past presidency of the Canadian Medical Association. in a 2010 General Assembly in Vancouver which will focus on these topics.

Dr. Hanson, the first Canadian to head the WMA since Dr. A.F.W. Peart in 1971, went into detail about the WMA’s stated future focus on the environment and what the WMA could contribute.

“The physicians can’t bring to the table expertise on what’s causing climate change...the potential factors in that, because we aren’t experts... any more than the rest

of the public. What we are experts in is the effects of climate change, or the environment change, on health. What affects health, what changes one can expect and how do we try to analyze that, and most importantly, how do we try to counter that?”

The WMA presidency is expected to command about half of Dr. Hanson’s work time, and, as was the case when Dr. Hanson was the head of the CMA, he “will call upon my other dermatology

colleagues in the province to be of help, and they’ve always come to bat for me.

“Most of the time will be spent visiting a number of member countries, and non-member countries as we look to continue to expand, because we are 90 or more [nations] now. We always look to include more countries because we want to be of help to patients and physicians in those countries.”

“Interactions with other nongovernment organizations, and

interaction with the World Health Organizations,” will also be key focuses, said Dr. Hanson.

Hanson also commented on the Canadian and American healthcare systems, and inherently, the conflict of private versus public healthcare systems.

And though Dr. Hanson expressed his very cautious acceptance of the benefit of privatizing certain medical support services (i.e. laundry services), he stressed that “I always have,

and continue to be a very strong supporter of the Canadian health care system.”

This led him to a brief analysis of the United States’ private healthcare system.

“The thing is, when we look at the United States, why do they have a number of people with no medical coverage whatsoever, greater than the population of Canada, in, until the economic downturn, the richest country in the world?”

brunswickannews

Mr. Ashfield goes to Ottawa Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Traditionally, New Brunswick has had just one representative in the federal cabinet. It came as a bit of a surprise for residents when newly elected Fredericton MP Keith Ashfield was recently named to Harper’s second cabinet, doubling the number of New Brunswick MP’s in cabinet as he joins New Brunswick Southwest MP Greg Thompson.

Thompson served in Harper’s last cabinet as well.

“I was surprised by the appointment,” said Ashfield.

“But it was a very pleasant surprise, and I’m obviously very grateful to the Prime Minister in his support in this undertaking.”

Ashfield was named the new minister of state for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

This position suits Ashfield because of his prior dealings in the business community and because of his strong background in business.

“I was very pleased to be appointed to the ACOA because a lot of my life before politics was dedicated to small business,” continued Ashfield.

“I have a affinity towards business, marketing, and all those types of things. I enjoy that type of work.”

Ashfield has spent the last few weeks getting accustomed to life as a federal politician, and his recent appointment will only accelerate the learning curve.

“My position is called a minister of state, which is sort of a junior ministry,” explained Ashfield.

“I’ll be working through minister MacKay who will actually carry the files to the cabinet table, and I’ll be in cabinet only when they need me. It’s a great opportunity, and a great way to start to get a full understanding of

the way things work in Ottawa.”

Ashfield served as a provincial natural resources minister under then-premier Bernard Lord, and his experience with the provincial cabinet will certainly help with the transition.

“I have a pretty good idea of how things work (in Ottawa) because of my years in the provincial legislature, but things are much bigger up here,” said Ashfield.

With two MPs now representing New Brunswick in the cabinet, the province is in an excellent position to be heard. New Brunswick Southwest MP Greg Thompson will remain the minister of Veteran Affairs.

One of Ashfield’s goals is to ensure that his new position is used to better life in New Brunswick and all of Atlantic Canada. He is interested in finding people and businesses that want to invest in Atlantic Canada, and help the region grow. This will create new jobs and stimulate the economy.

Life as an MP can be hectic, and Ashfield will rack up a lot of frequent flyer points over the next little while.

“AlotofthetimeIwillbeinOttawa, but I will be home on the weekends,” explained Ashfield. It is necessary for Ashfield to ensure that he remains close to his New Brunswick roots so that the wwproblems and concerns of New Brunswickers are heard. “It is important for me to be out there and listening to people in my own district,” he said.

Ashfield became the first Fredericton Conservative MP since 1993 by winning 42 per cent of the vote over Liberal candidate David Innes. Liberal Andy Scott had previously represented Fredericton during the leawdership of Prime Ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 3

Lobby groups visit SU

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

The UNBSU student council met last Thursday for presentations from the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA). Pictured above at council are SU VP External Jon O’Kane, President Bethany Vail, and VP Student Services Stephanie Lord.

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Two prominent Canadian student lobby groups introduced themselves to the University of New Brunswick Student Union in a recent council meeting.

CASA, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations and NBSA, the New Brunswick Student Alliance paid a visit to the UNBSU in order to acquaint the council with their principles and purpose.

Dan Murphy, Member Relations Officer for CASA and Heather Elliot, the Executive Director of the NBSA each made a presentation outlining the core values of their organizations and how they impact the lives of Canadian students.

CASA represents 23 universities and 300,000 students nation-wide.

This lobby organization is also the

GSA elects executive Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

The Graduate Students Association of UNB held a byelection last week for the positions of President, Vice President External and Vice President Finance.

The GSA elections were originally held in the spring; however, no candidates ran for the positions of President and Vice President Academic. Carl Burgess, the outgoing President, agreed to stay on until another candidate was elected on November 5.

Roughly 30 people, the majority of them council members, showed up to vote. There were a total of seven candidates running for the positions. The candidates stated their positions before the council prior to the election, hoping to

influence voters in their favour.

Neil Cole, the incumbent VP External and Samuel Johnson, a forestry student, were the two candidates for the position of VP External.

Cole, as the incumbent, outlined some of his achievements within the council during his previous term. “I feel this pushes me in a unique way of knowing what to do, because I’ve already established this level of experience.

I feel it also gives me a little bit of insight in what kind of processes I can work to fix within the next year.”

Cole remained the VP External by a majority vote.

There were three candidates in the running for VP Finance. Jason Ainslie won the position with a majority vote. Ainslie is currently working toward his masters in business administration with a specialization in finance. His previous experience in finance includes working as the VP

FinanceforAmnestyInternational in their small business sector.

Ainslie reveals his platform to the council, “My platform is all around budgeting and planning.

It’s about transparency. You hear a lot of students wondering where their money went and what goes toward funding which program. Everything I would do would have financial reports and budgeting reports. I think that that’s a huge problem in an organization such as this.”

The two candidates for President of the GSA were Carson Butts, former Vice President Communications and Doug Godsoe. Butts, also the council representative for Qwerty, a creative writing journal written by grad students, won the top position by a majority vote.

Butts emphasized his interest in unifying grad students at UNB by saying, “If everyone acts as an individual, then there is no association.”

only student organization in the country that has met with the past three prime ministers. Murphy calls CASA “a big driving force in post-secondary issues.”

NBSA is not only an agent for New Brunswick Universities like UNB, Mount Allison and Universite de Moncton, but also community colleges, including the Dieppe campus.

This organization represents about 16,500 students and has been a link to the government for student stakeholders since 1983. Elliot assured the council that the NBSA truly works for their members with, “if you bring it to the table, we’ll discuss it.”

The current president of the New Brunswick Student Alliance is Duncan Gallant, St. Thomas political science student and President of the St. Thomas Student Union. The position of Vice President External is currently vacant, with current UNBSU Vice President External Jon O’Kane as the only person vying for the job.

The main focus of this year’s NBSA campaign is financial aid.

Elliot adds that this is not a surprise to the council. NBSA’s largest lobbying point in this campaign is a $6,000 debt cap, which ensures that students pay no more than $6,000 for each year of study at a New Brunswick university. The alliance is also lobbying for more funding for low-income families, students in rural areas, and First Nation students.

Values that both CASA and NBSA share are accessibility and affordability for a high-quality education. Murphy outlines some of CASA’s accomplishments for the 2006-2007 school year, “CASA was part of a larger coalition that worked towards getting the rights for international students to work on campus. That was a huge success. We’ve also been able to secure $1.5 million in transfer funding for federal student loans, and dedicated $800 dollar transfer for post-secondary education.”

Prior to the federal election,

CASA met with policy members from each political party and discussed that party’s future in post-secondary education funding and brought some of CASA’s policies to the table.

They also met with candidates in local ridings and organized oncampus debates.

To better convey CASA’s principles to the government they hold a regular lobby conference in Ottawa. Members of Parliament, public servants, and other student-driven organizations and government officials attend this conference. Student Union President Bethany Vail and VP External Jon O’Kane will be attending the upcoming conference in February.

The advocacy priorities of both organizations are set by their student members. Every summer a conference is held for student leaders to come and discuss postsecondary issues and bring their needs, as well as the needs of their fellow students to the table.

Here and abroad, in brief International Education Week comes to UNB An International Education Week will place next week to educate students on the international community and opportunities at UNB, with tevents including an international movie night, exchange information sessions, panel discussions, a fair trade expo, coffee house and more. See www.unbf.ca/international for times and places – or any of the posters around campus.

Premier says NB needs presence in China At the end of a week-long business trip to China, premier Shawn Graham has determined that New Brunswick would benefit from the installation of a representative of our province in China. China’s economy is doing better than other countries, and businesses in N.B. would gain new opportunities from the placement.The premier intends to raise the idea at the next Council of Atlantic Premiers meeting, to be held in Newfoundland in the coming months.

Domestic death review committee in the works for 2009 Following the recent murder of STU professor John McKendy, the New Brunswick government is planning to give birth to a committee which will automatically review any death having to do with family terrorism.The assistant deputy minister for the province’s women’s issues branch, Norma Dubé, says the province can expect the committee to be established by approximately April 1, 2009.

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send us news tips to news@thebruns.ca, or drop by SUB room 35 and we’ll help you through writing a story yourself.

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4 • Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11• Volume 142 •

Engineering a better world Woodsmen wow Scouts Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Dressed in their fancy suits and classy evening dresses, it would have been hard to guess that some of the students at last week’s Engineers Without Borders wine and cheese event had once spent time trudging through some of the world’s most impoverished nations in an effort to make things better.

Since the year 2000, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has been promoting human development through access to technology. Last week’s wine and cheese event was a time for the people involved in EWB to meet and exchange stories.

It was also a time for some of the students to meet the professionals in the community, and to ensure that both the student and professional communities are working in the best interests of the EWB. “At EWB we do a lot of different kinds of outreach,” explained UNB student and EWB member, Ryan Brideau. “So the idea behind the wine and cheese was for us to have an opportunity to meet and mingle with both the professionals in Fredericton, the professionals at the university, and with EWB as a chapter.”

“Sometimes there is a big disconnect between what we do at a chapter level, and what people think we do,” continued Brideau, a physics major at UNB. “So this gives us an opportunity to bring professionals in, and bring people in that we normally wouldn’t be talking to, and allow us to interact

with them at a much closer level.”

Ryan Brideau was one of the students who volunteered overseas, and he said his experience was phenomenal. Brideau was involved with the Junior Fellowship program, and he helped to bring educational computer programs into the country of Ghana.

However, there is much more to the placement programs than merely an exotic adventure.

“There are three aspects to the placements in total,” explained Brideau. “There is the overseas aspect, the in Canada aspect, and a lot of focus on the personal growth aspect as well.”

“Leading up to going overseas, I did about six months of in-country training,” continued Brideau.

“I did what we call foundation learning to get myself prepared with a base of knowledge and an idea of what I’m going into.

Following that we do about a week of training in Toronto, morning to night for about seven days. And following that is my experience overseas.”

The overseas experience focuses on having an on-ground impact.

Technology can drive change, and the EWB is aware of this. However, technological change is pointless unless it is incorporated into each community’s social, cultural, economic and political context.

The EWB has struggled with this balancing act in the past, and today they are much more involved in the communities.

“When EWB first started, it was very much of an engineering focus where they would design programs in Canada and then try and implement them overseas,” continued Brideau. “But right off the bat you get the idea that that wouldn’t be the most effective method. So they learned very quickly that that wasn’t having a long lasting impact and that they needed to change their approach.”

“Over the years the program has changed from a much more engineering focus, and shifted towards what we call a holistic approach,” he explained.

Today, EWB volunteers work with local politicians and businesses to stimulate growth in impoverished regions. The teaching aspect of the experience is very important, but often it is the volunteers that are doing the learning.

The personal growth aspect of the program is crucial for the program. The EWB works to build capable leaders with their overseas volunteers, and it is important for the volunteers to spread the stories of their trip.

“The overseas portion of my placement started in late April (of this year) and it went until the very end of August,” elaborated Brideau. “I essentially went to an area in northeastern Ghana called Saboba . . . where most of the buildings were built with mud brick, that is, if you ask me, a very sustainable way to build homes.”

“I lived with a Ghanine family there in a complex with about nine other people, and I went to work each day . . . I went to a non-governmental organization called the Integrated Development Center.”

He worked hard to gather information about the country of Ghana, and the government programs in the region. He spent time developing a computer program to help teach teachers in the area. The idea is that if you teach the teachers, then they can go on to train hundreds of others in the area. But as Brideau found out, it is often the volunteers who are doing the learning.

“In the end I feel like I learned a lot more from the experience than I really contributed,” said Brideau, and that’s what the EWB is all about.

Keith Barr

Submitted

to the

Bruns

“Go Sophie, Go! Go Sophie, Go!” The shouts and cheers of the Scouts echoed across the Yoho Scout Reserve outside of Fredericton on Saturday as they cheered for their favourite members of the UNB Woodsmen Team. The dull, dreary weather wasn’t going to dampen the enthusiasm of these young Scouts.

Nine members of the UNB Woodsmen Team and two students from the Let’s Talk Science program were at the Yoho Scout Reserve bright and early Saturday morning to lead the Scouts through various forestry related activities. It was the western New Brunswick, or Rivorton Area’s annual Forestry Camp for Scouts. The Scouts were divided into three groups and rotated through four activities in the morning. They were given a chance to practice their skill as sawyers as they learned how to use a cross-cut saw at the sawing and tree cookie station. The members of the Woodsmen Team gave them pointers on how to care for a saw and how to use one properly. Then they looked at a couple of tree cookies and discussed what they could learn from the tree rings on the cookies.

Skulls and pelts were on display at the second station. The UNB students led the Scouts in a discussion about fish and wildlife management and played a short game to drive home some of the points they had discussed.

At the third station, the Scouts learned the difference between hardwoods and softwoods and were shown how to measure the height and diameter of a couple

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Scouts picked up some tricks of the trade from the UNB Woodsmen this past weekend at the Yoho Scout Reserve. of trees at the Scout camp. The Scouts at the fourth station drew a sketch map of their campsite, after learning how to use a compass to orient their map properly.

At noon, the Woodsmens Team and the LTS students were invited down to the main Scout Lodge where six members of the 1st Rivorton Rover Crew, also known as the UNB/STU Rovers, had prepared lunch.

After lunch the members of the Woodsmen Team put on a number of demonstrations of chopping, sawing and fire lighting. For many of the Scouts and their leaders this was the highlight of the weekend.

The Woodsmen Team wowed the Scouts with their speed in chopping through a block of wood while standing on it, in slicing through a log with a chain saw and in starting a fire and getting a can of water to boil. The Team made a lot of new fans and may have a few Scouts thinking about joining the team when they get older and start university.

After the demonstrations, the Scouts went back to their groups and visited three more stations. At the first station in the afternoon the Woodsmen Team showed the Scouts how to use a peavey and helped them compete in a log

rolling competition. The Scouts learned quickly that it isn’t as easy as it looks to keep the log rolling in a straight line when you only have a peavey to work with.

One of the more popular stations was the fire lighting competition. It was no easy task to gather “dry” material and get a fire started on such a damp and drizzly day but the Scouts somehow managed. The last activity of the afternoon was a nature scavenger hunt that had the Scouts searching the Yoho Scout Reserve for natural items on a long list.

At 4:30 p.m. the Scouts gathered at the Interpretive Centre and thanked the Woodsmen Team and Let’s Talk Science students for coming out to spend the day with them.

After supper, another group of UNB and STU students, the 1st Rivorton Rover Crew, organized a wide game for the Scouts that had them roaming around in the dark wet woods for an hour, pretending to be wild animals looking for food and water while avoiding being eaten by other animals or being captured by evil humans.

The Rovers ended the evening by organizing a traditional Scouting campfire for the Scouts and their leaders.

brunswickannews

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 5

Strike shuts down classes at York Alexandra Posadzki The Excalibur

TORONTO (CUP) – Part-time faculty at Toronto’s York University went on strike on Nov. 6, sparking the cancellation of all classes.

Before the strike, the York Federation of Students officially endorsed CUPE 3903 – which represents teaching assistants, graduate assistants, and contract faculty – in its negotiations with the York University administration.

According to YFS President Hamid Osman, the decision was made on the basis that YFS supports students, noting that some members of the CUPE 3903 are graduate students.

Although YFS acknowledges that the strike may put a severe dent in the quality of education and the financial situation of some students, Osman says their decision to support the union was made with the intent of reaching a fair and equitable agreement.

“If we remain neutral, we’re doing more harm to students, because we need to support one side to put pressure on the other,” Osman said.

“Students need to back students, not the people that rose our tuition fees 4.5 per cent each year over the past four years,” he added.

A number of students agree with Osman’s position and say students should support one another.

“I think you need solidarity,” said Gail Agee, a fourth-year political

science student, who expressed worry over whether the situation may prolong her graduation. “It’s an inconvenience, but we want the best for the TAs.” Agee was not alone in her concern regarding graduation.

Paul Bund, a fifth-year philosophy and history student, says he intends to apply to law school at the end of this academic year.

He fears having to study for his finals while also studying for his Law School Admission Test if the winter semester is extended into the summer.

Bund, however, does not agree with the YFS’s pro-union stance: “I think it’s not exactly thought through. The justification I heard is that they’re students, and by default, they support students, but I don’t think they’re looking at the specific context, with the state of the economy and, in my opinion, the very high demands of the TAs,” Bund said.

Adrian Swidzinski, a third-year environmental studies student, is concerned about what would happen if the semester got extended into the summer. He worries he may not have enough time to earn the necessary money for tuition so he can return to school next fall.

“I don’t see how this can be good for the students. It’s only hurting us, so I don’t see why [the YFS] is supporting [CUPE 3903],” Swidzinski said. “I can’t afford to lose any time.”

“On the other hand, everyone’s got the right to strike,” Swidzinski added.

Osman says that YFS endorsed CUPE 3903 on the basis that

the administration’s treatment of workers is problematic.

He criticized York’s offer of a 2 per cent wage increase, which followed their initial 3 per cent offer.

“That is despicable,” Osman said. “How can you lower your first offer and say: ‘We’re giving these workers a fair deal?’ ” The university told CBC that it offered the CUPE members a 9.25 per cent increase over three years.

He points out how Robert Drummond, dean of the faculty of arts, received a 15 per cent wage increase, and how York President Mamdouh Shoukri receives a salary of $450,000 a year.

According to Osman, this indicates a hierarchy regarding the importance of university workers.

“The senior administration needs to take a pay cut and spread that wealth to the members of CUPE 3903,” said Osman.

Keith Marnoch, York’s associate director of media relations, had no comment on this.

In response to the accusations of YFS that administration seems unwilling to bargain with the members of CUPE 3903, Marnoch says they have been at the negotiating table as often as the union.

In light of the current economic downturn, some students concerned that in order to meet the union’s demands, the university might have to raise tuition fees.

Osman says increasing tuition fees is unnecessary, and that it is possible for the university’s current budget to be reworked in order to accommodate the union.

UNB ranks in top five in Canada

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The University of New Brunswick has been hailed as one of the top five universities in Canada by Macleans magazine for the second year in a row.

President John McLaughlin said in a press release issued Monday that “we are proud that UNB continues to rank amongst much larger institutions.”

Macleans’ rankings are determined through the analysis of publicly available data, and comprehensive universities are defined through having both a wide range of both graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as a significant amount of research.

The rankings for comprehensive universities are as follows: Simon

Fraser (1), Victoria (2), Waterloo (3), Guelph (4), Memorial (5), UNB (5), Carleton (7), Windsor (8), Regina (9), York (9), and Concordia (11).

The University of New Brunswick was established in 1785, and as such it is one of the oldest public universities in North America. The university has over 12,000 students that hail from over 100 countries.

the brunswickan.

Annual General Meeting

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

Barack rocks election Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

U.S. Democratic election candidate Barack Obama will go down in history as the first black man ever to sit in the country’s highest office.

The 47-year-old Illinois Senator spoke to an excited crowd in Chicago’s Grant Park last Tuesday night.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” His words met with the cheers of thousands of people.

The newly elected President speaks with revolutionary overtones. He addresses the concerns of humanity as a realist, making reference to such issues as “two wars, a planet in peril and the worst financial crisis in a century.”

“There’s new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, threats to meet and alliances to repair,” he said. “The road ahead will be long, our climb will be steep.

We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.”

Obama was commended by both rival John McCain and president George Bush, says a report by CBC. Just after it was verified that Obama had obtained the minimum of 270 electoral college votes, McCain told supporters in Phoenix that he had phoned his opponent to

“congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love. In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance.”

Americans hit the polls in recordbreaking numbers, with as many as 136.6 million ballots cast. An estimate of 64.1 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots, which, the CBC reports, is the best turnout in about 44 years.

Across the country, registration numbers were up as well, soaring up to 7.3 per cent above the 2004 election’s number.

Canadians have been extremely caught up in this election as well, some going so far as to assert that they would give up their vote in this country in order to obtain one in the U.S. presidential race. Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke on behalf of Canada.

“I look forward to meeting with the president-elect so that we can continue to strengthen the special bond that exists between Canada and the United States,” he said in a statement issued after Obama’s victory on Tuesday night.

Harper also says the two countries should work together on the “important issues facing families on both sides of the border.”

North Americans will soon see how Obama goes about proving his statement “Yes we can,” which has many implications, both social and political.

The president-elect will be inaugurated Jan. 20, 2009.

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 6

brunswickanopinion

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 7

editor@thebruns.ca

Students need to face student issues Bring it on home

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

Josh O’Kane I’m sick of my student loan.

I haven’t even started paying it yet, but for the last four years, it’s been on my mind – sitting, waiting, preparing to collect unnecessary amounts of interest as I scrape by at an entry-level salary somewhere when I graduate.

On some computer in Ottawa, there’s a file telling the government I owe them $11,084. I don’t like owing money, and certainly not that much.

I’ve worked countless jobs in the summertime, worked one or more jobs each school year, and applied for numerous scholarships just to scrape by – and I still have debt that will take me years to pay off.

Education has become unnecessarily expensive. On top of that, of course, is the problem that the federal and provincial governments are actually capitalizing on the universal right to education with bulky interest rates on their student loans. It’s one thing for a private bank to charge interest on a loan, but how logical is it for a nation’s governing body to capitalize on its youths’ attempt to become productive members of society?

New Brunswick politicians have beenheardpraisingtheirActionPlan for post-secondary education in the province for over four months, but when it comes to student financial aid, they just keep talking their way around the stagnant programs they already have in place.

The only way get their attention, it appears, is to fight this issue is with grassroots action. Policy change is necessary to make education more affordable, and who better to fight for that than students themselves?

It can take a long time to implement policy change – but luckily, on our New Brunswick

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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.

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

The UNB Student Union, shown at council, is hosting a Day of Action on Nov. 13 to raise awareness for the unneccessary amount of debt aqcuired by students while getting an education. post-secondary campuses, we have thousands of educated students who would be willing to work out a plan that both the provincial government and students can agree upon.

Today, Nov. 13, 2008, has been declared a Day of Action for universities across the province with the New Brunswick Student Alliance. Student Unions at St. Thomas, Université de Moncton, Mt. Allison and UNB Fredericton are each hosting events to show that students are more than just a statistic in student loan databases.

Let’s hope it works.

As it stands, so far the provincial government has instituted a tuition freeze to complement its $2,000 grant for first year students and it’s $10,000 tax rebate for graduates working in New Brunswick.

That freeze is reported to cost the

provincial government $5 to $6 million each year that it’s in place.

In the meantime, $7 million of annual grants from the Canada Millennium Scholarship program for high-needs are no more.

Tuition freezes hurt taxpayers, and thus students – and are an ignorant band-aid fix when it’s evident that the money could be reallocated into a similar program to the Millennium scholarships.

The replacement for the federal Millennium program, the Canada Student Grant, will offer assistance to low- and middle-income students, but it doesn’t address other highneeds categories of students.

High-needs students don’t always stand out. One example would be students whose parents aren’t in a bad financial situation but still can’t afford to send their child to university. These students are

armed with only summer and parttime jobs to somehow pay for their post-secondary education.

Funds from the first-year grant and the tax rebate could be rededicated to programs directed towards high-needs students as well.

This is just one potential set of solutions to the province’s student financial aid woes. Perhaps the Day of Action will bring more students and more ideas to the forefront.

In the meantime, the provincial government is sitting on its hands while more action could be taken.

Financialaidpolicychangepromises have been made for Fall 2009, but little action has been seen. There may be a ray of light, though – a Presidents’ Council of university presidents and college principals has been stricken to address student financial aid. This group hasn’t sat

yet, but it will likely consist of exact same members that facilitated the province’s Working Group on postsecondary education. That group, prior to the province’s Action Plan in June, recommended sweeping changes to financial aid programs.

Let’s hope they do it again.

The UNB Fredericton Student Union will be handing out postcards today, asking you to declare how much debt you’ve accrued to declare to the provincial government. They’ll also be announcing, with a slew of speakers, how much debt UNB Fredericton students have.

You can sit around and let your debt climb, or you can show up and be more than a statistic. I know what I’ll be doing.

Josh O’Kane is Editor-in-Chief of the Brunswickan. He can be reached at editor@thebruns.ca.

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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Obamamania sets in Mugwump Tony von Richter

Yes we can.

Three little words, words that are said an innumerable amount of times each day. Words that, thanks to Barack Obama, have become a rallying cry, a statement that change is possible.

Three words that following Obama’s election last Tuesday meant that change was not only possible, but that it was coming soon. I think that change came even sooner than we thought possible.

Within a few hours of Obama’s victory the political atmosphere around the world seemed to change and people were excited. It now seems like everyone believes that finally the world is going to get off of this self-destructive path we seem to have been on.

Yes, there are still wars being waged, and yes, there is still a

financial crisis, but as late as last week there was a feeling of uncertainty and doom, and no one was quite sure how things were going to turn out.

Following Tuesday night we are no closer to finding out those solutions. But whereas last week people wondered if we would find solutions, on Wednesday it seemed like it was just a matter of time before we figured everything out.

Does that mean that everything will get figured out though? That once Obama takes office on January 20 the world will suddenly become a wonderful and magical place where no one wants for anything and everyone gets along?

Of course not, there are still great challenges facing the world, and changing the course of the past few years will not be easy, but I think we’ve found the catalyzing figure that we needed.

Obviously Obama won’t change the world on his own and he’ll need help from the world’s other leaders, but as we saw on election night Obama’s popularity isn’t limited to the United States, but stretches across the planet.

That is the greatest benefit of an Obama presidency, because whether

we like it or not the United States is the most influential country on Earth and its policies and actions affect everyone on the planet. Under George W. Bush, that meant that most countries had to distance themselves from the U.S. and the Bush administration’s unpopular policies, instead of working together to try and improve the world.

With Obama’s popularity hopefully the rifts that have formed between the United States and the rest of the world will start to heal and world leaders can start to work together again, without fear of their own populations rejecting any partnership with the U.S. Like I said above, Obama’s victory doesn’t mean that he will succeed, and that things will really change.

I don’t think this will be the case though.

At this point millions seem to be behind Obama and the change that he’s promising.

So can we do it? If millions around the world embrace change can we make the world a better place?

Yes we can.

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

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.

brunswickanopinion

8 • Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11• Volume 142 •

Since when did voting conservative become a problem?

Rousing the Rabbles Nick Ouellette While history will turn to the most recent American and Canadian elections with observations of dissimilarity, it will be hard to ignore some evident links between the outcomes on both sides of the border.

Although Americans spent two years looking forward to their Nov. 4 election day, Canadians spent two years either dreading or anxiously awaiting our Oct. 14 polls. Three weeks to the day apart from each other, the differences extend beyond that—and not simply because the US elections resulted in a small-L government while Canadians re-elected a small-C conservative government.

Yet each election will be seen to an affirmation of a need for political change, even if Stephen Harper’s

most recent electoral success is simply a restatement of a need first stated in the 2006 Canadian election.

On a broader level, these elections will be seen as an endorsement of steady and measured fiscal management instead of rapid-fire one-off responses to entrenched economical challenges.

Barack Obama’s victory was as much an endorsement of his calm and cool reaction to the meltdown of the US markets (without suspending his campaign) as Harper’s success was a rejection of Dion’s last minute plans developed during and for the election campaign in favour of the steady hands of the HarperFlaherty team. Ten provinces, three territories, fifty states, and an assortment of other holdings have spoken: it is time for change, regardless of political stripe.

It was therefore with some surprise that I reflect on an Oct. 21 article published in this paper, “Students share thoughts on [Canadian] election,” which reveals a striking number of erroneous

Yes, we can (I hope) The Opinionator Nick Howard His oratory brings to mind history’s great leaders. He has been compared to Martin Luther King Jr. and even to religious figures like Jesus. Among the many attributes these great men may share, it is their ability to inspire hope for which they are remembered.

Barack Hussein Obama, like many great leaders before him, has given hope not only to Americans, but to people around the world. It is his wellcommunicated vision of change for a world with growing pains that has inspired so many to follow. Hope is a powerful tool, especially for a worthy leader with a vision like Obama’s.

But hope is simply that: a tool.

Like a friend, hope can lighten our collective load at times. It requires neither action nor awareness, only belief in a remote ideal. Herein lies the danger of hope, and a stumbling block for Obama.

The world has great expectations and visions (i.e. hope) for the future, with no clear idea of how to overcome present challenges to achieve them. Expectations can so easily lead to blame when hope is not met with achievement.

We have heard from every major media outlet about Obama’s uphill struggle in the coming months and year – but they all reference the struggle with external challenges: the economy, the military, foreign policy, etcetera. In fact, Obama’s biggest challenge will surely be to energize his supporters in the present, bringing them hope for

the future.

The brilliant Zen Buddhist philosopher Thich Nhat Hanh describes “hope as an obstacle” far more eloquently than I have here, in his book Peace is Every Step. “[T]he most that hope can do for us [is to] make some hardship lighter. When I think deeply about the nature of hope I see something tragic. Since we cling to our hope in the future, we do not focus our energies and capabilities on the present moment. If you can refrain from hoping, you can bring yourself entirely into the present moment and discover the joy that is already here.”

We need to let go of hope while maintaining a vision for our work. But work we must, and as unfortunate as it may be, work always takes place in the present moment. In North America we love to live in the future. I go to school to get a good job, to provide for my family, to retire comfortably. This means that contentedness with the present is a rare and special gift.

This is the gift that Obama can now offer us. As any great leader does, he has shown us a glimpse of the future. Now, he must lead us back to the present to work with and through our ideals. As the media has been saying, it will be an uphill battle. We will need our energies and capabilities every day as we toil to right the wrongs we see. But, I believe he can do it. Yes, we can.

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.

assumptions discussed amongst the student body. Chief among these is the notion that Fredericton “suddenly” went Conservative after 15 years of Liberal rule.

Liberal dominance in this riding is less a symptom of a traditionally small-L political climate and more a consequence of the circumstances of the day. Since 1957, the Tories held Fredericton; it was not until the 1993 rejection of the PC’s under Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell that Fredericton elected a Liberal candidate.

The elections of 1997 and 2000 were not an endorsement of Fredericton as a “Liberal” riding, either; instead, they represented the true effect of the divide between Canada’s then right wing parties, with the Alliance, Reform, and PC candidates having collectively earned more votes than the Liberal candidate, Andy Scott. By the time of the 2004 and 2006 elections, Mr. Scott had earned such respect in Fredericton with his positive work for the community that one can hardly be surprised by his re-

election until he decided not to offer his name again. Make no mistake, though; these victories are a credit to him, and not to his party.

Now that Fredericton has returned to the Conservatives, the Oct. 21 article reports a number of viewpoints that appear to suggest that no student can fathom that a Tory could be elected in a city that hosts one of UNB’s campuses. Comments are offered to paint a picture in which Keith Ashfield’s win is a shock in a traditional bastion of liberalism.

The assumption apparently held by some is that students, in general, are liberal and vote Liberal.

Yet the UNB Fredericton campus has seen its fair share of small-C and big-C conservative political action groups.

For instance, the most active group of young Tories in the province finds its home in the UNB/STU Young Conservatives. It as much a part of the student body as any other group on campus, and decidedly not Liberal. The assumption also

disregards the fact that a number of key Conservative staffers in Ottawa and in the last provincial government were graduates fresh out of UNB programs.

The article reports also that some students believe that a lack of student voting was part of the “problem” that led to a Conservative victory. Since when is a Conservative win a “problem”?

The results of an election represent the collective will of a riding. In this particular case, the voters of Fredericton elected a Conservative candidate. This does not represent a true problem for the riding any more than it would be a problem if the Liberal David Innes had been elected. In fact, a Liberal win could arguably have been more of a problem for this riding given that the Conservatives were able to retain their hold on government.

Whatever the case may be, an underlying assumption is clear: students are liberal.

This is incorrect, because not all students are Liberal—or even liberal. It is germane that a number of

students consider themselves to be left thinkers but reject the policies and principles of the Liberal party, while other students consider the current Conservative Party to be too centrist or even left wing for their tastes.

Our student body is politically eclectic. One can no more assume that students are liberal than one can assert that the nation is. If this were true, what purpose would an election serve? It would all be a sham if we knew how everybody was going to vote before it began, which is a potential answer for one question posed by some students: Why was there even an election in the first place? Luckily, there actually is a purpose behind our democracy, and it isn’t merely to affirmwhichridings“traditionally” belong to the parties.

Nick Ouellette, a UNB law student, has served on the UNB Student Union Council and the UNB Board of Governors, and now serves on the UNB Fredericton Senate. He is the Don of Neville/Jones House, one of UNB’s residences.

Cutting the wires of wireless control Conor M. Lynch The Concordian

MONTREAL (CUP) – Imagine this scenario: one morning, you open your cell-phone bill to find you owe $742.69 in overage charges. Your heart stops, sweat pours down your neck, and your fingers instinctively dial customer service.

Apparently, the $15 data plan you have is only the basic package.

You’re given three options – switch to the $30 plan and pay it every month for the next three years, pay the full overage charge today, or throw your now useless phone out the window.

You’ve just been fucked by Rogers. In a free market, it never would have happened. Too bad the Canadian wireless market isn’t free.

We can blame the current state of affairs on the Telecommunications Act of 1993. The act provides that

“a Canadian carrier is eligible to operate as a telecommunications common carrier if it is a Canadianowned and controlled corporation incorporated or continued under the laws of Canada or a province.”

Essentially, it protects Canadian wireless providers from crossborder competition by outlawing foreign ownership.

Ostensibly, the legislation’s goal was to prevent us from becoming the wireless equivalent of a tin-pot Banana Republic; where most of the countryside is owned by United Fruit Company or Panamanian Sugar. In practice, however, it merely fostered the creation of our very own made-in-Canada cellphone cartel.

According to an industry report released by Merril Lynch, over 95 per cent of the wireless market in Canada is dominated by just three companies; Rogers, Bell, and Telus.

They have a staggering average profit margin of 45.9 per cent, as compared to the 33.1 per cent average margin for the world, or the

32.1 per cent average margin in the United States. This gives Canada’s big three the dubious distinction of being the most profitable wireless companies in the world.

They’ve accomplished this by raiding the pocketbooks of the Canadian consumer to the tune of $60.83 on average, per month, per cell-phone subscriber; which is second only to Ireland in the developed world.

The new Harper government has a basic responsibility to protect consumers – and the free market’s vitality – by introducing the forces of competition into the Canadian wireless industry.

In May, the Conservative federal government took baby steps towards addressing the problem by auctioning off licenses to use certain radio frequencies. They

reserved 40 per cent of the new spectrum for no frills start-ups that promise cheaper, simpler, service.

This at least showed initiative.

But who knows how long any of these new companies will survive?

The Canadian Competition Bureau has a long track record of rubber-stamping the aggressive consolidation of the market, as when they authorized the Rogers buyout of competitor Microcell in September 2004.

The only guaranteed way to reduce prices and improve service is to invite large foreign competitors, armed with the cash and wherewithal to fight, into the marketplace. And, the only way to do that is to amend the Telecommunications Act and making telecommunications reform a priority.

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Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 9

Mixed messages surround woodlot Kerri Krawec

The Brunswickan

I take exception to many of the advertisements produced by UNB because several of them have messages that are blatant contradictions of the actions being pursued in the Woodlot under UNB’s Land Management Strategy. No other message irks me as much as the one in which UNB claims to support teaching and research. This article highlights the discrepancy between the messages UNB is sending to the experience of one of UNB’s own professors.

The Land Management Strategy can be found on UNB’s website by following the “Quick Link’ to “Woodlot Implementation Plan,” and from the sitemap to “Land Management Strategy.”

Of the guiding principles listed that govern land-use, principle number two refers to support for teaching and research, and it reads as follows: “The management of land should support teaching and research activities of the University.

Where land development is being considered on lands traditionally used for teaching/research, the impact on these programs must be assessed and a replacement/ transition strategy put in place.

In some instances, a land-use balance may be possible through the preservation of key teaching/ research areas within the context of development.”

Keeping the University’s guiding principles in mind, let me introduce you to a professor who can attest to the emptiness of that principle. Dr. Rodney Savidge has been with the Faculty of Forestry at UNB since 1985 and researches Tree Physiology, with a focus on the fundamentals of wood formation.

According to Dr. Savidge, forestry attempts to manage forests for wood productivity, and yet knowledge about how trees make wood remains very rudimentary, hence his research.

As an NSERC-funded University Research Fellow, Dr. Savidge chose UNB primarily because of the proximity of the Woodlot, which provided ready access and a variety of tree species for his research. In 1985, UNB required Dr. Savidge to pay for a plot of land on which to carry out his research. The area he acquired had been clear cut under the direction of the Maritimes Ranger School, and an intervention enabled Dr. Savidge to begin investigations into genetic aspects of wood formation, also to compare wood in managed trees with that produced in trees when nothing is done after a clear cut; he wanted to find out what developments occurred unimpeded by human interference.

The results of the studies conducted by Dr. Savidge never truly came to fruition because his plot of land in the Woodlot was cut down without his knowledge or consent. It is a somewhat cruel irony to know that a forestry professor’s research aimed at bettering forest management in Canada was destroyed to make way for a Home Depot. Twenty-some years of research were eliminated in one fell swoop without Dr. Savidge so much as being notified in advance. He explained that, because the winter-time clearcutting activity remained sheltered by remaining trees along the New Maryland highway, he had no idea the land-clearing was even underway until those remaining trees came down in early spring.

How would you feel if you were in his shoes? I lose a day’s worth of work on my computer and I’m angered; imagine losing twenty years worth of work.

Returning to UNB’s “guiding principles,” it is difficult to see how their principles regarding support for teaching and research translate into action. The management of the Woodlot did not protect the land Dr. Savidge had devoted to research. An impact assessment was not performed, nor was a transition strategy put in place.

And finally, the preservation of key research areas was overwhelmed by the goal of development.

The matter goes beyond a single instance of what could be excused

as miscommunication, as the Universityhasyettofollowthrough on a promise made to Dr. Savidge about establishing a Showcase Forest for future generations of New Brunswickers. To make reparations for its disgraceful treatment of Dr. Savidge, the University agreed to set aside land within the UNB Woodlot and establish the Showcase Forest which would serve to demonstrate all the tree species, past and present of New Brunswick as they occurred naturally before forest management practices came into play. Dr. Savidge feels that in order for the Showcase Forest to have durability and be protected from the whims of an everchanging and financially-focused administration, the land and its purpose need to be formalized by the Board of Governors “in perpetuity.” That has yet to happen. It is an indication of the broken trust that Dr. Savidge has resorted to purchasing his own land in northern New Brunswick to ensure the protection of his research.

Besides calling for a moratorium on all future development, I would also ask that UNB be more conscientious about the material they publish, to ensure that it is in fact accurate and honest. My message to UNB: say what you mean, and mean what you say.

This is the third part in a series examining UNB’s woodlot by Kerri Krawec.

Beginning an international dialogue Global Perspective Ali Eid

I write with unmitigated enthusiasm and energy for this column, as it will hopefully help expand the outlook of the readership this newspaper entails.

Having said that, the main purpose of having a column devoted to international students, and students with international experiences, is for members of the UNB community to share their knowledge with their peers and gain deeper understanding of howtomakeuseofothers’experiences within an informal atmosphere through dialogues, stories, and so on. I personally admired UNB for supporting international affiliations, students and studies. Therefore, it is our responsibility to complete its

efforts and fill this column with our knowledge and stories. I encourage all international students to help broaden UNB’s outlook to the world!

Not only international students, but everyone with experience in cultivating with people and cultures from all over the world.

I moved to Fredericton in 2007 from Cairo, Egypt where I was born and raised, and I have been asked many times why I chose to move here. My answer is quite simple: I love travelling to small peaceful cities such as Fredericton which is the exact opposite of Cairo, a city with almost 29 million people. It was the first occasion in which I visited this part of the world, or to be more precise, I was a “newbie” to the North American region, although I did work in an outsourcing firm based out of Boston for almost five years (in its Cairo production office), yet it was still a shock. Since I moved here, I leap out of bed every morning willing to venture out to the world

and discover this place, questions as simple as how do people talk and wear to what how is the political system vary from the country of my origin cross my mind. I thought after completing this adventure that I have embarked upon, I will have answers to those questions, a great standing and a pretty good chance of getting into a meaningful position in the community. My point is that I admire good education, and I respect our university as it stands for a higher education in a world where that is a sacred commodity especially in this era of globalization that we live in with thousands of universities all over the world.

Knowledge has changed into an unspeakable vehement creature, bent on transforming us humans into a system, the system! To be a part of the system, they say, is the righteous way of living. Righteousness becomes treachery, and the line between the purest form of knowledge, and its modern counterpart, is ever blurry.

Canadians must demand electoral reform Shawn Katz

The Concordian

MONTREAL (CUP) – In the upcoming months and years, Canadians will hear much from Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his strengthened minority government’s so-called mandate.

We will be informed that we have apparently given sanction to his platform in its entirety. But it will be a lie. And it will remain so until we change the way we vote.

Morethan60percentofCanadians voted for parties staunchly opposed to Harper’s vision of Canada on a range of issues, from the environment to the economy.

His party barely gained a percentage point more than in the 2006 election, but as a result of heightened vote-splitting on the left, he managed to pick up almost 19 more seats than he did in 2006.

And yet, this enormous perversion of democracy is something Canadians have grown quite accustomed to over the years.

In the free-trade election of 1988, a decisive majority of Canadians supported parties staunchly opposed to the proposed free trade pact with the United States. With these votes divided between the Liberals and New Democrats, however, Brian Mulroney’s government returned to power with an artificial majority of seats.

He proceeded to interpret the results as a ringing endorsement

of his policies. With the Canadian people largely opposed to such massive economic integration with our neighbour to the south, Canada was forcibly propelled into the era of free trade. History has since erased any memory of the electorate’s true will.

Today we find ourselves in the same boat. Worse, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

If Canadians truly wanted a proportional electoral system that accurately reflected our will, we would demand it. Instead, we seem content to allow the minority view to prevail in election after election. We stubbornly cling to an antiquated 19th-century electoral system, which has been abandoned by every other advanced democracy in the world except us, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Fair Vote Canada, a multi-partisan citizens group formed in 2000 to promote electoral reform, estimates the number of “orphan voters” – votes which receive no representation in Parliament – at a staggering seven million (in short, the majority of voters).

Quebec residents know this well, for instance. Most are confined to solid Liberal or Bloc ridings and enjoy virtually no chance of affecting the government’s outcome in Ottawa. In practice, this also means most voters are neglected by the national parties, who see little benefit in wasting limited resources on races that are often a foregone conclusion.

Aside from the stark reality of countless disenfranchised voters,

and a government unresponsive to the majority view, our first-pastthe-post system exerts an additional destabilizing force on the fabric of Canadian nation. Simply put, our electoral system exerts great strains on the federation, painting an exaggerated portrait of a balkanized country beset by vast regional differences.

Nothing can better illustrate this than the bloated presence of the Bloc Québécois in the House of Commons. Despite a consistent majority of Quebecers who support federalist parties, the province has repeatedly sent large majorities of Bloc MPs to Ottawa, seizing two thirds of the provinces seat share in the latest election despite falling to under 40 per cent of the popular vote.

While the issue of electoral reform mightnotappearonanyfederalparty’s agenda any time soon, the provinces have the ability to forge ahead with their own reforms, exerting pressure on the national government in the process. In Quebec, a governmentcommissioned report was released almost a year ago urging the adoption of a proportional voting system. The Jean Charest Liberals, who promised in 2003 to enact voting system reform, have since shelved it, and have done so with impunity.

If Canadians hope to see their views reflected in government in the near future, it’s on us to abandon our apathy and demand from our leaders a truer, more responsive democracy.

If not, we will have no one to blame for the results but ourselves.

The system is global in essence, which is an acceptable trait if and only if it takes into account the different ideals of man, for no system should be called global if it neglects he who conforms, while shunning away he who does not. Should man choose capitalism or socialism, theocracy or democracy? What is that way of living that would best accommodate for humans in this age and the next?

Introductions are always dramatic, that is their purpose! Therefore I presume that I have done my part here, and from now on I will immerse myself with the ideas and thoughts of the readership that this paper have.

Global Perspective is a new weekly column penned by students, exploring UNB’s international student community. If you’d like to contribute to this column, contact editor@thebruns. ca.

thebruns.ca

the brunswickan. iewpoint V

brunswickanopinion

10 • Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11• Volume 142 •

Question: Student debt is a big issue. What is your grand toal of student loans?

“I paid it off.”

Jamie Sena

“$47,000.”

Jeff Michaud

“$140,000.”

Kamryn Smith

“$80,000.”

Kevin Gervis

“$25,000.”

Matt Belyea

“$5,000.”

Peter Shaw

“I’m not in debt.”

Stephen Hallett

“$5,000.”

Travis Gaudet

“$28,000 and counting.”

Wess James

The old man tribute

N

an opinion by Dave Evans

ormally, I rant on about what pisses me off and drives me crazy. Very seldom do I ever talk positively about anything. However, given the time of the year, I’ll make an exception to the rule and talk about a group of people I’m grateful for; our veterans. I’ve never had to leave my family and fight in a foreign land, never had endure the horrors of war; never had to put myself in danger to protect people I don’t know. For many Canadians, however, none of that ever mattered. They simply put thoughts of their own safety aside and stepped up to preserve the sanctity of life itself. People often say, “it was a simpler time back then”; that’s the biggest load of bull I’ve ever heard. Today we sit and play games on our computers, talk on our cell phones, spend ridiculous amounts of money on the most frivolous of things. We don’t have to worry that some nut job will try to take over, and take away all that we hold dear. For our veterans, life wasn’t automated, easy or even safe. There was a clear and present danger that the nut job I mentioned would try to destroy an idea with an idea of his own; one of darkness, horror and oppression that tried to dim the brilliance of freedom and liberty.

Our veterans come from many backgrounds; some fought in the great wars, some did not. My grandfather joined the Canadian military in 1947; he didn’t fight in World War II (although he tried, but couldn’t fool the recruiters) but he did help protect northern Europe from the emerging threat of the Soviet Union; he spent time in Germany, maintaining peace after the war, and even had to move against his fellow Canadians during the October Crisis. Though not fighting in global conflicts, heroes like my grandfather helped maintain the great peace we now enjoy.

On November 11th, we wear our poppies as a sign of remembrance, but not understanding. You and I will never be able to understand what these brave men and women had to go through; their long trials and great sacrifices. Indeed, thinking we only need one day to say, “thank you”, is complete garbage. Wars are not fought in a day, freedom is not granted in an instant and life is not lived in a minute of silence. If you see a soldier, of past OR present, no matter the day, say, “thank you”.

I know I can’t give you back what you’ve sacrificed, but I can give you that.

Thank you.

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

editor@thebruns.ca

brunswickansports

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 11

sports@thebruns.ca

CAN’T FIND THE GROOVE

V-Reds Results Friday, November 7th Hockey UNB - 8 St. FX - 3 Saturday, November 8th Women’s Volleyball UNB - 3 MUN - 0

Brandon MacNeil The Brunswickan

Women’s Basketball UNB - 70 ACA - 67 It was a mixed bag for UNB in AUS league play over the weekend.

The Varsity Reds were back at the Aitken Centre, hosting the two teams they had fallen to the previous weekend.

On Friday night, St. FX was in town to battle UNB. After losing to the X-Men the previous weekend, the Reds were looking to turn the tables on this night.

The first period saw the two teams exchange scoring opportunities, including Kevin Henderson’s wrap-around goal that put UNB on the board. Early in the second period, UNB defenseman Justin DaCosta put his skills on display, when he deked around the St. FX player and snapped the puck to the top of the net.

Another beautiful V-Reds goal resulted next on a four-onone, when John-Scott Dickson unselfishly fed Dustin Friesen for an easy tap in. Dickson was playing in his first regular season game, after separating his shoulder in preseason action.

Less than a minute later, UNB rookie defenseman Jon Harty shoveled the puck past the St. FX goaltender for his first goal as a Varsity Red. After the X-Men notched their first goal of the game, UNB instantly replied. Hunter Tremblay continued his dominance of the AUS, snapping the puck past the St. FX netminder off his own rebound.

A soft goal started the final period, as St. FX took advantage of

Hockey UNB - 2 SMU - 4 Men’s basketball UNB - 67 ACA - 99 Sunday, November 9th Women’s Basketball UNB - 81 ACA - 59 Men’s Basketball UNB - 57 ACA - 76 Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The Varsity Reds looked like they were back on track after walking over St. FX 8-3 on Friday night, but UNB fell once again to SMU 4-2 on Saturday night at the Aitken Centre. UNB will look to climb their way back into familiar territory when they face UPEI tonight. a tired UNB line that couldn’t get off the ice. Once again however, the Reds instantly responded. This time it was another Reds rookie scoring his first goal with the club. Defenseman Bretton Stamler wired a shot that ricocheted off the cross bar, off the net minder, and over the goal line.

Nine seconds after another X goal, a third UNB rookie found his first goal of the season. Dion Campbell got his stick on a hearty Jon Harty shot from the point, to redirect the puck past the goalie.

Jimmy Cuddihy added the final UNB marker, as he fired home a beautiful pass from Tremblay.

The game ended 8-3 for the Reds, while they outshot the X-Men 36-25. Hunter Tremblay was named player of the game after registering a goal and three assists.

One-on-one with...

Dave McConnell

UNB Media Services

Ellen Gaudet

UNB Media Services

Sport: Men’s Volleyball Yr: 1

Sport: Women’s Soccer Yr: 5

Why did you choose UNB? I chose UNB because of its volleyball team, its academic standings, and because I have lots of family in Fredericton.

What’s your favourite sport other than the one you currently play?

Basketball, rugby, and gymnastics.

What was your first job?

Atlantic Logworks – ripped the bark off of massive pine trees with a drawknife to build log homes.

What is your favourite sport other than the one you currently play?

I like watching the NHL playoffs, but my favourite sport to play is basketball.

What is your personal goal this year?

To increase my vertical jump.

What is your profession?

To be a teacher.

desired

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from a coach?

“The desire to win must be greater than the fear of losing.”

- Lewis Page.

What is your pet peeve?

People who are sore losers.

What was your first job?

I had a paper route.

Reds drop two in a row to SMU On Saturday, the V-Reds hosted SMU , in another rematch of the previous weekend.

Derek Yeomans made his third consecutive start between the pipes for UNB, and he was tested early and often in this game.

With five minutes remaining in the opening frame, Yeomans made a spectacular breakaway save, however a greasy deflection off a shot from behind the net found its way to the back of the net.

Jon Harty continued to display his grit on the weekend, laying several thunderous hits. He brought the crowd to its feet several times with his energy.

Early in the second period, reigning AUS Rookie of the Year, Hunter Tremblay walked

in all alone, turning the Husky goaltender inside out to tie the game.

With another fancy pad save by Yeomans late in the period, the score remained tied at 1-1, with the shots dead-locked as well.

Some sloppy defensive play by the V-Reds led to SMU potting another goal, to restore their lead.

Shortly after, the Huskies were able to double their lead, with another goal, this time on the power play.

With the SMU goalie severely out of position, David Bowman was able to fire a bullet from the point into the yawning cage to bring the Reds back into the game. However, after failing to capitalize on a four minute power play opportunity, the Reds run at a comeback was ended. A late goal

by SMU sealed the deal, as they

came out on top 4-2.

After weekend play, the Reds (4-22) now stand in a tie with SMU for fourth place in the AUS standings.

Competition won’t get any easier for the Reds this coming weekend.

UNB will host the surprisingly hot UPEI Panthers tonight at the Aitken Centre. UPEI stands in second place in the AUS standings.

The Panthers were able to defeat the Reds in their last encounter due to a line change mishap by UNB in overtime. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the Reds will travel to the first-place Universite de Moncton. Moncton received their first lost of the season to Acadia last weekend, and will be looking to take a strangle hold on the top of the AUS pack against the Reds.

Red hot start

The Brunswickan

UNB falls to beat top ranked team This past weekend the men’s basketball team played a pair of tough games against last year’s CIS finalist, the Acadia Axemen. Despite losing a few key play-

Thursday, November 13th Hockey UPEI @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre Friday, November 14th Women’s Basketball UNB @ St. FX 6:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball UNB @ St. FX 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 15h Swimming UNB @ Mt. A Quad Meet 2:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball UNB @ SMU 6:00 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball DAL @ UNB 6:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Hockey UNB @ UdeM 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball DAL @ UNB 8:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym

Alex Wickwire & Josh Fleck

The UNB Varsity Reds women’s basketball swept their two-game weekend series against Acadia.

In Saturday's match up, the evening began on a very positive note when the V-Reds doubled up Acadia 18-9 in the first quarter. From then on they didn’t look back, keeping the lead until the final buzzer. The score read 70-67 in favor of UNB as the Reds were able to withstand an admirable comeback attempt by the Acadia team.

Tashina Van Vlack scored fourteen points on 5-6 shooting, added five assists and took home player of the game honors.

Game two went on Sunday afternoon, and a crowd of 150 was treated to more of the same as Saturday. UNB dominated Acadia defensively, recording ten steals and holding their opposition to a mere 59 points. UNB scored 81 in the afternoon beat-down. Amanda Sharpe had a team-high for the Reds with 22 points on 11-18 shooting.

Sharpe recorded three of the team’s 10 steals and for that she was awarded player of the game.

Sunday's match allowed each player on the women’s V-Reds team to step on the court, and gave the starters a brief rest when none of them were called on to play their usual 30+ minutes.

With the victories, UNB pulls into a tie for first place early in the season with a 2-0 record.

Upcoming this weekend, the Reds will travel to St. FX on Friday night, before making their way to Halifax to take on SMU on Saturday.

Upcoming V-Reds Events

Men’s Basketball UNB @ SMU 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 16th Men’s Volleyball DAL @ UNB 1:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

UNB forward Patrick Riley (#34) takes a pass from a teammate during league play against Acadia last weekend. ers last year the Axemen are still a force in the AUS, and they showed why this weekend.

In the first game Acadia won the battle down low, out-rebounding UNB as a team 42-26, and doing most of their damage on the scoreboard in the paint.

Acadia’s big man Alex Traikov shot a blistering 75 per cent from the field on his way to 28 points and 11 rebounds.

Mike Anderson answered for the V-reds with 18 points, followed by Adam Creaghan’s 14 off of the bench.

The Reds lost more than the game as Antwann Parks and Dustin Anthony both left the game with back injuries.

The final score on Saturday was 99-67 for the Axemen.

On Sunday it was another uphill battle as not only were they playing Acadia again, but also because Alex DesRoches, Dustin Anthony and Antwann Parks were all nursing injuries and were not dressed for the game. Despite not having their starting back court in Parks and Anthony, the V-Reds showed a lot of heart, hustle and active defense.

Early in the game it was the Mike Anderson show, featuring the Varsity Reds.

Anderson seemed to be everywhere on the court, whether it was knocking down a three, driving and getting a good look, or even on the defensive where he was another force, swatting shots, and teaching a class on thievery.

That great defence gave UNB the

lead after the first quarter. As soon as the second quarter started, UNB was setting the tone defensively. Leading the way with enough energy to act as a back up generator for the whole campus was Adeel Sahibzada. Putting pressure on the ball handler the whole way up the floor, Sahibzada caused several turnovers, which in turn, kept UNB in the game.

That was until last year’s CIS hero Peter Leighton remembered he can shoot the ball pretty well. He started a big Acadia run that seemed to inject them with life. Then this weekend series turned into the tale of two teams, as they showed they can play the outside game too. They pulled ahead 33-27 at the half.

Coming out after the break it was still the Mike Anderson show as he was still bringing it.

However, halfway through the third quarter, UNB got into some foul trouble with their big men as Dave Dolan, Colton Wilson and Lonzel Lowe all had four fouls.

After the third quarter the game was well in hand, but showing great heart the V-Reds played hard until the end.

As the final whistle buzzer sounded the game finished 76-57. Mike Anderson finished with a pretty good all around stat sheet with 26 points, 4 blocks and 3 steals, followed by Colton Wilson’s 12 points in his limited playing time with the foul trouble.

Women’s Volleyball St. FX @ UNB 3:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym

Athlete of the Week

UNB Media Services

Amanda Sharpe

Women’s Basketball #12 Forward 3rd Year Bachelor of Kinesiology Fredericton, NB

brunswickansports

12 • Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11• Volume 142 •

Don’t be a girly man Chess: A dying art Mitchell Bernard

His shirt is crisp and clean, his skin well-toned, and his skates smell like stallion. The metro-sexual athlete welcome to the new age.

In a sense, I can’t believe I actually want to write about this. No, I’m not against the well-dressed man or anything of that nature. I just can’t believe that I can actually confess a few dark secrets and know that no longer will I be seen as weird.

I remember reading an article in the National Post which caught my attention earlier this summer. It was about Dallas Stars enforcer Sean Avery, who took on a minimum-wage paying, summer internship at Vogue magazine.

During the interview, Avery mentioned that on the road, he didn’t sit back and watch sports.

Instead, he’d read the Style section of the New York Times.

Wait a minute, are they speaking to the same Sean Avery we all know and hate? You know, the guy who wreaks havoc on his opponents, and the same Avery who had a brief stint with Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert?

Then there’s David Beckham, the so-called “metro-sexual poster boy.” In the article, “Meet the metrosexual,” which appeared on Salon.com, writer Mark Simpson said Beckham is one of the world’s biggest metro-sexuals

church. You woke up, slapped on your Wrangler jeans, tightened up your Roots boots, pulled on the first ball cap in sight, and headed out the door. I guess that’s just the accepted method of living, and no one bothers to care about their appearance. But for some reason, I took a liking into dressing well and acting unconventional.

I easily remember those bus trips. Three or four hours on the road with the hockey team to take on your league rivals. I’d work hard, sweat it out, and didn’t show a sign of fear on the ice. But after the game on my way to the shower, I’d hide my face wash and hair gel in my towel so no one could see me with it.

It’s sort of silly now when you think of it - I just enjoyed feeling good, but yet if the guy sitting next to me caught a hint of a decent odor, it would be a long ride home for me.

It’s not like that anymore. You see university athletes dressed to perfection before the big game, and even fixing their teeth when the soccer ball accidentally knocks out one of their pearly whites.

I’m not going to lie - I like this change. I think fashion is fun, and looking your best should be the norm. And it’s nice to see that athletes at all levels are doing the same.

I think Sean Avery put it best when he said, “If you feel like teasing this hockey player about an obsession of his that you might think is a little unusual, go right ahead. Just know that you may get your ass kicked by a very expensive pair of shoes — and that they’ll probably match both my belt and my shirt.”

Just remove the Movado Fiero watch first - that bling is hard to come by.

Mitchell Bernard is Sports Editor of The Brunswickan.

Christian Hapgood / The Brunswickan

For all those chess players at UNB who feel like they don’t have any competition, the UNB/STU chess club meets every Tuesday evening at Sir James Dunn Hall.

An avid chess fan shares his views on the game and offers an open invitation to all students

James LeBreton

Submited

to the

Bruns

It has 64 squares; 32 white and 32 black. It has 16 soldiers on either side ready for battle. It is a chess board. Two players sit on either side of the board until their hands meet and the clock begins to tick.

Hours pass by like seconds as, with the flick of the wrist, pawns force themselves into the middle of the battle. Noble knights and soldiers begin to fall one by one until only a lonesome king remains standing on the edge of the field. The tension breaks as reality sets in and a king is knocked over in resignation.

To view this fierce battle as merely a game would be to ignore

the educational value chess has to offer all who attempt it.

For the past twelve years, chess has been an integral part of both my personal and educational career.

Arriving at UNB four years ago I expected to find many other chess enthusiasts, but to my surprise there were only a select few who shared my passion. My question is, why are there so few chess lovers in university?

We all come to university to learn and broaden our minds, and considering that chess forces people to think on their own, why is it not more popular?

The first explanation that popped into my mind was the stereotype that all chess players are nerds.

There is a good chance that this misconception was created by the warped image of our high school chess clubs. I do have to admit, being part of several school clubs, I notice more than a few socially awkward individuals. However, this does not even come close to classifying the vast majority of the chess community.

Chess players come from all walks of life, and to label us under any one category would be a mistake. For example, the former heavyweight boxing champion, Lennox Lewis, is an avid chess player. I’m not too sure about you, but I wouldn’t want to be the one calling Lewis a nerd.

A good friend and fellow chess

player, Sean Perlay, believes that the shortage of interest in chess is caused by a “lack of proper exposure.” To a certain extent this may be true, as many students don’t even know that there is UNB/STU chess club on campus.

That being said, previous attempts to advertise our club through signs and internet postings still produced unimpressive results.

The final reason I can come up with to explain why so few students are interested in chess would be their limited view of the game. There are many people who view chess merely as a cold and calculating board game based on strategy and tactics. But I would disagree and argue that chess is art.

Former world chess champion and one of the most celebrated players in history, Mikhail Tal, has often been described as having created art over the board. This image of chess has slowly been disappearing over the years, yet I believe that it is still a wonderful way to view the game, as it suggests that chess has something to offer everyone.

I would like to conclude by inviting all of you to our UNB/ STU chess club. Feel free to join us every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Sir James Dunn Hall cafeteria (STU campus). There are no fees or obligations and we supply all the equipment.

visit us online at thebruns.ca

Balls to the wall

because, “he loves being looked at and because so many men and women love to look at him: He’s the future.”

Maybe at the time it was still unusual for a sports icon to act like he wanted to look good, on and off the court. But nowadays, they are everywhere.

For example, take the NBA dress code that was initiated in late 2005.

The rule states that players are, “required to wear Business Casual attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business.” At first, the rule came under a lot of scrutiny. NBA Commissioner David Stern’s new rule was looked upon as “racist,” as most AfricanAmerica NBA players affected by the new rule would much prefer the hip-hop style of dress.

But as time went on, the players got used to the new rule. Most even enjoy looking sharp before the game, strutting down the hallway in their new Hugo Boss suits.

Where I grew up, men didn’t groom.

Well, maybe for

brunswickansports

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 13

SPORTS BRIEFS Cross-Country team travels to CIS After a good season full of solid races and strenuous training, the UNB cross-country team qualified for the CIS championships held at the University of Laval this past weekend.

About a month ago, the squad was unsure that they would even qualify for the AUS championships, let alone the CIS race. “In order for us to be a team this year and compete at AUS, we all had to make a qualifying time that was set by Kevin Dickie,” said Peter Gaudet, a third year veteran member of the club. “Our fifth and sixth runners, Mike Bone and I, just barely made that qualifying time like two weeks before the race.”

The club then traveled to Moncton for the AUS race as the underdogs.

Motivated by that feeling, the squad gave a great performance and finished the 10 km race just behind first place St. FX and also edging out Dalhousie for second and a spot in the CIS championships.

Unfortunately, it was not the picture perfect weekend for UNB. File / The Brunswickan Members of the UNB Varsity Reds watch the puck slip into the net, the losing goal in double-overtime of the 2004 CIS national championships held at One of their top runners, Adam Campbell, was unable to run because the Aitken Centre. UNB will be making a strong bid to bring the 2011 and 2012 tournament back to Fredericton to correct their mistake. of an injury. That devastating blow coupled with terrible conditions and 80 km/h winds proved too much for the squad. At the end of the race held on the Plains of Abraham, the team finished 14th.

It was a solid year for the club and now they look towards the future to go above and beyond this year’s accomplishments.

UNB to make final push to host CIS hockey nationals

In less than a month, members of the UNB bid committee will travel to Ottawa to make its presentation to the CIS selection committee to host the 2011 and 2012 CIS men’s hockey championships. The group will attempt to showcase what Fredericton has to offer and to display its strong university hockey community in order to bring back the championships to Fredericton.

The 2003 and 2004 championships were hosted by UNB. The events were a great success with sell-out crowds at most UNB matches. Roger Shannon and Lloyd Henderson, two members of the 2003-2004 bid committee who helped bring the championships to Fredericton, are back on board to help secure UNB’s bid.

“We have the university community, the hockey community and the greater Fredericton community behind us,” said Roger Shannon in a recent press release. “In 2003 and 2004, we, as a community, created the greatest sporting event ever held in Fredericton. We would love the opportunity to once again take CIS men’s hockey to the next level, especially during the golden anniversary of the CIS in 2011.”

Traveling along with the selection committee will be UNB’s athletic director Kevin Dickie, as well as V-Reds hockey head coach Gardiner MacDougall. Dickie hopes to bring the championships back to Fredericton for the strong V-Reds fan base.

“We have the number one fan base in CIS hockey nationwide,” said Dickie in a recent press release. “Fans are still talking about the championships we hosted in 2003 and 2004, and they an’t wait for the nationals to come back to our home rink.”

Along with UNB, Dalhousie is the only other school that has placed a bid to host the championships. The CIS selection committee will announce it’s decision in late December.

Morrison named CIS second-team all-Canadian UNB striker Ken Morrison has once again been named a CIS all-Canadian for men’s soccer. The fourth-year Fredericton native notched three goals in the 13 regular season games and helped the Reds finish first place in AUS league play.

Morrison, last year’s AUS Most Valuable Player, played a key role on the Reds’ veteran line-up. His hard work and dedication allowed him to be an effective member of the team, on and off the field.

Regarded as one of Fredericton’s most underrated athletes by UNB coach Miles Pinsent, Morrison’s hard work has paid off as he was named a second-team all-Canadian last weekend during the all-Canadian File / The Brunswickan banquet held during the national championships at Carleton University.

During the off-season, Morrison plays for the Fredericton Picaroons UNB striker Ken Morrison was named a second-team all-Canadian for men’s soccer at the CIS awards banquet last week in Ottawa.

Reds.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 • 14

Indie pop magic: Behind the tables

Marc Xavier LeBlanc / Courtesy of StudioGraph

Moncton-based Marc Xavier LeBlanc (right), or DJ Bones as he is affectionately known by his fans, has struck up a well-known presence in the east coast music scene. Indie Pop Nights happen in Fredericton every month or so at the Capital Bar. Bones’s love for indie pop started in school he began to host a radio music. looking at you,” says LeBlanc. Le- cles – red, blue, and yellow – are allong before that, however. show.

While LeBlanc had some influ- Blanc believes this feeling is a bit ways featured on the posters along “I’ve been into music since I was The show, which is called “Le ence by mainstream artists he still oppressive and prevents people from with the characteristic comic book Alison Clack a small kid.

I remember digging Photo Sonore” on the Université de understands how important it is to truly letting loose and having a good style of the photos.

The Brunswickan through my father’s crates of records. Moncton campus radio station, is promote local artists. LeBlanc regu- time.

After his girlfriend found a proI remember this one album in par- still hosted by LeBlanc to this day. larly features artists from the Mari“People feel comfortable at Indie gram called Comic Life, LeBlanc ticular; one really weird electronic After a few years of hosting his times (like Sleepless Nights and Two Pop Night,” says LeBlanc, “They can began to use its “cheesy effects” to If you haven’t been to Indie Pop album called In Sounds from way radio show LeBlanc began to DJ at Hours Traffic) at his shows. let loose discovering new music.” create his IPN posters.

Night with Bones than you haven’t out from these two guys called Perry- the student bar on campus, Le KaThis has also led him to develop a LeBlanc also has a love for art and “It’s a whimsical side of things. enjoyed some of the best nights of Kingsley. cho, under the name DJ Bones. bit of a connection to Forward Music photography in addition to the music Comic books are fun and a story music and dancing in Fredericton.

“It was the precursor to sampling The name was a throw back to a Group who LeBlanc says is, “A label he plays. At every show LeBlanc and these photos are a story of fun.

The event, which is hosted by DJ music. They just took these loops – high school nickname he adopted. that is doing a great job promoting photographs moments of the crowd People can see it and go, ‘oh that was Bones (aka Marc LeBlanc), is held reel to reel loops – and just made these In high school LeBlanc and three new music on the east coast.” letting loose and enjoying the night. at IPN’,” says LeBlanc. monthly at the Capital. kind of quirky, little pop songs,” says friends all shared the same name.

LeBlanc used a costume contest at The photos are a way for LeBlanc The posters have also been someThis coming March will be the LeBlanc.

To avoid confusion they all adopt- his Halloween show as a chance to to keep a lasting memory of the night thing attendees of IPN have attached event’s two year anniversary in Fred“That’s always what I’m looking ed different nicknames. LeBlanc was promote local music. Winners of the and the shows he’s played. to. Many show-goers have done some ericton. The year also marks the for: these ‘in sounds’ from way out called Bones in reference to his lanki- contest were given CDs from For“I document everything that I do. pretty crazy things for LeBlanc’s fifth anniversary of all of DJ Bones’s there.” ness. ward Music Group.

I always have at least two or three camera.

IPN’s, which started at the ParaThe curiosity for this music folBones’s style was a mix of underLeBlanc’s shows are more than cameras on me at all times,” says Le“People have flashed me. People mount Lounge in Moncton. lowed LeBlanc to university. While ground stuff with mainstream just good music however; Indie Pop Blanc. go out wearing pretty provocative Night has become a phenomenon.

Documenting events with photos clothes – sometimes boobs fall out of Bones recalls a story in which a also acts like a therapy LeBlanc says. place,” says LeBlanc. bouncer at a Halifax bar told him When LeBlanc’s girlfriend was Despite this effort from some, Lethat people were coming from New diagnosed with breast cancer the two Blanc says he enjoys a different kind Brunswick and Prince Edward Is- created a blog documenting the trial of photo. land just for the night to see IPN. in photographs.

“I’m not all that into the provoca“It’s not the first time that that has “It was therapeutic in a way,” says tive photos. I really love people with happened,” says LeBlanc, “It makes LeBlanc. groups of friends. People having a me feel really great that people travel The photos have also become a really good time; singing or pumpto come out to my events.” way to advertise IPN; the photos are ing their fist in the air – I really love People travel out for the music and used to create posters for up-coming those photos,” says LeBlanc. the atmosphere of IPN. LeBlanc de- shows.

Thursday, December 4 marks the scribes the events as having a “good These photos have also become date of the next Indie Pop Night, positive vibe.” instantly recognizable with a little coinciding with the end of fall term “Most clubs feel like people are branding from LeBlanc. Three cir- classes.

The art of the dance party

Submitted

Windom Earle is known for its sporadic lineup changes at live shows, which means that the members pictured here may or may not be present at any given time.

“Basically the main mission With their use of cowbell, synth statement of our band is to make and saxophone combined with Doug Estey every show a party.

We incorporconventional bass and guitar along The Brunswickan ate non-traditional things to bring with outrageous costumes and back some fun in live shows. flashing lights, Windom’s alternaAs the unforgiving winter months “Last week, for example, a giant tive approach to playing live shows approach our beloved little city of game of dodgeball broke out with can often be confusing for firstFredericton, one might ponder the the audience. Just last night we time audience members. best way to keep warm when the set up in someone’s hotel room at MacLeod agrees that his band’s temps are down. A jacket and mit- 5 a.m. and managed to play four stage presence can be rather odd to tens might help, but on Nov. 22, whole songs before being kicked newcomers. dance legends B.A. Johnston and out.”

“We never try to play the cool Windom Earle may prove the best The band, currently comprised card when we’re playing a show. way to keep your hands and feet of six members, is known for its Mostly because we aren’t cool. We nice and toasty. widely-varying live performance. just act like idiots. But the way we If you’ve been to one of these “It really just started as a home see it, as long as everyone is havshows before, you know what I’m recording project 10 years ago that ing fun or at least slightly amused, talking about. If not, you may be I worked on with various friends. then everybody wins.” puzzled when you see people jump- The live version of the band is alYou can catch Windom Earle ing in the snow bank afterwards . ways a collaboration of them. I and Hamilton’s B.A. Johnston Windom Earle’s Stephan Mac- think we’ve had over two dozen together with The Gideons at The Leod provides some insight. different people play with us live.”

Capital Bar on Nov. 22.

brunswickanarts

Hagerman’s happy horrorscopes

Aries (March21st - April 19th)

Aries, the confusing weather as of late will leave you, unconfusingly enough, very confused. This will extend past just weather this week, though. Up will be down, down will be up, and Edward Norton will be Brad Pitt.

Don’t worry, though, horoscopes will still be horoscopes.

Or will they? Your lucky state of being is contentedness.

Taurus

(April 20th - May 20th)

Barack Obama’s presidency can only mean one thing for you this week, dear Taurus: cheaper pie. Don’t miss your chance to get some good old apple pie - or even American Pie! - it’s all good and delicious. You can even top it with Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream ice cream by Ben & Jerry’s! Yum. Your lucky mechanical pencil breaks way too often.

Gemini (May 21st - June 21st)

You may feel as though you are less liked by your friends lately, dear Gemini. Though you can’t seem to figure it out at first, the answer will soon become clear: you are wearing sandals in November. Nobody likes anybody who wears sandals in November. It’s not personal against you, it’s personal against sandals. Your lucky daily activity is hustlin’.

Cancer

(June 22nd- July 22nd)

You will feel a lot of change around you lately, dear Cancer. Between pennies, quarters, dimes, and toonies, you won’t be able to dig yourself out of change for quite some time. At least it’ll be a sweet change from attempting to dig yourself out of piles and piles of debt. Your lucky hat is a fedora.

Leo

(July 23rd - August 22nd)

You will be annoyed at your friends for wanting to do things safely this week, dear Leo. Rather than doing your favourite things alone, prove to your friends that your lightning chasing, cow headbutting, and monkey knife fights aren’t as dangerous as everybody seems to think. Your lucky form of water is ice.

Virgo

Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142 •15

Canadian writers to cherish Jens Ourom

The Brunswickan

A good friend - a Canadian friend - once clarified to me as to why, exactly, Canadians are so good at hockey. Essentially, because we are rich, and hockey is an expensive sport to play in any organized form.

Sure, there are other intangibles such as climate, and a national fervour for the game, which is arguably unmatched anywhere on the planet. However, equipment and ice rinks are vastly more expensive than a soccer ball (or ball of rolled up newspaper) and any flat surface will suffice for a game of “footy.”

The very same reason – comparative wealth – may be a central reason the current generation of Canadian travel writers has been able to produce such a litany of quality work. Traveling is also expensive. It is a luxury, and thanks to a Canadian dollar and economy that make Moroccan Dirhams, and Thai Bahts look like pennies (even during our so-called financial crisis) Canadian writers have been able to explore the world, and return home to tell us about it.

Following in the footsteps of

modern American travel writing pioneers like Paul Theroux, John Steinbeck, and Jack Kerouac, here are five Canadian writers in the glory days of their globe-trotting careers.

Will Ferguson is perhaps the best known of this generation.

A biting satirist always looking to take the pulse of this very nation, he is responsible for titles that elicit grins themselves, such as Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw, and How to Be a Canadian (Even if You Already Are One).

In Hitching Rides with Buddha, Ferguson thumbs his way from the southern tip of Japan to the northernmost point at the pace of the blossoming cherry trees, or sakura. This makes for a wonderfully cohesive book, as he continually celebrates the arrival of the sakura with the Japanese in festival after festival, with only the locations, and personalities picking him up changing.

These Canadian writers in particular often find creative ways to tell their stories, and the stories of those they are among, and Ferguson’s by-the-thumb method amongst a reserved Japanese populace is exemplary.

Montreal’s Taras Grescoe’s unique methods have had the welltraveled writer purposely visit overrun tourist destinations in The End of Elsewhere, as an examination of the tourist industry itself. In Devil’s

Picnic, however, it is where this writer, who has battled his own addiction demons in the past, excels.

Whether it is coca leaf in Bolivia, chewing gum in spotless Singapore, or contraband Cuban cigars in the United States, Grescoe travels the world experiencing the illicit substances of various nations.

Not, as it may appear, simply a drug-addled diary of exotic binges, Devil’s Picnic is an incredibly intelligent examination of drug cultures, drug legislation, and addiction.

Colin Angus, who would refer to himself as more of an adventurer than writer, I’m sure, still has much to contribute to the field. Most know him for his human-powered, around-theworld journey he chronicles in Beyond the Horizon: The Great Race to Finish the First Human-Powered Circumnavigation of the Planet.

On the other hand, his lesser known, Lost in Mongolia is equally interesting, and possibly just as adventurous. Angus and his team attempt (and barely succeed) in completing a source-to-sea navigation of the Yenisei, the fifthlongest river in the world, while encountering a mind-numbing assortment of obstacles. In a world that often seems to have overturned every stone, Mongolia is relatively unknown, and though he is no ethnographer, Angus opens a window to a culture that is as interesting as it is

foreign.

J.B. Mackinnon, who has covered all sorts of cultures, all over the world, creatively reveals the Dominican Republic’s past and present while looking for clues in the murder of his uncle, a missionary priest in the Dominican during the 1960s. Dead Man in Paradise is a murder mystery meets travelogue meets historical essay, and has something to attract nearly all readers.

Life of Pi, one of the best-selling Canadian novels in recent history,

by Spanish-born Canadian Yann Martel, qualifies in no way, shape, or form as a travel book, though it is rich in Indian cultural detail.

But Martel has forayed into travel writing, in terms of articles, and the linguistic richness Martel was made famous for in Life of Pi, is present in his travel writings, as well.

In Ice Dreams, written for Outpost Magazine, Martel voyages into Canada’s far north onboard an icebreaker, and paints beautifully desolate images that are sure to linger with you.

Even if we have nothing else to credit our current surplus of quality travel writers to than our relative national wealth, we can still take pride in the fact that these writers are, as far as we can tell, spreading cultural understanding to the best of their abilities, and, representing Canada in a positive light.

this week in brunswickanarts

(August 23rd - September 22nd)

Your perfectionism will make schoolwork difficult for you this week, dear Virgo. While you will ace every single assignment and test, you will also be so great at your subjects that you will make your professors feel inadequate for not being able to write as beautifully as you. Your lucky time period is the future.

Libra (September 23rd - October 23rd)

Unfortunately, you will be stalked this week, dear Libra.

Fortunately, it will be a member of the gender (or genders) of your preference! Unfortunately, they will be super sketchy! Fortunately, you will not mind as much because minus the sketchy part, they are awesome. Unfortunately, you are thirsty. Your lucky chicken is Foghorn Leghorn.

Scorpio (October 24th - November 22nd)

Friends who begin listening to Christmas music at the beginning of November will be especially annoying to you this week, dear Scorpio. You can deal with this in one of two ways: you can either start listening to summer music, or you can put on earplugs at all possible times, even if music isn’t playing. Your lucky sailor is Popeye.

Sagittarius

(November 23rd - December 21st)

Don’t let any financial woes trouble you this week, dear Sagittarius. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Besides, it’s not like you really NEED your kidneys or anything like that, right? If anything, you’ll be doing a favour to some non-desript but wealthy customer! Your lucky glasses are rose-tinted.

Capricorn

(December 22nd - January 20th)

Your stars will be in perfect alignment this week, dear Capricorn. In fact, they will be so perfect that they will form a new constellation in the shape of a thumbs-up.

It will be known as the “Booya” constellation, named after the lesser-known Greek god of awesome himself.

Your lucky three dimensional shape is a rhomboid.

Aquarius

(January 21st - Febuary 18th) You will have trouble staying awake in class this week, dear Aquarius. You can stay awake by poking yourself with a pen, drinking lots of caffeine, or trying to pronounce your professor’s name backwards. If all else fails, so do you! No pressure, though. Your lucky UNB newspaper is the Brunswickan.

Pisces

(Febuary 19th - March 20th)

You may feel as if you have no goals to achieve this week, but you shouldn’t be afraid, dear Aquarius. All you have to do is attempt to make a non-creepy children’s television show. This undertaking will take you the rest of your life and, ironically, the rest of your children’s lives. Your lucky gloves were knitted by your grandmother.

Olympic Symphonium CD release Fredericton’s own Olympic Symphonium released their second full-length album “More In Sorrow Than Anger” on Nov. 11. The critically-acclaimed trio, comprised of Nick Cobham, Kyle Cunjak, and Graeme Walker, are known for their instrumental versatility and innate songwriting. Olympic Symphonium are slated to hit Fredericton’s Charlotte Street Arts Center on Nov. 21.

Midnight screening at Silver Wave As part of the Silver Wave Festival taking place in Fredericton this week, Silver Wave presents “Bloody, Weird and Perverted” films at 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 14 in Tilley Hall. A handful of short films are featured, including two local flicks from UNB students: Jeff Seymour’s Retrievable and graduate Jason Shipley’s Blood Shed.

D12 & Obie Trice at the Student Union Building cancelled Due to unknown issues causing D12 and Obie Trice to be unable to cross Free indie acoustic show at Crumbs into Canada, the much-anticipated Off-the-wall indie rocker Matt Antaya and his rap show at UNB’s Student Union ever-changing band Self Cynic are appearing at Crumbs on Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. for a free/dona- Building was canned. The show may re-appear at UNB at some point next tion show. Their debut album, released in June, semester. features special guests from all over Canada’s pop rock music scene - including Sam Roberts and The Dress Whites.

Photos: (Top) Olympic Symphonium’s new album. Submitted. (Center) Getting covert at Vixen’s Lounge Montreal’s Special Ops is a full-out metal outfit Self Cynic’s Matt Antaya. Submitted. scheduled to rock Vixen’s Lounge on Nov. 15 at (Right) Obie Trice will re-attempt a show in January, if at all. Wikipedia / 8 p.m. The show marks their first time playing since bassist Waldo Thornhill’s battle with colon Creative Commons. cancer cancelled part of their tour this summer.

3 on 3 Basketball Sunday, November 30

all proceeds go to Children’s Wish Foundation

$50 for a team of 3 or 4 Register by November 21 at Campus Rec Office or online @

campusrec.unbf.ca/online_registration/teamreg.php

Men’s and Women’s Divisions with at least 3 games per team Prizes to be won

brunswickanarts

16 • Nov. 13, 2008 • Issue 11 • Volume 142

Waves: An eye-opener Ladies: What not to wear for teens on dating abuse The Fashion Police

Special

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Allyson Paradis, a member of Waves’ 2008 Student Advisory Committee, serving as an example of someone trapped in a relationship.

FROM WAVES PAGE 1 aged participation from each and every individual.

The program arose from Leibovitch’s experience working at Hestia House in Saint John, where it was her job to promote the awareness and understanding of the shelter in schools. At the time, her campaign wasn’t directed at the lives of the teens themselves.

That all changed once Leibovitch began to realize that the problem was much bigger than helping those already in trouble.

“When I started with Hestia House I was young and I was idealistic. I thought that eventually these situations would improve and the problems would go

away. But 14 years later, things were just getting worse. Something needed to change.”

Along with two of her friends and colleagues from similar organizations in New Brunswick, Leibovitch discovered that her efforts could have a much more significant impact if they were directed entirely towards students. Between Leibovitch, Linda Legere from the Sexual Assault Centre in Fredericton and Deborah Westerburg at Sanctuary House Making Waves was born with one purpose: to prevent these things from happening in the first place.

“We all had similar concerns.

We wanted kids to be smarter; more aware of the science behind dating violence. It’s hard to help

change the people that are already involved with these things, but when you target high school kids - they’re just getting involved in relationships and they’re much easier to shape.”

After the weekend, students assume the role of ambassadors of the program, carrying the information they gathered at Waves weekend back to their respective schools and communities. Using this method, Making Waves is able to reach out to much more than a few dozen students each year.

Making Waves has been running for 13 consecutive years.

For more information on the program as well as dating violence prevention, visit www. mwaves.org.

to

The Brunswickan

It has recently come to the attention of the fashion police that there are many offenders of the laws of couture on the loose, living as normal among the rest of us.

It can be difficult to distinguish a felony from simple, every day fashion; the following is a list of criteria with which to determine whether or not YOU may be committing a crime.

Belly on Display: This is a major, major crime unless you are Gwen Stefani. If you feel a breeze on your midsection even though you may be fully clothed, this is a good way to tell if you are out of step with the law.

Belly baring is simply a bad thing to do; no one wants to look at that, especially if you are sporting a muffin top.

Do not offend the eyes of your fellows.

Campinos: You are not on the set of Charlie and the Chocolate factory. You are on campus.

It is unnatural to be walking around with orange skin.

A healthy glow is one thing, but you live in Canada and it’s November. Lay off the tanning. Also, oompa-loompa syndrome coupled with tragic bleached white hair is especially punishable. Quite plainly, it looks ridiculous. No one looks like that. Period.

Try sticking somewhere along the lines of your natural look, which, despite what you may think, is probably the best look for you.

Have pale skin? Try playing it up with some red lipstick and go for the delicate, porcelain doll look. Trust the police, it will work far better for you than Mystic Tan, i.e. orange ankles.

T h e Streetwalker: Balance is key when it comes to fashion.

If you find yourself wearing a mini skirt, for example, it better not be paired with a tube top or other skimpy garment, bec ause , honey, that means that you are sending the wrong message. You are not going to pick up the right kinds of guys dressed like a strumpet. Balance it out—pair a mini with a drapey top that covers the shoulders and cleavage. You’ll be much less ralph-inspiring in this case, and you will also be the

two things Coco Chanel says a woman should always be: classy and fabulous.

PJ’s in public: Perhaps the ultimate no-no. Do not even think of wearing your baby blue pj pants covered in flying cows out of your house. If you have roommates, do not wear them out of your bedroom. They are not clothing. They are offensive.

The issue at hand is that if you are walking around in flannel pajama pants, you are committing a failure to society of epic proportions. If everyone else has to get dressed, so do you. No exemptions. As a bonus, you’ll feel way better about yourself if you put on real clothes and present your best self to the world.

Trends: Just because a certain trend may be featured in your favorite fashion mag don’t mean it’s for you. Thick-waisted?

Waist cinching belts are not for you. Try an empire waist, which will focus attention on your smaller ribcage and chest. Tiny?

You don’t want to wear ponchos or flowy dresses, because they’ll make you look like you have no shape. You need structure: a nicely tailored trouser pant, perhaps with a high waist, will work much better.

Some rules for fail-proof fashion: be yourself. Although we, the police, seem to be tearing you down, we are only trying to raise you from the depths of fashion despair and make you feel good about yourself.

Make sure to mix and match your clothing for an original look. Don’t be too neat. Don’t hang jewelry all over your body, but try picking one big piece to show off. Mix your nicest pieces with $2 earrings from Value Village. You’ll look edgy and original, which is the epitome of fashion right now.

That is all. Thank you for complying with the laws of fashion.