Issue 16, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

arts // wintersleep MAKE THEIR RETURN to fredericton >> PAgE 11

Volume 142 · Issue 16 • January 14, 2009

thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

UNBSU passes motion to support those suffering in Gaza

Grinch strikes Joy Kidd

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Renaissance College representative Matt Abbott brought a motion to the UNBSU students’ representative council on Monday expressing concern over the destruction of academic infrastructure in Gaza.

Following a series of clauses stating the UNBSU’s understanding of the importance of education and its sadness in the face of deaths occurring in Gaza, the summation of the motion read as follows: “Be it resolved that the UNBSU condemns the destruction of academic infrastructure in all conflicts, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Be it further resolved that the UNBSU recognizes that many members of the UNB campus, including our constituents, have been personally and profoundly impacted by the crisis in Gaza, and we offer our sympathy and support to those students organizing support for the humanitarian effort.”

The above motion was passed after a series of amendments to Abbott’s original. Amendments included the SU’s support of students involved in organizational positions and the removal of the word “military” prior to the word “conflict.”

The original motion was sent by Abbott to council in an e-mail Sunday. It proposed to support the UN Security Council Resolution 1860 and made a direct reference to “attacks by Israel.”

President Vail disagreed with the original motion in a response e-mail to council on Sunday, on the grounds that she felt it was not in line with the purpose of the Student Union.

“It is a motion that essentially is taking a side in this on-going conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians,” said in the email. She said she believes that the Union would not be fulfilling its mandate to represent all undergraduate students if it were to take sides in this conflict.

She said she did agree, however, that the destruction of academic institutions is wrong and needs to be stopped.

In response to that statement, Abbott wrote in an email to council: “In reference to President Vail’s comment that we represent ALL students I would respectfully suggest that this is impossible. To perfectly represent everyone is to never say or do anything.”

Abbott expressed the view that it is the duty of the Student Union to “not allow academic institutions to be destroyed in any given conflict.”

SEE GAZA PAGE 3

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Joy Kidd House was robbed on the last day of Christmas break, losing a large television and a sound system at a total loss of about $3600. David Allison, above, is president of the house. The theft hurts residents of Joy Kidd who have worked hard for their house, he says.

Josh O’Kane The Brunswickan Carl Burgess spent the Christmas break working around Joy Kidd House, making repairs and renovations for students to return to in the winter semester.

On the last day of the break, however, someone decided to ruin the fun.

Sometime between 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3 and noon the next day, a person or group of persons entered the house and stole a television and sound system from the basement lounge.

“It’s just really disappointing,” says Burgess, don

of the house. “It’s a grinchy sort of thing to do.”

The television, property of the house, was valued at about $1,000, though it would only be worth about $200 or so today given its age, says Burgess.

The sound system was Burgess’ own, which he left in the basement lounge for residents to use to practice music. It was valued at about $2,600.

Burgess says he believes that the individual or individuals involved had a knowledge of residence life protocols, as locks were scheduled to be changed at noon on Sunday – but the theft took place sometime before then.

The locks were changed earlier than expected, however, around 9 a.m. Whoever was involved with the theft either had a three-hour window to enter with a standard set of keys, or they were privy to the residence Christmas keys – which are kept

under high security by Residence Life.

He does not believe it was a resident, but it was likely someone familiar with the university community.

“If it was a resident, they knew more than they were supposed to,” says Burgess.

“If it did happen before they changed the locks back, that would really concern me. The Christmas locks are very strictly controlled. Even I had to get new keys.”

The theft roughly coincided with an announcement on the official Joy Kidd House Facebook group that the basement lounge would be receiving a new television. Burgess believes this may have motivated the thieves to rob the lounge.

SEE STOLEN PAGE 5

brunswickannews

2 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

War in Gaza leaves mark in Canada Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

When Israel began its Dec. 27 assault on the Gaza Strip, the bombs hit pretty close to home for Fredericton resident Esam Ghanem.

“I have a huge amount of family members in Gaza itself,” said Ghanem, who is originally from Palestine. “One uncle and a few aunts, and many many cousins . . . My one cousin drives an ambulance and every day we have to call to see if he’s been killed.”

Ghanem was part of a six-person panel brought together last Tuesday at UNB, to express their solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinians. The speakers included Jack Gegenberg from the Fredericton Palestine Solidarity, Sue Goldstein of Women in Solidarity with Palestine, Tracy Glynn of STU and Fredericton Palestine Solidarity, Esam Ghanem a Palestinian Canadian, Viqar Husain of the Fredericton Palestine Society, and the Director of Native Studies at STU,

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Speakers from a number of activist groups gathered in Fredericton on Jan. 6 for a panel discussion on the war in Gaza. Demonstrations have been occuring across the country; above is a protest in Saskatoon last weekend.

Roland Chrisjohn.

The speakers’ areas of expertise and backgrounds were all different, but they all expressed the view that the recent siege on the Gaza strip is morally wrong and it has to stop.

At one time under Israeli control, Israel supposedly withdrew from the

Hamas-governed Gaza strip in 2005 and left it to the Palestinians. “But it didn’t really withdraw,” insisted Gegenberg, “Israel constantly and brutally intruded into life into Gaza with alternative military sorties and blockades which reduced life there to a constant struggle.”

But in 2008 a ceasefire was made between Israel and the Hamas government, and the conflict was expected to stop. However, the fighting continued until the Dec. 27 climax.

“The media almost unilaterally says that Hamas broke that ceasefire, but in fact Israel never really observed that ceasefire,” alleged Gegenberg.

“Eventually, Israel began its death from above campaign on Gaza on Dec. 27.”

“Today there are at least 600 dead in Gaza, and probably well over 3,000 people who have been wounded,” continued Gegenberg. “And what Israel has in mind is becoming increasingly clear, to force thousands upon thousands of people away from Gaza, possibly into Egypt, and leave it to the international community to deal with these people.”

“So it is our task to begin today to expose this, and to ensure that this nightmare on the people in Gaza doesn’t become true,” he concluded as the crowd applauded.

The panel’s talk centered around the often-unheard side of the conflict. They argued that the mainstream media often ignores the suffering of Palestine, and it was their goal to get the other side of the story out.

“This story doesn’t get into the mainstream media,” said panel member Sue Goldstein. “But it’s up to us to get together and talk about our frustrations because this is how we will get things done.”

The conflict has incited discussion and debate across the world, and the UNB campus was of no exception.

Debate swirled in Tilley Hall, and

several audience members voiced their displeasure, saying that they felt the panel was one-sided.

Some audience members brought up the allegations from Israeli leaders that the siege was provoked by previous missile attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas. According to the panel, the most important issue is that people are dying.

“You don’t have to be Palestinian to feel the pain that’s happening,” said Ghanem, echoing the sentiments of many in the room.

“What’s going on is nothing short of genocide,” said First Nations activist Roland Chrisjohn. “And we’re all complicit if we allow this to happen.”

As a First Nations Canadian, Chrisjohn believes that because of the similarities between the Israelis’ alleged quest to gain more land, and the First Nations’ past struggles with land loss, that it is the duty of the Native Community to speak out in solidarity with Gaza.

“It aggrieves me that there are not enough First Nations people speaking out against this atrocity,” he said.

But perhaps the most inspiring words came from Sue Goldstein, a women’s rights activist from Toronto. Goldstein is a Jewish woman, but she is against the siege and in support of Palestine.

“I’m speaking as a Jew because this is done in my name, but I’m also speaking as a person,” she said. “We need to be a stepping stool for people to get on top of, for the people of Palestine to be able to get up and say that what is happening is wrong.”

brunswickannews

Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142• 3

SU condemns destruction of academic infrastructure in Gaza FROM GAZA PAGE 1 Councillors debated the motion at length on Monday. The first question posed to Abbott was put forth by Law Representative Jon Griffith, and echoed by several other councillors. He wanted to know if the students want this, as well as whether or not Abbott had considered whether or not the motion is overstepping the scope of the Union.

Abbott responded that “yes, this is in some ways beyond the scope the UNB Student Union has traditionally taken, but this is important as it pertains to academic issues.”

The Renaissance College representative said that while he had not spoken to all of his constituents in regards to the motion, he did speak to 10 of them, which he said is a significant number for Renaissance College. He also spoke to a number of international students who, while they were not his own constituents, felt personally affected by the crisis in Gaza.

Following the proposal and passing of several amendments, the motion was passed by Council.

The Gaza Strip is situated between Israel and Egypt along the Mediterranean coast. Gaza is the home of more than 1.5 million Palestinians, and it is currently being occupied by Islamist militant group Hamas. Over 500 Palestinians have been killed, and about 2,000 wounded since the beginning of Israel’s campaign on Dec. 27. A minimum of 200 of the dead were civilians.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Renaissance College Representative Matt Abbott speaks about his feelings regarding the recently passed motion of the SU to condemn destruction of academic infrastructure in Gaza, offering their sympathy and support for those affected, both locally and internationally.

Questions answered about UNB’s inter-campus relationship Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

When former Post-Secondary Minister Ed Doherty suggested turning UNBSJ into a polytechnic institution, Fredericton’s students rallied together in support of their sister campus. However, little is known about how the funding for the two schools works, what the differences are between the two, and how the Fredericton and Saint John campuses fit together.

But after the backlash to the 2007 proposal hit its climax, it became clear that the Fredericton students weren’t the only ones in the dark about inter-campus relations. Government and university officials also admitted confusion with the current situation.

“We recently went through a very prominent debate on the future of the two campuses,” said President John McLaughlin at a “town hall” style meeting on Monday at UNB. “And with that put to rest, there are still a lot of issues about the relationship between the two campuses.”

In order to clear some misconceptions, the University President and its Board of Governors commissioned a report on the

current state of inter-campus relations, and after a long wait the report was released late last week.

Unlike the well-established Fredericton campus, the Saint John campus is relatively young at just over 40 years old. It has approximately 25 per cent of Fredericton’s enrolment, fewer degree and graduate level programs, and roughly one-quarter of the budget. These factors make it harder for the Saint John campus to stay afloat.

“The reality is that UNBSJ is in more financial difficulty than UNBF,” said report Commissioner Jim O’Sullivan at a Town Hall meeting about the report. He stood alongside the other Commissioner, Tom Condon.

However, the fact that the two campuses are intrinsically connected was reinforced in the report. With the unstable state of the economy, both campuses may face difficult financial times in the future.

The report suggested that a financial funding model appropriate to the twocampus model be created. The report recommended that the government start giving out two separate grants to each campus, instead of one big grant that UNB must divide up itself.

“It’s important for the two campuses and general public to understand how the two campuses are funded,” said Condon.

“We think it would be a lot better if the government accepted the responsibility, and took credit for that.”

The report was also asked how to split-up

a $1.085 million dollar fund between the two campuses. Since 1987 there has been a different dollar amount per weightedfull-time-equivalent (WFTE) student.

Because of this, the report suggested that the $1.085 million be mostly put towards UNBSJ. It suggested that UNBSJ should receive $781,000, and UNBF $304,000.

Thereportalsovoiceditsdispleasurewith the lack of attention paid to inter-campus relations in UNB’s day-to-day operations.

“Our report was the first comprehensive look at inter-campus relations in 25 years,” continued O’Sullivan, “and we should not let another quarter of a century go by without looking at inter-campus relations.”

With the possibility of separation always looming in a two-campus system, the report suggested the creation of a set of standards on how to handle separation if it was to occur.

“We don’t think this will start a stampede towards independence, but we think it should be put on the table and looked at,” said Condon.

The report also recommended that one person be put in charge of inter-campus relations to ensure that UNBSJ doesn’t get pushed aside. “It appears to us that although many people are involved in inter-campus relations, there is no one person in charge of that responsibility,” said O’Sullivan. “We suggest that a senior position be created to oversee this important aspect of university life.”

UNB mourns loss of former student Corey “Calves” Alexander Richard, a former UNB student, passed away on Sunday after his vehicle crossed the highway centre line and collided with a transport truck on Highway 8 while en route to Miramichi.

Richard spent two years at UNB and lived in Aitken House during his time here. Brian Beaudette, former president of and current educational proctor in Aitken, says he brought a significant amount of energy to the house and was “friends with everybody.

“He was one of my best friends.”

Beaudette calls Richard “a big guy who was absolutely joyous about everything,” says Beaudette. “He had no enemies. Even if he were having a bad day, he would find some way to find the humour in everything. Once he made everyone laugh, he’d find a way to pick himself up.”

Phil Nelson, a UNB alumnus who lived across the hall from Richard in Aitken, says Richard was “just a fun loving guy who could make anyone laugh.

He could make anyone smile. He definitely touched the heart of anyone he met.

“He was one of the well-respected brothers of Aitken.”

Wakes for Richard will be held at Maher’s Funeral Home in Miramichi from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday and from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday. His funeral service will be held at St. Michael’s Basilica, in the Miramichi, at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

A bus will be leaving campus on Saturday morning to take friends, or anyone who knew Richard, to his funeral service. For more information, contact UNB Residential Life, Campus & Conference Services at 453-4800.

thebruns.ca

brunswickannews

4 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

UNBSU offers warm welcome back Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Students can expect to see a lot more of their Student Union starting today.

Inspired by the open real estate of the former Travel Cuts location, the UNB Student Union developed an idea for a Welcome Center. The Student Union Welcome Center moved into the open space neighbouring the SUB store.

Frustrations with the former Student Union spot arose with its obscure location and limited access for disabled students.

Student Union VP External Jon O’Kane says, “The Welcome Center was designed to have all of the Student Union’s resources in one easily accessible and visible location.

“Plus we wanted to make it so there was a central location somewhere in the Student Union Building that was a lot more visible. So now when you walk

into the front doors and you’re trying to find the Union office you won’t have to go to the SUB office and ask them how to find the Student Union. You’ll walk in and clearly see the Student Union.”

The new location for the Student Union office offers students the opportunity to walk into a central location and ask for information that pertains to their needs, like questions about health and dental plans and the New Brunswick Student Alliance, says O’Kane.

The Paper Trail and Canada Post outlet closed on Dec. 19. Students wishing to purchase stamps, pick up concert tickets or find out about bus passes will still be able to at the Welcome Center. The only resource lost in the Welcome Center renovations is the ability to ship packages.

Lisa Solte, the Union’s VP Finance and Operations, feels that the Welcome Center will be “a great opportunity for the SU to connect more with the students.”

She also noted that the SU no longer needs to employ a manager for the Paper Trail and no longer has to pay

the expenses associated with the Post Office.

O’Kane also assures students that the costs to renovate the former Travel Cuts location were minimal and were mainly covered by Physical Plant.

The grand opening of the SU Welcome Center is on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and the opening ceremony begins at noon. SU President Bethany Vail and Tony Secco, the VP Academic of the University, will be speaking. Students are welcome to witness the cutting of the ribbon and cake and coffee will be available to visitors throughout the day.

Vail reveals the key reason behind the Welcome Center, “We don’t currently have any particular spot on campus to welcome people here. I really think it’s a great initiative from the Student Union this year to be taking this on because it’s not only for students to come get the information that they need.

“It’s also a place for visitors and prospective students to come check out and if they need help, this is a place that they can go.”

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNBSU VP Academic Greg Melanson and VP Finance & Operations Lisa Solte inside the SUB’s new Welcome Center, which will host resources for students.

News in brief Mother of assaulted child believes sentencing was not enough 60-year-old Saint John man Lester Gordon Lethbridge has been sentenced to eight months in jail for the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl. The girl was walking past Drake Steakhouse when she was offered a bag of cheesies by a cook. A few days later, Lethbridge offered her a glass of juice and a tour of the kitchen, and that, according to the victim, is when he put his hands down her pants. He gave her $5 and told her to come back the next day in order to touch him. Alfred Brein, the judge of the case, also placed Lethbridge on probation for three years. The sexual predator has also been ordered to abstain from contact with any person under 16 years of age unless under the supervision of another adult. Lethbridge pleaded not guilty.

Nurses reach tentative deal New Brunswick’s 5500 nurses have reached a tentative deal with the province in order to prevent a strike. Specifics of the contract will not be shared with the public until a ratification vote is held. The vote is expected within the next three weeks. Marilyn Quinn, president of the Nurses’ Union, says that the end results of negotiation were achieved by 40 hours of discussion with a mediator.

She believes that the negotiating committee understood the concerns of nurses, and the results of the committee will help to recruit and then retain nurses.

Century-old human remains discovered in Fredericton Bone fragments were found at a construction site in Fredericton last fall. Archaeologists have recently concluded that the bones belonged to a human male.

The bones were discovered Oct. 21. Bone experts from Jacques Whitford Ltd. then examined the findings, along with Moira McLaughlin, STU forensic anthropologist.

It appears as though the bones date back to the late 19th or early 20th century. A clear explanation as to how the bones came to be at the site has not been found. The City has ruled out the possibility of a graveyard at the site because the amount of bones found only constituted approximately 2.5 per cent of a skeleton. Research into the years surrounding the man’s death has yielded no evidence of how he may have died. Other artifacts were also uncovered at the site, including bottle, glass and dinnerware pieces.

brunswickannews

Mayor says ‘Aloha Fredericton’ Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside will be traveling to Hawaii in the near future in order to promote Fredericton’s status as a leader in information technology

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Honolulu, HI will play host to the 2009 Pacific Telecommunications Council conference from Jan. 18 to 21.

This year’s conference is entitled “Collaborating for Change: Strategies, Opportunities and Partnerships.”

The conference will focus on the

changes taking place in technology and explore the challenges and opportunities changes present to the world.

Fredericton mayor Brad Woodside will be in attendance to exemplify Fredericton’s prominence as a “smart” city.

Fredericton’s status as a smart city came about with the founding and installations of e-Novations that allow Fredericton residents higher speed for internet access. Fredericton also has more than 65 per cent free wireless coverage throughout the city.

Woodside said that he hopes Fredericton will eventually be a 100per cent wireless zone.

“It’s one of the most difficult things to do. At least that’s what I’m finding from most other cities around the world,” Woodside says.

“We’re one of the few examples of a city that has done it and it is working quite well and has sustained itself and paid for itself and left us with enough broadband width to provide free internet to the rest of the community,” he continues.

For its technological advancements Fredericton has been named an

Joy Kidd robbed FROM STOLEN PAGE 1 Fortunately for the house, the television was on back order, and had not arrived yet – but the thieves took off with the existing older one regardless.

Burgess had been working on the house ping pong table in the basement lounge until 5 p.m., when he got ready to attend the UNB vs. Boston College Saturday game. He went to bed upon his return at 10 p.m., and woke up at 9 a.m. to the sound of the locks being changed back to normal. He worked on the house library until shortly after 11:30 a.m. when he went downstairs to find everything was missing.

There were footprints and tire tracks next to the basement door, says Burgess, in a snowdrift that had blown in over the previous night. No windows had been broken through, and there were no tracks in any ground-level rooms, leading Burgess to believe that the thieves used the basement door.

The new television is yet to arrive, and Burgess says he is currently working on a deal with Tony’s Music Box for a deal

on a new sound system.

David Allison, President of Joy Kidd House, says that the house’s first reaction was shock.

“It hurts to know that someone would do this when myself, the Don, the house committee and the house team go out of our way to make this residence the best we can make it,” says Allison.

Reg Jerrett, director of UNB’s Campus Security, offers some advice for members of the university community.

“The university community is reminded to keep valuables secure at all times. When leaving your room, even for a minute, always lock your door and place valuables out of sight,” says Jerrett.

“Do not give thieves the opportunity to make off with your property and look out for each other’s belongings both in and outside of residences.”

If anyone has any information regarding the theft, they should notify Campus Security or Fredericton City Police.

Bus pass vote The UNBSU has passed a motion to hold a bus pass referendum during the week of Mar. 22-27. The referendum begins on Sunday Mar. 22, lasting until Friday at 11:59 p.m. The reasoning for this particular week being chosen, says VP External Jon O’Kane, is that the general election will be over, as well as

March break. Both O’Kane and SU President Bethany Vail will be out of town during the referendum, but O’Kane will be available the week beforehand to discuss the process. As it will be largely conducted online, the SU expects no additional cost for the referendum.

intelligent community by the Intelligent Communities Forum on their Smart21 list for 2009.

Fredericton also made the top seven ‘Smart Cities’ in the world last year.

Intelligent Communities will be announcing their Intelligent Community of the Year at the Conference, as well as announcing the top seven finalists.

At the conference Woodside will be sharing his insight as a leader of this intelligent community by sitting on a discussion panel for a seminar entitled “How Intelligent Communities Collaborate to Develop Successful Private/Public Relationships and Funding Models for Broadband.”

He has been named an expert in this area by members of the Pacific Telecommunications Council, along with other panellists including a professor from Ball State University in the USA and the President and CEO of Bristol Virginia Utilities.

Technological experts from all over the world will be in attendance at the conference, including the keynote speaker, Vinton Cerf.

Cerf is the Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google.

Woodside is aware that some people deem funding for a wireless Fredericton a waste of money, but he firmly feels that the Fred e-Zone is an essential and important service to the community.

“I’ve always said that information technology infrastructure is every bit as important as streets and sidewalks and water and sewer.

“It’s very, very important to this community and what this community is all about.”

Woodside feels that his attendance at the Collaborating for Change Conference will benefit the community of Fredericton with its opportunity to learn and absorb information about technology.

“We’re certainly not trying to reinvent the wheel, so if somebody else has come up with a great idea…

That’s what I’m doing when I’m out there. I’m sharing their experience,” says Woodside.

He says that his aim in attending the conference is to get Fredericton’s name out there and ensure that he has the information to make Fredericton every bit as advanced as cities like New York, Paris or London.

news@thebruns.ca

Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142• 5

brunswickanopinion

Jan 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 6

editor@thebruns.ca

Protecting your own interests Rousing the Rabbles Nick Ouellette

As a student at UNB, you have more responsibility than simply paying your tuition and fees, showing up to classes, and passing your courses. One of the little known areas where you have obligations falls under the academic calendar—or the Undergraduate Calendar, as it’s referred to.

No, this is not the kind of calendar that you are used to seeing on walls and desks listing dates and holidays.

Rather, it is the book which you are probably most familiar from when the time comes to select courses. Although it is a critical tool for those purposes, it also provides all of the regulations that govern the academic life of students at UNB, making it a powerful document when followed and used properly.

A few years ago, UNB touted greatly the introduction of a charter of rights and responsibilities for students, faculty and staff. What was overlooked at the time is that there are already a fair number of “guarantees” in the Academic Regulations portion of the Undergraduate Calendar.

Some will groan at these otherwise boring terms and ask, “Who cares?”

Frankly, everybody should, because their content can greatly affect what is expected of you in your courses.

For instance, did you know that within the first two weeks of class, your instructors must provide you with a syllabus in writing or in an email that gives a full explanation of how your grade will be calculated, what work will be required, and even the scheduling of term work? This is so that you are able to schedule your study schedules and other term work around each other. If

Tony von Richter

You have to travel across the country in the middle of winter. You’re forced to stay in a small room with three other people and you don’t get much, if any, sleep for days on end. Finally, you’re so busy that you don’t always get time to eat or rest for a minute.

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, Chris Cameron, Alison Clack, Josh Fleck, Nick Howard, Brandon MacNeil, Colin McPail, Cameron Mitchell, Nick Ouellette & Hilary Paige Smith.

The Brunswickan relies primarily on a volunteer base to produce its issues every week. Volunteers can drop by room 35 of the SUB at any time to find out how they can get involved.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The UNB Undergraduate Calendar has plenty of information you might need if you’re in an academic pinch. your instructor hasn’t provided it, ask them—having that information is your right.

Midterm and other class tests are also not able to be held during the last 10 lecture days of the term. For Winter 2009, this means after Mar. 26. There are only a few exceptions, such as weekly tests, lab courses, and classes with oral exams. So check your syllabi that you got this week and last and make sure your instructors are complying with these regulations—it’s your right.

All of your course work must be due on or before the last day of classes.

Anything after that time must be due on the last day of the exam period, and there should be no exceptions. If your instructor asks for assignments during the exam time earlier than that, you should advise him or her that the university regulations require otherwise—it’s your right.

As a final example, when the examination schedule for April is released, the following might apply to you. No student is required to write more than three complete examinations in any 24 hour period. That means that if you have three exams in a row—i.e., if less than a day passes between the beginning of the first and the end of the third—you are entitled to an examination deferral for one of the exams. If you fall into this situation, you should go to the Registrar’s Office to ask for a deferral—it’s your right.

Students will find many other useful tools to ensure they are able to have peace of mind when scheduling their term work. If you happen to notice that your instructors are not complying with these regulations, bring it to their attention.

If you are unable to reach a resolution at that point, you should bring the

matter to the attention of the Dean or Department Chair for the course and the Registrar’s Office, both of whom can assist you in ensuring that the Calendar obligations are enforced.

Typically this should be done as soon as possible, so be sure to look over you syllabi and other course materials as they are given to you and not only in the few days before a midterm, exam, or assignment due date.

There is no reason any student should need to experience disadvantage arising out of non-compliance with the Calendar regulations. So when you notice something is awry, raise the issue.

After all, it’s your right.

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.

Freezing in the Prairies with the future of Canadian media Mugwump

the brunswickan

Put these things together and what do you get? The National Conference of the Canadian University Press, and one of the best weeks of the entire year.

Each year’s conference is hosted by one of its member papers. This year’s host was the Sheaf at the University of Saskatchewan, who deserve a ton of credit for organizing a terrific conference, dubbed CUP 71: UPGRADE. The number refers to the year of the organization’s existence and UPGRADE was the theme of the conference, a mandate for the student press to be the leaders in integrating new technologies into our traditional coverage.

Whereas previous conferences featured seminars on more traditional topics, this year’s featured sessions on new media and roundtable discussions

the brunswickan.

on emerging technologies. Rather than a weeklong eulogy for print media, the conference was about embracing these new tools and dictating how they are utilized.

Each year the conference provides excellent seminars and speakers the real beauty of the conference is that just as much learning happens outside of the scheduled sessions as does inside. Whether it’s discussing the unnecessary cynicism of older journalists at 2:00 a.m. in the lobby, or comparing your paper’s financial bookkeeping to a British Columbian colleague at breakfast, you’re constantly able to learn something exciting – no matter the hour.

Being given the opportunity to spend a week dialoguing and learning with the future of the Canadian media industry is an exciting thing

that produces far more memories and moments than can be listed here. Whether it was laughing at the awkwardness of Jonathan Goldstein or the culture shock of attending a hockey game in ancient and tiny Rutherford Arena, it seemed like something memorable was happening every night.

The week’s best moment was saved for last, though, as our own Josh O’Kane was elected to the highest office in the land and will serve as the next National Bureau Chief of the Canadian University Press.

Congratulations boss, you definitely deserve it, and you have no idea how proud of you we all are.

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

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 non-profit, independent body.

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

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

Letters Must be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed.

Letters must be 400 words at maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. before each issue.

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brunswickanopinion

Ja14. 7, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 7

A time-wasting tour of Fredericton The Opinionator Nick Howard

I am a chronic time waster in the eyes of an efficient person. I know I am not alone in my ability to waste time, but I have a bone to pick with this reductionist categorization. Just as there are differences in efficient lifestyles (scheduler versus neat freak, for example) there are differences in time wasting technique. For instance, I find Sudoku and crosswords astoundingly soporific, while a walk in Odell park is endlessly entertaining.

So, what is a waste of time?

Let us, for the purposes of this article with a primarily student

readership, assume that a waste of time is anything which does not yield a tangible and “useful” outcome and which is undertaken when other work vies for one’s attention (i.e. homework).

Whether this definition is accurate or not, it certainly explains the nagging voice in the back of every student’s mind: “shouldn’t you be doing that [insert appropriate schoolwork here] that is due next week?”

There is always work to be done and our culture of guilt only exacerbates the issue. In the spirit of time wasting escapism, I offer you my favourite Fredericton time wasters.

Movies, TV and books are the ultimate time wasters. But their universal availability makes them unoriginal and sadly, a little boring.

Fredericton has much to offer to the budding (or experienced) time waster, though its bitter winters tend to limit the possibilities by chilling the spirit of outdoor time consumption.

My particular brand of time-wasting is best described as frittering, revolving closely around three pillars of misspent time: drink, food and spacing out for long periods of time. Thankfully, these fundamentals of fritterage are well provided for in Fredericton. For this first part of the two-part time wasting tour, let’s begin with coffee.

Compared to my favourite European cities (Vienna and Rome), Fredericton has little in the way of a coffee culture. Completely unfair and biased comparison aside, Fredericton does have a few cafés in the rough.

Read’s café is a brilliant, bustling little newsstand-esque café in downtown Fredericton. Comfy chairs decorate a space next to the coffee counter which is otherwise surrounded by magazines, newspapers and books. The entertainment value is high, as there is no rule against flipping while you drink – though I presume the rule “you spill on it, you buy it” applies.

Alcohol: a part of who we are Ishmael N. Daro The Sheaf

SASKATOON (CUP) – It is bizarre that so many of us start a new calendar year with hangovers. Instead of renewal and fresh starts, millions wake up on Jan. 1 each year with queasiness and headaches as the last reminders of the previous year.

These last ghosts of the prior calendar are exorcised very painfully sometimes.

Liquor can be a harsh mistress, but for all that she hurts us, she comforts us too.

Despite the problems alcohol usage leads to, drinking has been part of humanity for as far back as the time of the ancient Egyptians.

More recently, French champagne, Russian vodka, and Canadian beer have all contributed to national identities.

Molson Canadian’s long-running advertising campaign said it succinctly with the declaration: “I am Canadian.”

Presumably, drinking beer and being a citizen of Canada are directly related to one another, according to Molson.

Most people have among and their most interesting stories tales of mad binges, benders, and brannigans.

Spring break St. Patrick’s Day are mere euphemisms for getting extremely intoxicated, and the legal drinking age is the one law almost everyone has broken with glee.

Though we enter 2009 with gloomy financial outlooks, alcohol sales are better than ever. Because people like to drink when they are happy and because they can’t help but drink when they are miserable, alcohol is considered recession-proof. According to the New York Times, even prostitution, the world’s oldest profession, has seen a decline in business, but our other oldest vice remains in good health.

Canadians spend $18 billion per year on alcohol and half of that is beer.

As a point of reference, the Canadian military will receive $19 billion for 2009. Collectively we spend almost as much on getting drunk as the country does on defence.

Our unquenchable thirst for liquor is so strong that even prohibition laws in Canada and the U.S. didn’t stop consumption. Throughout the roaring ‘20s, bootleggers, rum-runners, and

moonshiners supplied Americans with the liquor they so craved, and Canadians played no small part in that illegal trade. Al Capone, tommy guns, and speakeasies are the lasting symbols of Prohibition. The Noble Experiment, as it was called, had failed miserably, and by 1932, Prohibition was repealed.

Perhaps the reason we love to drink is because water just isn’t that interesting.

Even Jesus found a way to turn water into wine, much to the delight of his followers, one assumes. Obviously, there are certain mood-altering qualities of alcohol that people enjoy, but that alone would not outweigh the many problems alcohol contributes to, such as traffic accidents, violence, and addiction.

The real reason we allow alcohol in our lives is because we are adults and adults are allowed to do what they please to their own bodies. Sure, there are problems with hooch, but think of everything we would lose if we were not close with Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan, and the rest of our watery friends.

Throughout history, alcohol has been both hero and villain to us and many great people have struggled with the bottle. The cultural significance

of alcohol is undeniable. Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, and Hunter S. Thompson were great drunks of their time, and even world leaders such as Winston Churchill and our own John A. Macdonald were known for their affinity for Old Lady Whiskey.

In 1737, Benjamin Franklin amassed over 200 words from around Philadelphia that described drunkenness. To say a man “has kill’d his dog” or that he has “been too free with the Creature” were just two of the many confusing ways to say that someone was sloshed, hammered, buzzed, wasted, pissed, tanked, sauced, blitzed,or pie-eyed.

English probably has more words to describe being drunk than any other language around, so it may not be so strange that each year is heralded by hangovers and vomit. Hardly the new beginnings people envision the previous night when setting goals and making resolutions, but new beginnings nonetheless. At the very least, they are renewed commitments to enjoying life a little too much.

To quote the famous drinker Frank Sinatra: “Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.”

Luke Perrin / The Brunswickan

The space-out value is also high: I have yet to be disappointed by conversations overheard at Read’s.

Doodles café in the Charlotte Street Arts Centre provides quite the opposite experience. The walls are ideally decorated for hour-long stares and the place is usually quiet. Most of all I like ordering at Doodles. There is no tall, grande whatevers; in fact, you ask for a coffee and that is exactly what you get: a good coffee in a nice mug. You don’t have to specify quantities, style of topping, nor humidity or temperature to the nearest centigrade. Simple, mindless and perfect.

Coffee is the staple of the time waster’s itinerary. It can provide the focus for your frittering: the crema on a freshly poured espresso can become an

art project for a steady hand with a stir stick. Or it can provide the backdrop to a lively conversation. Either way it is an invaluable tool for the enterprising time waster.

To call the experienced time consumer a “time-waster” is to call Bach or the Beatles “noise-makers.” I have no doubt that the best ideas are created during periods of wasted time.

From Archimedes’ bath to Nietzsche’s walks we can see that wasting time is a necessary and beautiful part of life. So let’s stop wasting time on scheduling efficiency and start wasting time.

Next week’s column will continue with more time wasting tips for the fritterer in Fredericton.

Nick Howard casn be reached at nphoward@gmail.com.

brunswickanopinion

8 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

It’s their.UNB Student Beat Stephanie Lord

How much are you, your time at UNB and your annual tuition valued here at this institution? About as much as a size 12 font.

Students who have plugged in unb. ca on their search bar lately have found the University of New Brunswick’s new website, which launched on Dec. 20 2008. Within the main page amidst the application information, pitches and testaments explaining why to choose UNB, current students need to navigate themselves away from the spew of information, and can find their sole representation on the introductory page in the top right hand corner in a size 12 font under My.UNB. The University of New Brunswick has had one of the first university websites in Canada, dating back to the mid-1990s, and it was in major need for an overhaul.

With a total of 200,000 pages, many were outdated or no longer serviceable.

The idea of a university website is to appeal to all current, alumni, prospective students as well as donors. The My.UNB demonstrates a significant lack of consideration for all parties, and in my view, respect and acknowledgment of the current students of all UNB campuses and satellite schools. As portrayed on the main page of the site, little efforts have been made for a presence or assistance in the navigation of the site by current students of UNB. On Dec. 3, 2008 the UNB Student Union was given a presentation by Cynthia Goodwin to reveal the new website. Clearly using the same PowerPoint presentation and speaking points as in marketing meetings discussing the website, it was evident through the process of the presentation that little of the current student needs and wants had been considered.

With an emphasis on external focus, the marketing representatives defended again and again that although they

recognize students, they must keep their target market in mind.

Unfortunately, their target market does not consist of us, the undergraduate and graduate population paying tuition annually, but instead on prospective students. Perhaps the marketing department is unaware that we, the current students, are the reason for this institution and that we too were once prospective students.

It was said the reasoning behind the website’s makeover was to compete with other universities. Personally, it seems very disappointing that it is money generating this progression instead of the understanding that the website’s old design was both extremely difficult and frustrating to navigate through.

As the launch took place Dec. 20, there is evidence that even within the timeline, current students had not been considered. With the release of exam marks and trying to drop or register courses, students were at home and away from the university meaning any chance of assistance for navigation was almost impossible. On the other hand, the mid-December date is perfect for high school students hoping to sit down over the holiday break and discuss their options for their future post secondary educations.

Fuelled by my constant questions and concerns throughout the meeting, it was said that complaints can be made about the changes to the website.

Unfortunately, not once was there an e-mail or location given where a student could do so. For anyone wishing to voice any opinions or concerns with regards to the site either positive or negative, I will gladly receive them and submit the comments to the proper departments.

The question remains, when will this university administration understand that it is the students who fuel this institution? Students are the reason for its existence and the reason for their employment.

I want to see the school I was promised four years ago in a presentation, truth in the statistics and pitches promised to me prior to my selection of this postsecondary institution, but most of all I want to see my UNB. Stephanie Lord is VP Student Services odf the UNB Student Union. Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB’s leaders examining issues pertinent to students.

Submitted

A glimpse at the new UNB.ca, introduced last month. The new website has received mixed reviews.

The administration’s angle: Introducing the new UNB.ca New website designed to make information easier to find for those who need it, says administration

David Shipley

Special

to

The Brunswickan

As one of the first universities in Canada to create a website for the public in the 1990s, the University of New Brunswick is an online innovator.

We’ve continued that innovation with the launch of the first phase of our new comprehensive website.

The result of over a year of planning, research, development and testing, the new site helps UNB showcase its academic calibre, research strength and the quality of our students, faculty and staff. It also makes it easier for our visitors to find the information they’re looking for.

Why change UNB.ca?

Change is seldom easy. But done properly, for the right reasons, difficulties from change are outweighed by new benefits.

In 2006, UNB hired independent web consultant mStoner to review the structure and effectiveness of our website. mStoner’s recommendations included the concept of developing two sites: a public website for external visitors such as prospective students, donors and partners and a separate internally focused website for groups already part of the university community.

External and internal audiences

look for different types of information.

By combining it all together, as was done on the old site, we confused and frustrated many visitors, particularly those new to UNB.ca. mStoner’s advice led to the development of My.UNB (my.unb.ca), an internal website geared specifically for current students, faculty and staff as well as the development of an externally focused UNB.ca.

Current students, faculty and staff, along with new visitors to UNB. ca will now find it easier to find information, which has been grouped by subject in the horizontal menu on every page, which we call the global navigation. For example, academic information such as the calendar or the course timetable can be found in the Academics menu.

For prospective students, the new site makes it easier for them to learn about the great programs UNB offers, our two vibrant campuses and why UNB is an excellent place to learn.

What is My.UNB? My.UNB is our first-generation portal site for the UNB community.

It will continue to evolve over time to become even more useful to students, faculty and staff.

My.UNB allows us to group together information geared specifically for those already part of the UNB community. Our approach to the new UNB.ca, including the development of My.UNB, is about categorizing information so we don’t confuse and lose people.

In its current form, My.UNB provides the UNB community with a customizable page that offers links to UNB online resources. For students, it offers links to information such as exam schedules, on- and off-campus housing, e-services, Webmail and more. It also offers information of interest to faculty and staff, such as links to benefits and pension information and much more.

You can change My.UNB to display

information only for students or only for faculty and staff, or for students, faculty and staff. You can also display only the information that pertains to your campus or you can see links for both campuses.

What about Webmail?

Since we launched the site at the end of December we’ve received some feedback from students, faculty and staff. Among the most frequent questions: where do I find Webmail?

The answer is simple. You can find Webmail at My.UNB. Over the next few months we are going to make it easier for you to find the Webmail and E-services links on the My.UNB page.

In addition to finding the link for Webmail at My.UNB, there is an easier and even faster way for you to get to it - simply type webmail.unb.ca into the address bar in your browser.

This is the easiest and quickest way to get to Webmail. You can also do the same for E-services ­– eservices.unb. ca.

Talk to us Our entire audience – internal and external – is important to us. That’s why we’ve put so much work into making UNB.ca as intuitive and useful as possible for all visitors.

We want to make UNB.ca and My.UNB even better over time and would love to hear new ideas and suggestions that would improve our online experience. We appreciate all the feedback we’ve received so far. If you’d like to share your thoughts on the new UNB.ca or about My.UNB, send an e-mail to dshipley@unb.ca.

We are also planning to hold some information sessions on the new UNB.ca over the coming weeks. We will provide more details on the times and locations of those sessions once we’ve finalized our plans.

David Shipley is the web content developer for Communications & Marketing at UNB. He can be reached at dshipley@unb.ca.

brunswickanopinion

Ja14. 7, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 9

2008: The year we almost overthrew the government James Clark Ryerson Free Press

TORONTO (CUP) – Exciting is hardly the first word that comes to mind when thinking about Canadian politics. But, for a few days near the end of 2008, that’s exactly how it felt.

Suddenly, the world was watching us, wondering whether we’d topple Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives just a few weeks after awarding them a slightly larger minority.

The British newspaper the Guardian reported: “Harper looks set to potentially become the first western leader to lose his position as a direct result of the economic crisis.”

On Nov. 27, Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivered an “economic update” that called for wage restrictions on public sector workers and a ban on their right to strike, and that offered no meaningful relief for all those suffering from layoffs, home foreclosures, and plant closures. Flaherty’s update also proposed to end public subsidies for political parties, a move that would have benefited the Conservatives who are flush with cash.

The fact that Harper and Flaherty had no plan at all to deal with the economy created huge anger among the public, and prompted the opposition parties— including the Liberals, whose support allowed Harper to pass 43 Conservative bills in the last Parliament—to push back.

Harper thought he had a stronger mandate, and could bully a weakened opposition. Instead, he managed to unite the opposition parties and brought his government to the brink of collapse.

No one expected such a turn of events. Just a few weeks earlier, Harper’s Conservatives won 143 seats in the federal election, allowing them to form their second minority government since 2006. Voter turnout was the lowest in Canadian history, at 59 per cent. Over 9.5 million eligible voters didn’t bother to vote at all. Commentators lamented the apathy of the Canadian public.

In the days following Flaherty’s economic update, it was a completely different story. Ordinary people all over the country were suddenly caught up in a political firestorm, engaging in debates they had ignored only days earlier.

The Liberals and the New Democratic Party had proposed to form a coalition government, with support from the Bloc Québécois and everyone seemed to have an opinion about it.

Newspapers were bombarded with record-level submissions to their editorial pages. Blogs were overloaded with commentary and discussion.

Pollsters went into overdrive in an attempt to gauge the shifting sands of public opinion.

Everyone was talking politics.

Those few days in early December provided some important lessons. The first is how quickly an economic crisis can develop into a political crisis. The worldwide economic meltdown – now officially a recession in Canada – made headlines during the federal election, but Harper repeatedly downplayed its effects, arguing that “Canada is not the U.S.” and that the “fundamentals are sound” in Canada’s economy.

Watching other countries respond to the crisis, the Canadian public came to expect some sort of “stimulus package” that would save jobs and pensions, and thoroughly rejected the Conservatives’ same, old business-as-usual approach.

The second lesson is a far more dangerous one. It shows how the Canadian public doesnt have to wait for

an election to get rid of an unpopular government. The widespread anger over the economy made possible the threat of a coalition government, which came close to toppling Harper. Only the decision by Governor General Michaëlle Jean to allow Harper to prorogue Parliament, effectively shutting it down, prevented the Liberal-NDP coalition from taking power.

Harper’s Conservatives may have dodged a bullet, but they’re still not out of the woods. The economic crisis hasn’t gone away. In fact, it continues to get worse.

On Dec. 5, Statistics Canada reported that the Canadian economy shed a staggering 71,000 jobs, the worst loss in 26 years. Harper could face a dramatically worse Canadian economy by the time his government delivers its budget in late January. If there is no meaningful relief for the Canadian economy, Harper will surely face defeat by the opposition parties. The coalition could take power, or another federal election could be called. Either way, Harper faces the prospect of being kicked out of office.

But the Conservatives havent been the only party affected by the crisis. Still reeling from their historic defeat in the federal election, the Liberals have now ditched the widely unpopular Stéphane Dion making him the first casualty of the economic crisis in Canadian politics.

The Liberal Party is currently in flux, as it grapples with the crisis and attempts to chart a way forward. Michael Ignatieff, the runner-up in the Liberals’ 2006 leadership race, has now been installed as leader, but it remains unclear whether he can unite a demoralized party and lead it to victory in the next election.

Also unclear is the future of the Liberal-NDP Coalition. Shortly after securing the Liberal leadership, Ignatieff stated: “Coalition if necessary, but not necessarily coalition.” Ignatieff is said to have supported the coalition only reluctantly, in contrast to his leadership rival Bob Rae, who sprinted across Canada to shore up its support.

A foreign-policy hawk and a rightwinger among Liberals, Ignatieff is more likely to find common ground with the Conservatives than to align himself with the NDP or the Bloc. Such an alliance would buy him more time to rebuild the Liberal Party and raise his own profile across Canada. It also guarantees that the governing Conservatives would take the blame for a worsening economy.

The NDP still asserts that the coalition has a future, and is pressuring the Liberals not to abandon the LiberalNDP accord now that Ignatieff is leader.

Despite the initial euphoria about joining a federal government, and securing six cabinet seats, many rankand-file NDP members now feel anxiety about what cost they’ll pay for such a move. Before the ink had even dried on the accord, the NDP had already given

up its opposition to $50 billion in tax cuts for the banks and the corporations – a shift that reverses one of its most popular campaign promises. NDP spokespersons also insisted that Liberal support for the war in Afghanistan, despite the NDP’s call to withdraw troops immediately, would not be a deal-breaker.

NDP members have also been anxious about giving support to the Liberals who effectively governed as a coalition with the Conservatives throughout much of the last Parliament. The Liberal record in opposition is one of propping up the Conservatives – on the war in Afghanistan, on the economy, on immigration, on the environment, and so on – despite the party’s rhetoric to the contrary.

Much of the NDP membership is now worried that NDP support for the coalition will hide the Liberals record in office, giving them a progressive hue. In the 1990s, a Liberal majority government then led by Jean Chrétien made the deepest cuts to social programs in Canadian history. The Liberals also supported the war in Afghanistan, deploying Canadian troops to its current counter-insurgency mission in Kandahar.

For its part, the Bloc has taken a much more independent approach to the coalition, offering its support for only 18 months (instead of the two anda-half years committed by the NDP), and largely on a case-by-case basis.

Harper’s sharp anti-Quebec rhetoric in response to the possibility of a coalition government with Bloc support has eliminated any hopes of a Conservative break-through in the province, and has given a boost to the sovereigntist movement.

The Conservatives could lose all their seats in Quebec at the next election, undermining any hopes of a majority Conservative government.

A lot could happen between now and January 27, when the Conservatives will deliver the next budget. Harper has attempted to strike a more conciliatory tone, offering to meet Ignatieff to discuss the details of an economic stimulus package.

Harper’s gesture likely has more to do with his fear of a more confident and capable Liberal leader than it does with seeking common ground with the Liberals.

Harper might also face a revolt within his own party, especially among the grassroots who largely condemned his overtly partisan attack on the opposition in Flaherty’s economic update. A number of high-profile Conservative MPs publicly aired their dissatisfaction with Harper over what many commentators described as huge tactical blunders. Harper’s reputation as a brilliant political tactician is in tatters, instead replaced by the image of a pathological and ideological control freak.

Whatever happens, one thing is for

sure: The Canadian public got a glimpse of its potential collective power when the government came close to collapse.

Activists should try to generalize this lesson as widely as possible, and seek ways now to continue a grassroots mobilization to defeat Harper – and not simply wait for the coalition.

No matter who forms the next government, only a sustained fightback of social movements, the labour movement, and ordinary people will

be able to deliver the kinds of reforms and policy changes that can deal with the economic crisis, and in a way that doesn’t simply reward the banks and the corporations at the expense of workers who fear losing their jobs and pensions.

The year 2008 will be remembered for the most serious political crisis that Canada has seen in decades. We may not have toppled the government this time around, but 2009 will likely give us another chance.

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brunswickanopinion

10 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

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brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Jan. 14 , 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 •11

COMING OUT OF HIBERNATION

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Halifax-born Wintersleep will appear once again at the UNB Student Union Building cafeteria on Thursday, Jan. 22, riding on the wings of their stellar performance at the Fredericton hosted East Coast Music Awards last year and critical acclaim for their latest full-length release ‘Welcome to the Night Sky.’

Alison Clack The Brunswickan

Fredericton must be doing something right, because Wintersleep keeps coming back.

Despite previous interviews in which they stated that going through New Brunswick was like travelling through Mordor, the band will be playing their third show in a little over a year in Fredericton this month.

Visiting New Brunswick more often isn’t the only thing that’s

changed about Wintersleep over time. In the past couple years Wintersleep has experienced some substantial changes.

Wintersleep’s sound has changed a fair amount over the course of their seven years together.

With their first self-titled release, the band’s sound was simple compared to later works. However, its simplicity was what made the album good. The band was able to create a deeply emotional and hunting sound without much more than the standard vocals, drums, bass and guitar.

With their second release in 2005, Untitled, Wintersleep’s audience could see them begin to experiment with a slightly fuller sound. With the fuller sounds the songs lost some of their haunting quality. Despite

Jump starting the year in full swing Doug Estey The Brunswickan Things are already picking up at the NB Film Co-op as it announced its 2009 screening lineup earlier this month, kicking off the season with a French adaptation on the best-selling US-based thriller Tell No One. The co-op has been a major influence in the local filmmaking industry since its inception nearly 30 years ago.

Two more screenings are planned for January: Outsourced, a comedic charmer that follows the travels of a call-centre manager who (along with his position) is shipped off to India, and Rachel Getting Married, a rollercoaster performance portraying the American family and

featuring Anne Hathaway in the lead role.

The series is a joint presentation between the co-op, the Film Circuit, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the UNB Faculty of Arts, with the intended purpose of diversifying Fredericton’s access to limited and independent films.

In addition to publicly accessible screenings, the NB Film Co-op also offers workshops, seminars, equipment and other additional resources to young and aspiring filmmakers in the province.

Per the NB Film Co-op’s tradition, the screenings will be held at Tilley Hall (Room 102) on UNB campus.

Student pricing discounts are available.

For more information, visit www. nbfilmcoop.com.

this many of their songs, like “Jaws of Life”, still retained a deeply emotional quality through lyrics and heavier guitar riffs contrasting lighter picking.

The true transformation in their music came in their most recent release, Welcome to the Night Sky. While their previous two albums featured more morose songs the new album featured a couple songs that were rather startling – they were upbeat.

The album, which also featured more keyboards, lost some of the heavier feeling of Untitled. While the songs lyrics stayed with relatively the same contemplative and emotional style the music that accompanied them was markedly more cheery – just think of ‘Weighty Ghost.’

This move to upbeat music also

made them more radio friendly, a move their new record label probably approved of.

While the first two albums were produced on an independent record label, Dependent, they switched labels in 2006 and produced their third album with Labwork Music, a subsidiary of EMI. The move to a larger label would likely have had a huge affect on the band’s more polished sound from Welcome to the Night Sky. Change was likely to have come from many other sources than a new record label.

Bands like Holy Fuck, who were nominated to the short list for the Polaris Music Prize this summer, have shared multiple members with Wintersleep. Drummer Loel Campbell and bassist Mike Bigelow

have both been members of Holy Fuck in the past.

Holy Fuck is markedly different from Wintersleep’s sound. The band is electronic and a great deal more experimental than Wintersleep – they wrote an album using generic keyboard loops, with songs including ‘Tonebank Jungle,’ based off the riff of a children’s keyboard.

Campbell and Bigelow, in addition to Tim D’Eon (keyboards and guitar) and Jon Samuel (vocals and guitar), make up four of the five members of the band Contrived.

No matter the changes and sideprojects, Wintersleep continues to put on a good show.

Their upcoming show will be played with Plants and Animals in the SUB Cafeteria on Thursday, Jan. 22. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Upcoming screenings OUTSOURCED

January 19, 8pm at Tilley Hall, UNB Campus Director: John Jeffcoat Cast: Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Dharker, Asif Basra, Matt Smith, Larry Pine Run Time: 98 minutes Country: USA Year: 2008 Language: English

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

January 26, 8pm at Tilley Hall, UNB Campus Director: Jonathan Demme Cast: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mather Zickel, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Anisa George, Debra Winger Run Time: 114 minutes Country: USA Year: 2008 Language: English

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

February 2, 8pm at Tilley Hall, UNB Campus Director: Mike Leigh Cast: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Eddie Marsan Run Time: 118 minutes Country: United Kingdom Year: 2008 Language: English

I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG

February 9, 8pm at Tilley Hall, UNB Campus Director: Philippe Claudel Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein, Serge Hazanavicius, Laurent Grevill, Frédéric Pierrot Run Time: 117 minutes Country: France Year: 2008 Language: French with English subtitles

brunswickanarts

12 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

If you subsidize it, they will come Alison Clack The Brunswickan

If you’re looking for something fun to do the Playhouse might become a more viable option this semester.

In order to attract more students to the Playhouse, and to make it more studentfriendly, the Playhouse has created a new ticketing program just for students.

The Student RUSH program, which was implemented in the new year, was developed a few months ago says Meghan Scott, marketing director of the Playhouse.

“We did a survey of students who are regularly involved with the Playhouse. With that survey what found several barriers that may prevent students from coming to the Playhouse,” says Scott.

Some of the barriers that the group identified were fairly varied.

“Some of these barriers were that fact that some students might not necessarily want to make plans to come to a show a month in advance. One of the other things was that we found that students would not really do anything without their friends.

They want to make sure that they are going to be able to sit with their friends,” says Scott.

After having heard the results of all the surveys Scott says the Playhouse created the Student RUSH program, hoping that students would be encouraged to come down to more Playhouse events.

The Student RUSH program allows all students with a valid student ID to purchase tickets to any “RUSH-friendly” show for $12. The RUSH tickets for a show will only become available for purchase at the

Flickr Creative Commons

Fredericton’s Playhouse is home to a large variety of cultural events and performances. With its new RUSH program, these shows will become much more accessible to students in the area. box office two hours before the show. The tickets also must be purchased in person at the Playhouse.

Students should be careful as the RUSH tickets are only the unsold seats of the show and are therefore limited in number.

The only way that a student can find out whether the RUSH tickets are still available before actually going to the Playhouse is by calling the box office at 458-8344.

The tickets given will be the best seats left available; however, Scott cautions students not to rely on the RUSH program to get good seats as popular shows may fill up quickly and the quality of the seats can not be ensured.

“For example, say you decided that you would wait and not buy the $20 student

priced ticket and would wait to get the RUSH seats two hours before the show.

You could end up in the balcony because the show may have sold really well. There’s a little bit of a risk involved,” says Scott.

The main difference, and risk, in choosing RUSH tickets over studentpriced tickets is the availability of seats.

Student-priced tickets will always be available at a show while RUSH tickets are limited. Nearly all shows feature studentpriced tickets, while the Playhouse doesn’t promise that all of their shows will have RUSH tickets available.

The Playhouse promises that all of their “season” shows which they host will be RUSH-friendly. However, Scott says that many show times are rented out

by other groups and the Playhouse can only encourage them to participate in the program.

Scott doesn’t think that too many of these renters will refuse the RUSH program and that the majority of the shows probably will offer the tickets.

If a student has decided to take the risk of picking a RUSH ticket over a studentpriced ticket, or if they have decided to attend a show last minute, they can find out if a show is “RUSH-friendly” by going to the Playhouse’s website and looking at the event schedule. Once a student has clicked on an event they can see the event information which will have a logo that should not be hard to miss.

“There is quite a large logo [for Student

RUSH] in the information box where all the information for the show is,” says Scott.

“We really hope that students take advantage of [RUSH]. They are really reasonably priced tickets. We’re doing everything that we can to encourage students to come down and discover all that there is to offer from the Playhouse – there’s such a wide variety of shows here. [We want] students not feel like they have to “dress to the nines”; this is a very comfortable setting,” says Scott.

The Fredericton Playhouse is located Downtown at 686 Queen Street.

The Playhouse was recently nominated for “Venue of the Year” at the 2009 ECMAs in Corner Brook, N.L.

This week in arts

David Adams Richards Speaking at Conservation Council Gala

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is celebrating local culture on January 24 at its annual fundraising Gala with award winning New Brunswick author, David Adams Richards.

The gala starts at 7 p.m. at the Delta Fredericton. Tickets are on sale for $75 at Conserver House, 180 St. John St, Fredericton.

Drop by, call 506-458-8747, or email info@conservationcouncil. ca.

The New Brunswick Crafts Council Fine Craft Gallery presents Conversations – The unspoken communication of use

This is a solo exhibition by Fredericton based potter, Shanie Stozek. Stozek has been a juried member of the New Brunswick Crafts Council since her graduation in Clay from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in 2006.

It runs from January 16 - February 13, 2009 at Room 103 of the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton. The exhibition opening takes place Friday, January 16 from 5-7 p.m.

Gallery Connexion Exhibition: 100 Stories About My Grandmother

Gallery Connexion is very pleased to present new work by Toronto-based artist Peter Kingstone. Opening the New Year is his documentary work “100 Stories About My Grandmother”, a four channel video installation weaving together portraits of male sex trade workers telling stories about their grandmothers.

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery will be hosting the series in their lower level gallery space at 703 Queen Street, Fredericton N.B. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m.

“Let’s Make Shit!” Video Production for Everyone

A workshop to help young filmmakers get started on telling their own stories. Gives a background on Canadian video art, the skills to design and plan video shoots for virtually no money, and introduce you to community strategies to accomplish a narrative for your voice. Featuring Peter Kingstone.

Sunday, January 25, 2009 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, 703 Queen Street, Fredericton NB. $10, or $5 for Gallery Connexion members. Phone 506-454-1433 or email at connex@nbnet.nb.ca by Jan. 20.

brunswickanarts

Twitter in a nutshell From The Tubes Doug Estey

Even when a new internet fad starts relentlessly eating away at the time we’ve reserved for more important things like work and study, it seems like another one is patiently waiting around the corner.

Despite this, it often seems that we still can’t connect fast enough.

How many times have you sat around waiting to hear if Billy is having a party or for Alice to spill the details on when she’s coming to visit? Current conventional communication, even through the means of services like Facebook, are often just not convenient enough to keep up with us on a day-to-day basis.

Twitter, a free micro-blogging service, is here to fill in the gaps. If you don’t already know what it is, then here’s a quick rundown.

When you text someone, you’re engaging in point-to-point communication. You send a short little message to one person, they receive it. The same goes for e-mail, instant messaging, and even wall posts.

Twitter works on a different premise. Once you register an account, you can “follow” other users – ideally, people that you want to keep tabs on – and vice versa.

Users post short, simple “tweets” that usually describe what they’re doing or what’s on their mind that they’d like to share. Think Facebook status updates, but on a much more interactive scale.

The primary difference in this type of communication is that whenever you tweet, you aren’t just sending a message to one individual. Instead, you’re broadcasting it to every one of your followers. From there, they can tweet back, broadcasting a message of their own. The result is a socially charged flurry of activity that can range from the score of a university soccer game to the status of an ongoing earthquake.

Earlier this year, CNN reported on an American student named James Buck who was detained in Egypt for photographing an antigovernment protest. He used Twitter to instantly broadcast to his followers what had happened, using only one word in his tweet: “arrested”. Buck was able to continue updating from where he was being held, enabling his friends to quickly monitor the situation. Eventually he was released after his university hired a lawyer on his behalf.

Though rather extreme, it’s an interesting example of just how useful Twitter can be.

It is, however, just a tool. And just like the amateur musicians who blame their awfullysounding guitar riffs on their strings, the same rule applies: the tools alone will not get you there. You have to be creative and resourceful enough to put them to use.

I don’t know about you, but I think something that can effectively spring a person from the hands of foreign justice is more than deserving of inclusion under my belt. Or maybe I’ll just use it to help plan the next indie pop pre-party.

Doug Estey is the Arts Editor of the Brunswickan. You can follow him as dougestey on Twitter.

Jan.14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 13

Life of a YouTube celebrity Lindsey Rivait The Lance

WINDSOR (CUP) – More than just a regular everyday normal guy, Montreal comedian Jon Lajoie is setting out to prove his live shows are just as amusing and weird as his online videos.

Famous for his music videos, ranging from a gangster rap, ‘Everyday Normal Guy,’ to the sweet love ballad, ‘2 Girls 1 Cup Song,’ and the hip-hop classic, ‘Show Me Your Genitals,’ Lajoie has been recognized by FunnyorDie.com owners Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as one of their personal favourites.

Lajoie’s stage show consists of his own version of stand-up, which he says serves to make fun of traditional stand-up.

“I have this course on creating successful online videos, although it’s not really a course; it’s just me being retarded,” Lajoie said.

Lajoie, a graduate of Dawson College’s drama program, began as an actor in

Montreal where he played the part of ThomasEdisontheAnglophonebartender on the Quebec soap opera L’Auberge Chien Noir (The Inn of the Black Dog).

“I’ve always loved Monty Python, and Kids in the Hall, and all those guys. I thought maybe I should try some stuff, so I started writing sketch comedy, but then it was sort of hard to write jokes. I wanted to show people,” he said.

That’s when he invested in some cheap video equipment and began shooting his videos. “At first I was terrible, and then after like 10 videos I got the hang of it. And then it sort of got weird,” said Lajoie.

His low-budget videos have been viewed millions of times; something that still surprises Lajoie.

“I was on vacation and I came home and checked my You Tube account. One of my videos, I think it was at a 1,000 or 2,000 views, and I was like: ‘Holy shit, people are watching my videos.’ Really, I did not expect any of this to get where it is today. ” he said.

Making videos for the Internet provides Lajoie with the kind of creative control he

craves and would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

Transitioning from online to stage, however, is a work in progress.

“It’s two very different things that are very similar in some ways,” said Lajoie, pointing out that both the online content and live performance content reaches his audience unfiltered and uncensored.

Lajoie has signed a deal with HBO to develop a project that will become The Jon Lajoie Show, which is in its early stages. He is also set to record an album in February.

A DVD of his music videos will accompany the album.

“When you look at my videos on a big screen or a high-definition television or even a 30-inch screen, they don’t look as good as they do on a tiny screen because they’re made for the Web as cheaply as possible. As soon as you put them on a big screen, it’s like: ‘Holy shit, this looks bad.’

I’m very critical with that stuff because it’s always meant to be on the Web so it would be weird on a big screen. It’d just be like: ‘Wow, this guy really does have no money,’” Lajoie said.

brunswickanfeature

14 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

a week in saskatoon: a photo essay

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Members of the Brunswickan spent the first week of winter term in Saskatoon, SK at the 71st Canadian University Press (CUP) national conference. Clockwise from top left: CUP Plenary Chair Ross Prusakowski and National Bureau Chief Sheena Goodyear amend a motion during plenary; Conference delegates stand at the bar at the John H. McDonald Awards Gala; A downtown shot of the Saskatoon cityscape. Production Guru Mike Barker gives lessons in design to CUP members; Conal Pierse, Managing Editor of University of Alberta’s student paper, the Gateway, busts a move during the conference’s annual Gateway-Ubyssey dance-off.

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

brunswickanfeature

Ja14. 7, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 15

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Clockwise from top: Brunswickan representatives Tony von Richter, Hilary Paige Smith, Sandy Chase, Doug Estey, Sarah Ratchford, Josh O’Kane and Ashley Bursey get a group shot at the JHM Gala; Doug Estey takes aimless photos during an extended stay at Toronto’s Pearson Airport; CUP member papers vote on policy at midweek plenary; Another delayed flight at Pearson; Keynote speaker Jesse Brown, of CBC, speaks on Friday evening.

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

iewpoint V

brunswickan

16 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

the brunswickan.

Question: What is the craziest thing you have ever stolen?

Disclaimer: Viewpoint was supposed to be “What is the craziest thing you have ever had stolen from you,” but the other editors were in Saskatoon and gave Photo Editor Andrew Meade too much control. Oops.

“V-Cards. A lot of them.”

Andrew Fairweather

“A 300 pound wooden beaver.”

Drew James

“My buddy’s girlfriend.”

Gregory Tapp

“Somones heart.”

Isabelle Fontaine

“Copious ammounts of photocopies.”

Jared Tomie

“A piece of gum when I was four.”

John Armstrong

“A bouncy ball with a dinosaur inside.”

Matt Gallant

“Jared’s boots.”

Mike Sweezey

“A slushie from the caf in high school.”

Tyler Harnish

“Christian Hapgood’s moustache.”

Dan Hagerman

brunswickansports

Jan.14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 17

sports@thebruns.ca

Lucky Number Seven Colin McPhail

The Brunswickan

UNB’s men’s volleyball team breathed a sigh of relief this past weekend after they crushed Memorial on the Seahawks’ own turf. The Reds, entering the game winless since the first week of November, defeated the Seahawks twice to remain in second place in the AUS standings, six points behind powerhouse rivals Dalhousie.

On Saturday, UNB sent 11 different players to the court in hopes of snapping a 10-game losing streak. In the opening set, UNB rookie David McConnell took the Reds on a service run to break a 10-10 deadlock. Kyle VanGenne added four of his match high 11 kills, leading the Reds to an opening set victory.

UNB led off the second set with strong service runs, led by middleattacker Ryley Bolden. An early 10-3 lead kept the Reds strong, as they finished off a second set victory with a kill by VanGenne.

The Reds finished off the sweep of the Seahawks in the third set after a Greg Halley service run brought UNB to a 17-15 lead. A few errors by the opponents, along with strong offensive

Hockey UNB - 5 ACA - 1

Women’s Basketball UNB - 63 DAL - 73 Men’s Basketball UNB - 48 DAL - 66 Men’s Volleyball UNB - 3 MUN - 0 Hockey UNB - 8 DAL - 2 Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNB Athlete of the week Kevin Henderson (#47) attempts to push the puck pass the Dalhousie goaltender during AUS league play at the Aitken Centre last Saturday. The Reds crushed the Tigers 8-2. was a huge blow to the Acadia’s morale as the Reds used the momentum to shut down any offensive pressure by the visitors.

Kevin Henderson sealed the deal with two goals, one coming on the power play, while Kyle Bailey, Luke Lynes and Justin DaCosta added assists in the 5-1 win.

Once again UNB’s special teams were a major factor in the win. The power play was able to produce and the Reds killed off four penalties.

For all intents and purposes, Saturday’s match against the struggling Dalhousie Tigers was an easy way to grab two points and pad some stats. The Reds opened the scoring early with a pair of goals from Bailey and Tremblay. The Tigers cut the lead in half when Chad McCaffrey scored midway through the first frame. However, that was as close as they would get. UNB

played a fast-paced, physical game where the much smaller Tigers could not keep up with.

UNB kept up that pace for the rest of the game and threw an onslaught of shots towards the Dalhousie keeper. Stamler scored his second of the weekend when he had a wide open net off a massive rebound and Luke Lynes ripped a shot top corner from the dot on the power play. Dalhousie added another, but then got into some penalty trouble and the Reds power play clicked again as Henderson made it 5-2.

The domination continued in the third as Jonathan Harty, Jimmy Cuddihy and Henderson all chipped in goals on the way to an 8-2 final. At the end of weekend play the Reds have three players, Tremblay, Henderson and Cuddihy, in the top ten of league scoring.

The Reds, once again, played hard, fast hockey and shut down their opponent.

They demonstrated that they were fundamentally sound on all fronts. The good goaltending from Derek Yeomans and Travis Fullerton, strong physical play from the defence and stunning depth in the offence are all key factors that have UNB sitting tied for first in the AUS standings with three games in hand.

The Reds did what they do best. They stuck to the basics and solid play that has cemented UNB as one of the greatest hockey programs in the country.

The team is looking to prolong the winning streak this week as they go down the hill to play STU at the LBR tonight at 7 p.m. As for weekend action, UNB has a pair of crucial games as Moncton and UPEI come to town.

Sweeping the Athletes of the floor week Sports Department

Friday, January 9th

Saturday, January 10th

The Brunswickan

There were no ill effects of Christmas turkey this past weekend as the Reds made one thing clear: if you want close, back and forth action, go somewhere else. The Reds outshot their opponents 83-40 and outscored them 13-3 in two dominating performances against Acadia and Dalhousie.

The Aitken Centre was full of excitement Friday night as the UNB men’s hockey team was back on the ice for their first taste of AUS action since early December.

The visiting Acadia Axemen were under siege from the moment the puck dropped.

UNB, once again, used their size and strength in a relentless forecheck. However, UNB scored the game’s first goal off a quick breakout that caught Acadia in a bad line change. Chris Hodgson received a sweet saucer pass from David Bowman and flew in alone and snapped one past the Acadia netminder.

The visitors showed some skill in the second period when Jonathan Laberge did a nice toe-drag around a diving UNB defender and roofed it over Derek Yeomans’ shoulder for the equalizer. The Reds shook off that early pressure and took over. Six minutes later Bretton Stamler regained the lead of a wrist shot from the top of the circle with Hunter Tremblay and Kevin Henderson adding helpers. As much as the UNB was putting on the pressure, the game remained 2-1 at the end of the second.

UNB began to capitalize on their chances in the third. Ryan Seymour added some insurance off a nice feed from John Scott Dickson when the two walked in 2-on-1 after poor turnover by Acadia. That

V-Reds Results

play, led UNB to a third set victory, defeating Memorial 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-21).

It was an early morning affair between the inter-conference rivals on Sunday in the second match of the weekend. An 11 a.m. whistle signaled the beginning of the match as the Reds fell behind to an early 6-4 Memorial lead. Second-year Nova Scotia native John Shennan went on a quick service run to bring th Reds back into the lead. Strong serving off the arms of Halley, VanGenne, and McConnell slowly increased the lead as the Reds easily took the opening set.

Third-year right-side attacker Tyler Veenhuis led the way for UNB in the second set. Veenhuis added six kills in the second set, leading UNB to a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

The final set of the day saw both Veenhuis and VanGenne continuing their strong offensive performance.

Veenhuis had five kills, and VanGenne added four, leading the Reds to another 3-0 sweep over Memorial (25-12, 2519, 25-16).

Next up, UNB will travel to Laval this weekend to face a number of teams from the Quebec conference.

The Reds will resume AUS league play the following Friday when they travel to Halifax to take on Dalhousie.

Kevin Henderson Hockey BBA, 2nd Year Toronto, ON.

Sunday, January 11th Men’s Volleyball UNB - 3 MUN - 0 Women’s Basketball UNB - 75 UPEI - 60 Women’s Volleyball UNB - 3 UdeM - 1 Men’s Basketball UNB - 75 UPEI - 101

Upcoming V-Reds Events Wednesday, January 14th Hockey UNB @ STU 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 16th Hockey UdeM @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre Men’s Volleyball UNB @ Laval 8:00 p.m. @ Laval Tournament Saturday, January 17th Men’s Volleyball UNB @ Sherbrooke 11:00 a.m. @ Laval Women’s Volleyball CBU @ UNB 1:00 p.m.@ L.B. Gym

UNB Media Services

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

Jill Blanchard Volleyball BSc, 3rd Year Saint John, N.B.

UNB Media Services

Men’s Volleyball UNB @ U of Montreal 6:00 p.m. @ Laval Hockey UPEI @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre Men’s Basketball UNB @ ACA 8:00 p.m.

brunswickansports

18 • Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142

Reds’ new recruits Ladies knock off AUS first-seed make a nice fit Brandon MacNeil The Brunswickan

With the second half of the season just underway, the UNB men’s hockey team has bulked up their roster. Luke Lynes of Rochester Hills, MI, and Justin McCutcheon, from Ithaca, N.Y. have joined the Reds to make another push for the national championships.

Lynes is a four year veteran of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion, where he was assistant captain for two seasons. He was a fourth round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2005 draft. He started the season with Springfield in the AHL before being recruited from the CHL Amarillo Gorillas.

McCutcheon is also a four year OHL veteran, where he was a first round pick of the Kingston Frontenacs. He played his final season with the Saginaw Spirit, before joining the St. Thomas Tommies. After sitting out last year, he is eligible to join UNB for his senior season.

The recruits will no doubt inject a new life in the UNB hockey program, and they get set to defend their AUS championship.

“It’s good to see some new additions,” said veteran David Bowman. “It will help create some healthy competition with the rest of the forwards.”

After key recruit Daine Todd was sidelined for the season in October and with word that rookie Jordan Clendenning is now out indefinitely, UNB coach Gardiner MacDougall felt it necessary to add some depth to his roster.

“Luke will bring a great deal of skill, size and scoring ability and I really believe he will flourish in a positive manner with our program. He can play any forward position and is very excited about improving his development here at UNB.” “Justin is a player that I’ve always had a great deal of respect for as an opponent – he plays a hard nosed blue-collar game and has a penchant for scoring key goals,” said MacDougall.

“It’s been a great experience so far,” said McCutcheon. “I’m going to do my best to help this club, that’s what it’s all about.” When asked about playing against his former mates from St. Thomas, McCutcheon shrugged it off. “It’s just going to be like any other game. I’m part of this organization now, and no matter who the opponent is, it won’t change the way I’m going to play.”

Like McCutcheon, Lynes has made it his goal to help the team in any way possible, and it has shown already. In his first game as a V-Red, Lynes was the first one to his teammate Alex Aldred’s aid, after being hit face first into the boards.

Lynes has also had his name on the score sheet consistently, since making his debut in the Red and Black.

“I’m looking to doing whatever I can to help this team win,” said Lynes. “At the end of the day, I want to get better as a hockey player.”

Lynes had actually committed to playing for Western University, until a conversation with UNB associate coach Todd Sparks changed his mind. “I just wanted to win games, and this was the best place to do it. UNB has a great reputation. It’s an unbelievable place to grow as a hockey player, and that’s exactly what I want to do.”

Luke Perrin / The Brunswickan

On Sunday, the UNB women’s volleyball team became the first team in the AUS to defeat UdeM this season. The Reds knocked off the undefeated Eagles 3-1 in front of their home town crowd at the L.B. Gym.

Josh Fleck The Brunswickan

It wasn’t quite a welcome homecoming for the UNB women’s volleyball team.

After a 42 day lay-off from conference play, the Reds were set to face off against the Universite de Moncton, a team who had yet to lose to an AUS opponent this season.

As most would expect, the match started with each team battling for points. It quickly became a back and forth affair, with UdeM on top at the first technical timeout, 8-7. That’s when the UNB block party came out. The Reds were getting their hands on a lot of balls, either being fully blocked, or catching a piece in order to make an easy pass to counter attack. Leading the block party was third-year middle Barb Vriends, and fifth-year Christina Ross

from the right side. The Reds used their blocks and great defense build up a lead as high as six points before grabbing a 25-22 first set victory.

The start of set two was very similar to the first as each team battled for points, and neither would let the other take a significant lead. Neither team held a lead of more than two points until UNB went up 18-13, only to have UdeM battle back to take a 21-20 lead. UNB never faltered and took away another 2522 victory.

Leading the Reds through the first two sets was third-year left side Jill Blanchard. The week before the UdeM game, Blanchard received news that she would be one of 14 women heading to the national team training camp for beach volleyball. This could eventually turn into her playing beach volleyball for Canada in the 2016 Olympics. Needless to say, Blanchard was riding a high into this game, and it showed on the court, as she was digging everything she could get a hand on and killed everything Melanie Doucette put up for her.

Despite Blanchard’s play, the V-Reds

dropped the third set, as UdeM really stepped up their play. UdeM was flawless in nearly every aspect of their play in the third set, no matter what UNB did, it wasn’t quite enough as UdeM did not want to get shut out and came away with a 25-19 third set victory.

With the game on the line, the Reds would not be denied a victory, as everyone who touched the floor upped their intensity. They pushed a four point lead into the first technical timeout, then came out and built upon that lead, pushing it to as much as an eight point lead. They kept the lead until the end, winning the set 25-17, and taking match 3-1.

After the game, UNB coach John Richard was said pleased with the strong play of his team. “It was nice to have our great play from Florida carry over to conference play, and handing UdeM their first conference loss will definitely give us a boost going into the next couple games.”

Next action for the Reds is Saturday at 1 p.m., when they host the University of Cape Breton Capers.

Gold medals and blonde locks Tip of the Cap: By Josh Fleck

This week is a World Junior Hockey Championships-themed “Tip of the Cap.” With the world junior tournament held in Ottawa, the stage was set for a Canadian “Drive for Five.” This week, I’m going to throw out more than one tip of my cap.

I’ll start off will be the biggest of my tips. It goes to the whole Canadian team for completing the “Drive for Five” as they took out Sweden in the gold medal game. Congratulations to them.

The second tip goes out to Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstrom for having the potential to be the newest spokesperson for Herbal Essence. Each of the 12 times his helmet came off during the gold medal game, I couldn’t help but be somewhat hypnotized by those long, flowing blonde locks. Despite letting in five goals, and eventually losing the game, he had to feel confident because he looked damned good while doing it.

The third tip this week goes to Jordan Eberle of Team Canada for thrilling the Canadian fans against Russia. This kid was a one-man show in the semi-final game. With less than one minute left in the game, and all hopes of the “Drive for Five” dashed, Eberle dug the puck out of a defender and deked the goalie out of his pads for the game tying goal with 5.4 seconds left. Then, with overtime not solving anything, he scored the first goal of the shootout. It was a great game from this kid.

My final shout-out goes to my man, P.K. Subban. The tip is not only for being named to the tournament all-star team, but also for keeping his real name under wraps for a while and taking the abbreviation P.K., instead of going with Pernell Karl. P.K. is better suited for hockey.

brunswickansports

Jan. 14, 2009 • Issue 16 • Volume 142 • 19

‘I swear I’ll do it this time’ The Brunswickan

For the month of January, it’s nearly impossible to find a lifestyle magazine that doesn’t bear a headline similar to “An Easy Way to Get Fit in the New Year.” Workout trends and images of people on steroids are shoved into our faces in attempts to market all kinds of nonsensical conditioning programs.

This is one of the busiest months of the year for the fitness industry, and the facilities here at UNB are no exception.

One trip down to the Lady Beaverbrook fitness centre and you’ll see the mosaic of people simply trying to get some legitimate exercise. Whether it’s the amateur bodybuilder in a cutoff pub crawl shirt or the regular Joe who got the urge to pick up some barbells, the weight room is a cultural anthropologist’s dream.

The cardio room is almost never empty, and you’ll probably find the sock you lost in the wash last week before you find an open treadmill. Thank goodness for the ability to book machines in advance and the usual 30-minute-persession rule. Anybody serious about running will tell you that they’d prefer to exercise outside, but the six-foot snow banks and −25°C temperatures make that somewhat difficult. Kudos to the treadmill warriors; it’s an

UNB students crowned NB curling champs Chris Cameron The Brunswickan

Last week, the N.B. Junior Curling team was crowned as team Howard defeated team Jeans in the finals. Two of the players on team Howard have a UNB connection. The mate and lead on Howard’s championship team, Jill Babin (mate) and Emily MacRae (lead), are both students at UNB. The other team members include Ashley Howard (skip) and Melissa Menzies (second).

At provincials, team Howard had some tough competition but pushed through with a 7-1 record. On their way to the championship they defeated the defending champions multiple times, showing their ability to outshine the best when it counted most.

“Our expectations were simply to play our best, knowing the other teams would play really well,” said MacRae. “It feels great to win it because through the year we worked really hard and gave up a lot of things to travel to tournaments.

It all paid off.”

The next feat for this team will be the Canadian Junior Curling Championships being held in Salmon Arm, B.C. from Jan. 31 – Feb. 8, 2009.

They will be into stiff competition as the Manitoban team look to defend their title from last year. Pressure on the

team’s performance is high, but Babin is confident.

“We’re practicing pretty much every day, going to the gym, meeting [the rest of the team] in Moncton for team practices on the weekends,” said Babin.

“We are pretty much curling whenever we can. Our goal for nationals is to make playoffs. If we make it there then I believe we have a good chance of winning the whole thing.”

The last time N.B. won the national title was when Andrea Kelly led her team to victory in 2005. Seeing both these teams on the ice, you can see they are both high performance teams and should fare well.

This will be the first trip to the Canadian Juniors for Babin and MacRae, although both have previous national experience at the Canada Winter Games in 2007. In turn, this has helped with their preparation and approach.

“Our experience from the Canada games will definitely help with nationals,” said Babin. “Teams going into nationals that have already had experience with playing at the national level will have an edge over the teams that have not. We’ve already played a lot of the teams at CWG that will be at the nationals this year so we know how hard we have to work to win.”

If successful at nationals, team Howard will travel to Vancouver, B.C. for the World Curling Championships during March 5-15. To follow the team at nationals, check out www.curling.ca.

Internet

January marks the month when everyone dusts off their running shoes and hits the gym in order to meet their new years resolutions. Hitting the cardio room in the early morning may be one method to beat the lengthy January crowds.

check out thebruns.ca

Alex Wickwire

accomplishment in itself just to be able to keep your sanity while dozens of feet pound against rubber and the annoying hum of each machine wrenches your eardrums.

The extreme busyness is the inconvenient truth about the fitness center that we as students pay to be a part of with our tuition, but it could easily be a blessing in disguise. If you’ve made the resolution to build muscle or work off some unsightly body mass, don’t let the gym intimidate you. It’s a rarity that someone enjoys crowded exercise areas, so anyone bothered by the mob is not alone. Plan your workout, plug in some headphones, and push yourself.

Does anybody really enjoy hanging out in a poorly ventilated room with dozens of other people in sweatpants?

If the crowd bugs you too much, there are always the early-riser 6 a.m. openings. Sure it sucks to wake up before the sunrise, but maybe it’ll regulate sleep patterns and stop the late-night cravings for Mr. Noodles. It’s a new year and there’s unlimited potential for lifestyle improvements.

Use the annoyance of UNB’s tiny facilities to keep to your resolution and your waist will be trim by March break.

Turning a negative into a positive - that’s a new year’s resolution right there.

If all that seems boring and lame, here’s hoping that the Canadian economic recession has “positive” effects and we see a price drop on lovable foods like Cap’n Crunch and buffalo wings.

If that happens, it’s doubtful that many fitness resolutions will last.

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