Issue 14, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

exam survival // professors and students talk on how to get by >> PAgE 2

Volume 142 · Issue 14 · December 3, 2008

thebruns.ca

the brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

UNB sports Report Card

A look back at UNB teams’ first semester

SPORTS / PAGE 10

Forward Music Group

A positive attitude can go a long way ARTS / PAGE 8

The Lesser of Two Evils?

Federal politics are shaking up as a potential Liberal-NDP coalition looms over Parliament OPINION / PAGE 4

READY FOR ACTION Tony von Richter The Brunswickan

The province’s Action Plan for postsecondary education will continue to roll out in this legislative session as the government continues to work on its implementation.

With a number of issues facing the province, Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson’s Speech from the Throne last Tuesday focused mainly on

Hockey Reds back on top

the economy, energy, and education.

In terms of PSE, Chiasson said the provincial government plans on implementing the 33 recommendations of the PSE Action Plan developed earlier this year.

Of particular interest to students was the government announcing that they will respond to the federal government’s elimination of the Millennium Scholarship program.

“Your government has assessed recent federal decisions to replace the successful Millennium Scholarships with more broadly-based financial assistance and

will be responding with measures helping those students most in need of assistance,” said Chiasson.

Jon O’Kane, VP External of the UNB Student Union, said he was excited by the government’s decision to look at ways to make education more affordable and accessible.

“To me that says that the efforts of the Student Union and the NBSA are being heard at the provincial level, and there’s hope that they’ll be executed in the future,” he said.

Despite some positive measures mentioned in the speech the overall tone

was one of uncertainty due to the unstable economy. This uncertainty makes it difficult to predict what programs the government will be able to enact should the economy turn worse.

“I’m hoping that education is still a priority to them, and the government seems to, through the Speech from the Throne, convey to the masses that they still want to make post-secondary one of their priorities in the next year,” said O’Kane.

“It’s important as they move forward

SEE THRONE PAGE 2

Sue Johanson graces UNB, STU

Colin McPhail The Brunswickan

The UNB men’s hockey team made it five straight wins after defeating their bitter rivals in two thrilling games on the weekend. The Reds will go into the holiday break tied for top spot in the AUS standings.

It was an electric atmosphere at the Aitken Centre Friday night as the top seated Université de Moncton came to town. It was a near sell out as UNB was making their video for the CIS bid, which they presented on Tuesday. As soon as the puck dropped, it was fast-paced, hard-hitting action. UNB put on great offensive pressure from the get go and was rewarded ten minutes in. Jim Cuddihy fired a shot from the top of the circle over the left shoulder of Moncton goaltender Kevin Lachance, with Hunter Tremblay and Kevin Henderson getting the helpers. UNB did not relent in their attack and kept rushing the Moncton goal. This game plan worked perfectly as four minutes after the first goal Ryan Seymour tipped in the second off the Justin DeCosta point shot with Lachance completely screened. The Reds kept Moncton pinned in their own zone for most of the first and held them to only six shots.

UdeM came out with some early pressure in the second and Pierre-André Bureau closed the gap to one with a power play goal.

The Reds were feeling the heat and needed an insurance marker. Late in the period, Tremblay got them the extra cushion off another tip-in with David Bowman notching the assist. In the third, UNB went into shut down mode as their defence stepped up turned any offensive attack from Moncton.

Derek Yeomans made twenty-six saves in the 3-1 win and the Reds defeated UdeM for the second time this season.

Saturday night’s game lasted two hours and forty minutes, but it was worth every second. The battle of hill lived up to its name as St. Thomas gave the visiting Reds quite the game in front of a packed house. UNB controlled most of the first with good passing and strong cycling, but could not beat STU goalie Ben Macfarlane. Both goaltenders came to play as Yeomans handily stopped two breakaways in the first alone. UNB’s

SEE HOCKEY PAGE 10

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Renowned talk-show host and ‘sexpert’ Sue Johanson spoke at both UNB and STU last week. She covered various aspects of sexual health while engaging her audiences. A review of her UNB performance can be found on page 3.

Wage gap yet to disappear Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

In Canada, the wage gap is widest for university-educated women. This may be yesterday’s news to many, but to others, it will come as a complete surprise. In 2005, Canadian women working full-time for a full year made only 70% the wages of men who also worked full-time all year; women made an average of $39,200, while men brought home an average $55,700.

In a recent press release from the Canadian Federation of Business & Professional Women’s Clubs (BPW Canada), President Sue Calhoun states that these figures are even more dismal than they were ten years ago. In the mid 1990s, she says, women earned 72% of what men did.

“Despite significant progress made during the 1980s and 1990s to close the wage gap,” Calhoun says, “the situation has now stalled and is, in fact, moving in reverse.”

Further, the gap worsens for universityeducated women. In 2005 (the most recent figures available from StatsCan), they earned only 68% as much as men. A decade ago, they earned three-quarters of the average male’s salary.

UNB Executive in Residence and former Deputy Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Nora Kelly feels that there are “a lot of reasons for this, of course.” The list of reasons, she says, begins with the types of jobs that women tend to go into.

Kellysaysthatparticipationincommunity college is 50/50; equal numbers of men and women are enrolling and graduating. However, “what’s happening when they come out is that there’s a huge wage discrepancy between what the male graduates are earning and what the female graduates are earning, because what seems to be happening is that a lot of the females are coming out and going to work as nurse’s aids, orderlies, early childhood assistants, and practical nurses.

“The males are coming out and going to work as welders, automotive technicians, on it goes. The kinds of occupations that women traditionally go into are not as valued by our society as those that men go into. They pay less, and subsequently women earn less,” Kelly explains.

She continues to voice the opinion that our society needs to reevaluate its values regarding women’s work.

Kelly says the issue is that women’s work is not valued as highly as it should be.

“We have a lot of work to do to get women into the higher paying jobs like engineering jobs. Even when you get into those jobs, however, there are still discrepancies,” she explains.

All of this is true in spite of the fact that women have closed the education gap; one half of all Canadian women aged 25 to 44 possess a post secondary degree, while only 40 per cent of men can say the same thing. What this leads to, then, is that the disparity found in earnings can only be

SEE PAY PAGE 3

brunswickannews

2 • Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • news@thebruns.ca

A few tips on exam survival Mac’in the Christmas tree Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Exam time is equated by many with headaches, fatigue, and a state of constant, sleepless worry. Stress, however, only makes the bad turn to worse, and to quote a line from John P. Kee, “trouble don’t last always.” The Brunswickan has spoken to both professors and students to pull together a few tips to make exams a little more bearable.

Associate Dean of UNB Graduate Studies and Professor of English Dr. Demetres Tryphonopoulos offers some common sense: “In my view, it’s not what you do right before the exam, it’s what you do throughout the year.” He advises students to take good notes that will trigger memory while studying.

Many students, of course, simply do not do this. When asked what those students should do to redeem themselves in time for the exam, Tryphonopoulos wittily

responds “remember not to do that next time.” He then becomes more serious, suggesting that troubled students should simply speak to their professors for advice.

Building a good rapport with one’s professor throughout the year, he says, can often save one in times of exam-related peril.

The UNB Math department issues tips on how to study for exams. Suggested is practice of old assignments,mainlythoseproblems that were marked as incorrect.

Copies of old exams are available for practice materials, either from the Math Help Centre, a professor, or from the Math website at www. math.unb.ca/math. It is advised that students pay close attention to the types of problems included, as well as the value of questions.

When students were asked for their views regarding exams, few of them waxed serious on the topic. Fourth-year student Patrick Wilson says simply to “show up. If you don’t, you get an ‘F’.”

Aside from this very basic approach, third-year student Katie Balcom suggests “Lotsa candy.

That’s how I get through them.” She

may be onto something, as staying properly nourished and eating lots of protein (not necessarily candy) will help the brain to accomplish more. If the brain is trying to retain information, it needs fuel to do so, so make time to eat.

In tune with this idea, fourth year English student Alex Wickwire says “stock food that’s easy to make – microwave stuff.” This will save time while ensuring sufficient nourishment.

Fourth- year Eric Letcher says wryly, “don’t sleep through it.”

This is certainly advisable; for sleepi-in prevention, the avoidance of all-nighters is suggested. Try to get at least five hours of shut-eye. If you need more time to study, get some sleep and wake up early with a fresher mind.

If you find yourself to be up the creek without a paddle, you should stock up on caffeine, clear off a nice big study space either at home or in the library, and cram until the exam is over. It won’t be pleasant, but it’s the best one can do in that situation. The worst will soon be over, and the ensuing celebration will be well worth it.

Gov’t plans to replace Millenium program FROM THRONE PAGE 1 that if they want to help the economy they need to first improve the education system. That’s what the Student Union is looking for in the Speech from the Throne and the commitments for the next year.”

Duncan Gallant, President of the New Brunswick Student Alliance, was in attendance for the Speech.

“We are pleased that the Government realizes that there are going to be students disadvantaged

by federal changes, but even before these changes and the current economic climate, students in New Brunswick were suffering from crippling debt,” said Gallant in a statement released to the media.

“We need to make sure that new, efficient student financial aid initiatives are included in the 2009 budget since this topic was ignored in the Government’s Action Plan.”

The NBSA has already taken steps to have their concerns addressed, as they are meeting with newly appointed Minister of

Post-Secondary Education Donald Arsenault today to outline their plans and concerns.

Chief among them is establishing a timeline for implementing the NBSA’s student debt cap proposal.

Because of the recommendations of the province’s action plan it is somewhat unclear as to what body will be reporting to the government on post-secondary financial issues.

“We want to have a debt cap in the next provincial budget, and we need to figure out how to get there,” said Gallant.

David Shipley

Special

to the

Bruns

Apple Inc.’s latest MacBook packs a whole lot of computing power in a sleek new package.

The most obvious change for Apple’s popular laptops is in the looks department. The once white plastic-clad laptops are sleeker, thinner, lighter and tougher than their predecessors.

Crafted out of a single block of aluminum, the new MacBooks look and feel like their more expensive and larger cousins, the MacBook Pros, which also received a new design this fall.

While Apple has built a reputation for creating must-have gadgets, the Cupertino, California-based company has outdone itself with its latest consumer-level computer.

Overall, the new MacBooks feel more pleasant to hold and comfortable to touch.

But the new design is about more than good looks – the new construction technique used to manufacture MacBooks has led to a case that’s exceptionally strong and light. As well, the bottom of the new MacBook rarely gets hot, even under the most demanding circumstances such as playing a 3D game or doing video editing.

Aside from the new case, the MacBook’s other most noticeable feature is its LED display screen, which is thinner and brighter than the LCD’s found in the earlier models. The new LED screens on the MacBook’s are also glossy, which can make the screen look crisper but can be annoying in bright, sunlit rooms or outdoors. For those who don’t like glossy screens, a simple off-the-shelf matte screen cover can fix that issue.

Another important new feature of the new MacBooks is the large, multi-

Apple.com

Apple’s updated MacBook is sure to be a big hit this holiday season. touch trackpad. The trackpad on the MacBooks allows users to do finger swipes that can active useful features within Mac OS X Leopard such as its window-switching program, Exposé. The trackpad also doesn’t have a traditional button. Instead, the whole glass pad can be physically pushed.

A nice feature of the new trackpad is the ability to use the bottom right corner as a right click, cutting out the new for Mac users to do cumbersome key combinations along with clicks to access alternate menu functions.

The keyboard on the new MacBooks is similar to the black one introduced with the MacBook Air and a noticeable improvement over the previous generation. The keys are responsive and pleasant to use.

The MacBook line also has a backlit keyboard on the more expensive 2.4 GHz model.

One of the most significant enhancements to the MacBook line is the introduction of Nvidia’s latest mobile graphics chip – the 9400. The new graphics chip in the MacBook is a significant improvement from Intel chipset used in previous models.

Unlike the Intel video chipset, the Nvidia 9400 has its own dedicated graphic processing unit. Like the Intel chipset, the Nvidia 9400 still uses system RAM. Nonetheless, the 9400 offers up to five times the speed of the Intel integrated graphics chip.

The MacBook performed adequately in a series of gaming tests ranging from a trial run of World of Warcraft in Mac OS X to a test of Battlefield 2 in Windows XP, which was installed through Apple’s handy Bootcamp utility.

The new MacBooks also boast faster DDR3 ram and are available with either a 2.0 GHz or 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

Upgrading the MacBook laptops is easier than ever thanks to some helpful design improvements. Both the hard drive and RAM on the

MacBook are relatively easy for users to remove and replace, which can help maximize its lifespan.

For those concerned about the environment and their health, the MacBook is one of the most progressive laptops on the market.

Its aluminum shell is full recyclable and the move away from LCD technology to LED has helped Apple reduce the use of harmful chemicals in its laptops.

For those who’ve invested heavily in FireWire-based peripherals such as external hard drives or camcorders, the elimination of a FireWire port on the new aluminium MacBooks may be a deal breaker. Those who still want or need a FireWire port can buy the cheaper white MacBook, which still has the previous generation’s plastic case or they can shell out a few hundred dollars more for the MacBook Pro. Overall the new MacBooks represent one of the best computing options on the market for students, educators and even business professionals. They’re light and durable and pack a great deal of value for their price. They also are the only computers that can run both Mac OS X and Windows either side by side via virtualization software or as boot options at start-up.

Mac OS X itself is arguably the most compelling reason to buy an Apple computer due it’s stability, security and ease of use. Apple’s iLife suite of apps, ranging from iPhoto to iMovie and Garageband, are perfect for creating and organizing digital media.

The new aluminum MacBooks are priced between $1,349 and $1,649 with Apple’s education discount. The white MacBook can be purchased for $1,099. Both the aluminum and white models are on display at the UNB Bookstore computer section.

David Shipley is a web content developer for the University of New Brunswick and a freelance writer.

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brunswickannews

Teaching English overseas ‘opens your eyes’

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Teaching Job in Korea, associated with the Atlantic Language College in Fredericton, is heading up a recruitment effort for qualified graduates to teach English in South Korea.

The government of South Korea needs more than 550 ESL instructors to teach children at the elementary and middle school level for the March 2009 semester.

Angie Lee, General Manager at the Atlantic Language College and Sandi Jeon, Marketing Manager, are recruiting recent graduates as well as other qualified individuals in the Fredericton area.

Lee believes that teaching ESL overseas is an excellent experience, especially for recent graduates.

“I think this is such a wonderful experience because they can explore different cultures. They can broaden their world view and also they can help pay off their student loans,” says Lee. “If they go to Korea they can build their career and build such a great work experience abroad.”

Lee and Jeon advocate teaching ESL for recent grads who are shouldering the burden of a student loan. People who enrol in the program can expect to make between 1.8 to 2.6 million Korean won monthly, the equivalent of $1,800-$2,600 in Canada. The rate of pay varies according to subject of university study, the presence of a Teacher’s Certificate, years of teaching experience and the instructor’s city of placement.

South Korea boasts the highest starting teaching salaries and ESL instructors are housed for free, as well as given various living allowances.

Aside from its financial benefits,

teaching in South Korea allows people to immerse themselves in a new culture and travel abroad at little cost.

“Everybody dreams of travelling abroad, right? It’s really hard because you have to save money.

You have to have a good reason. You have to have a lot of preparation, but this one, a lot of things are established. You go there, you travel and you also make money at the same time,” says Lee. Job stability is not a concern for ESL instructors in South Korea.

Teaching contracts within the program are in effect for a calendar year, but Jeon says that contracts can be extended as the instructor wishes.

“Many teachers stay more than one year because the benefits are really good and they experience a lot,” she says.

Lee calls teaching in Korea “a good motivation for teachers.” She says that a lot of people teaching ESL aspire to be teachers in Canada after they finish their time overseas. Many go on to complete education degrees.

Mark Taylor, a St. Thomas graduate, taught overseas in the Lithuania and recommends teaching ESL for young people looking for a world experience.

“It really opens your eyes to the world and gives you a different perspective on things. I think it helps you grow as an individual, which becomes quite useful when you decide to come back to New Brunswick,” he says. “It was a totally new experience, however, it was one that I really liked and that I still miss to this day.”

Taylor is aware that an average salary of $2,000 a month does not seem like much money, but he assures potential instructors that the money goes a long way in places like South Korea and Eastern Europe where the cost of living is low.

The deadline for application is December 15, 2008 and more information is available at www. teachingjobinkorea.com.

Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 3

Students talk with sexpert

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Sue Johanson, at age 78, is incredibly knowledgable when it comes to sexual health. She is the former host of the infamous Sunday Night Sex Show, and students from UNB and STU gathered to hear her speak this past week.

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Last Wednesday night students flooded the SUB Cafeteria to ‘Talk Sex’ with Canadian media personality, Sue Johanson.

Johanson is a registered nurse.

She sparked controversy in the ‘70s by opening a free birth control and sexual health clinic at a high school in Ontario. This clinic was the first to be introduced in Canada.

She is the author of three books on the topic of human sexuality: Talk Sex, Sex is Perfectly Natural, but not Naturally Perfect and Sex, Sex and more Sex. She has also hosted two different call-in shows, The Sunday Night Sex Show and Talk Sex with Sue Johanson.

Johanson’s efforts in promoting

CUSA denounces Shinerama Joe Howell

CUP Ontario Bureau Chief

TORONTO (CUP) – The Carleton University Students’ Association has had a rough last week. After CUSA pulled its support for the cystic fibrosis fund-raiser Shinerama because the disease “only affect[s] white people,” the national media had a field day, and the Union has been trying to backpedal ever since.

CUSA passed a motion nearly unanimously last week which read, in part: “Whereas Cystic fibrosis has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men . . . be it resolved that: CUSA discontinue its support of this campaign.”

The Union resolved to find another charity, one that would benefit “diverse communities.”

Nick Bergamini, the one of the two CUSA members to cast a dissenting vote, told the CBC that this was “political correctness gone horribly, horribly wrong.”

“They’re playing racial politics, and

I think it’s entirely inappropriate,” he said.

Carleton University President Roseann O’Reilly Runte issued a statement expressing her “personal regret” that CUSA was dropping Shinerama, but said that “they did not intend to offend by the preamble to their motion.”

Still, many took offence, as the angry Facebook groups that have popped up suggest. One says that “diseases don’t discriminate,” while another dubs the incident “Shinegate” and calls for members of CUSA to resign.

CUSA President Brittany Smyth has since said that the Union has slated an emergency meeting for Monday, where she will introduce a motion to see Carleton’s involvement with Shinerama reinstated. She also told media that the union could not modify the “Whereas” preamble.

“It’s how our council has always operated. Even if we had wanted to change it we couldn’t have,” Smyth told Maclean’s OnCampus.

Dozens of universities across the country participate in the fund-raiser, where students polish shoes, cars and the like to raise money, although Carleton’s involvement has been

particularly impressive. Students there have “contributed nearly a million dollars over the years,” as Runte noted.

No other school appears interested in discontinuing their support in Shinerama at the moment.

Cathleen Morrison, CEO of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, said that there’s a “silver lining” to the debacle.

“We’re having an opportunity to tell lots of people what cystic fibrosis really is.”

She explained that cystic fibrosis is the “most common fatal genetic disease in Canada,” and affects men and women equally. Most Canadians with cystic fibrosis do not live past their 30s.

Morrison admits that it does “affect the Caucasian population primarily,” but stresses that this does not mean it only affects the white-skinned. She says that a “rainbow of people” from India, Pakistan, North Africa, South America, and other regions can be afflicted.

She says that she is hopeful Carleton will rejoin Shinerama, but does not want to pressure them.

“We want volunteers to want to help,” said Morrison.

Improvements in the works for pay equity FROM PAY PAGE 1 due to discrimination.

Calhoun goes on to explain that most of the wage gap cannot be explained away by factors such as level of education or job experience; research has been conducted to indicate that these are not the causes of the disparity.

The difference in earnings

boils down to a severe case of discrimination.

“And the complaint-based pay equity legislation that we have at the federal level in Canada has been largely ineffectual when it comes to addressing the wage gap,” says Calhoun.

Kelly agrees: “The bottom line is, it’s discrimination,” she says.

There have, however, been some recent steps taken by the province of New Brunswick to right this situation. Last week in the speech

from the throne, it was legislated that there will be pay equity in the public sector.

“That will be interesting, to see what that legislation looks like,” says Kelly.

Also, in the recent economic update, Canadian Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty spoke about bringing a more proactive approach to the pay equity issue.

“We just have to keep an eye on them to see what they actually do,” says Kelly.

healthy sexuality earned her the distinguished Order of Canada in 2001.

Her expert knowledge of sexual health and human sexuality combined with her frank and humourous approach has filled auditoriums as she tours campuses across the country.

Her appearances last week at UNB and St. Thomas were no exception. She performed before hundreds of local students to highlight Sexuality Awareness Week. Her performances included a lengthy introduction to human sexuality in which she outlined the flaws in the sexual education system and the flaws existing within families about sexuality.

“He just had his first lesson in sex education and it was a negative.

It was a don’t. That’s going to affect him, it won’t stop him, but it will fill him with guilt and shame and embarrassment for the rest of his life,” Johanson said to UNB students regarding a mother’s

admonishment of her son’s sexual behaviour.

Johanson also focused her talks on the pressures placed on young girls to be seen as “nice girls” and the negative impact it has on their sexuality.

“They’re female. They are pleasers. They are placaters. We’re female. We don’t want to upset people. We’re terrified of rejection.

We don’t want people angry at us. We want people to like us.

We hear ‘nice girls don’t do that’ and we listen and we incorporate that into behaviour. So while my son is learning about himself as a sexual being and by the time he is twelve will be an expert on his own sexuality, my daughters will be nice girls and they won’t learn,” she said with solemnity.

Johanson’s opening speech not only focused on the flaws within the sexual education system, but also gives an overview of the female and male reproductive systems. Her presentations also covered orgasms,

sex positions, anal sex and sex toys.

She also brought along her “Hot Stuff” bag full of adult toys like vibrators and cock rings.

The latter half of her performance was devoted to an anonymous question period.

Students wrote questions beforehand on postcards, which are then collected and answered for the audience by Sue. Audience members asked serious questions like “What if my boyfriend falls asleep during sex?” and “What is the best vibrator?” As well as joking questions like “Are you still sexually active?”

Johanson, an energetic 78 years old, revealed that the latter question is one of her most common and she joked, saying there were “slim pickings” while on tour.

Johanson said that “learning about sex is one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do.” Her performance eases audiences into the topic, by evoking laughter and providing insight.

brunswickanopinion

Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 13 • Volume 142 • 4

editor@thebruns.ca

The lesser of two federal evils The Opinionator

Nick Howard

Canadian politics just became exciting.

Questions about the Liberal Party’s future have hung in the air since the most recent election. With $3 million in debt and continued egotistical bickering over the party’s leadership vacancy, the Liberals are as far from power as they have ever been.

Or so it seemed, until help arrived in the ironic form of Stephen Harper’s pathological obsession with stabbing the Liberals in the back while they’re down. But not to worry, the Bloc and NDP are there to help. The irony of “Canada’s party” being helped to power by the mustachioed leader of Canada’s background noise is just as rich.

This is a Shakespeare-quality drama: the underlings unify to topple the obsessive dictator bent on destruction. Unfortunately, Shakespeare didn’t write many happy endings, which leaves this Canadian political drama ending in a question mark for now. Do they bicker and split, or do they keep it together for the sake of the children, making every decision laborious? Either way, it’s more like TV than Canadian politics has ever been.

Canada doesn’t exactly have a history of coalition governments, which is what we would have if Monday’s proposed Liberal-NDP coalition agreement comes to fruition. In fact, the last one at the federal level was in 1917 in Robert Bordon’s government, brought on by a parliamentary drive for conscription. The choice ultimately

Kerri Krawec to the

Bruns

When I started to write a UNB Woodlot-focused series of articles for the Brunswickan, I began with the belief that information or knowledge could change a person’s mind, and thereby change their actions (assuming that thought precedes action, which unfortunately is not always the case). The reasoning behind the articles went something like this: a thing has to be known before it can be valued; a known thing assumes value relative to an individual; the value ascribed by an individual is affected by their perception of a thing’s use value

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 Contributors Ashley Bursey, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Josh Fleck, Nick Howard, Brandon MacNeil, Colin McPhail, Greg Melanson, Cameron Mitchell, Tony Secco, Hilary Paige Smith & Alex Wickwire.

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

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Stéphane Dion, federal Liberal Party leader, is being tapped to lead a potential Liberal-NDP coalition that, if approved by Governor General Michaëlle Jean, could oust Stephen Harper’s minority Conservative government from power. Dion is shown during a whirlwind stop in Fredericton in October. comes down to the Governor General, Michaëlle Jean.

If the Liberals table the nonconfidence motion they wrote last Friday, the decision would be left to Jean whether to send Canada back to the polls or to give the LiberalNDP coalition a chance. Just 48 days after an election, my bets are on the coalition; elections are large, expensive beasts and four in as many years is getting a bit ridiculous. As undemocratic as it might be, the Dion’s Liberals and Layton’s NDP trying to run a country together would be entertaining, if not efficient. I’m always up for a change, and Canadian politics could use a little shaking-up.

But how did we get here? The lack of an economic stimulus package was just the straw on Dion’s back. I’d say that the Conservatives were playing it smart by holding off on bailouts.

No, it was Harper’s addiction to Liberal blood that has carried us to this exciting and crucial point in Canadian governance. His latest strategy in this obsession however, has caused a backlash from other parties that Harper didn’t anticipate.

The removal of government funding for political parties ($1.75 per vote), though aimed at speeding Liberal death throes, has escalated the already confrontation-laden house into an us versus them war.

What does it mean? Such a huge

change in the governance of our country obviously has many possible ramifications. A coalition means less diversification of opinion in the House – something that, without representative voting, Canada lacks in the first place. Of course, this doesn’t mean that decisions will be made faster either, since bickering between the NDP and Liberals is a given.

However, it does mean another chance for Canada’s centre-left. Some time in power might offer this side of Canada’s spectrum a jump-start.

This country could use an infusion of liberal idealism; if for no other reason than to stop the Conservatives from implementing policies which, for example, remove the rights for Civil

Servants to strike.

As always, it is a choice between the lesser of two evils. The ramifications of an inefficient coalition government are certainly serious. However, I don’t think they outweigh frightening prospect of a four year, ultraconservative (in Canadian terms) Conservative rule. Now, the only question that remains: what would one call the new centre-left union?

My vote is for the New Libocratic Party.

The Opinionator is a weekly opinion column by UNB student Nick Howard, presentingano-holdsbarredapproachto current events or anything that smacks of unquestioned perspective. He can be reached at nphoward@gmail.com.

Discussion needed for the UNB woodlot Submitted

the brunswickan

or exchange value. Following that reasoning out, I thought that by sharing information about the Woodlot and the people who use it, students would know more about the consequences of development and would share my concerns.

I am aware that no amount of preaching or cajoling can make a person care about the Woodlot, but I do think that information ought to be shared in order for an individual to make an informed decision. I know it’s a tough time of year to get students thinking about something other than papers and exams, but I would urge you to consider a few questions with respect to UNB’s development of the Woodlot: what are the ecological implications of the development

of the Woodlot? Will eco-system services such as air filtration, microclimate regulation, and noise reduction be adversely affected by development? And if so, do the benefits of development outweigh the consequences?

Are the long-term interests of Fredericton better served by job creation now, or by providing a nature reserve and protected forest for future generations?

While I enjoy the thought that my articles have impacted your awareness, I am not so disillusioned as to think that I can do anything on my own. One person writing an article doesn’t make a difference, but many people can. Creative solutions can be found, but it takes people to care about it enough to talk about it, and collaborate, and do

something. I know that I’m not the only person who is concerned about the Woodlot. The Woodlot has been mentioned in every one of my classes this term, either by professors or other students; “Save the Woodlot” signs are displayed in unlikely places; people were receptive to the pancake/Woodlot activism on campus recently.

History is rife with examples of individuals whose consciousness was raised concerning an issue that affected them, and who collectively met to address the issue. Though the analogy between political movements and environmental movements is imperfect, what fascinates me about both are the conditions under which people feel personally compelled to do

something. What would it take for you to pen a letter, write an article, make a sign, or engage in some other expression of independent thought?

The thing with “activism” though, is that it’s active. Activism isn’t just about signs and protests (although those tools have their place); however it does require thinking and doing. Even though I can share my reasons for caring, they may not be the same as yours, nor should they be. Your own values and interests shape your perception of the Woodlot, which is what makes a discussion of this issue so interesting.

The Woodlot development hasn’t been presented as a choice, but decisions about the type of development and the limits of growth are ones that

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

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

We are a founding member of the Canadian University Press, and love it so. We are also members of U-Wire, a media exchange of university media throughout North America.

We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 10,000.

Letters Must be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed. Letters must be 400 words maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.

Editorial Policy While we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the editorial board to be racist, sexist, libellous, or in any way discriminatory.

The opinions and views expressed in this newspaper are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board, or its Board of Directors.

All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs, and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

21 Pacey Drive, SUB Suite 35 Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 main office • (506) 447-3388 advertising • (506) 452-6099 fax • (506) 453-5073 email • editor@thebruns.ca www.thebruns.ca

every community has the right to make. This development project affects more than just the University of New Brunswick’s budgetary needs; it also affects current and future residents of Fredericton. I would encourage you to take some time over the holidays to think about what you expect from UNB, and whether our university is meeting your expectations. Check out the Brunswickan in the New Year for more information on a student-initiated discussion of the Woodlot, and make your voice heard.

This is the final article in a series examining UNB’s Woodlot.

the brunswickan. letters and submissions for our next issue will be accepted until friday, jan. 2, 2009.

brunswickanopinion

letters to the editor.

Dear Editor, Over the past year, students have expressed concerns about the “parking problems” at UNB. As an alumnus of UNB (1982), I would like to offer some comments about these parking concerns raised by students; an old man’s rant, if you will.

When I came to UNB in the mid 1970s, the world was in the middle of its first energy crisis, which in actuality was a power and money grab by the newly formed OPEC nations.

Positive results were realized by this event: the realization that fossil fuels were a finite resource; consumers began to demand smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles; and public transit had a rebirth.

Also during this period was the recognition of the negative impacts that a sedentary lifestyle was having on Western health and wellness; the automobile was certainly a contributing factor.

All of the energy related and health and environmental concerns were tossed aside in the 1990s in favour of the new opulent renaissance that had arisen out of the ashes. People were buying larger, fuel gobbling vehicles and driving everywhere, all of the time. Only a few folks stuck to the related concepts of energy conservation, reducing humanity’s footprint on the environment, and physical fitness and wellness. And now here we are at the end of 2008 facing another “energy crisis”, with all the negative environmental and health problems about overconsumption of fossil fuel that were brought to the forefront 30

years ago. Have we not learned anything?

Which brings me back to parking at UNB. There are a number of alternatives to this perceived problem. Firstly, there is a large underused parking lot owned by UNB adjacent to the Lady Beaverbrook rink on University Avenue and is a five minute walk at most to the front University gate. Carpooling is another option; I have seen more of this recently, but there are still a lot of single passenger vehicles traveling in and out of the UNB campus. The city bus service in Fredericton is another affordable and convenient option, more so during business hours; perhaps there could be a collaboration initiated by UNB/ STU students to develop a park and ride alternative. Finally there is walking and cycling, not particularly pleasant in the depths of winter, but still viable options for those living within one k.m. of campus.

The twenty-something generation, your generation, faces a pretty bleak future if you cannot (or will not) recognize the perils of living in an overconsumptive society. History is there to show you what happens when real long term solutions are not developed and adopted by society as a whole. Don’t wait for the Baby Boomers or Generation X to take the lead role in this; they are too spoiled and complacent to make any real change. It is up to you, Millennials, to pick up the ball and run with it!

Sincerely, Robin Ballance

look for big changes coming to the brunswickan next semester. thebruns.ca

Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 5

Working together for a stronger UNB Commentary Tony Secco

My thanks to the UNB community for the warm welcome I have received over the past few months.

I am pleased and excited to take on the role of Vice President Fredericton (Academic) and to be part of the UNB family.

Since joining UNB in September, I’ve had the chance to get know the community on a more personal level. I’m increasingly confident in what we are poised to accomplish

in the months and years ahead.

In my walks around campus I continue to be struck by the deep sense of tradition and the great diversity of our community.

Our creative and intellectual energy is evident in every corner of our campus and it is a constant reminder that so long as we harness that energy, in every one of our faculty, staff and students, we can continue to achieve great things.

As we enter the holiday season I begin to think of the year ahead.

It is my hope that, together, we can help our institution stand firm in its tradition and its standards of excellence.

It is my hope that we continue to celebrate and develop the creative and intellectual potential within all of us.

It is my hope that we accept and welcome the challenges ahead – for

in challenge lies great opportunity for personal and institutional growth.

Working together we can overcome even the most difficult challenges and continue to forge ahead to build a better, stronger UNB. My discipline, chemistry, is the science of change and I know that mixing components in innovative ways can yield products with amazing properties. So, too, with the right mix of ideas and people, the necessary transformations are possible en route to being the best university we can be.

We have to consider new ways of organizing ourselves, of becoming more engaged with each other and in the sustainability of our university and in our ability to welcome all those who share the values of a modern public

university.

We must seize the idea of retaining students as well as the faculty and staff who facilitate and support the learning environment. Our greatest strength as a community is our people and their ingenuity and creativity.

Heading into the new year, please know that I’m always interested in hearing from anyone on campus – informally or formally. I welcome your suggestions and ideas on how we can make our campus better.

Thank you again for making my first couple of months welcomed and enjoyable, as I climb a steep learning curve in this VP position.

My very best wishes for a successful academic year and remember: we are all in this together!

Tony Secco is VP Fredericton (Academic) of the UNB administration.

How to cope with academic overloads Student Beat Greg Melanson So, the semester is winding down, your midterms are done, the last few essays are being passed in, you’re tired, worn out, running on fumes and all you can think about is relaxing at home for the holidays.

Unfortunately, there’s that one relatively large speed bump you have to conquer before there will be any of that: exams.

I’ll start by making everybody hate me by letting you all know I don’t have any exams this semester, and haven’t had a full load of exams since first year. This isn’t my fault, just the perks of being a multimedia student. But regardless

of that, I know how it feels this time of year, and I know the last thing anybody wants to do is open a book. You probably feel sick and tired; cleaning the toilet seems more appealing right now. Most people will go out of their way to take up any possible responsibility of the smallest magnitude, just to avoid those books.

There are a lot of keeners, people who will take as much time to study as they need and feel well prepared going into their exams, and I salute you. But, if you’re anything like me, you’ll know that can feel like more of a daunting task than the 12 labours of Hercules.

So what do you do? Well, the most obvious answer to that is you study, and you study a lot. Make sure that you give yourself time to study. When your best buddy comes and asks you to have a beer at the Cellar the night before your exam, don’t. When your other best friend asks you to go see that awesome looking movie that you really want

to see, you can probably wait. We are, genetically, pleasure-seeking individuals, but what a lot of people sometimes forget is that the long run pleasure of working hard for something heavily outweighs the instant gratification trap that we too often fall into. Exam studying is a perfect example of that.

Going into, during and after your exam, you’ll appreciate that feeling of knowing you studied as much as you could. It will lower your stress-level substantially and take a massive burden of uncertainty off of your shoulders.

You want to go into your exams with confidence. Do this once, and you might even become addicted to the whole “being prepared” thing and start seeing a nice increase in your GPA. On the other hand, what’s almost as bad as avoiding your books, is letting them consume you. Don’t let yourself get stressed, and worried and all that. Exams are important, but not the end of

the world, and if you give yourself time to prepare, there shouldn’t be any reason to fall into a panic attack. Being heavily stressed while studying for exams isn’t going to help you, learn to take deep breaths and calm yourself down, it’ll pay off.

Of course there are exceptions; the people who have that inhuman gift of not needing to open a book all semester to get A’s, and those who need to stress themselves out in order to get anything accomplished, so I guess these are tips for everybody else. Just remember, it’s still early enough to give yourself time to prepare and study without becoming stressed because you left everything until the last minute, so just do it, and enjoy your holidays as much as you should.

Greg Melanson is VP Academic of the UNB Student Union. Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB’s student leaders examining issues pertinent to students.

Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 6

Important Changes to the Paper Trail and Canada Post • The Student Union is pleased to announce the opening of the Student Union Welcome Centre. The Welcome Centre will be the first point of contact for all students and visitors of the Student Union Building. It will be an extension of the Student Union Main Office and effective January 5th the new location for the Paper Trail. It will be located in the former Travel Cuts space as Travel Cuts has decided to relocate off campus due to a low volume of customers.

• The Canada Post outlet will not be part of the relocation of the Paper Trail and will be closing effective December 19th 2008.

The closure is due to mandatory upgrades that Canada Post is imposing on most of its current outlets in the Maritimes. The mandatory upgrades would cost upwards of $30,000 with a continuing fee of $2,000 per year for maintenance. However, the outlet will remain open until the Christmas Break so students will be able to mail packages and parcels for Christmas.

• The current services of the Paper Trail will continue to be offered in the Paper Trail’s new home of the Welcome Centre effective January 5th. These services include bus passes, pharmacy drop off, stamps, photocopying, binding, faxing, and agendas. As well all the services of our main office will be offered such as health and dental claim forms, off campus housing, drop-off for the SU poster run. For a full list of services please visit unbsu.ca.

• In the new year Canada Post will be announcing a new location near campus. In the meantime, money orders may be handled by the BMO branch on campus, or at most banks near campus.

Parcels and packages can be mailed at nearby Canada Post outlets. Students can mail student loans directly to the National Loans Service Centre or send them at another Canada Post outlet.

Please note that UNB Financial Services will not be sending loans to the National Loans Service Centre, but loans may be processed by Resolve on campus during the first three weeks of each semester.

Please visit unbsu.ca for more information.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 7

In pictures: Fredericton music weekend wrap-up

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

RIGHT: Thurday night’s SUB entertainment featured Citizen Cope a.k.a. Clarence Greenwood on a stop for his solo acoustic tour.

TOP MIDDLE: Rock for Life (in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation) was a success on Friday night, with his band Darwin and headliner Slowcoaster making live appearances.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade

BOTTOM LEFT: Sam Roberts put on another great display at the SUB with Matt Mays & El Torpedo (BOTTOM MIDDLE) on Saturday, Nov. 29 and rounding up a fantastic weekend of performances here on campus.

A Mini Review

TOP LEFT: Electroacoustic Halifax act Share took the stage at The Capital Bar all weekend long, appearing with Charlottetown-born Smothered In Hugs on Friday and alongside Fredericton’s own The Slate Pacific on Saturday.

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

‘Disco Grindcore’ at Zee’s

Submitted

Fuck the Facts are well known for their wide use of vocabulary, slander, and self-classification as mullet core.

Alison Clack

The Brunswickan

Topon Das wishes he could take some of the things he’s said back.

The founding member of Fuck the Facts says he’s said some pretty dumb things in the past that are still following him around now; predominately the term “mullet core” which Das used to describe the band’s sound – maybe.

“I have no idea where mullet core came from! Maybe I said it; I say a lot of things. It’s been years now so God knows all the horrible things I’ve said over the years that I’m trying to take back now. We had an album named Mullet Fever, and maybe at some point there I probably said Mullet Core,” says Das. Other than mullet core, Das has described the band’s sound a number of different ways, even joking that it’s horrible.

“Horrible, in a way. I do not know, I wouldn’t [describe it]. I have such a distorted perception of it – obviously – because I’ve been there since the beginning: I’m there from the minute that we come up with the riff ‘til the album’s done,” says Das. Das did go onto say that the band does sometimes refer to their sound as bastardized grindcore.

“Bastardized grindcore was one of

the first I came up with. It’s the roots of the band, we’re really into the grindcore scene. I wanted to do more with it; I wanted to fuck it up and build on grindcore,” explains Das. And Das had an interesting concept for the band to stir things up when he first started it as a recording project in 1997.

“The very first thing I came up with for Fuck the Facts was discocore; it was my first idea when I was wrapping my head around what this band was supposed to be doing, even though it was supposed to be extremely wide-ranged and shit. I was kind of on this disco kick for some reason. I was listening to Beegees and Village People and shit like that and then I was trying to mix that into the grind-core and noise. It just seemed like two extremely different styles.

“For most metal-heads, years ago – I don’t even think people remember disco now, disco was a really taboo thing; I always liked irritating people a little bit,” jokes Das. The band’s creativity doesn’t stop with their sound. Every one of their albums has an interesting or provocative title: Mullet Fever, Backstabber Etiquette, and Stigmata Highfive are just a few of these titles.

“It just fuckin’ jumps into my head.

A lot of the titles start off as working titles. Most of the time we’ll change the titles of the songs because Mel comes in and writes the lyrics and we

give our song titles goofy names like, “emo-screamo lesbian man,” when we’re writing them and I don’t want to impose those titles on the songs that she wrote lyrics to,” says Das. The oddities don’t stop for the band with their song titles. Das says that one of the craziest shows they’ve ever played was here in New Brunswick at a house party in Minto.

“We’ve been playing shows for a long time. The craziest moment that I’ve ever experienced at a show was actually right next to Fredericton.

The promoter did a house show in Minto and that was the craziest night I’ve ever experienced!

“There was all these cracked out kids – I mean that’s the boonies for you guys, right? – and it was fun, it was just a big party. Everyone was drinking. We just had this situation where someone was trying to take some of our shit and we had to jump in there and it kind of all turned into this huge fight, a stand off. The cops showed up. It was mental!

“We’ve played some crazy ghettos and places but that was the craziest moment. I was like, ‘holy shit this is insane,’ ” says Das. Looking for another good time, with a little less crazy, the band will be playing at Nicky Zee’s on November 4. Also playing are Ironfist and We, The Undersigned.

The show starts at 10 p.m. and costs $7 at the door.

All of those who did not partake in filling their heads with glorious melodies of Citizen Cope last Thursday night should be moping.

Maybe. I had not heard of Citizen Cope prior to seeing the advertisements for this show in the

SUB earlier that week. His songs that I could find online seemed reasonably catchy but did not spark my interest; I hoped a live performance would change that. It did not. He played an OK guitar and sang with a seemingly fake, thick southern accent. I feel that I could have put on a performance of equal calibre in my bedroom with a badly tuned guitar and drum machine on my computer.

brunswickanarts

8 • Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14• Volume 142

Paying it ‘Forward’ Fashion gets it right Alison Clack

Pop Tart

The Brunswickan

Ashley Bursey The Maritimes, especially New Brunswick, have long been lacking a strong presence on the Canadian music scene. Forward Music Group is working to change that.

The record label was started by James Boyle after attending the 2006 ECMAs in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Boyle noticed that New Brunswick had a weak showing in the East Coast music scene.

At the same time, a grant program was created by Music New Brunswick. Boyle says the purpose of the grant was to provide funding for people to start artist management companies. The program was an effort to build up the music industry in New Brunswick.

Boyle didn’t want to miss the opportunity this grant presented and started Forward Music Group.

The desire to help out the New Brunswick music scene didn’t just come to Boyle randomly.

Music has been a part of his life since he was 12 – the age when he first learned to play guitar.

“Music is important to me.

It was a no-brainer to create something that would support music that I loved. My friends and I really feel that music is an important part of our lives and that there should be more support for it,” says Boyle.

Staying with that positive attitude Boyle named the label Forward Music group.

“We didn’t want to use anything that had a negative connotation; we wanted something that was positive. We were looking for growth and

Kyle Cunjak (cunjak.com) / Submitted to The Brunswickan

James Boyle of Forward Music Group is all about positive attitude. wanted a name that supported growth and was positive,” says Boyle.

And the label, like its name, keeps moving forward.

While the label is relatively new it already represents several local artists including: Share, Sleepless Nights, Grand Theft Bus, and Force Field (formerly known as the Fussy Part).

“They all vary from different musical styles and genres.

From the sort of quiet, singersongwriter, folkier style like Olympic Symphonium to louder indie-rock guys like Sleepless Nights,” says Boyle on the diverse styles of his label’s artists.

The fledgling label has also managed to find numerous allies already. Moncton’s DJ Bones, famous for his Indie Pop Nights, frequently plays Maritimes artists from the Forward Music Label.

Boyle says that there are a great deal more allies that the label also has.

“I think every fan is an ally.

Every one that can say ‘hey check out this band’ or ‘hey, check

out this record’ is an ally. Radio show hosts, bartenders, all of these people are allies. I would hate to start naming names and miss somebody because there’s so many people that have gone to bat for us and have helped us out from one side of the country to the other,” says Boyle.

The label’s allies aren’t relegated to Canada either. At the beginning of February, before the ECMAs, some of the label’s bands will be travelling to the UK for some shows.

“We have focused on the UK and other places in Europe.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed and we’re going to keep working at it and eventually it will come through,” says Boyle.

The opportunity came from a meeting with a British agent at last year’s ECMAs in Fredericton.

And the opportunities will only continue for the label if they stick to the positive attitude Boyle says is needed.

“Stay positive, keep our heads up, and keep moving forward,” says Boyle.

I hadn’t even realized it, but somehow, I have subconsciously become a member of the hottest movement since Alicia Silverstone’s Clueless-era marabou-tipped pens.

It’s called “recession chic”, and it struck me last week as I was rushing through the mall - hurriedly heading from errand (hemming pants) to errand (shoe repair) to errand (returning a shirt).

It was a Sunday, and the mall was blessedly, surprisingly quiet: a few straggling mid-afternoon shoppers at Laura Secord, a handful of people gathered in the food court.

After Saturday’s frantic rush (I experienced the tail end of it while I was arriving for a movie), it was an uncharacteristic pre-Christmas weekend.

Well. Perhaps not so uncharacteristic. And that’s what struck me as I unlocked my car and began driving away from the mall; I had barely even glanced at the newest merchandise in any of my favourite stores. I hadn’t even so much as examined a pair of boots (my winter weakness). I had stopped at the mall to run a few errands and, without so much as a second thought, had left without buying a single item.

It seems that I’ve become, in the words of the fine folks at StyleFile, a “recessionista”.

While perhaps low in funds, the recessionista movement is rich in vocabulary, what some might call euphemisms for a dying highfashion mentality. The frugalista.

The bargainista. Suddenly, coupon-clipping is chic and those

cheap-dress websites are a very viable option for the cash-strapped fashion hound.

It’s a movement that’s been building since the last batch of ready-to-wear fashions hit the runway. Fall’s lines featured grungy and casual designs – higher-end pieces paired with vintage or thrift-store finds, offering shoppers a readily available alternative to head-to-toe Burberry. Mix and match the highs (price-wise, of course) with the lows. Even Vogue magazine features celebrities like Rachel Weisz who claim they’re “trained to head uptown to the Salvation Army” or the latest sample sale.

It’s a movement I can certainly appreciate. And with blogs like therecessionista.blogspot.com, or websites geared to finding the cheapest “it” blouse, it’s a movement that is finally, thankfully, moving towards cheap of-the-moments and fashionable high-end classics.

Even the uber-trendy, JimmyChoo-saturated Sex and the City seems to be taking it in stride: “Remember when the economy was good and we had a table?”

Miranda chuckles, years ahead of her time, as the fabulous foursome munch street meat on benches during a lunchtime rendezvous.

It’s Forever21.com. It’s buying the cute scarf or belt or tights for cheap, and investing in the clas-

sic white blouse or wide-leg tweed trousers. It’s replicas and door buster specials; it’s shopping clubs, and it’s thinking creatively.

As I write this, Christmas looms large only a few weeks away. As much as I can appreciate the movement towards frugal buying, I plan to invest something else this year: my time. Perhaps a batch of fancy squares or a homemade cheesecake could be a pragmatic gift this year. This recession-chic mentality has manifested itself in more ways than just buying a vintage wool hat or retro boots. It’s forgoing expensive movie nights out in favour of comfy, cuddly movie nights in; it’s ice-skating for free at an outdoor rink instead of huddling indoors over pricey lunches. It’s potluck dinner parties or homemade wreaths or borrowing a holiday outfit from a girlfriend.

There’s no more dancing around this idea of becoming a self-proclaimed couponista. It’s not just a too-hip movement that we’ll all forget about once the spring readyto-wear shows hit the runway.

Finally, we’re looking at sustainable fashion, at something more than the next “it” bag or micromini or shearling coat.

Finally, fashion got it right: this is one trend that’ll always be in style.

Ashley Bursey is a former Arts Editor of The Brunswickan and a graduate of STU Journalism.

good luck on exams! look for the next brunswickan on jan. 7, 2009. thebruns.ca

brunswickanarts

Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 9

MMORPGs: The community effect The Final Score

...a review by Doug Estey & Andrew Meade Doug’s Hot Garnishments Of Preference: Red hot chimichi sauce: (Heat rating: 3/5) This sauce changed my life in the summer of 2007. I cooked it alongside everything: pasta, spaghetti, chicken, chili, rice – you name it. It has a much thicker consistency than most of its counterparts (similar to ketchup) and its sweet taste is a great addition to many dishes.

Dan Hagerman

I’m doomed.

My roommate recently purchased World of Warcraft. In fact, with the recent expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King, recently released, a whole lot more people are playing it lately.

Last I checked, about 11 million people are playing World of Warcraft across the entire globe. And, I must admit, the urge to play a game like that again seeps into my veins.

But why? Why would I, a selfprofessed hater of all things repetitive, want to go back into something like that?

Community, that’s why.

It’s not exclusive to World of Warcraft, but there is something of a profound way that groups of anonymous people can get together and work to achieve a common goal. From mindlessly beating up poor, defenceless fish men to trying to protect the One Ring on its way to Mordor, a group of people have a goal.

In a world where xenophobia and seclusion seem to be on the rise, a magic game in a box seems to have drawn in a whole lot of people.

I think it’s because some people crave that sense of togetherness, of belonging. The unfortunate part is that many people who choose to play these games, myself included, don’t necessarily fit into aspects of society. Sure, many people come out of their shells when they hit university, but others have a really hard time socializing or integrating into society as a whole.

You can trace it back to child-

Hotsauce!

Hot sauce from hell: Beyond hell: (Heat rating: 4/5) We use this at the office for pizza. It’s potent as hell and much hotter than necessary. It’s like Tabasco sauce – on crack. One or two drops per pizza slice should really do the trick.

100% Pain: (Heat rating: 5/5) The do-all, end-all, die-all of hot sauces. This one’s name isn’t kidding around. It’ll burn holes in your tongue (actually, it could probably burn holes through a lot of things). Only the most adventurous of hot sauce connaisseurs need apply.

Screenshot

World of Warcraft is infamous for consuming hours of free time among young adults far and wide. hood in some cases, where bullying is oh-so-rampant from early ages on. If someone doesn’t fit in, they’re awkwardly integrated at best, outright shunned in a worse case, or violently picked on in the worst case.

Naturally, this doesn’t do wonders for anybody’s self-esteem or social skills.

But this most certainly isn’t the case for every single one of the 11 million people playing World of Warcraft, or the millions of other people playing other online games.

But the sense of togetherness does prevail even by the genre of game: the MM in MMORPG stands for “massively multiplayer.”

The whole point of these games is to play with other people. Sure, you can play on your own, but if you wanted to do that you could just as easily pick up a single player RPG and be none the wiser.

Gaming, at its core, doesn’t seem to be the most conducive to social interaction. But, at the same

time, it can be full of interaction.

I remember gather a group of my heads over at my house so we could all play Goldeneye 007 on my friend’s Nintendo 64 and watch movies.

Microsoft themselves have gone all out with the Xbox 360 with their marketing campaign of targeting, well, everybody.

Really, I’m surprised it took this long for something like this to happen.

By marketing towards both those who just like to have fun in general as well as those who wouldn’t be caught dead socializing in groups of people bigger than four or so (like myself), these types of games have their place.

The problem comes from when people get too attached to these games. To my knowledge, nobody has died from playing hockey for 24 hours straight. So maybe playing games in an isolated environment isn’t necessarily always the best idea.

So, what is?

To be honest, there’s no one solid answer. Forcing people to go out and socialize more, if they have any number of social phobias, can be disastrous in some cases. On the other hand, some people might be better off if given a better nudge.

The internet is a vast place with tons of people – usually of the real variety – and that makes it a good place to meet people as well.

But since no one answer works for everybody, and that’s why games like World of Warcraft might not be the best place to find your place. Of course, if you really like meticulously beating up computer opponents for hours on end, it may very well be the place for you.

Just be sure to limit your time and remember, even if you don’t like to socialize, a little Vitamin D never hurt anybody.

With Christmas Break coming up, hopefully I can remember that too.

Dan Hagerman is Copy Editor of The Brunswickan.

Andrew’s Poisons Of Choice: Original Jaun Lot #57 Garlic Style (Heat rating: 4/5) Has a garlic flavour with jerk undertones. It adds a delicious garlic flavour to pizza, pasta, eggs, tomato juice, or anything you desire, as long as you can withstand the heat. As it says on the Bottle: a hot sauce to take you beyond to a point where pain and pleasure intersect, then engulf your every neuron. Every word of that is true.

El Yucateco XXXtra hot sauce (Heat rating: 6/5) The heat is alive with the glory of Habanero peppers in this elixir. Hot enough to make you guzzle an entire bag of milk, and then some, in an attempt to rid your taste buds of the bandito that is capsaicin. The flavour tastes of habaneros and distinctly vinegary, but is slightly overwhelmed by the heat. A few drops of this sauce is more than enough to make you run for the river.

Sriracha Chili sauce (Heat rating: 3/5) A tasty hot sauce, slightly pasty and reasonably hot but not ridiculous – a good sauce for Asian cuisine and cooking. Tastes like chili and is great to add some kick to your stir-fry. There’s no problem spreading the sriracha sauce on eggs to wake you up a little on one of those slow mornings.

brunswickansports

Dec. 1, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 10

sports@thebruns.ca

UNB MOVES BACK INTO FIRST FROM HOCKEY PAGE 1 power play has been quite effective of late and Saturday was no change.

Dustin Friesen scored the game’s first goal on the power play late in the first. Tremblay and Cuddihy added the assists.

In the second the game opened up as both teams exchanged chances, but were turned away by the two goalies.

STU finally got on the board with a power play goal off from Derek Lehr.

Minutes later UNB regained the lead with another power play goal from John Scott Dickson with assists from Bowman and Tremblay.

The action heated up in the third when STU equalized off a pretty goal from Brad Gallant. The game was turned into exciting back and forth action with great saves by Yeomans and MacFarlane. The third ended with the score tied 2-2. In the opening minutes of overtime, Yeomans came up huge with a great stop on another STU breakaway. The teams trade a few more chances, but to no avail as the buzzer rang and they headed to a shootout. Yeomans again made great saves as he stopped all three STU shooters, while Decosta slid the puck past MacFarlane off a pretty move to his backhand to give the Reds the extra point.

UNB finished the first half of the season by winning six out of their last seven games, but more importantly they have caught the top seeds. With a record of 9-2-2 and 20 points, they are now tied with Saint-Mary’s and Moncton with two games in hand on the Huskies and one on UdeM. “The four points is huge for our team, especially come this time a year” said coach Gardiner MacDougall.

“It’s important to the keep focus.”

He was very pleased with his team’s performance but knows that they are far from achieving their goal of

Women’s Volleyball UNB - 1 UdeM - 3 Women’s Basketball UNB - 50 CBU - 83 Hockey UNB - 3 STU - 2 Men’s Basketball UNB - 65 CBU - 75

Upcoming V-Reds Events Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

After a slow start to the 2008-2009 season, the UNB Varsity Reds look to be back to their winning ways. UNB topped top-ranked UdeM on Friday night at the Aitken Centre and followed suit with a victory over their rivals from STU. The win puts the Reds in a three-way tie for first place. winning the nationals “We’re taking it one step at a time, finishing strong is important, but we haven’t done a whole lot yet really. “ UNB’s play on the weekend highlightedtwooftheircoreelements.

Firstly, goaltender Derek Yeomans played some of his best hockey of this season. UNB’s attack is so potent that some games he barely sees any action.

However this weekend, he received fifty-two shots and only let in three goals. Also, Yeomans turned away several breakaways and was perfect in the shootout. “He continues to get better for our hockey club. He’s going to be a key player for us and his confidence and performance have both spiraled up.”

Secondly, special teams have been a huge factor this season and have led to the outcome of many games.

Travis Fullerton

UNB Media Services

Sport: Women’s Basketball Yr: 1

Sport: Hockey Yr: 1

Why did you choose UNB? I chose UNB because it has a strong academic reputation and to become a V-Red.

Why did you choose UNB? I chose UNB because they have a strong hockey program and because of their business program.

What is your desired profession?

Medicine – however, I have not decided on which field.

What are your pre-game rituals?

Nap, pasta, and I try to relax before the game.

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

You need to play everyday with passion, heart, and desire.

What is your most embarrassing sports story?

Getting shelled for nine goals in Rimouski.

What is your pet peeve?

When someone is chomping on gum.

Women’s Volleyball UNB - 1 SMU - 3

Saturday, November 22nd

UNB Media Services

What is your personal goal this year?

To learn, gain experience, and have fun.

Friday, November 28th

Hockey UNB - 3 UdeM - 1

One-on-one with...

Melissa Foster

V-Reds Results

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

There’s always a guy working harder than you somewhere.

What is your pet peeve?

Shots that go post and in.

The Reds’ penalty kill has been quite effective of late and the power play was red hot this weekend as four out of their five goals were scored on the power play. “The one common denominator in this league is that it’s a special team’s league. The penalty kill was very good on both nights” said a pleased MacDougall. “Against Moncton,thekeypointwasthe5-one3 at the beginning of the third period and we were successful in defending that and the 4 on 3 in overtime was another successful kill.”

MacDougall gave special mention to senior forward John Scott Dickson as he demonstrated great offensive and defensive awareness. “I consider Dickson a thirty goal scorer. He’ll score ten or fifteen, but he’s going to save fifteen or twenty for us.”

Unfortunately for the Reds, their

winning streak came at a bad time in season, but the coach isn’t worried about losing their momentum.

“This is a common occurrence for us. We had pretty good success in the first half and last year’s crew just got better and we had an even more successful second half. The emphasis is to come back and really commit and improve our performance and to have a successful half.”

Friday night was a special night for the hockey program has they shot their CIS championship bid video and held fundraisers for charity.

“It was an unbelievable event. The word is that it was the place to be in Fredericton. We had a lot of people who contributed to the success of the program. It’s not just a team. We got a victory on the ice, but maybe more importantly were the two

fundraisers off the ice.” He thought it was a great cause to raise money for the [family of Stephanie Burkitt] and that the teddy bear toss, put on by the Salvation Army, was a success as well.

As for the bid, MacDougall was quite impressed. “The video is first rate. The people involved did a great job. We’re going to go through with our best foot forward. We have elevated our program to a program of excellence within the CIS.” UNB will find out the results shortly.

The Reds finished the first half on fire and now look to keep that trend going in 2009. They will be back in action as defending NCAA champions Boston College will arrive in town for a pair of games on Jan. 2 and 3. AUS play begins Jan. 9 as Acadia visits the Reds.

Reds’ Fall report card Brandon MacNeil The Brunswickan

It’s official. This weekend signaled the end of the first half of the 20082009 season for the Varsity Reds.

So far this year we’ve seen some positives and negatives in regards to varsity athletics at UNB. We’ve had teams overachieve and fight for the championship, but also a few teams who aren’t hitting their goals.

The UNB Baseball team kicked off their season as students returned from the summer break. Defending a national title can be a hard task, however, these boys were not fazed.

They continued their dominance from the season before and confidently walked into the nationals in Montreal, taking home their second straight national title.

“It’s just spectacular that those boys were able to accomplish that,” said Kevin Dickie, UNB’s athletic director. “Winning one championship is tough enough, but to go win back-to-back’s – that’s saying something.”

The men’s soccer team was another success story from this semester. After starting (and almost finishing) the season with an unbeaten record, the V-Reds clinched a first place position, meriting a bye to the AUS semifinals. UNB fought their way to the AUS championship game. However, the men fell one goal short of a spot in the national championship.

The women’s soccer team did not have the success the boys did.

The girls only managed one victory throughout the season, while finishing at 1-5-7. The young varsity club will look to rebound with a better season next year.

The UNB men’s hockey club began this season after tearing up the AUS last season. Not only did they win the Atlantic division, they put together an all-time best record for the AUS, when they finished 24-2-2.

However, the beginning of this season started a little shaky. After losing a few games early on, the Reds have bounced back strongly.

Sunday, December 28th Women’s Volleyball UNB @ TBD Innisbrook Resort Invitational Tampa Bay, Florida Women’s Basketball UNB @ TBD Concordia Tournament Men’s Basketball UNB @ TBD U of Montreal Tournament Monday, December 29th Women’s Volleyball UNB @ TBD Innisbrook Resort Invitational Tampa Bay, Florida Women’s Basketball UNB @ TBD Concordia Tournament Men’s Basketball UNB @ TBD U of Montreal Tournament Tuesday, December 30th Women’s Volleyball UNB @ TBD Innisbrook Resort Invitational Tampa Bay, Florida Women’s Basketball UNB @ TBD Concordia Tournament Men’s Basketball UNB @ TBD U of Montreal Tournament Wednesday, December 31st Women’s Volleyball UNB @ TBD Innisbrook Resort Invitational Tampa Bay, Florida

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The women’s basketball squad will be looking to get back in the win column when they begin the 2009 portion of the season in January.

A pivotal come-from-behind victory over Moncton a couple weeks back may have marked the turning point for the team. They’ve since followed up with victories over Moncton and STU this past weekend and things look to be back on track.

Brent Baker and his men’s Varsity Reds basketball team are off to a forgettable start so far. The winless Reds have struggled with opponents all season, and can’t seem to find their winning touch.

“If we are to improve, we have to bring a level of maturity to our mental preparation and an effort worthy of bringing about success,” said Baker.

“Until that happens, this group will struggle with the consistency needed to make the playoffs.”

For now, it’s all about the future for the men’s hardwood club. With nine rookies on the team, the talent is yet to blossom.

“There is some unreal talent on that team,” said Dickie. “The thing is its young rookie talent. You have to rebuild at some point – that goes for every team. These guys have potential to be a dominating force in the coming years.”

Jeff Speedy and his women’s basketball team are faring slightly better than the men, however they still sit in the middle of the pack,

with a 3-3 record. The Reds will be looking to make a strong move in the new year and a final push before the AUS championships in late February.

The men’s volleyball Varsity Reds are in a familiar position within their AUS division. The powerhouse team from Dalhousie has consistently been in first place over the past 20+ years. To their credit, UNB has put up a fight whenever facing DAL this season. The atmosphere when these two rivals faced off was said to be unreal.

“It was out of this world,” said Dickie. “I couldn’t believe the atmosphere this early in the season.

It was really something special to take in.”

“We’ve built a great rivalry with them, and this has peaked the interest of the community and student population,” said Dan McMorran, the V-Reds head coach. “When these fans showed up, they were treated to a very exciting level of play in an electric atmosphere.”

The women’s volleyball team will be entering the break in unfamiliar territory. The Reds have dropped seven in a row as they break until the end of December, where they’ll catch some rays in Tampa Bay, Florida for the Innisbrook Resort Invitational.

Friday, January 2nd Hockey Boston College @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre Saturday, January 3rd Hockey Boston College @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre

Athlete of the Week

UNB Media Services

Derek Yeomans #31, Hockey 2nd year, BBA St. Albert, AB

brunswickansports

Dec. 03, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142 • 11

Basketball woes All I want for Christmas is... continue View from the Sidelines Tony von Richter

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

thebruns.ca

Second-year UNB guard Alex DesRoches (#14) attempts to fight off the Capers defender on the way to the net. on them.

As the third quarter wound down, Michael Anderson chased down CBU’s Courtney Thomas on a fast Alex Wickwire break. Anderson delivered a hard The Brunswickan foul on Thomas’ lay-up attempt, prompting a reaction from the CBU bench and Caper player Ryan Roper. Roper stood face-to-face with This past Saturday night, the UNB Anderson yelling obscenities, and Varsity Reds were in action against both were issued technical fouls. the Cape Breton University. The men Anderson then left the game with took to the court in hopes of snapping what seemed to be a leg injury. their five-game losing streak, and Roper’s technical foul must have to finally add a “W” in the column been the spark of energy the CBU before the Christmas break. team needed. As the fourth quarter UNB wasted no time after tip-off. began, CBU ran a full court press The Reds began the game running and a pressure style of defence that hard and attacking the basket. This held UNB to a disappointing 12 total fast-paced style of play was met by the points in the frame. After leading by CBU Capers, and anybody watching as much as eleven, the Varsity Reds knew that this was going to be a saw their potential win evaporate as thrilling match. the game came to a close.

Building off their thrashing at the “We played hard,” commented hands of Dalhousie last weekend, coach Baker about the loss. “Going UNB stayed away from their usual 16-27 at the line with 22 turnovers is game plan of jacking senseless three- the reason we lost.” pointers and forced the ball into the The 22 turnovers really do tell the paint. story of the game. CBU also posted The first half went very well for the 15, most of which came in a wild Reds as they carried a six point lead second half. With both teams trying into the break. Their inside game to work the ball inside, it made for was lead by team big-man Lonzel tons of wild rebounds and rejections.

Lowe, who spent the half creating Players were flying around the key, space and doing a great Shaquille and UNB was putting their Nike O’Neal impression backing down Hyperdunks sneakers to the test.

CBU players. The team shot very The team built on the poor few jumpers, the highlight being a performance against DAL last rainbow buzzer beater from Dustin Sunday, stuck to their game plan Anthony. against a much older and more The V-Reds looked like a athletic CBU squad, and they determined team, pushing the ball came extremely close to their first on offence regardless of size match- victory. It’s now the exam break, ups and drawing charges on defence but this game can easily be taken as regardless of the physical toll it took a positive.

Since this is the last issue of the Bruns for the semester and the holiday season is about to get into full swing, I thought it would be a good time to put together a little Christmas wish list for Santa to bring to the sports world.

For Stephon Marbury: a reality check.

Seriously, Stephon, you’re a talented guy - not talented enough to justify being the second highest paid player in the league this season, but talented nonetheless, and there are people who would kill to have your talent and abilities. So why don’t you get off your ass and play once in a while? I mean, you’re at the game anyway, so it’s not like it would greatly inconvenience you to help your team try and win.

Oh, and one more thing, in case you forgot: playing basketball is your job. With millions of people living with the possibility of losing their jobs, you just decide to not do yours, which will pay you $21.9 million this season? I’m not sure what you were trying to accomplish by not playing, but whatever it was, I hope it was worth all the money that you’re going to be forfeiting now that you’ve been suspended.

Hopefully the Knicks will do something useful with that money and donate it to a youth basketball program or something. At least that way the money would be going to people who might actually play basketball.

For Myron Rolle: a round of applause.

Until this past week, most sports fans had probably never heard of Rolle. A safety for the Florida State Seminoles, Rolle has decided to forgo his senior year at FSU to accept his Rhodes Scholarship and study at Oxford University in England.

If earning a Rhodes Scholarship while playing NCAA football isn’t impressive enough, Rolle, who hasn’t yet decided if he will try and make the NFL following his studies, is studying to be a neurosurgeon and told ESPN that he wants to “help impoverished nations build up their vaccination

programs.”

Rolle may not have been the best player in the NCAA, but he should be recognized for being one of it’s best people.

For Team Canada: a logo.

It’s sad to see that an the International Olympic Committee, an organization who’s main goal is to promote peace through sport, is now harming the very sports that it aims to promote – and all seemingly for the almighty dollar.

That’s the only rationale I can see for the IOC’s decision to start enforcing a rule that bans national sports federation logos from team uniforms, starting this past summer in Beijing. Since the logos didn’t affect the content of the events themselves, I can only assume that the IOC didn’t want the different countries logos detracting from the logos of their high-paying corporate sponsors.

I’m all for sponsors getting the maximum value for their money, but this decision doesn’t benefit sponsors so much as it hurts the individual sport federations. Maybe this will all work out for the better and Hockey Canada and the other sport federations will make more money selling special Olympic jerseys.

It could be that was the IOC’s goal all along. It seems like they’re more concerned with maximizing revenue these days than promoting the Olympic Movement.

For Maple Leafs fans: Brian Burke as GM. Oh, wait, this one already came true? It’s like a Christmas miracle!

Well, more like an American Thanksgiving miracle, but those of us in Leafs Nation couldn’t have asked for a better gift. Start planning the parade route now, baby, with Burke in charge the Cup is coming to T.O. Okay, maybe not, but it’s Christmas - and a guy can dream, can’t he?

Tony von Richter is a former Sports Editor of The Brunswickan and is the current Sports Bureau Chief for Canadian University Press. Contact him at managing@thebruns.ca.

Tip of the Cap Josh Fleck

The Brunswickan

The inaugural “Tip of the Cap” goes to Father of the Year candidate, Patrick Roy and his family. The Tip of the Cap is partially for his sons’ behaviours, and also for having his jersey retired by one of the most storied franchises in hockey history.

Last week, the Hall of Fame goaltender had his second son suspended from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Frederick Roy, a centre for the Quebec Remparts, was suspended for 15 games for an on-ice altercation with Montreal Juniors defenseman, Vincent Bourgeois. Roy crosschecked Bourgeois in the face following a team wide brawl.

You could almost say that the stage was set for the second Roy son get suspended. Not only due to his father’s “bad boy” image in the NHL, but especially after last season’s suspension of older brother Jonathan, who was slapped with a seven-game suspension and a $500 fine. His actions during a

playoff game were inexcusable and controversial. Inexcusable because he skated the length of the ice after being told to cool it by the referee, only to attack the other goaltender who wanted nothing to do with a fight. Controversial because it appeared that father Patrick instructed him to go after the other goalie while behind the bench coaching the Remparts team. Jonathan’s actions were even taken to court where he was charged with one count of assault.

If we were going to take the Dr. Phil approach to this whole familial situation, you could blame it all on the environment that the boys grew up in. While Patrick was arguably the best goalie in the history of the NHL, he also had some problems controlling his emotions, getting into several goalie fights with the likes of Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon. He was a little off-the-wall throughout his career – in fact, Roy would constantly talk to his goal posts during and before the games.

So my Tip of the Cap this week goes out to the dysfunctional Roy family. Hopefully there will be lessons learned and they clean up their acts.

12 • Dec. 3, 2008 • Issue 14 • Volume 142