Issue 19, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

PSE // STUDENT GROUPS DISCUSS THE PRICE OF EDUCATION >> PAgE 15

Volume 142 · Issue 19 • February 4, 2009

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Federal budget to help UNB

Shelter loses staff, stays open News Department The Brunswickan

Interpersonal employee conflicts within the Fredericton Homeless Men’s Shelter led to a temporary closure last Tuesday.

The shelter is open 23 hours a day, seven days a week. It closes between roughly 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. each day so that clients may eat lunch at the nearby Fredericton Community Kitchen.

Conflict began with the termination of one employee on the morning of Jan. 27, shortly followed by the resignation of a part-time employee.

Brian Duplisses, the Executive Director of the shelter, says the establishment closed earlier than normal for lunch on this day for safety reasons.

About half of the shelter’s clients were in the building at the time and were asked to leave temporarily to return after lunch.

The remaining employees at this time agreed to work longer shifts in order to better accommodate their clients. Another employee resigned the following day. Duplisses says the shelter worked to make sure its daily operations were not hindered.

The shelter has been housing 40 clients every night for the past few weeks, he says. A security company has come forward to provide assistance and the director noted that they have been “quite generous” with the shelter.

The number of volunteers at the shelter has also increased considerably.

Duplisses says that members of the board of directors for the shelter have pitched in, as well as some of the employees of Grace House, Fredericton’s women’s shelter, to help with some administrative duties. He also included that some of the shelter’s clients are helping out.

“It’s been really heartwarming, the number of clients (who’ve helped out). Many of the clients help around

SEE HOMELESS PAGE 5

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Premier Shawn Graham gave the 2009 State of the Province address on Thursday, Jan. 29. He says last year’s Action Plan on PSE is still in full swing, with accessibility and affordability at the forefront.

Moving forward with the Action Plan Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

The world’s economic situation is hitting home, said Premier Shawn Graham at the State of the Province speech last week.

Graham delivered the annual State of the Province speech on Thursday, Jan. 29.

He addressed the public from UNB’s Aitken Centre.

Graham zeroed in on a number of factors relating to the current state of affairs here in New Brunswick. The present economic situation stands at the forefront of his concerns.

“As the [Finance] minister has stated, the province is facing a large deficit in 2009-

2010. That said, our government remains firmly committed to fiscal responsibility, and it is our intent to return to balanced budgets as quickly as the state of the economy allows us to do so,” he promised.

The Premier also discussed last year’s Action Plan for Post-Secondary Education. The plan, released last June, included a number efforts the provincial government hopes to pursue to enhance the affordability and accessibility of PSE in the province.

Graham explained that a Forum of University Presidents and College Executive Directors has been established. This goal of this group is to “collaborate on improved student accessibility, the development of a provincial credit transfer system, improved research and graduate studies, increased foreign student recruitment, and improved applied learning and training.

“We are addressing affordability by developing strategies to help students better finance their education and reduce their debt loads,” the premier said.

Graham also stated that universities and community colleges will benefit from $160 million in capital investments over the next two years.

Community colleges are in a time of great influx, he said.

“By April 2010, the community college system will be autonomous from government, with two independent structures respecting linguistic duality in our educational system,” Graham said.

In 2008-09, 440 new community college seats were established. An additional

SEE PROVINCE PAGE 2

Along with $60 million in provincial funding bestowed last fall to New Brunswick universities, the federal government announced last week that an additional $2 billion has been allocated Canadian post-secondary education institutions for the maintenance of infrastructure.

From that $2 billion, $1.4 billion has been devoted to universities, with the rest going to colleges. The money is to be spent over two years.

This is good news for UNB, where current deferred maintenance costs are estimated at $135 million.

“The provincial money needs to be spent by 2011,” says Dan Murray, VP Finance at UNB. The same goes for the federal dollars, he believes, but he’s still unsure.

Murray says that not as much is known about the federal funding as provincial, “because we haven’t been receiving criteria. We’re assuming it’ll be similar criteria to the provincial and go towards the same kind of upgrades and improvements.”

The provincial funding, he says, cannot be used to create new buildings, but must be used for maintenance and upkeep of existing infrastructure.

Murray hopes that UNB will receive close to $50 million from the two sources over the next two years to tackle its maintenance projects.

Plans are already in the works for the funding to upgrade UNB’s growing deferred maintenance list.

“There’s some stuff that’s pretty hardcore infrastructure renewal,” he says. Projects cited include fixing electrical problems, roofs, windows,

SEE BUDGET PAGE 2

brunswickannews

2 • Feb 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

Be interesting, says Maclean’s editor Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Budding journalists, students and Fredericton citizens alike gathered in STU’s Kinsella auditorium last Wednesday to learn how to ‘Be interesting, or else.’

This was the title of Maclean’s Editor-in-Chief and publisher, Kenneth Whyte’s presentation for STU’s annual Dalton Camp Lecture. Whyte drew a large crowd as he discussed his experiences in the media, print journalism’s current plight and his predictions on the future of print.

Whyte was the sixth presenter in the Dalton Camp Lecture series, an annual lecture in memory of its New Brunswick-born namesake. The lecture is taped each year by CBC Radio’s Ideas and broadcast at a later date.

Dr. Michael Higgins, President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Thomas welcomed the audience, with Ideas’ host Paul Kennedy providing the introduction.

Kennedy calls the annual lecture an “overwhelming, snowball-rolling-

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Kenneth Whyte, editor-in-chief and publisher of Maclean’s magazine, addresses guests who turned up to the Dalton Camp lecture at STU last Wednesday in spite of the blizzard-like conditions outside. down-the-hill success,” as well as a feather in the crown of Ideas.

His introduction outlined Whyte’s journalism career, noting his success as an editor at Saturday

Night, a former monthly general interest magazine, and the National Post. He also jokingly noted Whyte’s age. Though only in his late forties, Whyte is considered a veteran of the journalism business for his experiences.

The Maclean’s editor took the stage for 45 minutes, followed by an open question and answer period.

Whyte opened by talking about his past interactions with Dalton Camp, as well as discussing how he was approached for the lecture. He says that the aim of his lecture was to talk about his work in the media, notably at profitless publications.

“The trick at the Post was to convince people who already had a

newspaper that they needed another one, which meant we had to be really, really interesting or we were going to go out of business,” said Whyte, briefly touching on the premise of his lecture.

He reflected on the past of print journalism, such as in the 19th century when newspapers were reader-driven, as opposed to today’s advertiser-driven publications.

His lecture made reference to the world’s economic crisis and how cost-cutting and ad-boosting are changing the face of print.

“I wanted to talk about the difference between those two models and how it shapes your values as a journalist. That was

my plan last summer, but a lot changed in the meantime. As of today, I am no longer really unique in my experience of working for a money-losing publication.”

He solemnly stated that he and others like him are steadily becoming clichés.

The majority of his discussion focused on print journalism’s shift from paper to the internet and the impact this will have on the future.

Despite bleak economic times, Whyte appeared optimistic about the future of journalism in that i may not have to be entirely on paper. He does, however, believe that magazines will continue to fare well.

Governments talk PSE FROM BUDGET PAGE 1

updating of classrooms, auditoriums, sewers and water pipes.

As far as timing for the projects, Murray says the bulk of it will be completed in the

summer months when classes are out, with the exception of any repairs which would not disrupt classes or research.

“Inside work will have to be done when classes aren’t in, and that limits scheduling,” Murray points out.

“It’s hard to tell which summer (of the next two) will be more busy.”

The funding will be shared by both UNB campuses—Fredericton and Saint John.

“We certainly have a lot of work to do, so when we get this money it will be a big help to us,” says Murray. “Its not very often that universities get this kind of funding for infrastructure renewal. We’re really happy to get this funding.”

FROM PROVINCE PAGE 1 500 are planned for 2009-10.

“Our new capital investments will add another 1,200 full-time seats in our community colleges by 2011.”

Graham said that college graduates are acquiring jobs at a 92 per cent employment rate in the year after graduation. Ninety per cent of these college graduates are working here in New Brunswick, he said.

Other issues addressed in the speech included health care, population growth and job creation, lowering taxes and the downturn in forestry in the province.

Full contents of the speech can be found at http://www.gnb.ca/0089/speechesdiscours/SOP2009/speech-e.asp.

brunswickannews

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142• 3

Fair trade coffee hits UNB Fredericton Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Fair trade coffee has finally arrived at UNB, with a Tuesday launch at the Head Rest café in Head Hall.

The fair trade initiative is a joint project between Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and Sodexo foods.

Fair trade is a market-based approach that promotes sustainability in developing nations. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price for goods such as coffee beans.

Providing UNB students with a fair trade alternative has been one of EWB’s goals for over two years, and to make it happen EWB needed the support of UNB’s food supplier.

Before initiatives could be taken, EWB had to make sure that fair trade coffee would work at UNB. “Last year, EWB did some survey work around campus to see if people would support fair trade at the school,” explains Martin Bayliss, the general manager of Sodexo. “As a result of that survey, we were able to get a supplier right out of the Maritimes to see if this could work.”

Fair trade coffee has actually been available at the Head Rest café since just after Christmas, but EWB wanted to postpone the official launch so it would coincide with International Development Week, which runs from Monday to Friday this week.

“We decided we would have this day where we would give out free samples and tell people about fair

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Alongside coffee available from Tim Hortons, Starbucks, and Sodexho’s Viva Bica brand, UNB’s Engineers Without Borders has orchestrated the advent of fair trade coffee at UNB as a friendly alternative. trade,” explains EWB’s Vice President of Events Laura Malone.

“We wanted students to get the chance to taste it and find out that it’s actually not that bad, and actually better than a lot of the other campus coffee.”

So far, Bayliss says the reviews of the coffee have been great, and he says he expects the coffee to continue doing well.

“The response so far in terms of

the quality of the product has been fantastic,” Bayliss continues. “And we have fair trade at quite a few other Sodexo accounts and it does very well.”

Fair trade has been a main focus of EWB for some time. EWB is trying to show people that helping developing nations can be easy, and they are trying to make it as easy as possible. When a mug is filled up with fair trade coffee, the consumer can

take comfort in the fact that the beans were harvested in an environment promoting competitive wages and respectable working conditions.

“A lot of our focus has been on trying to change peoples’ attitudes, with the hope that if people change their attitudes they will change their behavior,” explains Malone.

“We’re just trying to get [fair trade] out on campus and make it accessible for students,” she continues.

If fair trade coffee continues to sell well at the Head Rest café, there are plans in place to expand the availability of the coffee to other Sodexo outlets on campus.

“If we’re throwing away more than is actually purchased then it’s just not going to be viable,” explains Bayliss. “But ultimately, it’s not really about the profit in this case, it’s about having a choice available that is a good choice.”

UNB Business students to attend national competition Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Last summer, UNB business students Bob Keleher and Simon Pearn started up a business called Power Washing Solutions. They went door-to-door with a heated pressure washer and cleaned the outsides of residential homes throughout Rothesay and Quispamsis, suburbs of Saint John, NB. The business became a success, and the two students decided to take it even further by entering a business plan competition at UNB. “The first business plan competition we went into was here at UNB,” said Pearn. “Basically, you needed to

qualify in the top couple of that one to get into the CIBC Business Plan Competition.”

Keleher and Pearn got through the initial competition and solidified their spot in the CIBC competition. That CIBC competition boasts a grand prize of $5,000, with categories for graduates and undergraduates.

The competition takes place annually for two days in early November. Competitors compete in teams, and they are required to submit a fully developed business plan. Each team has to present their business idea to a panel of judges with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation.

The presentations are limited to 12 minutes, which are followed by an eight-minute question and answer period. The judges are experts in the fields of marketing, finance, and

entrepreneurship.

“The CIBC one had two different tracks. There was a graduated and undergraduate track, and we were in the undergraduate track,” continued Pearn. “And we actually won first prize (in the undergraduate category), and walked away with the $5,000 dollars.”

The UNB students didn’t stop there – with two competitions already to their name, they decided to enter another one, Enterprise Canada.

This national competition has regional heats for qualified participants. There is one region for western Canada, two in central Canada, and one in Atlantic Canada.

“The top three teams from each region get to go to the nationals, which are held in Vancouver,” explained Pearn.

The UNB students placed in the top three and won a trip to Vancouver for this February. They will compete against 11 other teams for a grand prize of $20,000.

“There’s going to be some really noticeable judges there. It’s going to be the business leaders of the country, so we’re really excited to go,” said Pearn.

The duo’s business plan lets them clean effectively at less cost than the competition.

“Our idea was basically to use a hot-water steam cleaner to clean the outside of houses,” explained Keleher.

“And because we were using hot water instead of cold water, like the competition, we are able to do the work for a lot less money. And a lot quicker too.”

One of the reasons their business

plan has been so successful is because they have done a lot of research.

“We ran the business on a small scale last summer,” explained Keleher.

“We were really trying to do some market research because we want to expand quite aggressively in the future.”

They travelled around and cleaned houses in Rothesay and Quispamsis last summer, learning about how marketing and sales work.

“We took our knowledge from working in just Quispamsis and Rothesay, and applied it to some market research we did in Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton, and Halifax,” continued Keleher. “Our actual business plan is to expand that operation we started last summer into all of those cities over a three year period.”

Working for our world: International Development Week Priscilla Gonzalez Submitted to the Bruns

No country can reach any development goal on its own; it is a global project that involves each person’s effort to achieve a better world for all human beings. That’s why Canada works as part of the global community through

different projects that link various organizations and associations under one topic: international development.

But what is international development or what are we referring to when we address this issue?

International development is a broad term that deals with the creation, implementation and study of social, cultural, economic and political problems in the developing world, from which with a co-ordinated force we can eradicate and build more equitable and prosperous societies.

Whether a student, faculty or staff member here at UNB, you probably think that nothing can be done to

address the problems that people from distant places like Malawi or Bhutan are experiencing. It is possible, however, to make a difference.

Big achievements are made from everyday efforts – little efforts that may seem like vain actions to you, but at the end they can build up a project that might change hundreds of lives.

That’s how actions like the Bhutan project, internships in Malawi, raising funds for Guatemala, etc. are right now playing a big role in how UNB contributes towards reaching the goal of international development.

“The people that I met and their attitudes made my internship

everything that I hoped it would be and more,” says Amy Welsh, a kinesiology student who did her internship in Malawi last summer.

We received the same comments from Krista Craven when she talked about her internship at the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Camp in Ghana in 2005: “These international experiences have been extraordinarily important in helping me recognize the relevance of development work and research in this field; that is significant and that capitalizes on the strengths of the communities with which one works. Moreover, my experiences with international development work

have illuminated opportunities for pursuing related work in Canada.”

As a result, Krista is now studying in Ontario, doing specific research on the learning needs of the refugee children.

So, if you are a citizen of this world, this concerns you.

International development includes us all, independent of our nationality, gender, religion, etc., because in the end we all live in the same planet: Earth.

International Development Week will be held from Feb. 2-6 o the UNB campus. Check unbf.ca/international for more information.

brunswickannews

4 • Feb 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

Federal budget grants some PSE wishes Carl Meyer CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief

OTTAWA (CUP) – The Canadian post-secondary community was promised billions in new spending last week by a federal government desperate to please.

Finance minister Jim Flaherty presented the 2009 Canadian federal budget last Tuesday in Parliament.

The government is attempting to spend its way out of the recession by investing in projects and betting these investments will pay off in a recovered economy years down the road.

The budget promises funding for a number of areas, including tax relief, business and industry investments, skills training, housing construction, municipalities, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, and more.

“Our government will spend what is necessary to stimulate our economy, and we will invest what is necessary to protect our future prosperity,” said Flaherty in a speech to the House of Commons last week.

All this spending means the government will go into deep deficits for at least the next four years.

If all budget projects are implemented as proposed, the government expects a federal deficit of $33.7 billion for the upcoming

year (2009-10).

The country will then endure a $29.8 billion deficit in 2010-11, followed by a $13 billion deficit in 2011-12, and a $7.3 billion deficit in 2012-13.

The government does not expect to reach a federal budget surplus again until 2014.

The budget has several elements in it that directly impact students and post-secondary education in Canada.

Chief among these is $2 billion budgeted towards “deferred maintenance and repair projects” at post-secondary institutions.

According to the budget, 70 per cent of these funds will be directed towards universities, and 30 per cent towards colleges. The funds will be managed by Industry Canada and “based on project merit and readiness.”

The funds are also only intended to be matching, as they can only pay for up to half of project costs.

As well, the budget provides Public Works and Government Services Canada with $250 million over two years to “undertake an accelerated investment program to address deferred maintenance at federal laboratories.”

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations had been lobbying the government for investment in accumulated deferred maintenance in post-secondary institutions.

In a Jan. 6 pre-budget letter, CASA called for $1.5 billion to be invested in the federal budget towards accumulated deferred maintenance.

Last week in Parliament, CASA National Director Zach Churchill called that a “win.”

“We were the only national group pushing for infrastructure funding for universities,” he said. “We’re encouraged that the federal government is committed to infrastructure spending for postsecondary education.”

Churchill, however, was less impressed with the overall commitment to post-secondary funding.

“What this budget was missing was targeted funding for students and families who are suffering the most from the economic downturn,” he said.

Students affected by job layoffs, pay freezes, and drops in investments had little recourse in this budget, he says.

As well, “there was not an influx of funding to universities in provinces that deal with the funding gap,” Churchill said.

“We’re impressed with the infrastructure spending, [but] we’re curious to see how this pans out as far as how the implementation goes.”

The Canadian Federation of Students also saw some of their lobbying requests considered.

For example, during pre-budget consultations, the CFS lobbied for the doubling of the Canada Summer Jobs program budget.

The 2009 budget promises a Youth Employment Strategy that will invest a two-year targeted funding of $20 million to the Canada Summer Jobs program.

Dave Molenhuis, CFS national treasurer, acknowledged the gain.

“That change is going to help small businesses create positions for students,” he said.

But Molenhuis tempered his overall response, calling the budget “very underwhelming in terms of student aid.”

“It doesn’t address generally what students are looking for,” he said.

“We’ve been asking for enveloped transfers for a number of years, and again we’ve seen a failure, a dedication to short-sightedness, to not address that issue, and that’s very problematic for students.”

Molenhuis pointed to promises by the Barack Obama administration in the United States as an example of where Canada’s budget could have derived inspiration.

“Where we were able to make gains, I think they were relevant to the economy, the frustrations that students are feeling right now . . . but the central issue remains out-ofcontrol tuition fees,” Molenhuis said.

Other post-secondary elements in the budget include the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which will receive $150 million in 2009-10

to aid their Leading Edge and New Initiatives Funds Competition.

The Foundation will also receive another $600 million for “future activities” such as a launch of “one or more new competitions” by December 2010.

As well, the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo will receive $50 million towards the “construction and establishment of a new world-class research facility.”

The Canada Health Infoway will also receive $500 million “to support the goal of having 50 per cent of Canadians with an electronic health record by 2010.”

The budget also allocates money for several specific subareas of the knowledge economy. For example, $87 million is budgeted over the next two years to “maintain or upgrade key Arctic research facilities.”

As well, $225 million is budgeted over three years to Industry Canada to “develop and implement a strategy on extending broadband coverage to all currently unserved communities beginning in 2009-10.”

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brunswickannews

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142• 5

UNB denied a snow day once again Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Fredericton has been getting a lot of snow lately, and after UNB was left open after a 25 cm snowfall last Wednesday, some students and staff are beginning to wonder if they’ll ever get a snow day.

However, deciding whether or not the school should close for a snow day isn’t as simple as looking out the window for falling flakes. It is a complicated procedure that is put entirely on the shoulders of one man: Anthony Secco, VP Academic of UNB Fredericton.

“I’m the one who makes the decision, and I’m the one who takes the blame,” confesses Secco. “We are an institution and we are open unless conditions dictate that we close. So we’re not automatically closed as a result of something that happens.

Someone has to make a decision and that decision falls on my shoulders.”

This is Secco’s first year at UNB, and he has already received complaints

about how he’s handled snow days.

But as Secco explains, he’s just following procedure.

“I certainly understand people’s concern, but I think that people have to understand that we do have a policy and we follow the policy,” Secco continues. “I use all of the data that I can possibly get within the timeframe available.”

On mornings when the weather could be problematic, Secco communicates with campus security, the snowplow operators at Physical Plant, and frequently checks weather conditions through Weather Canada.

Last Thursday, after following all of the procedures, Secco decided that UNB should remain open.

Since then, he says several students have voiced their disagreement with his decision, but explains that it can be hard trying to please everybody.

“We don’t get it to summer conditions here, we get it to passable conditions,” he continues. “It can be messy out there and that requires some individual responsibility in navigating the campus and some individual responsibility in getting from home to campus.”

But what about students with accessibility problems or disabilities?

“No one can get down to a level that guarantees accessibility. I don’t

think this is news to anybody, but we have difficulty with disabled people accessing our buildings in the summertime when the weather is fine, and we’re trying to address those,” he says.

“I think it would be a great idea for students to help students. I think that the student body, or the Student Union, might want to advocate some sort of buddy system. When it is snowing and it is tough, they (could) have somebody who can meet up with this person when they arrive on campus to help out.”

Closing the university for snow days does not negatively affect the school’s government grants, says Secco.

“Whether we are open or closed has absolutely nothing to do with our provincial grant,” he assures.

In addition, Secco didn’t rule out the possibility of a snow day in the future, and he reiterated how he closed UNB on Dec. 22, when most students were gone for Christmas break.

On that day, it just wasn’t safe for students or employees to travel to campus and, as Secco says, safety is of the number one priority.

“The important thing is that the campus is as safe as reasonably possible, and the place is passable, or accessible, to buildings,” he says.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

This was the scene at one wheelchair ramp entrance to the SUB on Monday night. Accessibility problems have been prominent after snow storms lately.

Homeless shelter Bridges’ Polar Dip to be remains open held Saturday, Feb. 7 FROM HOMELESS PAGE 1 the shelter anyway… A number have come forward and said ‘what else can we do, how else can we help?’ So that’s been very rewarding.”

Several applications have already been submitted at the shelter for potential employees, with a new employee already in training.

Duncan Matheson, a member of the shelter’s Board of Directors, says that “things are getting back to normal” at the shelter. He also comments on the impact last week’s events may have had on the shelter’s residents.

“Our priority is always the residents and making sure, first of all, that the shelter remains open and secondly, having created as comfortable an environment in there as we can and this has been disruptive, but, I mean, it’s better now. They’ve turned a corner on the worst of it.”

He also mentioned that the residents have been supportive and understanding, as well as appreciative of the measures taken by staff members.

Duplisses is adamant in his reassurance to clients that the shelter will continue to operate as smoothly as possible.

“We are open and we will continue to be open.”

if you don’t volunteer, our editors will fail out of school. please volunteer.

447.3388.

SUB room 35. editor@thebruns.ca.

Christian Hapgood / The Brunswickan

Colin McPhail and Adam LaClerc jump into the frigid water at last year’s Polar Dip. The annual Bridges House Polar Dip is happening this Saturday, Feb. 7.

The event begins at 12 p.m., with a barbeque and some live entertainment leading up to the plunge itself, which occurs at 3 p.m.

Roughly 35 people will be participating in the dip in order to raise money for the

IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax, N.S. Bridges House has been raising money in support of the IWK since 2005, and was able to make a donation of $9,000 during the Telethon on May 31, 2008.

“Although under unique circumstances, having the majority of

the house being first years, the house is full of ambition to raise money for the IWK,” says House President Sarah Jardine. “Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 and we are well on our way in reaching that goal with the support of the residence community, Bridges alumni and the city of Fredericton.”

brunswickannews

6 • Feb 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

Aquinian removed from office to ‘reflect’ Josh O’Kane The Brunswickan

The official student paper of St. Thomas University has had their office space temporarily revoked to give them “a moment to reflect,” says SUB Director Kim Norris.

The Aquinian has been locked out of their office space, located behind the Sodexo kitchens in the SUB, from Jan. 23 to Apr. 1.

“The reason they’ve been asked to reflect is the way in which they’ve not taken care of the office area,” says Norris. “Alcohol, pizza, newspapers, everything you can imagine was on the floor, on tables.

“The area was treated without respect. It is our property and we have the expectation of care. That wasn’t done.”

Norris says that nearly two months of time in which to reflect will allow Aquinian Editor-in-Chief Bailey White time to draw up rules and regulations for the paper’s staff to allow them to better care for their office space.

“I’m sure this will make them a stronger, more cohesive group,” says Norris. “They will appreciate the use of their room.”

White does not expect the temporary loss of the Aquinian’s

newsroom to hinder the paper too much.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, but we’ve made a paper without an office before and we’ll do it again,” she says. “We still want to put out a good paper.”

Norris says that it’s not uncommon to shut down SUB space due to improper treatment. “’I’m treating (the Aquinian) the same as I would treat any other group on campus. I’ve closed the Blue Lounge a couple of times before, for the same situation – lack of respect.”

The Aquinian ran into similar problems two years ago after the paper’s staff were found to have partied in the office. Norris says parties played a factor in this year’s decision as well.

“There were consistent parties,” he says. “There was not one inch of desk to work on, it was hard to walk through the area, there was mouldy pizza, open bottles. The list goes on.”

The Aquinian discovered their fate on Jan. 16 at a meeting between Norris and White.

Norris says he attempted to contact the Aquinian’s staff to issue a warning about their messy office space, but was not contacted back.

“I left messages for callbacks so they would be aware that this is not appropriate, but they would never call back,” says Norris.

Norris would not comment on whether or not the persons contacted were members of the editorial board.

“When I phoned St. Thomas University officials, they handed

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The Aquinian, St. Thomas’ official student publication, has temporarily lost their office due to what SUB Director Kim Norris terms “a lack of respect.” me off to who they believed to be in charge, and that’s all I had to rely on.”

Chris Fox, Managing Editor of the Aquinian, says that the paper’s

editorial board did not receive the warnings, but that the situation is not entirely detrimental.

“We’re only out for two months,” says Fox. “We’re not really evicted, so

I’m not freaking out about it.”

Norris says the SUB hired cleaners to clean up the office after the locks were replaced, the costs of which will be billed to the Aquinian.

thebruns.ca

brunswickanopinion

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 7

editor@thebruns.ca

An open letter to Alex Corey

the brunswickan Editorial Board

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

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

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Alex Corey, pictured above at last week’s Slash Fees Forum in Tilley Hall, is one of the UNBSU’s Science Representative Councillors. On Jan. 19 he proposed a motion to the SU that would compromise potential future employment for his science constituents.

Bring it on home Josh O’Kane

Dear Mr. Corey: I’m wholeheartedly ashamed and disappointed that you declined to take your constituents into consideration when proposing your Jan. 19 motion at council for the UNBSU to oppose Lockheed Martin coming to UNB. One of the major goals of my UNB education (and no doubt the goal of many others) has been to find gainful employment after graduation. In fact, this is at the forefront of my mind as I approach graduating with an Honours Chemistry degree. I have little doubt that many others also hope to find gainful employment after graduation.

Your motion, however, put your morals in front of the voice of your constituents and you effectively helped to remove a prospective employer from providing your own constituents with a job.

Scientists like chemists and physicists need jobs, and an employer like Lockheed Martin can provide just that. Telling Lockheed Martin to leave campus – no matter what division they were recruiting for – is directly taking potential jobs, and even careers, from UNB science graduates.

And for that, Mr. Corey, I am asking you to resign as Science Representative Councillor on the UNB Student Union.

You directly represent future scientists and yet you have vocally opposed a

prospective employer of both myself and many of your other constituents.

Unless I missed a scientific poll you conducted prior to the motion, this tells me that you have misrepresented your constituents by proposing a motion asking the SU to make a moral decision that will harm UNB graduates’ future prospects.

Does Lockheed Martin do bad things? Definitely. They make and sell weapons, some of which are condemned under the UN convention on Cluster Munitions. They supply weapons to potentially warring bodies that harm and kill innocent human beings.

But opposing that isn’t your job, Mr. Corey. Your job is to represent your constituents. But wait – I don’t believe I was contacted prior to your proposal of the motion. In fact, I wasn’t. I wonder how many science students you consulted prior to making the motion?

Have you considered that maybe these science students want to be agents of change within the company? Maybe a UNB graduate could go to work for Lockheed Martin, rise within the ranks of the company and change the company for the better.

That, however, is something we won’t know until Lockheed Martin returns – if they ever do.

Had you consulted your constituency – and I should hope as large a portion of it as possible – I would have more than gladly supported your motion. In fact, I see the logic behind your motion and could be easily swayed to support it.

But how you went about proposing the motion shows either a severe misunderstanding of, or a blatant disregard for, your job description as a representative councillor.

Last week, you told the Brunswickan that the SU’s mandate “must come from our members; it would be undemocratic to attempt to predefine what we can,

and cannot vote on council.”

This is quite ironic, given the extent to which you represented your constituency with your Jan. 19 motion. The motion is therefore not only irresponsible, but also hypocritical.

It’s no secret that you’re heavily involved with the Coalition for Accessible & Affordable Education, as well as the social activist group STRAX. I applaud your activism within the community and I hope you continue your involvement, because these groups have strong messages that UNB students should know about.

But I advise you, if you wish to be a representative on the UNBSU, to maintain the level of professionalism that is expected of an individual representing the UNBSU to the public.

Professionalism was not visible when you “moderated” the CAAE’s Slash Fees Forum on Monday, Jan. 26. Instead of moderating questions to panel members, you participated in the dialogue with a clear anti-UNBSU and anti-NBSA policy bias, and allowed more questions to be fielded to audience members than panel members.

You also very unprofessionally commented, when NBSA President Duncan Gallant brought up financial aid statistics, that “there are lies, there are damned lies, and there are statistics.”

While a classic quote, such a comment was completely uncalled for from the moderator of a forum, both as a declaration of bias and as a demonstration of a lack of professionalism. Further quipping that you’re a statistics major is no excuse for being unprofessional.

The most ironic thing, Mr. Corey, is that the CAAE, whom you clearly support as a member, had members claim at the Slash Fees Forum that the UNBSU is not representing its members when deciding policy.

Maybe they are – and if so, your non-

representative actions are at the core of the problem.

You’re not the only councillor with questionable representation of your constituency.

Renaissance College Councillor Matt Abbott also made a motion at the council table regarding moral issues earlier this month. He proposed, to a unanimous yes, that the SU condemn the destruction of academic infrastructure in Gaza.

He proposed the motion to council via email on Jan. 10, noting that “I might make some modifications tomorrow as I run it by various members of the campus community.”

Minutes from that council meeting state that Mr. Abbott consulted 10 Renaissance College students about the motion, as well as several international students. The motion was changed just prior to the council meeting to reflect his conversations with the students.

However, how much were Renaissance College students’ views considered when the motion was drafted in the first place?

Given both Mr. Abbott and Mr. Corey’s involvement in both STRAX and CAAE, as well as the nature of both of their motions, it’s possible that these councillors are putting the interests of special interest groups ahead of their constituents when acting as councillors.

I therefore offer some concluding advice: UNB students, hold your representative councilors accountable for representing you, else motions at the council table will not reflect true student interests.

And to Mr. Corey: given your track record, I ask you to seriously reconsider continuing your responsibilities as science representative councillor. You’ve let your constituents down.

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

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.

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

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

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brunswickanopinion

8 • Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

Not the end of patriotism and citizenship Rousing the Rabbles Nick Ouellette

Last Saturday morning, I sat down to read the morning news. The Telegraph Journal ran the headline “MP slams decision to curtail singing of ‘O Canada’ at school”.

Greg Thompson, who is also the federal Minister of Veteran Affairs, had made public his support of the mother and daughter pair fighting to have the playing of ‘O Canada’ reinstated as a morning practice in their elementary school, which is in his riding.

How quaint, I thought. A throne speech and budget were about to

come down in Parliament that could have spelled the end of his cabinet days, but Minister Thompson still had the time to take note of and comment on local issues.

A few days later when I sat down to read the Friday afternoon headlines, I opened Bourque.com and saw no fewer than six large headlines in varying font sizes but all in capital letters decrying the end of patriotism in the little community school where ‘O Canada’ hadn’t been played as part of the 8:35 a.m. routine for more than a year. It had also been covered by the national newscasts of CBC and CTV, and a quick Google search noted stories as far away as Manitoba.

Alright, I thought, this story has now grown to national proportions.

News stories, press releases, and online comments proclaimed that because elementary school students no longer stand daily at attention at the playing of the national anthem, they would no longer respect their citizenship and they wouldn’t

appreciate the price paid by fallen soldiers.

“Students robbed of their pride”, the Winnipeg Sun reported. People from outside the province have decried the end of the practice, people around New Brunswick have expressed shame for living in a place where the national anthem can be so easily tossed aside, and there is general resentment at the idea that students have had their education tarnished forever by the absence of the national anthem.

I disagree, which may come as a surprise to some because I attended that elementary school. I stood every morning when ‘O Canada’ was played from the time I joined the Belleisle community, throughout my days of middle school, and until the day I graduated from high school.

I’ve been invited by members of my high school graduating class to join Facebook groups calling for the reinstatement of the practice and I have been encouraged to attend a local community forum in the next

few days to discuss the consequences of this decision by the school’s principal.

But their efforts are somewhat misdirected.

I don’t disagree that the national anthem has a place in our schools, and I do believe the principal should reverse his decision. What I do find bizarre—and frankly, ridiculous—is the notion that the presence of the national anthem will add to a child’s education all that is claimed to be lacking in its absence.

Parents outraged at the principal’s decision should take a moment to reflect on the substantive elements of their children’s curriculum that speaks to the ideals they laud in defence of ‘O Canada’. The outcome of the decision will not erode a sense of duty or patriotism or any corresponding awareness of our citizenry because these values are absent to begin with, and have been since long before the administration of Belleisle Elementary School decided to save two minutes every morning or to avoid offending the parents of some children (it actually is not clear which rationale was the foundation for the decision).

Regardless, for all the presence of any patriotism, an appreciation for why patriotism exists is absent.

Let us recall the period two months ago when the federal political scene was in turmoil and we were bouncing between the prospects of the second election in two months and a coalition government. Surveys of Canadians at the time showed a profound lack of appreciation for the functions of the Canadian state and its government.

Few knew the actual role of the Governor General in the selection of prime minister, and even fewer still understood the concept of a government accountable to a majority of the members of the House of Commons.

“They need to get back to work and stop bickering,” I heard a woman on CBC comment at the time.

True—I agree, and wrote pretty much the same thing last week. But that simplistic statement cannot on its own serve as a full opinion on the state of affairs in Ottawa.

The foundation of a government’s authority is more complex than simply needing to accomplish a task, and with good reason.

As a core of individuals who act

for the collectivity of all Canadians, not just those who are fed up with the failures of a political process, government needs more than a simple resolve to “get back to work” to justify its decisions and operations.

But that simplicity in viewpoints is the result of the state of our education system. Aside from the best of teachers who take the time to insert those elements in the curricula of other courses, teachings in how government works—and more important, the extent to which citizens have a right to participate in and have an effect on those workings—are notably absent from education.

There are no courses in civics.

There is apprehension in having local politicians enter the hallways of schools to lecture in order to avoid the politicization of our classrooms.

And although students may still sing ‘O Canada’ in some schools, there is no greater appreciation for the freedoms and rights secured by Canadians who have passed than the simple rhymes of that national anthem. Students are taught to sing, but not to appreciate.

Knowing the strength and dedication of the parents’ association back in Belleisle, the community will probably get its way and ‘O Canada’ will probably re-enter the classroom.

The national news attention will end there, but the battle should not.

The re-introduction of an anthem will not change the outcome in our graduates who may know the words to ‘O Canada’ and know that soldiers died on foreign battlefields so that they may sing it, but who do not appreciate the ramifications of a citizenry endowed with the rights and corresponding obligations of the Canadian public.

Without a shift in our approach to educating citizens about citizenship, students will know little more than the lyrics to a song and will fall far short of an ability to think critically about what is happening in their communities. O Canada, indeed.

Nick Ouellette is a third year law student who has served on the UNB Board of Governors, the Student Union Council, and other university and student bodies. He is currently completing his second term as a UNB Senator for Fredericton and is the Don of Neville/Jones House, one of UNB’s residences.

letters to the editor due by friday at 5 p.m. maximum 400 words, please. send them electronically to editor@thebruns.ca.

brunswickanopinion

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 9

UNB: Persistently missing the little things Mugwump Tony von Richter

If you’ve been around UNB for more than a few years you’ve probably noticed that it’s pretty much the same now as when you first arrived on campus a few years ago.

Oh sure, the students have changed and some professors and administrators have retired or moved on, but mostly, the campus continues on unimpeded, operating the same as it always did.

For the most part this is fine, since for an institution as large and complicated as UNB, consistency is essential to ensure that the school operates smoothly each year.

However, this need for consistency leads to complacency, meaning that we’re faced with the same problems year after year.

It seems like no amount of

complaining can change things like poor food choices and limited parking options, but by far the worst recurring problem at this time of year is the physical state of the campus itself.

Simply put, it is not easy to walk or drive around campus in its current condition, and in certain places, it’s not just difficult – it’s dangerous.

If you haven’t already done so, try walking down to the L.B. Gym from the top of campus and avoid falling and landing on your head at least once. It’s not the easiest thing to do.

If you don’t want to do that, try parking in the SUB parking lot when people have slid into whatever space is available to them, regardless of whether or not it’s a parking spot. Some people can’t even get into some parking lots because not enough snow has been removed for them to even get into a lot, let alone park in a proper space.

Maybe that’s to be expected, though – it is February in New Brunswick and we are situated on a large hill, so things are bound to be slippery. Maybe it’s just something that we have to deal with. In some respects that’s true. No matter what we do in New Brunswick, winters

The beauty of irreverence The Opinionator Nick Howard

Student life without irreverence loses its youthfulness, its vitality and its spontaneity. We must all “grow up”; this is one of the few certainties of student life. Adulthood is a world of responsibility, presumably with a career and all of the acronyms, titles and importance that comes with it.

For now, however, we live in houses and apartments shared with our friends, living on as little as possible. Yet, for me, these are the days when the best stories are made. These are the days when ideas are formed through debate among friends. There are few days left when sleeping on a couch is not only OK, but can be relative luxury. These, my friends, are the days when we absolutely must not take ourselves too seriously.

I will not argue with those of you who are thinking of the responsibilities which lie uneasy in the pit of your stomach: the paper due tomorrow, the coffee-stained lab report you just handed in. Students are not burden-free. We are gaining knowledge, of many different varieties, and though we may be immersed in study we are at home in no single field.

Aside from a four year commitment to one of many broad fields – science, English, philosophy, etcetera – we are free agents in the universe, in a way few will experience again. Without the weight of textbooks we would float away, weightless in our egolessness.

Therein lies the point of today’s column: identification as a student,

the most ambiguous and meaningless of all titles, bestows upon the owner few special privileges and certainly no importance. We live in a world where ego is fundamentally null.

And yet there it is in our academic world, the bitter smack of clashing egos.

It is in our incredibly arbitrary student political system, it is in our equally arbitrarily chosen course of studies. It has been rampant of late in our student media, prompting this unimportant columnist to somewhat arbitrarily choose ego – or rather its antithesis, irreverence – as a topic. Pointing fingers, useless arguments and self-important monologues have clogged the air and ink-ways of UNB news.

This serves no purpose, due to our fundamental unimportance as students and our fundamental importance as thinking, feeling, rational people.

Though there may be many ways to pop overinflated egos and help peers realize their own ultimately liberating unimportance, none are quite as entertaining as irreverence.

Give a single-fingered salute, debate loudly and philosophically, try on new ideas, try on new clothes, change the system (even if it ends up being worse), change the system back, try something completely and totally unacceptable (not necessarily illegal); whatever you do, do not take yourself too seriously.

Learning takes many different forms and we are all here to learn. We are all learning, not following, and we are allowed to make mistakes even if they are on purpose. Especially if they are on purpose. This is the time to experiment with new systems and new modes of operation. It is pretty clear that the world is looking for change, but we won’t be able to offer it if we take ourselves too seriously to be adventurous, radical or new. Try those things you’ve always wanted to try, and if someone tells you not to do it that way, refer to the beginning of the previous paragraph.

Nick Howard can be reached at nphoward@live.com

are cold and wet which will make it difficult to get around some times.

However, that doesn’t excuse paths that are filled with snow days after it has fallen, or parking lots that are pure ice because no salt or sand has been dropped on them to help people get some traction.

Almost more important than the poor condition of the campus is

that this problem persists year after year, and the administration is either unable or unwilling to fix it just like many other problems plaguing the campus.

It’s easy to dismiss these problems when looking at the big picture as there are more important issues like the quality of our education and the price of tuition but that would be a

mistake.

Worrying about the cost of a UNB education and if it’s actually worth the money is smart, but it doesn’t mean a hell of a lot if you can’t get to class in the morning.

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

brunswickanopinion

10 • Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

letters to the editor.

Arts students are as important as other students Dear Editor, I would like to write a response letter regarding Sarah Farquhar’s first-ever personal column, “BA does not stand for ‘barely anything’” dated January 21, 2009.

(I’m her hall proctor, so I’d like to give my congratulations to her).

Today, the Bachelor of Arts population are often deemed as the “lazy, gettingdrunk-all-the-time-and-still-get-B’s” students. I am very angered by that stereotype that is put upon them today.

The ironic thing is that every time I have asked arts students what their program of study was, each one of them would give me a shoulder shrug. Wait, what? If you are not proud to be in Arts, then why are you even in it?

It is inevitable that the arts students are overwhelmed by science and engineering students’ demanding schedule and assignments. The only difference is that the Arts students don’t have labs, and extra engineering fees. Who doesn’t say that reading Romeo & Juliet in Old English is easy? Who doesn’t say that re-enacting MacBeth for a play on a stage in front of hundreds of people is a breeze in the wind?

Some of you might think that math is everything, but that is not entirely true.

Yes, math does provide us the comfortable and the satisfaction of a good life. Now think about this: imagine a world without movies. What are you thinking now? Thanks to actors, producers, and screenwriters for making movies a reality.

In thermodynamics, we are generally known only to care about a system in its initial and final states. We don’t care what path it took to get from state one to state two. Arts are able to fill that blank with movies, television series, and books.

Secondly, the world would be a very boring place without people educated in the arts. They are constantly reminding us of our own personal emotions, and teaching us to appreciate music, nature, and the sunshine. That doesn’t make them lowerfunctioning than engineering students; it’s just a different way of discovering themselves with their path in their life.

Believe it or not, all the girlfriends I have dated in the past have been arts students.

Don’t ask me why. Maybe it’s just that most of them like to learn new languages, namely American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with me. I am always learning the most random things from them, things that I would never think of on a daily basis, and I really appreciate them for that.

It’s disappointing for me to see arts students letting the stereotype being put on them. Next time, when someone asks your program of study, reply to the question with a confident voice and a smile.

Being an engineering student myself, the arts students always bring the life out of me with happiness and much love.

In conclusion, I concur with Miss Farquhar that the Arts students should receive some more respect.

Sincerely, Michael Stewart Third year mechanical engineering student

Representing student interests includes representing students from abroad Dear Brunswickan Editors, Please consider the following letter for your op-ed section.

An anonymous friend at UNB tipped me off to your issue two weeks ago (Issue 17, January 21, 2009), which I read online. I have to say that I am appalled by the actions of the nine Student Union (SU) Councillors/Executives who voted against a motion to oppose the presence of Lockheed Martin—a weapons manufacturer that profits from death and destruction—at the UNB campus. I suspect the nine Councillors that voted against the must not know anyone from any of the various parts of the world torn by war and conflict.

These nine Councillors and Nick Ouellette (“Has our student council opened Pandora’s Box?”) have effectively and condescendingly said to all nonwhite, non-domestic students, “We don’t care about you and your issues.”

The Brunswickan reported (“Council shuts down Lockheed Martin motion;” “Has our student council opened Pandora’s Box?” and opinion letter “Stop using SU to push political and ideological agenda”) that the SU’s executive, some of its Councillors, and one Council observer, believe that such a motion is beyond the scope of a student association. Furthermore, the SU’s President believes “council is not a place to debate these issues.” Where, then, is the place to debate issues that concern students, if not in their student council? I thought an student leaders were elected to represent the interests of their members, and let’s not forget this includes students from abroad. The nine that voted against the Lockheed Martin motion effectively slammed an ignorant hand down on the table in protest that they might have to actually take action on something meaningful.

Bethany Vail, by saying “council is not a place to debate these issues,” has said that the SU, a supposedly democratic organization, should not democratically entertain issues brought forward to council. I’m just curious as to what issues will be debated at the UNB SU, if its Executive does not respect its members and their requests.

The motion, as reported, only asked the SU to denounce the presence of Lockheed Martin at UNB. All it would take is a media advisory. The motion didn’t ask for the SU to organize an emergency rally, although that would have been a better response from the SU’s leadership. What has happened and what has been said is shameful, and I would be embarrassed if I were a student at UNB. Regards, Jim Stanley

What part-time faculty are fighting for

Study abroad in France

Dear Editor, This is the first anniversary of the agreement of the New Brunswick Labour Board admitting part-time academic faculty at UNB to the union.

It is important that a good first contract change the conditions of work for the part-time faculty. I think students would like to know more about “what we are fighting for.”

The preparation of lectures is very time-consuming, calling for months or even years of work. Each time a course is taught there is student feedback. If the job is to be done properly, and if the teacher is to be appropriately paid, courses need to be offered at least five to 10 times. In effect, a teacher’s lecture notes are his or her capital, and the stipend paid for delivering the lectures amounts to a return on that capital investment. But the system does not always meet that requirement. I have prepared four new courses in as many years. Only one has been taught for more than one year. That course, to which I had committed six months preparation time not to speak of a lifetime spent researching in the field, was taken away from me after two years by a permanent faculty member, and I was offered back a course I developed in the early 1990s, but was poached away from me years ago. Full-time faculty would never accept those conditions for themselves.

Part-time faculty want an end to practices that are contrary to the logic of teaching, and place an unreasonable burden upon the teacher. They want their qualifications to be respected by their colleagues, and they want to be able to deliver their best. For this to happen, their seniority has to be recognized in the university and in their departments, and their advice about the governance of their department must be welcomed.

Terms of employment, full-time and part-time, should not be confused with job description.

Some compensation needs to be offered for time spent preparing to teach a course that is subsequently canceled, and a formula needs to be established that recognizes the equivalence between the teaching undertaken by permanent employees and that by part-time faculty, one that recognizes the continuing requirement to support teaching by participation in research and writing.

University teachers can only provide lectures to introduce students to the state of the art in their fields if they are themselves involved in that research.

Sincerely, Nicholas Tracy Adjunct Professor of History

Submitted

Students on a previous summer session in France trip.

Constantine E. Passaris Submitted

to the

Brunswickan

For a third consecutive year, the University of New Brunswick is offering its very popular Summer Session in France.

Two courses will be offered in France from July 6 to 25, 2009: FR 3594, “Paris in Literature”, taught in French by Dr. Robert Viau; and ECON 3705 “Canada and the New Global Economy”, taught in English by Dr. Constantine Passaris.

Classes will be held in French Universities, museums, churches, banks, restaurants, sidewalk cafés and in other important sites related to French economics, literature, politics and history.

All are invited. You may choose to audit the courses or take them for credit. Come practice your French and learn about the European economy. Don’t worry, after a few days, you will have adapted quite well and greatly improved your knowledge of the French language. The idea is to give you the opportunity for a full immersion in the French culture and economy.

The city of Poitiers has a vibrant culture that attracts many young artists and is the dynamic regional capital of the PoitouCharentes. From our base in the medieval city of Poitiers, we have planned excursions by bus in the Poitou-Charentes region: Touffou castle, La Roche-Courbon castle, the seaport of Rochefort, the medieval village of Chauvigny, St-Savin abbey, and the Renaissance castle of Amboise in the Loire Valley.

We will be invited to official receptions (by the University of Poitiers and the Vienne departmental government) and enjoy gastronomic meals in regional restaurants. After a full week exploring

Poitiers and the French countryside, we will settle for the next two weeks in Paris.

In Paris, we will go to all the legendary landmarks, including a full day in Versailles, and have many exceptional visits (allowed only under special permission to UNB): the Sorbonne University, the Bank of France, Unesco, the Canadian Embassy, the Senate, the National Assembly, and the National Library of France. We will also have a nocturnal visit of the Louvre, a Parisian fashion show, a banquet in a renowned restaurant, an excursion by boat on the Seine River, celebrations of the National Holiday (July 14) and many other activities.

Come and visit the Louvre, follow the steps of the characters in the Da Vinci Code, search for Quasimodo in the belfry of Notre-Dame Cathedral, see where the French Revolution started and where the guillotine ended the life of MarieAntoinette, admire the monuments of Louis XIV and Napoleon, climb the Eiffel Tower, sit where Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises and drank with Scott Fitzgerald and Henry Miller, play chess in the café in Montparnasse where Lenin and Trotsky waited for the Russian Revolution to start, walk through Picasso’s studio, pay your respects to rock star Jim Morrison (of the the Doors) at his final resting place and create your own enduring myths!

Program fees include almost everything and lodgings are of superior quality.

For more information about the course or how to register, please visit http://www. cel.unb.ca/travelstudy/france/index.php For the 2009 Summer Session in France, we accept a limited number of participants.

Poitiers and Paris are waiting for you!

Register now!

For more information about the course or if you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to write rviau@unb.ca or passaris@unb.ca.

brunswickanopinion

iewpoint V

the brunswickan.

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 11

Question: If you could start your day off with anything in your coffee cup, what would it be?

“Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.”

Andrew Manzer

“Water from the ocean.”

Chris Samuel

“A smoothie.”

Coleen Burns

“Pina colada.”

Courtney Nickerson

“Time.”

Krista Lalonde

“Coffee with Baileys.”

Isabelle Fontaine

“Money.”

Joel Walker

“Rum and Coke.”

Kate Foran

“Fair trade coffee.”

Tania Salerno

“A little Scotch wouldn’t be bad.”

Tony Duersch

STUDENT UNION UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK

Advertisements/Layout by Mike Stevenson: SU Multi-Media Coordinator - h113k@unb.ca - 506-470-1809

Saturday, February 7

RIDGES POLAR DIP Sponsored by the UNB Student Union

Varsity Reds Men’s Hockey Game Hosted by the UNB Student Union

VS In support of the IWK Children’s Hospital

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2009 IN THE SUB ATRIUM @ 9PM $5 FOR ALL UNB STUDENTS, TICKETS AVAILABLE IN THE WELCOME CENTER AND AT THE DOOR PRESENTED BY THE UNB STUDENT UNION

Live entertainment, BBQ and prizes starting at 12pm The Dip starts at 3pm in the Quad To take the dip contact Bridges House President Sarah Jardine through e-mail at p5e3i@unb.ca

7 - 9pm at the Aitken Centre $3 for students with plenty of prizes to be won!

Attend any Winter Carnival event for your chance to win tickets

Student Union General Election 2009

NOMINATION PERIOD CLOSES FRIDAY, FEB. 6th AT 4PM!!!

Mandatory candidates’ meeting Friday Feb. 6 at 4pm

CAMPAIGNING Begins Friday Feb. 6 following the candidates’ meeting

VOTING Sunday Feb. 22 at 12:01am to Friday Feb. 27 at 11:59pm

Available Positions STUDENT UNION EXECUTIVE - President - VP Student Services - VP External - VP Finance and Operations - VP Academic

GENERAL COUNCILORS - Arts, Business Administration, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Forestry, Kinesiology, Nursing, Science, Renaissance College - International Student Representative - Residence Liaison

OTHER - 2 Board of Governors positions - Senate (4 one-year positions, 1 two-year position) - Valedictorian for graduating class of 2009

Nomination forms and answers to all your questions available in the SU Welcome Center or online at www.unbsu.ca

brunswickanopinion

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 13

Representing graduate students’ interests Student Beat Neil Cole

give us your feedback.

447.3388 or editor@thebruns.ca.

First and foremost, I want to thank the Brunswickan staff for giving the Graduate Student Association (GSA) the opportunity to contribute to the Student Beat column. Some people might not know what “the GSA” is or what it does, and this has sometimes led to confusion. Quite obviously, the GSA represents as best we can the interests of graduate students at

UNB; although some interests are the same for undergraduate students and graduates students, other interests are quite different.

Partly for this reason, the GSA is a member of the Canadian Federation of Students – often just called the CFS. The GSA rejoined the Federation about three years ago. The Federation has within its organizational structure a body known as the National Graduate Caucus (NGC), and this is where grad students across the country meet and discuss graduate student issues at our campuses and develop campaigns around them.

So what are graduate students issues? Graduate students are not only “consumers” of intellectual property (IP), but we are “producers,” too.

What this means is that we are not only accessing research performed by others, but many of us are conducting our own research, which puts us in a unique position, because we produce IP but are still students.

This unique position and unique interest has led grad students across the country that are members of the NGC to develop an ongoing campaign to prevent the creation and implementation of a highly restrictive copyright law that would put the majority of power in the hands of huge multinational corporations and pharmaceuticals.

Regressive copyright law could make it very hard and very expensive for university professors and students to access copyrighted material for simple educational research. Some copyright law reforms have proposed eliminating “fair dealing” or “fair use” provisions, which allow students to photocopy or print parts of books and journal articles for research and term papers. In this instance, undergrad and grad student interests converge.

Like most other students, financial burdens are important to grad students, but sometimes in different ways. Not only are we consumer-

producers of IP, but we are also student-workers. The work we do isn’t in the meal hall or cafeteria – we do work for our profs, which includes research, marking, and even teaching classes for them sometimes.

This is part-and-parcel of the “grad student experience.” We don’t only learn by sitting in lectures or seminars, we must learn to become effective researchers by researching, or learn to become effective teachers by teaching.

These are just two examples of a variety of issues that grad students tackle across the country. As the Vice-President External for the GSA, it is my role to liaise with university, local, provincial, and national bodies to represent and defend concerns like these. However, in the GSA, I am not only a liaison officer, I am an advocate and a campaigner. If I sit on a university committee to represent grad students, I go into meetings knowing that if something is potentially detrimental to or not

in the interests of grad students, I have to defend my members: grad students at UNB. I not only address general grad student interests to the university community, but I also represent UNB’s grad student interests to the Canadian Federation of Students, as New Brunswick’s National Executive Representative. Although the GSA is the only member of the Federation in this province, being a representative on the National Executive of Canada’s largest national student lobby group gives me a unique opportunity to make sure New Brunswick student issues are being addressed in Ottawa.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) represents full- and part-time graduate students at both Fredericton and Saint John campuses, with each campus having its own Executive Committee and Council or Cabinet representation. Student Beat is a weekly column by student experts on student issues.

brunswickanopinion

14 • Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

Why Gaza when thousands bleed elsewhere?

Josh Smyth The Cord Weekly WATERLOO (CUP) – Slowly but surely, the Gaza conflict is climbing into the campus consciousness, and there are a lot of heavy concepts

being thrown around: oppression and self-defence, crimes and justice, terror and fear – the whole package of wrenching distinctions that always surround the Israel/Palestine debate.

These are some of the words that have sparked tears, shouts, accusations, and recriminations over the past weeks.

There is, though, another more interesting word being brought up: responsibility. Our responsibility, as students and intellectuals, towards a conflict half a world away.

Let’s be honest here for a moment.

None of us has much of a chance to affect the course of events in Gaza.

This doesn’t obviate our need to try, of course. We all have a moral obligation as human beings to do what we can to speak out and fight injustice.

To force this into the university’s consciousness is the right thing to do, and kudos to those who are trying.

As members of a university community, though, our responsibility is not just a moral one. We also have an intellectual responsibility; one that demands that we look critically not just at the conflict, but also at why we care (or don’t care) the way we do. The answers to that question are rarely comfortable.

It’s clear that Gaza or, more broadly, Israel/Palestine, matters to a great many people, whichever side of the issue you fall down on. The question is why?

Obviously, the sheer horror of the situation plays a part. That part, though, may be smaller than we like to think.

It is a depressing point to make about the state of the world, but however abhorrent we may find Israel’s actions, there is much worse

going on elsewhere. The scale of death and suffering in Darfur or the Congo is an order of magnitude much bigger, but they don’t get anywhere near as many tears, column inches, or United Nations resolutions.

Defenders of Israel often make this point. They tend to use it to denounce the “tunnel vision” of the political left. To a certain extent, they’re right; we on the left do spend a lot more time attacking Israel than we do Sudan, China, or Zimbabwe.

At the same time, this partisan version of the argument misses the point.

What it really comes down to is this: When we look at Israel, we see ourselves. Unlike Darfur or the Congo, Israeli society is eminently recognizable to us. The culture is westernized. The government is democratic. The people are (often) white.

To call this a racial issue is to oversimplify. It’s not so much about the shade of skin as it is about a broader cultural familiarity. Is that so much better, though?

When U.S. President Barack Obama was asked about Gaza, his response was: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that.”

How often does that kind of empathy appear in the words of the powerful when they discuss, say, Zimbabwe?

The cruel reality is that it is much easier to other both the victims and perpetrators of violence when their skin is black or their weapons are machetes. That was certainly the reality in the early ‘90s, when Yugoslavia dominated the news while Rwandans were slaughtered.

In the case of Israel, though, we don’t have the luxury of othering.

Instead, our reactions are tied to how we perceive ourselves, and our own country. If, as to many of the conservative amongst us, Canada or the West is something to be admired and defended, then so is Israel.

The very same mechanism works from the other side, too. Those of us (and I count myself among them) who oppose the Israeli state do so for the same reason that we often oppose the Canadian state – for professing the values of democracy and freedom while engaging in oppression, injustice, and war.

We don’t have a hope in hell of sitting down on campus and coming to any sort of consensus about the conflict itself. Those discussions too often degenerate into a myoppression-is-bigger/older/worsethan-yours pissing contest that leads only to self-righteousness, anger, and hate.

What we do have is an intellectual responsibility to confront the fact that regardless of what side of the political spectrum we come from, some deaths seem to matter more than others.

Obama will be big letdown Justin Bell Intercamp

EDMONTON (CUP) – It’s hard to knock Barack Obama, a man the Western world has fallen in love with; a media darling. And with his inauguration but days past, he’s more popular than De Gaulle marching into Paris, chasing Bush and his Vichy loyalists out of Washington.

But is his popularity all that well deserved?

It’s hard to argue against his intellectual approach to governing, bringing critical thinking to the American government’s highest office for the first time since Eisenhower. Every decision he made during the primary process and election was tempered and lacked the bat-shitnuts insanity John McCain brought to the process.

He even refrained from making huge policy decisions before he was officially declared the new President of the United

States.

All this time, the right-wing press is hailing him as a temperate bridge builder and the left wing has declared him the new Jesus.

The question will become: From which side will he govern? The answer will prove a disappointment to the whole political spectrum The brilliance of Obama’s campaign wasn’t that he didn’t have positions on important policies, but that his campaign pushed the whole “Hope” angle hard and ignored serious questions. In a year of political change, it was a brilliant idea.

It allowed anyone looking for a change in the political process to overlay their hopes and dreams on his bareboned skeleton candidacy. He was the emperor who wore any clothes we told him to.

In Canada, we’re doing the same thing. We’re hoping he will push for the de-criminalization of marijuana (left) while at the same time hoping he finally pulls all protection for wild-life reserves and opens up free drilling (right).

It was the brilliance of his candidacy.

He is everything to everyone. But when

he starts his term of office, he will turn into the great disappointment. And his biggest detractors will come from his most ardent supporters – the hippy left.

They look at his history as a community organizer and the first black President of the Harvard Law Review and see a man who will push for progressive change, a man who will fight for the little man and punish big bad corporations.

He’s already talking about an $800 billion stimulus to the economy, tax cuts, and government spending.

He’s come out against gay marriage, though he does support civil unions for gay couples. And even his cabinet nominations, which some critics view as a conciliatory gesture towards the right, are more likely a reflection of his position as a moderate centrist.

It’s not a bad thing that he sits in the centre as a president; with the U.S. economy spiraling out of control, they could probably use a moderate voice to ensure enough stimulus without the partisan hackery of a left- or right-wing ideologue.

But in the meantime, it’s probably best to sit back and enjoy the honeymoon.

brunswickanopinion

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 15

THE PRICE OF EDUCATION Post-secondary education is costly, and without change, it could get costlier. UNB has played host to significant public discourse over the past few months on how to tackle the rising costs. The Brunswickan has asked two student groups to present their views on the future of postsecondary education in the province. The New Brunswick Student Alliance is a provincial-level student lobby group, of which the UNB Student Union is a member. The Coalition for Accessible & Affordable Education is a new student group that is dissatisfied with the status quo. Both groups have been asked to outline their stance on current PSE funding models and student financial aid, and how they believe they can be realistically changed. Here are their responses.

The New Brunswick S T U D E N T

Duncan Gallant NBSA President

There is little debate about the current situation for post-secondary education (PSE) students in New Brunswick.

The average debt load after a four year program is the highest in the country at $34,000, which is $10,000 higher than the national average. This severely reduces the options students have when graduating and also demonstrates how ineffective New Brunswick’s student financial aid programming is and that it must be improved. All students agree on this much.

The NBSA believes that postsecondary education should be of high quality, affordable, and accessible to all. To ensure high quality, the government must increase funding to PSE institutions. To ensure accessibility, the government must assist students

A L L I A N C E

who are less likely to go to PSE by providing proper financial support and information on the cost, benefits, and options for PSE. To do this, the NBSA is lobbying for increased targeted grants to students from under-represented groups including rural and low-income families. We were successful in lobbying for improved counselling in high schools to better inform students of their options in PSE. To reduce student debt and improve affordability, the NBSA advocates for a $6,000 annual cap on student debt and an improved repayment system, similar to the new RAP (Repayment Assistance Program) that the federal government will implement this fall. This debt cap would ensure that no student from New Brunswick would have a student loan higher than $6000 in a year and additional assistance would be in the form of a grant. If a student was assessed as needing $11,000, the first $6,000 would be a loan and the remaining $5,000 would be a non-repayable grant.

The impact of a debt cap would be that

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L’A L L I A N C E

É T U D I A N T E

du Nouveau-Brunswick

the maximum debt load after four years would be $24,000.

The benefits of a debt cap program are even more pronounced if you compare it to a tuition freeze or reduction. A tuition freeze would have little impact on student debt; the average graduating debt load would still be $34,000. It is likely that the debt load would be higher considering that all other costs, like living expenses, would continue to increase. For a student who has moved away from home and is living in an apartment to attend a PSE institution, their living costs and text books will amount to much more than their tuition.

The NBSA urges you to consider the total cost of an education for a student.

Under a tuition freeze, a student’s ability to afford these other costs would remain the same, whereas a debt cap program considers the total cost of an education for a student.

While a tuition reduction would improve the relative situation of all students, those with the highest debt loads would be better served by our

proposed debt cap. Consider that 44 per cent of students graduate with no form of loans; with every dollar given to a tuition reduction or freeze, 44 cents of that dollar goes to a student who may not need it. The NBSA argues that this money would be more effective with a debt cap where 100% of every dollar goes to a student with need.

Students may ask: “What about other students with loans under $6,000 annually?”. These students would be helped by the RAP. This is an optional program that students who are having difficulty repaying their loans may access. Through this, loan payments will be adjusted depending on income with a maximum of 20 per cent of monthly income toward a loan payment. A criticism is that programs of this type force graduates earning low wages to stay in debt forever. However, under RAP, the government pays the interest for those in a low income bracket for five years. After five years, the government begins to pay part of the loan principle also. If any amount of the loan remains

after 15 years, it is forgiven entirely.

Although the NBSA would like to see this end date sooner, this program is an improvement.

To be clear, the NBSA is not against a tuition freeze or reduction. We feel a debt cap with an improved repayment system would be more effective. If a tuition freeze or reduction were implemented on top of increased grants, a debt cap, and an improved repayment system, we would be overjoyed and supportive.

However, if given the choice between freezing or reducing tuition, versus implementing a debt cap, we would choose the program that would help those students with the greatest need.

Once we have programs that help those students, then we can start advocating for reduced tuition. To reduce tuition without addressing the total cost of education for those most in need would be similar to a doctor helping healthy people before helping those in critical condition. We are advocating helping those with the greatest need first and then helping everyone.

coalition for accessible & affordable education Neil Cole CAAE

The Coalition for Accessible and Affordable Education (CAAE) draws together its partners on the basis of creating a post-secondary education (PSE) system in New Brunswick that is accessible and affordable to all qualified and willing individuals. We are a coalition dissatisfied with the status quo, and we are taking action to enact meaningful and substantive change in this province.

The way the government of New Brunswick, as well as most of the rest of Canada’s jurisdictions, funds PSE is unsustainable and detrimental to the growth of this province. As a society, we can no longer afford to siphon off funding from our social programs, including higher education. The

government wishes to shift funding of education to the user to absolve itself of financial responsibility, but simultaneously our current government is trying to repatriate New Brunswickers that have left, as well as bring in more immigrants to grow its shrinking tax base and worker population.

While cutting funding to PSE, the government wants to extend its fingers even deeper into the affairs of universities and colleges under the guise of accountability. The people should be holding the government accountable for its slash-and-burn approach to funding higher education, and they should be demanding the government be more responsible and make post-secondary education in this province a real priority. It is not enough to have commissions and action plans if our government isn’t going to commit itself to funding our institutions to have a system of higher education that is accessible and affordable, and of high quality.

The CAAE is not fooled by the government’s rhetoric. The

government has done virtually nothing to create an accessible and affordable PSE system in New Brunswick, nor the federal government in the rest of Canada.

The proof is in the pudding: New Brunswick has moved from second to third highest average tuition in the country, not because our government has put money into higher education, but because the Ontario provincial government is doing a worse job at managing its social responsibilities.

A province with the second and now third highest average tuition rates in the country is pretty much tied for the highest average debt in the country. The logical disconnect should be obvious.

The government isn’t giving up the goods to the universities and colleges to keep tuition fees down, and neither is the government giving up the goods to students in meaningful financial aid, such as grants and bursaries. These trends cannot continue.

The CAAE proposes that the tuition freeze be kept over the coming year and that the government replaces the funding that it has cut from PSE. Furthermore,

we demand that tuition fees be reduced as government funding is replaced.

Let’s be certain: a tuition freeze is a very short-term goal. Freezes do nothing to reduce student debt if funding does not going into grants and bursaries. Tuition freezes simply maintain debt levels at a consistent rate, rather than having them grow. To the CAAE, this is only a halfmeasure and it is not enough!

The CAAE advocates that with replaced and then increased government funding that tuition fees can be reduced on a continuous basis, and we feel that the only acceptable goal is to have tuition fees eliminated entirely. Some may believe this is a very lofty and unrealistic goal, but it has been done in both Wales and Ireland in this decade.

We propose that PSE in New Brunswick be funded much the same way as health care. We propose the creation and implementation of a Postsecondary Education Act that would govern the funding of higher education much the same way the Canada Health Act governs our public health care, because, like health care, higher education is a public good and a social

responsibility. With PSE funded the same way as our health care, it would not become a burden upon individual users, should they not have the means to pay for their education up-front.

The obvious question remains: “What can we do as students?”. The CAAE organized its Slash Fees Forum to provide an alternative informative voice about the reality of funding postsecondary education in this province.

Students and student groups should be calling upon their respective representatives to lobby for a wellfunded, accessible, and affordable education system. Students can take motions to their groups for them to adopt a position in favour of reduced tuition fees and increased grants and bursaries. The next step is for students to rally together and to combine their voices with each other and with faculty and our communities, so that it will become hard, if not impossible, for the government to ignore us.

The CAAE plans to develop a policy position and take it to the government as an alternative to the status quo.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 •16

Stomp out the winter blues

Strained by Sodexo Sincerely, Sarah May Sarah Farquhar

Submitted

Toni Lynn Washington will bring her soul-driven jazz and blues band to the James Joyce Pub on Friday, Feb. 6.

Doug Estey The Brunswickan Toni Lynn Washington is quite a charmer.

And boy, does she love Fredericton.

“Every time we go there are memorable experiences. Everyone is just so warm and so open. It must be the water they drink or something.

Everybody is just so nice, polite, and accommodating.”

The 71-year-old singer/songwriter, originally from North Carolina, has been making music as long as she can remember. At a young age, she quickly

became involved with children’s choirs at her church and schools.

She finished her former schooling in Boston and moved on to perform in small clubs and other establishments, eventually fronting the Boston Baked Blues band before she broke out with her own group of musicians as the Toni Lynn Washington Band alongside such fine musicians as keyboardist Bruce Bears and esteemed saxophonist Gordon Beadle.

Washington and her band are exactly the kind of sound that Harvest Jazz & Blues is named for “My music definitely falls under blues, but we mix it up a bit with funk and jazz tunes as well. Mostly, when we perform at festivals, we stick to blues.”

Influenced by the likes of prominent

jazz and blues singers like Ruth Brown, Nancy Wilson, and Joe Williams, Washington and her band now have six full-length albums under their belt, and have been nominated for seven Blues Music Awards.

Washington herself has also received some impressive individual recognition, winning the Boston Blues Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.

Despite her success, Washington also holds down a job with The Freedom House, a community-based nonprofit organization that promotes economic self-sufficiency and social justice for residents of the Boston area.

“I really enjoy it. We help everyone from seniors to young people in the community and it’s a great thing to be a part of.”

Washington’s dominating stage presence and silky smooth voice have earned her the unofficial title as Boston’s “Queen of Blues” by the Boston Globe.

Canada’s own Ottawa Citizen describes her as “the ageless diva ... who could sing the additives of a cereal box and make it sound like fine jazz.” Now, the soulinspired blues musician is on her way to New Brunswick’s capital to put on another heart-warming performance.

Currently on tour throughout the continent, the band only has two scheduled Canadian dates, both in New Brunswick. Their Fredericton appearance is slated for the James Joyce Pub at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Feb. 6 at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door or through Harvest Jazz & Blues by calling 454-2582.

More bite for your buck

Local potato chip company is two years in the making

Doug Estey The Brunswickan

Chips are a pretty standard snack that people don’t often give too much thought about, but a brand new local potato chip could change all of that.

Covered Bridge Potato Chips have landed in Fredericton, and they mean business. The premium snacks come in a variety of true-to-home flavours, including sea salt and cracked pepper, smokin’ sweet barbecue, and even a sweet potato chip with cinnamon and brown sugar seasoning.

Covered Bridge Potato Chip Company, based in Hartland, N.B., is a side project of Albright Farms. Brothers Ryan and Matthew Albright, along with their cousin Shaun, currently manage 500 acres of potatoes and 550 acres of grain in the province, and were looking for something different to accompany their everyday jobs. They’ve been working on the project s i nc e 2006, and now their dreams have come to fruition; production began just four weeks ago.

2008 UNB graduate Krysten Scott is currently involved in the marketing process for the young company, which began

distributing the chips in Fredericton last week.

“It’s interesting work, especially where we’re just starting out. I helped design the bags and the website, as well as some of the print media. We’ve also done some trade shows.”

Scott and the Covered Bridge Potato Chip Company are also hoping to d ist r ibute samples at the farmers’ market and UNB hockey games.

She explained to the Brunswickan that these snacks are not average potato chips, and that the company is trying to pitch the snacks to gourmet shops in the region.

“We’re obviously not Lays or Old Dutch, and we can’t produce at the same cost as them, but we’re doing something a little different from our competitors.

We use russet burbank potatoes. They result in a darker chip and a different kind of taste that makes it a unique. It’s an all-natural seasoning with no trans fat and cholesterol and it’s gluten free.”

Even the packaging has a twist.

“In some areas, we have a burlap bag packaging that goes over the regular bag,” says Scott. “It’s definitely a premium potato chip.”

The chips are being distributed in Woodstock and Fredericton, and the Covered Bridge Potato Chip company has plans to expand across the Maritimes as well as some parts of Canada and the eastern United States.

To learn more about Covered Bridge Potato Chips, visit www. coveredbridgechips.com.

I am so incredibly sick of Sodexo and how they screw us over.

I realize this is a very dangerous opening line, and some Sodexo lovers may try and track me down in one of those white panel Sodexo vans and kidnap me for my treason against the almighty bearers of food, but I have got to scream this from the top of my (metaphorical) lungs.

I’m sick of moldy tasting hash browns in DKT, and sick of the always watery fountain pop at McConnell. The stale bagels. The salty soup. The weird pie flavours. The frozen vegetables that never seem to have been cooked long enough.

Now, I’m usually not a picky eater.

Seriously, if my friend’s mom made something I would eat it even if I hated it and lie through my teeth about the excellent quality of the raspberry veal I had just consumed. It’s only when it comes to something I pay a very silly amount of money for it, that speaking up seems like an appropriate course of action.

It makes me so sad to see all the wasted food that people don’t finish, and even sadder when I think about those who have nothing for dinner at all, and would love to have any of the questionable items on the Sodexo menu.

Feeding a student body of our size is no easy task. I get it. You have to buy massive amounts of food in bulk, and allowing college-aged folks to eat all they want at lunch is just a chocolate milk chugging competition waiting to happen.

It gets expensive to feed us, and when you have cups being damaged every day (who the hell is Thomas?), cost trumps quality, I guess.

It just seems to me that the problem doesn’t just lie in the students who steal mugs and napkin dispensers, but also in the employees who aren’t watching when these things happen. If it’s getting too hard to let people take what they want, take a leaf out of the book of St. Thomas and just charge us for individual items. I’m sure students would vote for chicken that doesn’t taste like rubber over multiple platefuls any day.

My sudden anti-Sodexo feelings were sparked by Michael Smith visiting our campus. The sudden flood of food network fanatics in meal hall left more students irritated than impressed. The presence of a gourmet chef did nothing for the Sodexo image and drew a rather tragic (if you ask me) irony around the food actually being served to us.

Please don’t take me wrong, Sodexo employees. You’re all doing fantastically at customer service (especially Joan the card swiping lady!), it’s just that looking at the money I’m throwing away on uneaten meals every week makes me a bit sad, and looking at some of the food makes me queasy.

brunswickanarts

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 17

Ten years later, Office Space still appeals to just about everybody

Fredericton driving horror stories Alison Clack The Brunswickan

Flickr Creative Commons

Swingline staplers play an oddly desirable role in Mike Judge’s cult classic, Office Space.

Ysabelle Vautour The Brunswickan

What if you just didn’t care?

January marked the 10th year anniversary of the cult classic, Mike Judge’s Office Space.

So what makes a film a cult classic? Typically, it’s a movie that did not make it big in the box office but gained some devoted fans over the years on video. Office Space certainly qualifies, with some of its fans coming up with an unofficial Office Space “kit” which includes a fire engine red Swingline stapler, pieces of flair, TPS reports, an Initech mug and t-shirt, as well as their very own “Jump To Conclusions” mat. After the film’s 1999 release, Swingline experienced a growing demand for the coveted red stapler, not even available in that colour at the time, which led them to actually put them into production and sell them to the public in 2002.

So yes, you could call Office Space a cult classic.

This film has often been compared to the popular comic strip Dilbert, portraying how modern office jobs can be an assault on our everyday lives. Peter Gibbons

(Ron Livingston) is a frustrated software engineer who wanders around his office job like a zombie stuck in prison. Initech, a stereotypical office environment cube farm operating as a software company, has Peter working overtime on weekends and doing tedious tasks with no appreciation.

To quell his unhappiness, Peter goes to a hypnotherapist when he comes to realize his main problem.

“So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that’s on the worst day of my life.”

The hypnotherapist places Peter in carefree state which he never snaps out of. Peter goes through the movie doing what he feels like doing without any regard to consequences.

“I don’t like bills. I don’t think I’m going to pay them any more.”

He meets up with Joanna (Jennifer Aniston), a waitress stuck in a dead-end job at a restaurant obsessed with employee enthusiasm. She is required to wear 15 pieces of so-called “flair.” Her boss is disappointed in her and wants her to express herself like her colleagues, saying that she is only doing the bare minimum by wearing 15 pieces of flair.

When Bob and Bob, a pair of efficiency experts come to Initech to cut costs (and

jobs), Peter s colleagues go into a frenzy for fear of being fired.

There is a great scene where the two Bobs discover during an interview with an employee that he is paid to do nothing.

One of the Bobs asks “What is it that you would say, you do here?” The employee starts sweating in fear and cries out “I have people skills! I’m GOOD at dealing with people! Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you!?”

Office Space is filled with great characters and comedic actors. Milton is played by Stephen Root (Newsradio), Lawrence by Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) and one of the Bobs is played by John C. McGinley (Scrubs).

Ten years later, the movie still invites us to examine our lives more closely. Many of us get so stressed and caught up with our jobs and other commitments that we tend to lose scope of what is important. An underlying message of the film is to never choose work over your own happiness.

Mike Judge (creator of King of the Hill, Beavis and Butthead and Idiocracy) made Office Space based on the Milton Cartoons created for Saturday Night Live.

Judge and members of the cast and crew will make an appearance at the Office Space Reunion with a special screening at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas (where the film was originally shot) on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

After living in Fredericton for a while, it’s easy to notice that something’s a little different about this city. It’s not the city’s picturesque quality, though; it’s the driving.

Whether you’re a pedestrian, a driver, or a passenger in Fredericton, you have most likely experienced at least one driving moment that caused your heart to skip a beat.

Local Drivers: Meghan McGrattan, a life-long Fredericton resident and second-year UNB student has had lots of experiences with bad drivers. Most recently she says she was almost T-boned in the middle of an intersection.

“I was just driving down the street by the lighthouse – I think it’s called St. Anne’s point? Something like that – on my way to class last spring, when someone coming down Queen Street ran the red light and almost crashed into me as I drove through the intersection.

Both of us slammed on our brakes. I was so in shock over what had almost happened that I just started the car again and drove off with my heart hammering its way through my chest,” says McGrattan.

New Pedestrians: Some students have a hard time adjusting to the driving style in Fredericton. The chaotic driving style of some Fredericton drivers makes a number of the university’s pedestrians nervous. Ben Salmon, a second-year UNB student, says that he becomes very cautious when he hears cars driving up behind him – a nervousness he doesn’t feel in other cities.

Old Pedestrians: Even native Frederictonians feel some nervousness when travelling Fredericton as pedestrians. Kelsey Patterson, a UNB student who lives at home in Fredericton, says that careless actions by

drivers have almost caused her to be hit several times.

“I have almost been hit a couple times while crossing the street at a cross walk. Cars chose to put on their signal lights at the last second and turn right in front of me – even though I checked to make sure they were going straight.

As I start to walk across the road they throw on their signal lights and turn,” says Patterson.

Being a pedestrian has also allowed Patterson to view other people almost getting into accidents.

“I also saw a car on Canterbury Drive try to pull out of their driveway right in front of a car coming down the road.

The two cars almost collided,” says Patterson.

Troubles with Taxis: Public transportation isn’t immune from the Fredericton phenomenon.

Some weekend nights the taxi drive home from the Tannery can be so nerve-wracking that there’s no way you can ignore it – no matter how past sober you are.

“Last summer on the way home from Nicky Zee’s one night, Dan (my boyfriend) and I had a taxi driver who I’m pretty sure was drunk. We got in the taxi van, and it smelled really strongly of liquor, but I figured it must have been the people in the cab before us. So, the driver takes off and guns it to about 60 km/h on King Street past the Tannery. He nearly hit two people about to cross the street, and didn’t even seem to notice!

“Then he started talking about how he likes the way ‘white girls’ butts look’ in short skirts. When we get to York Street, and the taxi driver starts singing, ‘where all the white women at, I wanna see some white girls,’ and then sails through a red light! He didn’t even brake, and the cars coming through had to screech to a stop. Dan was like, “uh, buddy that was a red light” and the driver just goes, “woops!” and then laughs like a crazy person. Needless to say, by the time we got home, I did NOT tip him,” says Maggie DeWolfe, a UNB Arts student.

this week in brunswickanarts The NB Film Co-op has loved you all along Tilley Hall’s Room 102 will be home to a Monday Night Film Series screening of I’ve Loved You All Along, a debut film by director & screenwriter Philippe Claudel, on Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. The film traces the steps of two sisters rekindling their relationship after long years of separation. For more information, call 455-1632 or email info@nbfilmcoop.com. The Monday Night Film Series is presented on a regular basis by the NB Film Co-op.

East Coast Music Awards are fast approaching The 21st Annual East Coast Music Awards Festival & Conference, which is being held in Cornerbrook, N.L. from Feb. 26 to Mar. 1, is fast approaching.Tickets, schedules, and more information regarding the ECMAs are available at www.ecma.ca. You might also want to book a flight.

The Capital Bar nominated for CBC Radio 3’s Best Live Music Club CBC Radio 3 released a long list of nominees for its Searchlight competition in a quest to discover Canada’s favourite venue, which included Fredericton’s own Capital Bar among three other locations elsewhere in the province. Nominations will be narrowed down every week, with the final winner emerging on Feb. 25. To vote, log on to www.radio3. cbc.ca.

Hot off the press: Cadence Weapon’s Separation Anxiety Edmonton’s Cadence Weapon released a nameyour-own-price digital mixtape collection of exclusive tracks entitled Separation Anxiety late last month. It’s available for download at www.cadenceweaponmusic.com and streaming live at www.myspace. com/cadenceweaponmusic.

Crash Parallel return to Fredericton After appearing late last fall with pop sensation David Usher at the Fredericton Playhouse, Mississaugaborn Crash Parallel is slated for a performance at the UNB Student Union Building on campus this Friday, Feb. 6. Tickets are only $5 for students and are available at the Student Union Welcome Center as well as at the door. The show starts at 9 p.m. and will feature a surprise guest appearance.

Photo: Artwork of Cadence Weapon’s newly released Separation Anxiety. (Internet.)

brunswickanarts

18 • Feb. 8, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

Television chef sensation serves it up Hagerman’s hammy

horoscopes Aries

Taurus

(March21st - April 19th)

(April 20th - May 20th)

You will be mildly disappointed this week, dear Aries. Your disappointment will prompt you to immediately log into the blog of your choice and, in explicit detail, outline why this disappointment has ruined your life. Something similar will happen next week. Your lucky Star Trek actor is William Shatner.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Food Network Canada’s Michael Smith, who hosts Chef at Home and The Inn Chef, graduated with honours from the Culinary Institute of America. He made various appearances on campus on Jan. 29, including at an Iron Chef competition in McConnell Hall.

You’ll be taking centre stage this week, dear Taurus. However, you’ll confuse which direction is stage left and which direction is stage right during your big soliloquy and end up looking very silly. However, critics will call your “improvisational” skills “unnecessarily profound.”

Your lucky country for amateur radio is Japan.

Gemini

Cancer

(May 21st - June 21st)

You will be making the second best sandwich of your life this week, dear Gemini. It would normally be your best sandwich, but you will run out of pepper. You will reminisce about the days when you pepper was plentiful, and shed a single tear. Your lucky son of Noah was Ham.

(June 22nd- July 22nd) You will be exceptionally moved from reading poetry this week, dear Cancer. You will feel compelled to recite it for your friends, taking special care to deliver the piece “the way it was meant to be delivered”: loudly. Your lucky palace is Buckingham.

Leo

Virgo

(July 23rd - August 22nd)

(August 23rd - September 22nd)

Due to unforeseen circumstances, you will have to undergo a lie detector test this week, dear Leo. Thankfully, your acting abilities will get you to lie your way through the test with flying colours. Unfortunately, you will lie about the incorrect things and be considered extraordinarily guilty. Your lucky virtual private network application is Hamachi.

Libra (September 23rd - October 23rd)

Your ability to make anything exciting will come in handy this week, dear Libra. By projecting your voice, holding sparklers, and setting yourself on fire, you will be the life of any party that you go to. In addition to this, you will be the life of several parties whose participants can merely see your shiny glow. Your lucky German mathematician is Hans Hamburger.

You will invent a glorious meal this week, dear Virgo. It will consist of two slices of ham with a piece of bread in the middle. You will copyright your sandwich idea as “The Real Hammich.” Vegetarians may hate you, but omnivores will love you. Thus, not everybody will hate you for your genius! Your lucky hamster is a Sokolov’s Dwarf hamster.

Scorpio

(October 24th - November 22nd)

This week you’ll see, dear Scorpio, that now the heat’s hit an all-time low. You won’t like ice falling from trees, you won’t like snow up to your knees. You cannot cook without your Pam, but Mom still makes Green Eggs and Ham! Your lucky tendon is the hamstring.

Sagittarius

Capricorn

(November 23rd - December 21st)

(December 22nd - January 20th)

Your love of all things Japanese will conflict with your love of all things not terrible this week, dear Sagittarius. Through your random trawling of different anime shows, you will either come across Hamtaro, or Hamtaro will come across you. You will weep. Your lucky football club is West Ham United.

You will enter a great debate this week, dear Capricorn. Deciding whether ham is better than bacon or vice versa will lead you to publish 10 papers, an autobiography, and a minimum of 75 blog posts. You will go down in history as the Bacon-Haminator. Your lucky Shakespearean play is Hamlet.

Aquarius

Pisces

(January 21st - February 18th)

(February 19th - March 20th)

A hypnotist will attempt to control your mind this week, dear Aquarius.

You will not be fooled, but will instead play along to the enjoyment of your friends. To everybody else, though, you will seem like a really bad actor.

Your lucky movie is Hamlet 2.

You will feel especially thirsty this week, dear Pisces. Your latest meal will have consisted of so much salty meat that your body will actually be entirely berift of liquid. Those who say that you have a dry sense of humour will actually be right for once! Your lucky ham omelette is the Hamlette.

arts@thebruns.ca

brunswickanarts

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 19

The convenience and efficiency of Steam The Final Score Dan Hagerman

As embarrassed as I am to say it, I’ve managed to collect quite the array of computer games on CD and DVD. Some of them, especially the older ones, came on multiple CDs when they were first released. This makes keeping track of my gaming collection somewhat difficult at times.

And even then, it’s become a hassle to go out to the various electronics outlets in town to buy the newest shiny computer games. Not only do I have to pray that the retail outlet of my choice just so happens to have the game I want in stock, but I also have to dodge the barrage of questions like “Would you like a scratch guarantee on that?” or “Would you like to give us a pint of your blood for a warranty that we won’t actually follow through on?”

Sometimes, you must have thought to yourself: “Boy, do I ever hate going out to buy games! I want the games, and I’m sure they want me back! Too bad my computer box can’t go to the store and buy the games for me!”

Enter, stage left: Steam.

Steam is a digital content delivery system released by Valve Corporation in late 2003.

Screenshot

An overview of the Steam interface.

At its most basic, Steam is an application that allows you to purchase and subsequently download games for use on your personal computer.

The process is just as simple as ordering anything else online, except instead of a book or movie showing up in your mail box, games purchased on Steam just show up inside the Games panel of the Steam client.

You may wonder how to find these wonderful games. When you first boot up Steam to its Store tab, you’ll see a few featured games, followed by a list of re-

cently released games. If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, you can search by genre, title, and even sort by price.

If you’re not sure of which one you’d like to buy, many games also include demos so that you can get an idea of what a game will be like before you buy it.

In fact, all of Valve’s computer games that they’ve released since Steam’s inception have required the service. From Half-life 2 to Portal to Left 4 Dead, Steam is a required feature to get these

games up and running.

But Steam’s requirement isn’t bad by any stretch, as Steam also ensures that all of the games you play are up to date automatically. There’s no more fumbling around on download.com or wherever to find your game’s latest patch; the game simply updates itself up to 100 per cent and you’re good to go.

Steam also has its own community features like a friends list, groups, achievements for some of its games, and your own personal profile page.

Are there any problems with Steam?

Sure!

One bad part about buying your games digitally is that not only do you lose out on those sweet coloured manuals that you’d get out of a game box, you also can’t sell the game to anyone else.

The game you buy is tied to your account permanently, so you really have to be sure of what you’re buying.

Also, games aren’t small enough to fit on those little floppy disks anymore, so you can be sure that if you’re downloading from scratch, expect the downloads to your computer to take a very long time, depending on how fast your internet connection is. Some games on Steam can actually be purchased via retail, and then linked to Steam so that you don’t need your CD and such anymore, but far from all have this functionality.

The other negative side of this is that if Steam goes down, you simply can’t play any of the online portions of your games with anybody, even if you’re on a LAN. Regularly, you even need to be connected to the internet to even launch your games a lot of the time. Steam can be run in an offline mode, but it’s a hassle to manage at times.

Still, for a free service, Steam is a very useful tool. I never have to go scrounging for discs, my games are always up to date, and it’s really easy to pop into a game of Left 4 Dead and talk over the built-in chat function.

All in all, Steam the application is a lot like steaming your vegetables: it makes things a lot easier, there’s less of a chance of things burning, and you only lose a percentage of the vitamins in the process. Well, maybe not the vitamins part.

Dan Hagerman is Copy Editor of the Brunswickan.

brunswickansports

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 20

sports@thebruns.ca

Red hot Fullerton leads UNB to weekend victories Reds go 2-1, crushing rivals St. Thomas in another installment of the ‘Battle of the Hill’

Brandon MacNeil The Brunswickan

The Varsity Reds continued their dominance over their city rival last week, before trading wins over the weekend.

Once again UNB came out on top in the latest installment of the ‘Battle of the Hill’ at the Aitken Centre last Wednesday night, defeating STU 9-0. After a relatively tame opening period, UNB completely controlled the remainder of the game.

Former St. Thomas Tommie Justin McCutcheon opened the scoring for the V-Reds midway through the second period. Jordan Clendenning, Chris Hodgson and Luke Lynes all tallied as well before the second period came to a close.

The final period opened just like the second finished. Lynes found his second goal of the game, burying a one-timer from John Scott Dickson.

Minutes later, Dion Campbell found the back of the net. Later in the third, Kevin Henderson netted back-to-back goals. Hodgson added insult to injury, as he snuck a powerful shot past STU’s netminder in the dying seconds. UNB outshot St. Thomas 54-13 by the end of the night.

The main story of the night, however, was the play of UNB rookie goaltender Travis Fullerton. Fullerton has been red-hot since returning from Christmas break. He recorded his third consecutive shutout, a remarkable statistic for the CIS. “Things are going really well for me,” said Fullerton. “I’m playing with a lot

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

UNB forward Jim Cuddihy (#27) is works his way around the St. Thomas defenders in recent AUS action. Cuddihy has 37 points in 24 games so far this season.

Saint Mary’s and St. FX will be in town to take on the Reds this weekend at the Aitken Centre. of confidence and the team is playing outstanding in front of me. That always helps. I think it’s just finding your comfort zone. I’ve been working hard in practice, but I’m just trying to have fun out there – so maybe that translates to strong play.”

While playoffs quickly approach, Fullerton wants to keep his game as simple as possible.

“I think if you try and complicate things it only hurts you as a goaltender,” said Fullerton. “The games are getting more important now, so hopefully I can keep helping the team the best I can.”

The Reds traveled to Halifax on

Friday for a clash of the top two teams in the league. Saint Mary’s took no time jumping all over the Reds in the opening period. They quickly went up by a goal, before doubling their lead shortly after.

Late in the period, Dion Campbell was able to bury a rebound, to bring the V-Reds within one, before going to the dressing room. UNB’s top line came out on fire in the second period, when Hunter Tremblay tied the game, and a minute later assisted on the go-ahead goal by Jimmy Cuddihy. Henderson added an assist on both goals.

After both teams exchanged goals late in the second, UNB held onto a one

goal lead going into the third.

That lead was short lived, however, as SMU tied the game on a four-on-four.

Shortly after, on the man advantage, SMU was able to sneak one past goaltender Derek Yeomans for the lead, with only minutes to play. UNB pressed hard for an equalizer, but came up short on this night.

“They’re a very good team,” said UNB veteran John Scott Dickson following the loss. “It’s going to take a full 60 minutes to beat these guys next weekend.”

UNB regrouped to defeat St.FX on Saturday night in Antigonish. With

Fullerton back between the pipes for this match, UNB seemed to have their jump back.

Kyle Bailey and Luke Lynes each had a goal and an assist in the first period, as the Reds held the advantage in the opening period. Captain Dustin Friesen, Justin McCutcheon, and Jimmy Cuddihy all added goals in the second period. Justin DaCosta had a goal as well, as the Reds cruised to a 6-2 victory.

With only four games remaining in the regular season schedule, the Reds sit five points up on second place Saint Mary’s for the lead in the AUS standings.

Women’s volleyball dominate SMU Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

With playoffs a mere two weeks away, the UNB women’s volleyball team dominated their opponents from SMU on Sunday, claiming a 3-0 victory over their conference rivals.

UNB got off to an excellent start, picking up the first seven points of the match. 6’2” Tanya Paulin put on a service clinic, with Saint Mary’s back court seemingly at a loss for how to stop her. UNB’s dominance continued throughout the first set, and eventually right-side Christina Ross served for the set winner and UNB won 25-5.

SMU’s mistakes caught up to them, and after they took a 12-10 lead at the midway point of the second set, UNB took over. The towering duo of Barb Vriends and Paulin picked apart SMU’s defense with kill after kill. And Left Side

Erica Hay encapsulated how everything was going right for UNB when she aced two serves that glanced off the top of the net, catching SMU off guard to make it 19-14. Eventually, UNB took the set 25-20.

The third set saw much of the same, with everything seemingly going right for UNB. Their serves were great, their kills were deadly, and their blockers refused to let anything pass through.

Ultimately, UNB won the third set 2519. They blanked Saint Mary’s 3-0 and won the match. UNB’s Tanya Paulin picked up the player of the game with 11 total kills.

“I thought we played pretty much as well as we can play,” said UNB head coach John Richard after the game.

“That was probably our best match of the year.”

Richard continued, “It’s ultimately about who plays the best in two weeks.

Not who played the best in September, November, or December - it’s ultimately about the middle of February, so we’re just trying to build and go from there.”

UNB’s focus now turns to next week where the girls have two matches with playoff implications at stake. At the L.B. Gym, the Reds play Memorial University on Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by the University of Prince Edward Island on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Veteran setter Melanie Doucette (#4) passes it up to middle Barb Vriends (#12) while Erica Hay (#2) looks on. The Reds defeated SMU 3-0 this past weekend at the L.B. Gym.

brunswickansports

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 21

A look into UNB’s Athlete’s Council

this week in brunswickansports Former UNB Student captures NB curling crown Andrea Kelly, a recent UNB graduate, and her team swept the competition at the New Brunswick women’s curling championships this past weekend. After passing through the round-robin undefeated, Kelly defeated 11-time N.B. champion Heidi Hanlon to qualify for the championships.

Kelly, along with third Denise Nowlan, second Jodie, deSolla, and lead Lianne Sobey, captured the crown when they knocked off Mary Jane McGuire’s team from of the Capital Winter Club.

McGuire is currently a business student at UNB. The match went down to the final shot, where Kelly stuck to the four-foot to claim the title with a 5-4 victory. She last won the New Brunswick championship in 2006, her first year in the senior division. The year prior, she claimed bronze at the 2005 World Junior Curling Championships in Italy.

Kelly and her rink will now head to the Scott Tournament of Hearts, slated for Feb 21-Mar. 1 in Victoria, B.C.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Varsity athletes give back to the game in a number of ways such as the Heads Up program, one of the initiatives of the Athlete’s Council.

Colin McPhail The Brunswickan

For every major component of the University of New Brunswick there is some form of a support group – a committee of sorts that can express the needs and wants of that particular component. In essence they are the messengers to the deans, directors, administrators and governors of UNB. The students have the Student Council.

The people who live in residence have the Residence Representatives Board.

As for the Varsity sports teams, their coaches can speak to athletic directors and such. But who can the athletes themselves speak to?

You would think they would relay their concerns to their coaches. Yes, matters concerning a certain sport would be addressed to the coaching staff. However, who do the athletes approach when they want to create the best environment for Varsity athletes to be successful in academics and sport?

Who do they see when they wish to make the community a better place and to promote the Varsity Reds?

They go to the Athlete’s Council.

Jacob Kilpatrick, a third-year student who has played for the men’s volleyball team, is the President of the Athletes’ Council and kind enough to answer a few questions concerning the Council.

Brunswickan: What exactly is the Athlete’s Council?

Kilpatrick: The Athletes’ Council is made up of two representatives from each Varsity Reds team and one administrative rep. We are essentially an unfunded council that links the individual Varsity teams to form a single Varsity Reds athletics community and addresses the needs and concerns of the athletes; we are also the link between the individual athletes and the athletic administration.

B: What types of needs and concerns are discussed?

K: We address basically any concerns that varsity athletes may have regarding academics or athletics; this includes, for example, the number of practices that should be held during the exam period or finding assistance for athletes who need help with time management skills or good study habits.

B: Do you hold any type of event or program?

K: A big part of what we do is help organize, along with the Fredericton area school district and the two major Varsity Red community outreach programs Reading with the Reds and Heads Up with the Reds. Reading with the Reds is a program where varsity athletes visit elementary schools in the Fredericton and surrounding area and read to a class. Approximately 1,100 children are visited by the Varsity Reds. The Heads Up program is also in conjunction with School District 18 and involves athletes visiting schools and talking to the kids about the acronym R-E-D-S; the letters stand for Respect, Esteem, Dedication, and Strategy. The athletes explain to the kids how these four words are very important in sports and in life; we also do activities with them that sort

of represent each of the four words.

The kids absolutely love having UNB athletes come visit their schools and it is really quite fun for us as well. We visit about 1,500 school children with (the Heads Up) program.

The council is also involved in many other charity events such as the Santa Claus Parade and a Varsity Red Date Auction in support of the Fredericton Boys & Girls Club. Aside from raising money for charity and bringing the community together, they also bring the athletes together by hosting different social events.

B: What your thoughts and concerns after the teams were cut last March?

K: Our council this year is smaller than it has been in previous years due to the adjustment of four teams from varsity team status this past March.

Some might say that my thoughts on the matter are biased, being on one of the teams that was not removed from varsity status, but I believe that it was a step that had to be taken in order help Varsity Reds athletics to move closer to our goal of athletic excellence. It comes down to spreading the athletic budget between eight teams versus 12 teams. With an unchanged budget and less teams needing funding it gives the remaining teams the resources that are needed to improve and become more successful.

B: Are you just there for the athletes or can non-athletes come to you?

K: Although our primary focus is the varsity athletes, a goal for us is also getting the UNB student population more involved with varsity athletic events.

If students have questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding varsity athletics or events we are more than happy to hear what they have to say.

Athletes of the week (Left) Tanya Paulin Women’s Volleyball BScKin, 2nd Year Bathurst, NB

UNB Media Services

(Right) Travis Fullerton Hockey BBA, 1st Year Riverview, NB

UNB Media Services

Cape Breton University file complaint against St. FX coaches after basketball incident An incident that has taken two rival campuses by storm will continue to linger as a complaint will be filed to Atlantic University Sport against St. FX men’s basketball head coach Steve Konchalski and assistant coach Garry Gallimore. Sources close to situation say that the complaint will be filed as a “Breach of Conduct,” and suspensions are possible for both coaches.

Along with the written complaint, six minor officials who were working this game were asked to write a paragraph of what they saw transpire during the incident. St. FX are countering the complaint, claiming that a “lack of crowd control and unprofessional behavior” contributed.

The incident in question took place on Jan. 28, as the Cape Breton University Capers hosted the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The Capers were nursing a 85-83 lead with 13.7 seconds left in the game. CBU guard Mark McGarrigle was at the foul-line for two shots. Konchalski went to the scorers table and told the time-keeper that he wanted a time-out if the second shot is made. This is legal under CIS rules because a time-out can be called only if the play is stopped.

The second shot was made and the lead was stretched to three.

The crowd erupted into rapture, as the ball went flying up the court in the hands of St. FX point guard Christian Upshaw. At the same time, the clock was not running and the time-keeper was ringing the buzzer trying to stop the play. Konchalski, raged that he did not receive his time-out, smashed his fist against the table.

However, the time-keeper was showing Konchalski the button on the buzzer device, which he was holding in. Over all of the noise in the crowd, the buzzer was barely audible through the fury of the crowd.

The time-keeper had had enough, as both parties began shouting at one another. Within seconds, Gallimore smacked the timekeeper with an open hand across the face. The benches were then emptied as the crowd went berserk. Police had to escort the 24-year-old Gallimore out of the arena.

A video clip of the game was found of the site YouTube, but it was taken off the site after disturbing comments were posted beneath the video after it was initially installed on the site.

Cape Breton went on to win the game 90-86. The win took CBU to second in the AUS standings with 26 points, four behind the X-Men. (Brief above submitted by Sean O’Neill/Caper Times) Wrestlers claim gold at UNB Open It was a golden weekend for the men’s and women’s wrestling teams at UNB. At the UNB Open, both the squads pinned down their respective opponents to claimed first place in the tournament.

On the men’s side, Vince Cormier, Shawn Daye Finley, Darcy McKinney, and C.J. Thoms all finished first place in their respective classes. Eric Feunekes and Greg Huskilson added silvers to the UNB medal count, while Mike Huskilson finished with the bronze in the 78 kg division. UNB finished with 57 points on the day of competition, placing them in first place in the overall standings.

Halifax’s Metro Amateur Wrestling Club finished in second place with 44 points, while Concordia University rounded up the top three with 31 points.

The women also came away with a fine performance on the weekend. Their three gold, two silvers, and one bronze were enough to give them first place overall with 23 points. Metro Amateur finished second place with 17 points on the day. Emilie Guitary, Rachel Pinet, and Ruth Poirier were the gold medal winners for UNB. Meanwhile, Josianne Bourque and Sarah MacDonald finished in second place in their class. Sandy Ware of UNB finished in third place in the 82 kilos category.

The strong performances are a great sign for UNB as they prepare for the upcoming CIS championships, while will be held Feb. 27-28 at the University of Calgary.

brunswickansports

22 • Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142

The St. FX Bully Tip of the Cap. by Josh Fleck This week’s Tip of the Cap goes out to Garry Gallimore, the assistant coach of the men’s basketball team at St. FX, for allegedly hitting a minor official.

On Jan. 28, the X-Men travelled to Cape Breton to take on the Capers. In the final quarter, CBU held a three-point lead after making a free throw. This is where things started to get heated. CBU made the foul shot and St. FX was looking to call a timeout, but no timeout was called. So the head coach from St. FX started freaking out, and the timeout was finally called – after precious seconds had died off the clock.

Cue Gallimore. As the head coach was at the score table speaking to the minor officials, Gallimore jumped up off the bench and walked briskly to the score table and proceeded to speak with the minor official, and then allegedly hit the minor official, thus causing havoc.

St. FX suspended Gallimore for four games for his inexcusable actions, while CBU will be filing a formal complaint to the AUS which could leave to further punishment.

Whatever punishment, Gallimore will be more than deserving of the consequences of his bone-headed actions. For a man who is 6’4” and 215 lbs. of pure steel to strike a 19-year-old minor official – this gets my Tip of the Cap.

Water polo gaining popularity on campus

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Innertube water polo has been gaining popularity over the last few years.

Pictured are UNB students in action this past Monday evening.

Chris Cameron The Brunswickan

Over the years, UNB has offered a variety of intramural sports. Everything ranging from Ultimate Frisbee to broomball has been offered in order to keep students healthy and active.

But another sport currently offered is beginning to catch the attention as one of the more enjoyable sports offered yet.

It may be freezing outside this semester, but the intramural action is heating up at the Sir Max Aitken Pool.

The co-ed inner tube water polo league is returning to play on Monday nights.

With 12 teams currently registered, there should be great competition this season.

Inner tube water polo matches have two 15-minute-straight time periods.

Each team must have seven players in the water, with at least three females.

There is no advantage to being a great swimmer because you have to sit and remain in the inner tubes while in the water. Not only that, size does not make a difference either because you cannot dump a player from their tube,

hold onto another players tube, or reach over an opponents shoulder to grab the ball. These rules are put in place to allow everyone to be able to play and to maximize the fun.

Many students on campus agree that water polo to be one of the most fun intramural sports offered at UNB. “Co-Rec water polo is definitely one of the best intramurals UNB offers,” said UNB student Jesse Benwell. “It is the only water activity presented and it is such a great sport. It is a great way to get active and it comes with a competitive and fun atmosphere. It does not take long how to learn to play water polo and it is always a great time.”

“I really enjoyed playing water polo last year,” said LBR’s Krystle Lewis, who competed in the sport last winter.

“It didn’t matter if swimming was your strong point or not, anyone could play and still have a laugh.”

Ben Cook, one of Benwell’s Mackenzie House teammates had another view on water polo.

“I like playing water polo because it is a team sport. You are forced to work together, and it brings the house closer.

It’s a great workout, and I enjoy it because I love the water.”

Teams can register for the league by using the Campus Recreation online system, which requires a team representative to enter the team’s roster, manager’s information, team name, etcetera. Anyone with questions on the sport can be directed to Campus Recreation through the online system as well at http://campusrec.unbf.ca/.

brunswickansports V-Reds Results Wednesday, January 28th Hockey UNB - 9 STU - 0 Friday, January 30th Women’s Basketball UNB - 61 CBU - 85 Hockey UNB - 4 SMU - 5

bruns story meetings, wednesdays at 12:30 in SUB room 35.

Men’s Basketball UNB - 62 CBU - 91

Saturday, January 31st Women’s Basketball UNB - 70 St. FX - 82 Men’s Basketball UNB - 71 UNB - 97 Hockey UNB - 6 St. FX - 2 Sunday, February 1st Women’s Volleyball UNB - 3 SMU - 0

Feb. 4, 2009 • Issue 19 • Volume 142 • 23

Upcoming V-Reds Events Friday, February 6th Swimming AUS Championships @ UNB 12:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball MUN @ UNB 6:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Men’s Volleyball UNB @ DAL 6:00 p.m.

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

Saturday, February 7th Swimming AUS Championships @ UNB 12:00 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball UNB @ MUN 2:00 p.m. @ DAL Women’s Volleyball UPEI @ UNB 3:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Women’s Basketball SMU @ UNB 6:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym

Hockey St. FX @ UNB 7:00 p.m. @ Aitken Centre Men’s Basketball SMU @ UNB 8:00 p.m. @ L.B. Gym Sunday, February 8th Swimming AUS Championships @ UNB 12:00 p.m.

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

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† On select 3-year plans. Offers subject to change without notice. *Available with any BlackBerry device with subscription to select plans and activation with BlackBerry Internet Service. Includes unlimited personal e-mail (up to 10 accounts) while using BlackBerry on the Rogers Wireless network. See rogers.com/unlimited for plans and details. Usage subject to Rogers Terms of Service & Acceptable Use Policy available at rogers.com/terms.

TM Rogers & Mobius Design are trademarks of Rogers Communications Inc. used under license. All other brand names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2008 Rogers Wireless.

RGW_N_08_1371_4C_F.indd 1

1/5/09 6:03:27 PM

APPROVALS Studio Client: ROGERS Project: Q4.5 CAMPUS NEWSPAPER Docket No.: RGW 081371 Title: HOT SMARTPHONES FOR...

Pubs: SACKVILLE NB - MOUNT ALLISON THE ARGOSY

Art Director: Copywriter: Print Mgr: Color/B&W: Fonts:

L. JANKELOW R. BOEHNKE S. BISHOP 4C Berkeley; Arial; Frutiger

Proofreader

RGW_N_08_1371_4C_F Typesetting: Optic Nerve This advertisement prepared by PUBLICIS

DATE

Date: DEC 15, 2008 Designer/Studio Artist: JM/KA PRODUCTION NOTES • IMAGES ARE LINKED TO Q4.5 ELEMENTS • IMAGES ARE VECTOR BASED

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CPL – MOUNT ALLISON - THE ARGOSY

Copywriter Creative Dir.

LAYOUT

REVs

Print Mgr. Art Director

AD NUMBER: Live: Trim: 10" X 15.75" Bleed: N/A

Type Mgr.

BY

LASER%

MATERIAL DUE: MON. JAN. 5, 2009

Acct. Mgmt.

Client

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