Issue 23, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

HOCKEY // REDS TO BATTLE HUSKIES IN FINALS REMATCH Volume 142 · Issue 23 • March 11, 2009

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brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

‘Diverse and Experienced’ voted next exec

Organization on the go

After weeks of campaigning, the results of the 2009 UNBSU election are in

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

UNB undergrads have spoken – or at least, just under a third of them have.

Ballots have been cast and tallied, and the results of the 2009 UNBSU general election are in.

Despite heavier campaigning than in recent years, only 1,768 students out of the 6,160 eligible to vote made their voices heard. That number makes up only 28.7 per cent of voter turnout, compared to last year’s 24.6 per cent.

The group referring to themselves as ‘Diverse & Experienced’ took all five SU executive seats, while the United for Change slate took three councillor positions.

Jon O’Kane was voted in as Student Union President with 523 votes over competitor Matt Abbott. David Rabinovitch was disqualified from the Presidential race early in the campaign period for not having paid SU fees.

Stephanie Lord will return to sit in the position of VP Student Services with a total of 1024 votes. She edged out both Shane Martinez and Earl Montanez, who had 330 and 203 votes, respectively.

Also returning to her position is Lisa Solte as VP Finance, with 427 votes over Alex Corey.

Ryan Brideau won the position of VP External, finishing over Andrew Mercier by 401 votes.

The position of VP Academic was won by Shannon Carmont, who obtained the position by 406 votes over Mallory Driscoll.

Election results will be ratified at next week’s Council meeting on Monday, Mar. 16. Ratification will not occur this week due to a possible appeal.

See page 6 for a full list of winners in the UNBSU general election.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Third year UNB Computer Science student Jason Brennan has created an application for the Apple iPhone called Keener. The application is essentially a grade calculator and organizer for assignments and tests. Brennan will take home 70 per cent of the sales for his invention.

Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

While most UNB students are wondering what they’re going to do with their degrees after they get out of school, third-year computer science student Jason Brennan has already put his education to good use.

Brennan designed an application called Keener for the Apple iPhone.

Keener helps students keep track of their grades and organize their schoolwork.

“You put in your courses when you start the semester,” explained the 20-year-old Computer Science student. “You put in your homework assignments, your quizzes, and the labs that are coming up. You put in the due dates and it gives you a list of what’s due, what’s overdue, and what’s due next

week. And when you get your tests and assignments back you just punch in your marks and it keeps track of your overall grades for the semester.”

Keener is like a grade calculator. It gives a percentage grade for each class while the class is still ongoing.

“And it does weighted grading, so if your course is 50 per cent essay and 50 per cent exam then that’ll work,” said Brennan.

Brennan developed Keener from November to the start of January, and he lists his own university experience as his inspiration.

“I came up with this because I am not a keener at all,” laughed Brennan.

“I’m not very studious and I find that I’m a lot more organized if I have a way to record everything.”

Brennan wanted an organizer that he could keep with him at all times.

Agendas are okay to him, but the writing can smudge and it’s hard to fit an agenda

in a jeans pocket. Keener proved to be the perfect solution, because like some other students, Brennan found that he already had his iPhone with him most of the time.

Brennan also wanted to learn more about computer programming. He does a lot of programming in his spare time and he wanted see how difficult it was to program for the iPhone.

“I like to keep up on new things so the iPhone is kind of a cool thing for me,” he said. “I was looking for a way to teach myself how to program for them … and this idea kind of just hit me. I figured that would be a good way for me to learn and to help with my schoolwork.

And there are a lot of students out there too, so it could be a good market.”

Keener went on sale Jan. 25. It costs $4.99 and Brennan gets 70 per cent, or $3.50, from each sale. The other 30 per cent goes to Apple and the company handles all the billing and shipping.

“You can buy it right on your computer from iTunes, or you can buy it right on your iPhone or iPod touch.

They both have a little application called App Store and you just go in and search for Keener.”

Brennan also credits his education at UNB for helping him create Keener.

“They don’t teach this specifically at UNB,” said Brennan in reference to iPhone programming. “They teach programming in a different language, but the same concepts apply. They teach a lot of the same concepts and this was just applying the concepts that I learned.”

“In computer science you learn the basics and then you can apply it to new things. If they tried to teach you the most current thing all the time, they just couldn’t do it because by the time that you start a degree program to the time that you finish, that’s four years, and that’s a lot of time in computer years.”

brunswickannews

2 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

UNB students take home social awareness award Zaheer Abbas The Brunswickan

Rachel Savidge / Submitted

Arpad Kormendy and Kumaran Thillainadarajah won the Social Awareness Award in the Canadian Engineering Competition, held at UNB last week.

The brightest engineering students from across the country were at UNB competing for the top spot at the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) this past March Break.

CEC is an annual event which was first held at University of Waterloo in 1985 and has since been hosted by universities from coast to coast. This year UNB hosted the competition, which

was held from Mar. 5 - 8.

This year’s theme was “Inventing the Future.” The competition challenged the students to think about the long term impact of their design, whether environmental, social or economical.

The competition was divided into six categories and called upon engineering students to demonstrate their skills in communication, leadership, teamwork and design.

To be invited to the competition, teams competed in their respective regional

competitions and the top two teams from each region were invited to compete at the CEC. Two teams from each regional block competed in each of the six categories.

As hosts, UNB engineering students took CEC to heart.

The trophies displayed above were all hand made for presentation at the awards dinner held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fredericton.

UNB’s ‘Smart Skin’ team, comprised of electrical engineering students Arpad Kormendy and Kumaran Thillainadarajah, won this year’s social awareness award.

Their Smart Skin project was aiming to give back a sense of touch to amputees by embedding nano material in prosthetic skin.

When the Smart Skin team was asked how they felt about winning this award and their experience at CEC, Kumaran said, “The competition was a lot of fun and a very good learning experience. We got to see the cool projects that other engineering students across the country are working on.

“It was flattering to receive that recognition from a national engineering competition and it will also help us build momentum as we compete in the final six of NBIF [New Brunswick Innovation Foundation] later this month.”

The full list of winners can be found at www.cec2009.ca.

Come check out Brunswickan story meetings!

Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in SUB room 35.

All students are welcome to volunteer.

We have plenty of stories and photos that we need your help with!

brunswickannews

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142• 3

Bus pass decision to go to students Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

For the first time in three years, UNB’s undergraduate students will have the option to decide whether or not they would like to have a bus pass.

UNBSU VP External Jon O’Kane has been working with the city of Fredericton to negotiate a deal for students.

The result is a $100 fee for a 12-month universal Fredericton Transit unlimited bus pass. The same amount of passes would otherwise cost students $480.

O’Kane asked the city whether they would be willing to offer an opt-out for those students who do not wish to pay for the pass. This, however, was not possible.

“The city is not in a financial position where they would be willing to offer us an opt-out,” said O’Kane at council on Monday.

As a result. the $100 fee would be made mandatory for all undergraduate students.

A referendum will thus be held from Mar. 22 – 27 regarding a pass.

The following question will be posed to students: “Do you support a 12 month municipal universal bus pass program at a mandatory fee of $100 to be paid by all fulltime undergraduate students on the Fredericton campus?”

The idea is that, since this is a simple yes or no question, students will be able to give a clear indication of whether or not they feel that the extra fee is worth it.

“I think it’s a good idea to give our constituents the option whether or not they want it,” said Business

representative Chris Gunter at council.

“It would be nice for them to have the option to tell us.”

St. Thomas students currently have a universal bus pass like the one being offered to UNB. They do not have the option of an opt-out, and they pay an extra $100 for the service.

The STU administration, however, pays approximately $25 of that fee.

“When negotiating with people in our administration,” said O’Kane, “they outright said that they cannot financially support us up front for a subsidization.”

Room could not be found within the operating budget, said O’Kane, unless an extra $25 were to be tacked onto tuition – which would essentially be the same thing as students paying the full $100.

“This isn’t the ideal situation. We would ideally want an opt-out,” said SU President Bethany Vail.

“But I think it’s something that has come forward. This is what you’ve asked for, and this what we have at this point in time. Let us know your thoughts. If you want it, great. If not, we’ll continue to work hard for you to come up with better solutions.”

O’Kane pointed out that both he and Vail will be out of town to attend a Canadian Alliance of Student Associations conference in Ottawa for the week of the referendum. As a result, students are encouraged to approach their respective councillors for information regarding the referendum.

It was decided that, for the results of the referendum to hold any weight, at least 15 per cent of eligible voters would have to make their voices heard.

The motion to ask students their opinion in the referendum was passed by council unanimously.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNBSU VP External Jon O’Kane has negotiated with the city to get a deal on bus passes for UNB students. If students say they are for it in a referendum later this month, passes would cost $100 per year.

ALPS to be next UNB Presidential search progresses SUB tenant Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

The Student Union Building is preparing to welcome its latest tenant: Adult Learners, Part-Time Students.

The SUB has undergone many changes this academic year. Two businesses, Travel Cuts and The Paper Trail, ended their tenancy, with the former relocating off-campus.

The Travel Cuts space was quickly revamped, becoming the Student Union’s Welcome Center. ALPS has decided to take a similar route with the former Paper Trail location.

According to James Brown, director of Residence Life and Conference Services, ALPS has a similar goal in mind as the Student Union: to create a visible and accessible space for community members, and to generate more presence for their organization.

“They wanted a more high-profile location where people could find them basically, easily. They think they can do a better job of serving the interests of the mature and parttime student group if they were in a different location,” says Brown.

ALPS is currently located in Marshall d’Avray Hall. They will continue to use this space, in addition to their new location.

The Paper Trail location was converted into a “blank slate” following its closure, says the director.

The cost of further renovations will be absorbed by ALPS, as well as the leasing of the space.

Their Marshall D’Avray location includes a lounge area, computer lab and small resource library. The new location will just include furnishings like desks and counters.

It is principally an office area and welcome centre, with a staff member to be present at that location.

Until recently, the main floor of the SUB contained primarily retail tenants. Brown calls the inclusion of another student organization a good use of space, saying the group is welcome in the building.

He also includes that it benefits retail tenants, like SUB Towne and the Campus Shoppe, because it generates more student traffic and potentially, revenue for the businesses.

Immediately following the space’s vacancy, ALPS approached the university to use the space. No other businesses were vying for the spot, says Brown.

A representative from ALPS refused to comment.

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

UNB was introduced to their next potential president in mid-February, and vice versa.

Dr. H. E. A. Campbell, more commonly known as Eddy Campbell, is currently the acting President and ViceChancellor of Memorial University in Newfoundland. He is also the only nominee for UNB’s 18th presidency.

Campbell was introduced to the Fredericton and Saint John campuses during his recent visit to the province.

He met with various faculty, student and administrative groups.

Campbell also took part in an open meeting for all community members.

David Stevenson is the chair of the Joint Nominating Committee in the search for the next President. He says that a major factor in the committee’s decision to select Dr. Campbell for the position is the feedback they receive from community members regarding Campbell’s performance during his visit.

The feedback is in the form of comment cards that were filled the

weeks following the candidate’s visit.

The committee chair says that the majority of the feedback he received following Campbell’s were encouraging and positive. He added, however, that the comment cards must be considered.

The Joint Nominating Committee met on Mar. 9 to review the comments received and prepare their final report, says Stevenson.

“All indications were that [Dr. Campbell] was a very strong candidate for the university to consider,” says Stevenson of the informal feedback he received.

Outgoing President John McLaughlin will be retiring at the close of this academic year. He says that he is very pleased with the nomination for the new President.

He also adds that the coming years will be exciting for the new President, saying that we are currently in a time of “deep change.”

The economic downturn, as well as the societal and cultural changes that are reshaping Canadian life, will mean big changes for New Brunswick, says the outgoing President.

“Somebody had asked me what I thought about my time as President of UNB and I said I felt I had essentially one of the most interesting, and in many ways, I think one of the most important positions in the province

because universities are so important. It will be even more the case for the next President,” says McLaughlin.

In a previous interview with the Brunswickan about his potential position, Campbell noted his awareness of the present government’s desire to seek changes in the current university system. He said that he was interested in hearing what UNB community members have to say about the Post Secondary Education Action Plan and to listen to their concerns.

“I believe he was quite impressed with the responses he received and the questions that were put to him. He certainly understands the challenges in front of him,” says Stevenson of his impressions of Campbell’s visit.

Campbell’s fate as President for the coming years of change will be decided this week.

The committee will follow their meeting on Monday with another this evening. The Board of Governors and Senate will meet to vote for or against Campbell’s appointment as UNB’s eighteenth President.

Stevenson suggested that the results should be completed by Friday and the committee will then proceed to make arrangements with Campbell.

The committee will proceed in other areas if there is no confirming vote, he says.

brunswickannews

4 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

Council examines election fairness Resignation of Science Councillor Adrienne Langille also announced at meeting Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

A variety of issues surfaced at the Mar. 9 council meeting, including a discussion of the UNBSU election process and the resignation of Science representative Adrienne Langille.

Renaissance College representative Matt Abbott, who ran for SU President with the United for Change slate, raised some concerns regarding the fairness of SU elections.

Abbott said that in order to “maintain credibility,” elections must be “fair and appear to be fair.”

Members of the SU executive hold

a key to the office of the CRO, and Abbott said that this could appear unfair. He said that the CRO must be “independent and unbiased.”

“The CRO consulted with President Vail, who actively commented on platforms,” Abbott said. He suggested that the bylaws pertaining to both elections and the CRO be investigated.

The office of the CRO, he said, might contain important election material, such as candidates’ platforms.

Business representative Chris Gunter said that complete independence of the CRO from the executive seems “ideal, not realistic.”

President Bethany Vail pointed out that the office of the CRO is also used for a number of other purposes throughout the year. It acts as the office for both Drinksmart and UNB Orientation.

Ideally, Vail said, it would make sense for the CRO to have his or her own office. “We could look into it,” she said.

“Given their positions, they should know not to use the key for

mal intent,” said Councillor Jeremy Hogan.

Senator Shannon Carmont suggested a locked safe for important documents.

The current executive does not have access to the computers of election officials.

In other council news, Science representative Adrienne Langille has resigned from her position. She submitted a short letter to council citing personal reasons for her resignation.

Langille was, until her resignation, a member of the investigative committee currently examining the competence of Alex Corey as a representative councillor.

Council agreed three weeks ago that that the committee should be comprised of five councillors to ensure a balanced viewpoint on the issue.

Langille, however, was not replaced, despite an offer by Coun.

Gunter to sit on the committee.

Coun. Danielle Tudor said that the recommendations of the committee are open for review, but their decision is essentially already made.

The suggestions of the investigative committee will be announced next week at council.

A hair, money and hell raising event this month Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Residents of Neill House and other likeminded individuals are about to shave their heads in the name of the Canadian Cancer Society. Raise a Little Hell is the residence’s final large-scale event of the year to help out their house charity.

The house has raised about $7,000 throughout the academic year.

Plans for the event are still in the works, says house President Janik Petersen.

“The committee is starting now...

They’ll be working on it up until that Friday the 27th and I’ve already put a couple weeks into it,” she says.

Planning for the event requires a good deal of work, with many aspects that people wouldn’t think of, like booking the hairdressers for the head shave.

“We have to put together charity pledge sheets for people, but you can still show up to the event with $50. You don’t need a sheet,” says Petersen.

The minimum accepted donation is $50.

The house president says that the bulk of the work lies in getting the word out about the event.

Traditionally, the house has burned a couch as part of the event; however, this practice was lost last year, when the administration put a halt to the tradition in light of frequent couch burnings on Graham Avenue.

When asked if the burning would

resume this year, Petersen said no.

“Res Life said we had to stop because of environmental issues,” she says. “We won’t be able to burn anything ever again.”

James Brown, Executive Director of Residential Life, Campus and Conference Services, says that “burning couches does have negative environmental effects.”

He says that since couches are made up of polyester fiber, toxic gas is released upon burning. The stuffing is made of a similar poly, which produces dioxins.

“The general release of that stuff is harmful,” says Brown.

Petersen is hopeful in the face of this loss, however. She says residents are currently brainstorming to think of an alternative.

“We’re working on passing the torch,” she says laughingly.

Raise a Little Hell is one of Neill’s biggest fundraising events of the year.

“We started talking to Neill House right when frosh got here,” says Petersen.

In order to participate in the event, one must submit his or her name a couple of weeks prior. This, however, is not absolutely necessary.

“There are usually 10 to 20 randoms on the day of the event,” Petersen says.

Currently, there is only one woman that Petersen knows of who plans to shave her head for cancer on the big day.

One or more women have shaved their head in each of the past few years.

The hell will be raised on Mar. 27 at 5 p.m, in McConnell Hall.

Sign-up sheets will be posted in meal halls for anyone interested in participating. For more information, contact Janik Petersen, Neill House President, at f2o22@unb.ca.

brunswickannews

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142• 5

B.C. court makes medical marijuana more legal Andrew Farris The Martlet

VICTORIA (CUP) – The quasilegal status of Victoria’s compassion clubs may have come a step closer to resolution last week after a B.C. Supreme Court ruling declared parts of Canada’s current medicinal marijuana laws unconstitutional.

The law, which forbids any supplier from distributing medical marijuana to more than one patient, has forced the non-profit clubs into operating illegally, despite the consent of Victoria’s police.

The judge has given Health Canada one year to review the laws and make it easier for purveyors of medicinal marijuana, both inside and outside the law, to keep patients supplied.

The verdict comes as a huge victory, especially for Mat Beren of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society. Beren was caught tending the VICS’ grow-op in Sooke when police raided the facility in 2004 and confiscated 900 plants.

Although Beren was found guilty of growing and trafficking an illegal substance, the prosecution’s demands for a stiff sentence were thrown out.

Instead, the judge completely discharged the conviction, meaning that there will be no penalty or criminal record because Beren had been growing the cannabis for the club.

This ruling brings into light the legal limbo in which many organizations such as VICS operate. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that marijuana, which is effective for easing the suffering of those with chronic conditions, is a constitutional medicine

and the government has a responsibility to provide it to those with a doctor’s prescription.

Beren’s defence made the case that the marijuana provided by the federal government, grown in a Manitoba mineshaft, was of poor quality and obtaining it meant jumping over “unnecessary bureaucratic delays or obstacles.”

Philippe Lucas, the director of VICS, also points out that the federal application process can take weeks or months, time which can be ill-afforded by those who are in enough pain to warrant a medicinal marijuana prescription.

It was because of these regulatory hurdles and the inadequacy of the federal marijuana that the compassion clubs were able to spring into existence – VICS serves more than 850 doctorreferred patients on Vancouver Island.

Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg ruled in Beren’s case that while compassion clubs “enhanced other people’s lives at minimal or no risk to society,” they “did so outside any legal framework.”

The onus to reform the legal framework lies not with the compassion clubs, which operate “openly, and with reasonable safeguards,” but with Health Canada and the Canadian College of Physicians who failed to make medicinal marijuana sufficiently available for chronic sufferers, said Koenigsberg.

Other compassion associations, like the Cannabis Buyers Club, a corollary of UVic’s own Hempology 101 Society, have greeted the likely review of the laws surrounding clubs with enthusiasm.

The Cannabis Buyers Club has undergone six police raids on their headquarters in downtown Victoria, and the operators have spent several nights in jail, with the charges overturned by

Submitted

A British Columbian Supreme Court ruling last week declared parts of Canada’s current medical marijuana laws unconstitutional. courts each time.

Kristen Mann, Cannabis Buyers Club spokesperson, says she’ll welcome what a review could mean for the club, but notes that the system still needs many changes.

“Although we have been accepted by the Victoria Police and the B.C. courts, on a federal level, we are still considered to be distributors of marijuana, which is illegal,” Mann said.

this week in brunswickannews Five-vehicle collision could have been explosive A five-vehicle collision at the Irving station at the corner of Prospect and Regent caused quite a scare last Thursday afternoon. Two vehicles, a black Volvo and a sport utility vehicle, were heading in opposite directions in the parking lot when they collided with each other. The SUV spun forward and smashed into a gasoline pump, knocking the pump over onto another vehicle that was fuelling up. The force of the crash continued to drive the SUV forward and it hit two parked cars in the southbound fuelling bay. There were no fires or explosions and the only injuries were minor ones suffered by a passenger in one of the parked vehicles.

Soldier’s death hits close to home One of three Canadian Soldiers killed last Tuesday in Afghanistan was from Oromocto. Cpl. Kenneth Chad O’Quinn moved to New Brunswick as a child.

O’Quinn attended Oromocto High School and was involved in football and minor hockey. O’Quinn was killed in a roadside bomb attack outside Kandahar last Tuesday evening along with Warrant Officer Dennis Raymond Brown and Cpl. Dany Fortin.

Fredericton native dies in fall from St. FX window Nicholas John Sheehan, an 18 year old student originally from Fredericton, fell out of a fourth floor window of St. FX’s Lane Hall residence on Sunday night. He was killed by the fall.

RCMP do not suspect foul play, but RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Mark Gallagher told the CBC that police are investigating whether or not drugs or alcohol played a part in the first year student’s death. Students and others around campus are being asked if they know anything more about details on the fall. Gallagher said family members will be asked for details as well.

No other details were available as of Monday night’s Brunswickan print deadline.

Maple Leaf recalls hot dogs Maple Leaf Foods launched another recall on Feb. 25. This time it was for 450-gram packages of Shopsy’s Deli Fresh All Beef Frankfurters and Maple Leaf Hot Dogs. The wieners were mistakenly shipped to stores in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. They were supposed to be part of a shipment of 26,000 hot dog packages that were to be quarantined. The company says that the risk to the public is very low. They said that they have contacted all vendors of the hot dogs and that the products have been removed from store shelves. An outbreak of listeriosis that killed at least 20 people last summer was linked to one of Maple Leaf’s Toronto plants, triggering the largest meat recall in Canadian history.

Boa constrictors now available at pet stores Boa constrictors and other snakes that are up to three metres in length will soon be available at some local pet stores. The provincial government recently made changes to the regulations that restrict what animals can be brought into the province for sale. Pet stores pushed for the change because regulations were more restrictive than in other jurisdictions. Pet stores will also be allowed to sell other exotic pets, including lizards and some non-poisonous snakes.

brunswickannews

6 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

Meet your 2009-10 UNBSU executive

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The 2009-2010 UNBSU Executive-elect are as above: Ryan Brideau (VP External), Shannon Carmont (VP Academic), Jon O’Kane (President), Stephanie Lord (VP Academic), and Lisa Solte (VP Finance).

2009-10 UNBSU election winners

President

Jon O’Kane VP External

Ryan Brideau VP Academic

Shannon Carmont VP Finance and Operations

Lisa Solte VP Student Services

Stephanie Lord Arts Reps

Tom Cheney

Kelly Flinn

Karlie Hanoski Business Reps

Erin Rumbolt

Jordan Thompson Computer Science Rep

Ash Furrow

Education Rep

Erin MacLean Engineering Reps

John Thompson O’Neill

Julia Coleman Kinesiology Rep

Alicia Chaisson Law Rep

David Steele Nursing Rep

Elizabeth Stirling Renaissance College Rep

Sam Perlmutter Science Reps

Andrew Baird

Ashley Wile International Student Rep

Marion Fernandes

Senate (Two year term)

Shannon Carmont Senate (One year term)

Oliver Gorman-Asal

Daniel Hambrook

Stephanie Lord

John Thompson O’Neill Board of Governors

Jon O’Kane

Stacey Wilson-Forsberg Valedictorian (Ceremony A)

Brian Beaudette Valedictorian (Ceremony B)

Keely Wallace Valedictorian (Ceremony C)

Katie Roebothan

Dal students removed from job fair for distributing literature Tim Mitchell Dalhousie Gazette

HALIFAX (SPECIAL TO THE BRUNSWICKAN) – Police removed several students from Dalhousie’s Summer Job Fair on the afternoon of Feb. 10 for protesting the presence of Lockheed Martin, a United Statesbased defence contractor and the world’s largest weapons manufacturer.

A group of 21 protestors with the Students Coalition Against War (SCAW) and the Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group (NSPIRG) gathered outside the Cunard Centre – some dressed as weapons inspectors – holding signs that read “No war in our schools” and “Education not occupation.” Dalhousie, Saint Mary’s University and Mount Saint Vincent University organized the job fair.

Jane Kirby, a Dal graduate student and a member of SCAW, was removed by police for distributing leaflets.

“I find it disgusting that they (Lockheed Martin) are allowed here, particularly in our schools,” said Kirby.

“The fact that I was physically removed by police for the simple dissemination of

information is an example of the kind of repressive measures that the university seems willing to take to protect itself and its corporate interests from dissent.”

Police and security guards lined the entrance of the building to prevent protestors from entering. Security personnel were checking bags and identifying student IDs and a mandatory coat check was in place.

Christine Frigault, co-ordinator of the Career Planning Centre at Mount Saint Vincent, said the extra security measures were necessary to protect students and employers.

At least three protestors entered the Cunard Centre and pulled out a large banner reading “War profiteers not welcome” that one student had snuck in under his shirt. Police removed them almost immediately.

“The protestors who were inside did not sneak in, as they would have been screened at the door to ensure they were students from one of the three organizing universities,” said Frigault.

“They were escorted outside the building to continue their protest so as to not interfere with other students’ opportunity to meet with exhibitors, or disrupt the event in any other way.”

Frigault and staff ensured all of the protestors got their jackets once escorted outside in the -8 C weather.

She said Lockheed Martin, which

paid $350 to participate in the job fair, will be allowed back next year despite the protest.

Inside, students approached the Lockheed Martin exhibit, where three young employees were distributing Lockheed Martin calculators, pens, notepads, key chains, hockey pucks and posters to rouse student interest.

Lockheed Martin currently employs 120 engineers in Halifax and wants to fill another 50 or 60 full-time positions as a $2 billion agreement with the federal government for Lockheed Martin to install and maintain a new combat system for Canada’s HalifaxClass frigates.

Some students approached Lockheed Martin’s table and asked how the corporate employees felt about profiting from war and how it could be so deceptive in its presentation at the Summer Job Fair.

Michael Barton, manager of communications and public affairs for Lockheed Martin, replied by pointing to a picture of an F-16 fighter jet on a poster behind the exhibit.

“I don’t think there’s any deception,” said Barton. “We’re a defence contractor.

It’s what we do.”

Barton said the job fair was a success for Lockheed Martin and that the company looks forward to meeting with prospective candidates about job

opportunities.

“The Dalhousie Engineering faculty has a strong reputation and we’re hoping to add more graduates to our growing list of alumni currently working for us,” said Barton. He also said he respects the protestors’ rights to demonstrate peacefully and lawfully.

Lockheed Martin donated $2 million to Dal for research and development last May as part of a larger agreement between the federal government and the corporation. It was necessary for Lockheed Martin to put money back into the Canadian economy in return for the exclusive purchase of 17 Super Hercules aircraft from the U.S. corporation.

Jesse Robertson, a second-year Dal and King’s student who attended the protest, said it’s unethical that Dal accepts money from Lockheed Martin.

“While sometimes any money seems like good money, I think it is essential that students question where that money is coming from,” said Robertson. “As the world’s largest arms manufacturer, Lockheed Martin profits from war and conflict around the world, and not its resolution — that money was not ethically acquired.”

Charles Crosby, communications and marketing manager for Dal, said the funding does not influence academic discussion at the university.

“The bottom line is a dozen people (protestors) cannot dictate where Dalhousie receives its funding from,” said Crosby. “We’re located in a military city and it’s most likely that we’ll be involved in it.”

Crosby said the $2 million funding does not allow Lockheed Martin to influence Dal scientists research, but only that the corporation has a right to the intellectual property produced by the research.

Lockheed Martin was scheduled to recruit at UNB on Feb. 23, but the event was postponed due to inclement weather. The corporation initially planned to visit UNB Jan. 20 but postponed after student demonstrations were planned.

“We just didn’t have enough information provided to us to make an informed decision so we decided to err on the side of caution and reschedule the visit for a time when it makes sense to everyone,” Barton said in a statement to Fredericton’s Daily Gleaner.

Barton said Lockheed Martin enjoyed its experience in Halifax and looks forward to attending future career fairs.

He said he couldn’t say if Lockheed Martin’s donation to Dal was a onetime occurrence.

“We see a long-term relationship with the university,” said Barton.

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 • 7

editor@thebruns.ca

Addressing a crumbling UNB Bring it on home

Nick Howard

Once upon a time a bachelor’s degree was the end of education; anything more than that was just excessive. How this has changed!

A vast number of fast food employees can now legitimately request that the letters “BA” be added to their name tags, and you may have to call your cab driver Doctor. Is education inflation a bad thing?

Maybe, but it’s certainly different. Yet, the only real changes in the education system have been vast increases in enrolment and massive tuition hikes.

This means classes with innumerable

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

Contributors Zaheer Abbas, Stephanie Allen, Ashley Bursey, Chris Cameron, Kathryn Chase, Sandy Chase, Alison Clack, Maggie DeWolfe, Sarah Farquhar, Josh Fleck, Nick Howard, Simon Leslie, Brandon MacNeil, Colin McPhail, Cameron Mitchell, Angus Morrison, Nick Ouellette, Brian Savoie, Hilary Paige Smith, Ysabelle Vautour & Alex Wickwire.

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.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

A $25 “SUB Fee” proposed last semester is one example of options UNB can take to afford working on its deferred maintenance list, unless government funding can come sooner. possible moment.

Worse than that, it’s unknown when all of the money will reach UNB, meaning planned projects will have to wait until the funding actually reaches the school’s bank account.

While Murray has said that provincial funding is moving smoothly, UNB has not received any official criteria regarding federal funding. While it is still in the early days of the funding’s allocation, vague details like this could also be a hindrance to UNB’s many potential infrastructure maintenance projects.

In a February interview with the Brunswickan, federal NDP leader Jack Layton also noted that details are far too unclear regarding the infrastructure funding.

“Are they going to find a way to make the money move quickly, or are they going to put a lot of conditions in front of it?,” he asked.

There is some light shed on the details, though, according to Murray: “We have had discussion with provincial officials on our priorities as they have been working with federal officials on all infrastructure funding that may flow to N.B. more broadly,” he said in an email to the Brunswickan last week.

Are those enough details, though?

By the time UNB gets its hoped $50 million in funding, how much will the current figure of $135 million for necessary repairs have grown?

In a province that’s got an action plan for post-secondary education, one can only hope they work more quickly to make action happen – otherwise, UNB and other universities will continue to crumble.

Some projects are already in the planning process, though Murray says that the university can’t disclose what they might be until they receive a go-

ahead from the province. With luck, that go-ahead will come soon – so that by the time they’re done, another $50 million of repairs won’t be needed.

Tuition has skyrocketed since the early 1990s as government funding schemes have gone largely ignored, leaving the students to make up for the difference.

The $2 billion in infrastructure funding from the federal government is a sign that universities are returning to the budget spotlight. It could be a return to more healthy government funding for the future – or it could be too little, too late.

Unfortunately, the ceiling in parliament probably won’t swell up and explode anytime soon, so the government’s attention might not last very long.

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

Just one in a million The Opinionator

Editorial Board

Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher

Josh O’Kane

When I was a proctor in Mackenzie House, a ceiling tile almost exploded in the lounge on a rainy day, narrowly avoiding damaging the house’s pool table. Somehow, rain had entered the building’s structure and caused the tile to swell up with water.

The tile was in the basement lounge, a floor down from the roof of the building.

How water managed to infiltrate the structure and pool in a tile in the middle of the room one floor from the roof is beyond me, but it illustrates a major point – UNB’s buildings and infrastructure need updating, and badly.

Without dedicated funding, two recently proposed solutions to the infrastructure problem have been to put off the repairs or to charge students for them.

In the case of maintaining the SUB, those were the two options that students were almost asked to choose between last fall.

Luckily, the past few months have treated Canadian universities – including UNB – well in terms of infrastructure funding. Sixty million dollars of provincial funding was allocated for university infrastructure maintenance last fall, and $1.4 billion in federal funding was allocated in January as well.

UNB is looking to get a combined $50 million of that, said Dan Murray, UNB VP Finance and Corporate Services, in a February interview with the Brunswickan.

Fifty million dollars isn’t bad, until you consider that UNB has an estimated $135 million in deferred maintenance.

So even though some infrastructure projects could begin this upcoming summer, there will still be maintenance indefinitely deferred until the last

the brunswickan

bankrupt students and degrees that are supposed to teach them “how to think”.

Two things are very wrong with the commonly-held idea that bachelor degrees are supposed to teach students how to think. First, the idea assumes that after 12 years of formal education, students’ brains are as full as their bank accounts. Second, it assumes that there is a specific model of thinking that is appropriate for the millions of students attending university.

I know I am not the only one concerned that these are terrible assumptions on which to base the education of a populous. I am also not the only one writing about it. Heather Mallick wrote an opinion piece for the CBC recently decrying the awful state of financial and educational “student abuse” in universities. Her solution is to thin out the ranks. She tells us to make tuition free, so universities would no longer be driven by profits to cram in as many paying customers (i.e. students) as they can.

Universities would choose only those

students with the greatest chance of success. Mallick thinks this would restore the lustre of the university degree while ensuring that students are not burdened with debt. I agree, sort of.

There needs to be a rethinking of what defines a university degree. Over a period of time, and in what looks strikingly like a clever marketing ploy, a university degree became a necessity for obtaining a job. During the same time a university degree was locked in as something done over four years. It all seems so arbitrary, though I’m sure government accountants and universities saw dollar signs at the time.

University degrees should be something different from crafts and trades. Mallick provides the example of journalism. Journalism is not a university degree, it is a craft – one which requires no less skill than engineering, but which requires very different knowledge and different methods to learn said knowledge. Universities are places of academic learning, where books, lectures and debates rule. Crafts can be efficiently learned through practice

and apprenticeship, much like trades.

Where Mallick might say that the two are mutually exclusive is where I take my leave.

Yes, tuition fees should be abolished.

No, four year degrees should not be mandatory. But I do believe that a young journalist-in-waiting might benefit from a year of a liberal arts degree before going to study his or her craft. Why should that year not be recognized, simply because it didn’t result in a full Bachelor’s degree which would be of limited use to a journalist?

The combination of degrees, crafts and trades is essential to the renaissance of holistic education. This would, of course, require an education system that recognizes that one method of learning and one method of thinking is simply not appropriate for millions of students.

We come to you at the age of 18 (give or take) with fully formed brains and partially formed egos. After 12 years of school we have a rough idea of how we learn best. Let us choose.

Nick Howard can be reached at nphoward@live.com.

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by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a non-profit, independent body.

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

We publish weekly during the academic year with a circulation of 6,000.

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.

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

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brunswickanopinion

8 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

letters to the editor.

UNB needs to clear the dangerous snow piles on campus Dear Editor, Since moving into the Suite Style Residence, I have had issues with the lack of safety that is involved when crossing the road towards the SUB. I know that with all crosswalks, it is understood that there are dangers that are in play when deciding to cross the road. My issue is with the cleanup crew here at UNB that have made the crosswalk an even more dangerous “safe” way to cross the road.

As we all know, the storm that has passed before the reading week left us with an amazing 48 cm of snow, and the cleanup operation must have been immense. Yet, how difficult must it be to make sure that pedestrians’ and drivers’ visions are not blocked by an eight-foot pile of snow at the edge of a crosswalk?

Over a two day period before the reading week, I witnessed people almost get hit by speeding cars, myself included. It is bad enough that people drive faster than the recommended 40 km/h along this section of road, but it is even worse when we have no way of knowing if a car is coming unless we nearly walk onto the street.

The crosswalk that I speak of is the crosswalk right across from the Suite Style Residence, and the SUB Parking Lot. Anyone who has walked from the SUB towards Suite Style Residence knows the dangers that have amassed because of the height of the snow. One has to literally walk onto the road, and cars have no way of seeing any pedestrians on the right hand side when coming up the road.

What has happened now is pedestrians are guessing when the right time is to cross, while leaving drivers blind to the potential pedestrians that may come out of nowhere in an attempt to safely cross the road.

All I ask for is to have maybe two feet of snow cleared off of this section, and I understand that it is difficult to clean the snow. Perhaps, instead of cleaning up a relatively clear residence parking lot at 12 AM, maybe one should look at all dangerous spots on campus and clear those sections first, before we have a dead pedestrian on our hands.

Sincerely, Jason LeBlanc

Election SU fee bylaw makes student politics disheartening Dear Editor: Student politics, like other political endeavors, are often instructive, valuable and inspiring; however, similar to their larger counterparts, they are occasionally disheartening or even asinine.

In a recent SU decision, David Rabinovitch has been disqualified from candidacy in the current election for not having paid his SU fees earlier this academic year. According to the Chief Appeals Officer, Chris Samuel, their ruling in this matter is final and cannot be revisited.

This decision is based on a bylaw which, stated simply, says that an individual may not run for SU office without being a SU member by virtue of having paid their SU fees.

This bylaw is essentially correct and, in some cases, may be justifiably enforced. It makes very clear sense that a candidate for SU office should be an SU member. However, it is not correct to enforce this bylaw in such a manner that does not first give an individual the opportunity to correct this minor infraction.

In most cases, I support the following of rules to the letter. This puts necessary onus on law makers to ensure that the wordings of their laws are clear and support the spirit of their laws. In denying Rabinovitch his candidacy in this matter we have a clear example of the enforcement of a law contradicting the spirit behind its creation.

The intention of the relevant bylaw is not to bar candidates from running for not having paid a small sum of money by a certain date, but rather to ensure that candidates are members of the SU. Rabinovitch claims, that for reasons unbeknownst to him, a banking error resulted in him inadvertently not paying his SU fees.

I have not read the relevant bylaw and,

consequently, I am unaware of its specifications.

However, it appears it may allow for a decision by the CRO that would provide Rabinovitch the opportunity to pay his SU fees and remain a candidate in this election. If it does allow this ruling it is in the interest of justice and sound judgment that the original ruling be revisited and changed. If, after having been given this opportunity, Rabinovitch does not pay his fees then it would be a justifiable decision to bar him from running for SU office.

If this mistake is not corrected and David Rabinovitch is not given the opportunity to remain a candidate in the current election I would suggest that the relevancy and character of the SU bylaws and the actions of current SU officials are more asinine and laughable than they are valuable and inspiring. However, they will remain instructive.

Yet, in this case the lesson to be learned is not a positive one.

Matthew MacLean

Resident thanks UNB engineering student Dear Editor, An honest engineering student found my son’s wallet two weeks ago, and walked to our house to return it to my son.

I just would like to publicly thank him for being so honest. I am glad there are still some honest students out there.

A huge thank you to Colin T. from Halifax.

Thank you Brunswickan.

C. Smith

UNB and STU elections structured unfairly Dear Editor, The recent student union elections at STU and UNB have offered students of both universities excellent lessons on how to run unfair elections.

For its part, UNB made the decision to use unverifiable online voting—a system that might be compared in fairness to the infamous scandals that have occurred in American Presidential elections ever since the implementation of electronic voting machines. Not only are the results completely unverifiable, online voting also encourages the campaign tactic of going through residences door to door (laptop in hand) and asking students, who have not taken the time to review a single platform or walked a few blocks to a polling station, to vote.

STU, on the other hand, had paper ballots, but made up for this improvement by printing ballots that cropped a portion of presidential candidate Craig Mazerolle’s name. Despite this serious irregularity, he still managed to only lose the election by a slim margin. It is highly probable that we would have seen different election results had this error been corrected.

As president of Fair Vote NB, I strongly encourage both universities to review their electoral processes. Elections must be free and transparent, and elections results must be verifiable. Both UNB and STU’s recent student union elections failed miserably on both counts. Clearly printed paper ballots and monitored polling stations would fulfill the minimum criteria for free and fair elections.

For more information about fair voting, visit www. fairvote.ca. To join Fair Vote NB, e-mail nbchapter@ fairvote.ca or gznzk@stu.ca.

Sincerely, Courtney Mills

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

the following Brunswickan editorial board positions are open to all UNB students for application until March 17 at 5 p.m.: Managing Editor, Online Editor Send your cover letter, resume and relevant clippings to editor@thebruns.ca.

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 • 9

Give me freedom, or give me – college?

Danielle Webb

CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief

ANTIGONISH (CUP) – While wandering around the Eaton Centre in Toronto this winter, I paid a visit to Santa Claus. When posed with the quintessential holiday question: “What do you want for Christmas?” I asked Santa to bring me a big-girl job – one that paid more than minimum wage and would last longer than a year.

Christmas morning came and went, and my dream job wasn’t wrapped in a box with a pretty green bow under the tree. Now in the home stretch of my degree, I’m still facing graduation without secure employment waiting at the finish line.

With economic uncertainty and reports of companies going under or posting deficits – each translating into smaller hiring budgets – a lot of my fellow soon-to-be-university-graduates are facing similar situations.

Let’s face it: Jobs are hard to come by,

and they’ll be hard to come by for a while.

Most economists are not predicting a positive spike to the economy until mid2010.

While I try not to succumb to the goback-to-school-while-waiting-for-a-job back-up plan, others are viewing further education as a viable way to weather the economic storm.

It’s not traditional academic programs that are seeing the enrolment boost; it’s college programs that promise students direct routes to the job market upon graduation.

Catchy slogans for technical programs adorn billboards across the country. For example, advertisements for George Brown College in Toronto include the slogan: “George Brown gets you the job,” claiming that nine out of 10 graduates are employed within six months of graduation. The college offers programs like nursing, information technology, culinary arts, and graphic design – all fields that are currently in desperate need of employees.

Schools like Humber College and Conestoga College, both in Ontario,

are seeing applications for 2009-2010 increase by 15-17 per cent.

In Atlantic Canada, the drought in skilled trades like carpentry and electrical work are so dire that even some of the schools are having trouble filling teaching positions.

Economic downturn or not, some people are always guaranteed work.

But, as more of us fresh university grads consider college to actually gain some real-world work experience, one

result also seems inevitable.

The whole convoluted and tuitionfilled process is breeding an overqualified workforce that will be ready for the picking in two or three years. It will undoubtedly leave the job market more competitive than it is now, with more graduates with more skills looking for jobs.

Maybe I should go back to school.

Sooner or later, my humble history undergraduate degree will become as common as a high school diploma, and

I’ll still be looking for a job with few skills backed up by an institution’s certificate.

On the other hand, for the first time, I don’t have my future planned out. I don’t know what my next step will be, but one thing is certain: The possibilities are endless. So for the first time, I plan to leap head-first into the job market and prove myself based on my skills and the strength of my character.

I’m kind of excited to see what that will bring.

brunswickanopinion

10 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

SU ad

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 • 11

GSA needs more Beware the Ides student participation of March Student Beat Carson Butts

The UNB Graduate Student Association represents graduates at the departmental level, to Faculty and UNB Administration, and to Municipal, Provincial and National Governments – wherever you need us.

But we rely on student participation.

We need every graduate program to appoint or elect Councillors and Alternates who will attend the GSA Council Meeting every month. These Council Meetings require a minimum number of Councillors in attendance (quorum) in order to constitutionally proceed and pass proposals and motions to take action.

There are plenty of Councillor positions to make quorum and make valuable, much-needed progress; however, we have become slack and our actively participating numbers are dwindling.

The GSA Executive is also in dire need of grad student participation. We have only three of nine positions filled.

Allow me to explain once and for all that no one VP position is too much commitment for a grad student of any program to take on. Most of the empty positions require six hours per week on average. Two or three of those hours will be set meeting times, the remainder is your own commitment during the week. We need grad students from all departments to take active part. This is an opportunity to show what your program is all about and display your skills as leaders.

The six empty VP positions are placing incredible strain on the three existing Executive members who must fulfill their own responsibilities and also cover as much of the rest as is manageable. Only with nine executives can we guarantee that duties do not become time gobblers and overly stressful. The positions are in fact enjoyable and indispensable, and the experience is one of a kind.

Some of the things we are scrambling to set up despite being under-staffed include setting up a Universal Bus Pass referendum, writing the new budget, evaluating our health and dental plan, revising and tightening up our constitution and by-laws, creating contracts for our staff, and managing a smooth transition from the recently past to the new Executive Committee. We need your help now more than ever.

The GSA operates so that issues and concerns raised by any and all graduate students are given the attention of

UNB’s graduate student body as a whole through democratic GSA representation.

We actively seek constitutionally lawful solutions that benefit and assist not only the students of the department where an issue or concern originates, but also students of all departments and campuses of UNB. We all learn and grow together. We are students working for students. We have strength in numbers – the adage of our national Canadian Federation of Students.

I encourage you all and hope that you will consider taking an active role in the GSA in whatever capacity you are able; any time you can give us is greatly appreciated and very useful. Council meetings are open to everyone, as is the Grad House and all of its services.

Email the GSA President or any VP or Councillor for information on how you can take part.

I recently heard Maude Barlow, a lifelong activist, say that such active participation in something larger than yourself keeps you healthy in body and mind; your focus on this larger purpose supports you in turn when your personal life and work are giving you trouble or doubt. I’ve noticed this myself and couldn’t agree more.

Carson Butts is the Past Executive Advisor for the Graduate Student Association.

Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB’s student leaders examining issues pertinent to students. The GSA can be reached at gsa@unb.ca.

Sincerely, Sarah May Sarah Farquhar

The Ides of March are upon us.

My high school math teacher always used to warn us about the Ides, which is supposed to bring bad luck. Historically, the Ides (or the 15th of March) represents the day Julius Caesar was murdered. A seer warned him to “Beware the Ides of March,” but he ignored her, and was consequentially stabbed 23 times by those he thought were his friends.

And you thought March was about leprechauns and mini eggs.

I don’t know about bad luck, but I certainly feel as though my Science midterms are assassinating me. In fact, I think in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar my mother could have played the seer.

“Beware the midterms of Biology,” she said, but did I heed her warning?

No.

She also warned me about the dangers of tubing this past March break, when myself and some of my braver friends decided to give it a go.

(Note: for those not familiar with tubing, this is an activity similar to sledding, only on an inflatable tube and with the added fun of the risk of hurtling to your death.)

At the top of the hill (several panic attacks later) I was paid $20 by my friend James to actually go down the hill, which resulted in me bailing out of the tube and sliding what felt like a kilometer with nothing to keep me sane but cursing at the top of my lungs.

But I digress.

March 15th has coincidentally (or not) been the date of many not-sonice events. March 15th, 1990: Iraq executes a journalist from London.

March 15, 1976: A UK subway driver is shot after a terrorist detonates a bomb on his train. March 15, 1877: The first ever cricket match.

The evidence is irrefutable.

I’m no seer, but I’d like to make a prediction for your March 15. Beware not the Ides of March, but instead three days after. It will be then that you nurse a St. Paddy’s hangover.

Sarah Farquhar can be reached at h38w1@unb.ca and is open to comments and/or suggestions but not stalkers or pornographic emails.

iewpoint V

brunswickanopinion

12 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

the brunswickan.

Question: What are your thoughts on the SU election results?

“Can’t say I know the results.”

Ashley Praught

“I voted for Jon.” Chris Marshall

“There was an election?”

Cody Jack

“It was good because the elected representatives have more experience.”

Johnathon Fortune

“I don’t really know the results.”

Katelyn Fitzhebert

“It’s good.”

Lynn MacKinnon

“It will be a good year as Jon O’Kane has experience.”

Robyn Colford

“It’s great’.”

Sara Ross

“Didn’t pay that much attention.”

Stanley Barnaby

“I was pleased with the results.”

Veronica Vidalin

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 •13

Canadian sensations in this great city

Submitted

The Weakerthans are no stranger to UNB. Forming in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, they’re hitting the Student Union Building on Mar. 23 with Constantines.

Alison Clack The Brunswickan The Brunswickan recently spoke to Weakerthans guitarist Stephen Carroll about their upcoming tour, music nominations, and their hometown, Winnipeg, MB. The Brunswickan: How did you guys first get together?

Stephen Carroll: John Samson, the singer, and Jason Tait, the drummer, put the together band in 1997. John had a bunch of songs that he’d been working on and he wanted to make an album. He got together with Jason who recommended a bass player and they created the album which became Fallow. I joined the band a year later – the day the album was released, basically. I’ve known John since we were teenagers. I went to high school with him.

B: Did you have any interest in playing in a band in high school?

SC: Oh yeah! We had a high school band called Dead Hercules.

B: How was playing in that band?

SC: It was really fun. We played lots of shows. We got to play shows in bars before we were of-age and all that kind of stuff. It was good rock and roll heritage.

B: What kinds of music have affected your band’s style/sound?

SC: I guess we’re directed in a lot of ways by everyone’s interest. There’s a consensus that is agreed upon as to how exactly we should apply our all of our musical interests. So, John loves poetry and music driven by songwriters. I love hard rock and I also grew up with folk music and punk rock. Then Jason comes with hard rock, reggae, and punk rock. Greg our bass player listens to everything. When we get together it’s sort of a mishmash of that – whatever we can get to.

B: You guys reference Winnipeg quite a bit in your songs, how do you feel about the city?

SC: We love it a lot. It’s our home; it’s the place that shaped us and continues to define us.

B: Has the city had an impact on your music?

SC: For sure. The city has a set of mentors and

peers that have gone and blazed trails ahead of us. You kind of look at them and how they did it and you find your own way.

B: How did it feel to be nominated for the Polaris music prize this past summer?

SC: It was really great. I was happy to see that some French bands were nominated for the prize. It seems like for the first time that it was a national music prize – not just a prize for English Canada.

B: Do award nominations mean much for your band?

SC: Personally it doesn’t change anything but it makes us more confident. The recognition is what’s most useful.

B: Your band has toured with Constantines before, what was that like?

SC: They’re one of my favourite rock bands ever. I love watching them play – they’re really inspirational. I really love their music and their writing. They always raise the bar for us – it’s something we try to meet.

They always challenge us; we always try to challenge them. We feel we have a good connection with them.

B: What do you like about touring with them?

SC: The challenge every night. Trying to meet the standards that they perform with. They come from very different approach entirely and it helps us to see that. The fact that they do things so differently is compelling and I think it helps us when we play – it helps form ideas for our other works.

B: Is there anything you’re looking forward to on this tour?

SC: I’m looking forward to the whole experience of seeing the country in such a snapshot of time. Seeing the country in two months – going from coast to coast and all the way up to Whitehorse is going to be a oncein-a lifetime kind of journey. We’ve done a similar tour before that was from Cape Breton to Vancouver Island but now we’re doing St. John’s to Vancouver Island to Whitehorse – imagine doing a vacation like that.

We’re really looking forward to coming to New Brunswick. New Brunswick reminds me a lot of Manitoba.

B: How so?

SC: Because it’s so quiet, isolated, and it does its own thing.

Submitted

Guelph-born Constantines, who debuted on indie label Arts & Crafts in 2008, have soared to popularity in the Canadian music scene since forming in 1999.

Constantines vocalist/guitarist, Steve Lambke, discusses his band’s music and touring with the Weakerthans.

The Brunswickan: You have a very interesting and somewhat eclectic sound; who would you say your influences are?

Steve Lambke: I would say we have lots of influences. Rock and roll in all its various forms – independent rock music, country rock music.

I think at this point we’ve put out a bunch of records and it’s hard to pinpoint influences because everyone’s been bringing their own thing to the table. Being in a band for a long time affects the records as much as anything else.

B: What does each member of the band bring in terms of style and musical influences?

SL: The guys in the band are really talented and everyone brings different things to the band.

Bands work on chemistry so it’s hard to piece out different things that each guy does because it’s all about what can happen together.

B: You’ve done some pretty extensive touring over the years. What’s it like to tour across Canada?

SL: I generally really, really like it. It’s really fun.

The drives are really long sometimes but it’s really beautiful. Canada is a big and beautiful country.

Just growing up in Canada and then getting to see the whole country by playing music is pretty amazing.

B: Does touring affect the band’s sound at all?

SL: For sure. You get to meet different musicians and see what they’re doing. Of course you get inspired by that. There’s regional differences.

B: Any interesting touring stories? Maybe any ones from the Maritimes?

SL: I do not know whether I have any interesting stories but we love playing in the Maritimes. We’ve played there quite a lot but this is going to be the first time there with our new record.

B: You’ve toured with the Weakerthans before, what’s it like to tour with them?

SL: It’s great. They are super nice guys and obviously an amazing band. We’ve toured with them in the States too. I’m really looking forward to this tour because it’s like getting back together with old friends. It’s like going on a big journey.

Touring is always way more fun when you’re playing with bands and hanging out with people that you really like. That’s definitely what those guys are like for me - they’re just people that I love and I love their band. It’s just really inspiring to play every night and get to go watch them.

B: How do you think this tour will compare to your first together?

SL: I think it’s going to have a lot of similarities but each day comes with its own differences in life – and I’m sure this is going to be the same. I know the music is going to be really good but I do not know what’s going to happen – anything could happen!

this week in brunswickanarts Artist social networking at the Garrison District Feelsgood.ca, a social network targeted at the fusion of artists and musicians alike, is hosting a “Help Darfur” show at the Garrison District ale house on Mar. 16. Several members of Feelsgood.ca have donated artwork to help promote the knowledge of the current situation in Darfur. For more information, visit www.feelsgood.ca.

Screenshot

FeelsGood.ca, a social networking site for artists and musicians in the area, turns one this spring.

48 Hours of Film This month marks the first ever 48 Hour Film Festival in Fredericton. The goal is for a team of 10 individuals to write, shoot and edit a film of 10 minutes or less within 48 hours. Teams are responsible for submitting an inspiration package, $25 and their application form by Monday March 16, 2009. All submitted films will be publicly screened on Tuesday, Mar. 24. For more information, visit http://www.meetup.com/48-hour-film/.

Music on the Hill presents Julien LeBlanc and Marc Djokic If you’re looking for a relaxing atmosphere filled with beautiful instrumental music, you need not search any further than right on here on campus at Memorial Hall. On Mar. 17,Violinist Marc Djokic and pianist Julien LeBlanc will perform an evening of chamber music at 8 p.m. Tickets are $23 for adults, $21 for seniors, and $7 for students. For more information, email moth@unb.ca or call 457-2233.

brunswickanarts

14 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

Creatures of habit

From choice of music to eating routines, studying is what these students do best

Hagerman’s hoary horoscopes Aries

Taurus

(March 21st - April 19th)

(April 20th - May 20th)

You will find yourself feeling a little older this week, dear Aries. Lately, it feels like you’ve been getting older every day. Then you’ll snap out of your paranoia and remember that you’re the Highlander, and are thus immortal and probably Scottish.

Your lucky Ancient Old One is Cthulhu.

Kathryn Chase / The Brunswickan

It’s clear that students engage in both extremes of the procrastination scale, with major differences in study habits and routines across the board. is actually a study aid. How? Pressure to complete an assignment at the last minute seems to both motivate and inspire students such as Taylor.

Another procrastinator stresses the importance of group work: “I find that the only way for me to study or do work is to work as a group, as working alone leaves me unmotivated and unproductive. Most of my assignments are completed the night before they are due, although this often results in being up into the wee hours of the morning,” says Jean-Guy Guindon, a 1st year BScEChe student.

In contrast, Robyn Christensen (1st year BA/BSc) has a very antiprocrastination approach to studying: “If I really need to study intensely for an exam or midterm I go to the library for hours on end. To make the information stick in my head I usually need to rewrite all my notes and will often draw little diagrams and things to go along with

up her energy up and makes studying more worthwhile. Geneva McSheffery (1st Year BAS) is quite the opposite and Sarah Farquhar prefers to listen to less distracting music, The Brunswickan such as Simon and Garfunkel, Mozart and Bach. Both girls expressed their concern for noise level, or, as Geneva so Ever rocked out to Jimmy Rankin eloquently put it, “I hate it when there’s while doing a prelab? Do you find that a bunch of people at the HIL giggling you can only accomplish any kind of and whispering with friends in the quiet work when wearing comfy clothes? study areas. This really pisses me off. On Studies show that the music we listen to, more than one occasion, I’ve wanted to as well as the environments we choose, shove someone’s phone up their ass as can have a real effect on our work. We all well.” have our quirky little study requirements Nikita Smith (1st year, BA) says that must be fulfilled, but some of us that she will do homework and other haven’t found our groove. If you’re studying that requires practice by suffering from a low GPA and want herself, but has a different approach to some advice from successful students, work when it comes to understanding you may find what some of them have concepts: to say rather surprising.

“I find it helps to talk to people about Ariel Taylor is a first year student the subject or associate the material with studying science and arts. something else in my life. An odd thing “My study habits are practically I’ve found that works really well is taking non-existent. I usually end up putting my material things off to the and explaining last minute then “I know procrastination is not it to someone cramming for a a great idea, but it is a habit i who has no test or midterm. what I’m This does not am unwilling to break because i clue talking about, often apply to the more writing essays or enjoy it so much” they don’t papers, as they - Ariel Taylor understand the require some better – because foret hought and research. Using this method, I the notes. Sometimes I will even create the more in depth you have to get with have been able to maintain straight a test for myself from the material I’m your topic. All the things you can’t explain, give a reason for, or say them in A’s throughout my school years, and studying.”

Christensen also says that her more detail – you should study.” currently have a 4.2 GPA in university. I Other UNB students have reported know procrastination is not a great idea, studying preferences vary according to but it is a habit I am unwilling to break subject. Reading, memorization and such odd study habits as needing a glass because I enjoy it so much. In the few essay writing are all activities that she of water at their side constantly (frequent instances that I do study, I simply read must do in seclusion, while calculus and bathroom trips are also a break from staring my text or notes, rewriting major points chemistry are easily focused on in loud at the computer screen) and snacking to alleviate boredom. Whatever your study on a piece of paper, in silence. Music is environments.

Various students expressed the key habit groove, the Brunswickan will always distracting to me, not relaxing.”

Procrastination around midterms on role music plays in their success. Margot be here when you need to read something our campus is as abundant as empty roll Smith (1st year BSc) listens to mostly other than English Lit’s latest Margaret up the rim coffee cups- but to some it rap and rock saying it helps her keep Atwood assignment.

Spectrum series presents a free German screening Sommersturm (Summer Storm), a film by director Marco Kreuzpaintner, will be screening at Tilley Hall 303 on Mar. 13. Show time is 7 p.m. and features a special introduction by Dr. Chris Lorey. The film details the emotional confusion of young people at the threshold of adulthood. Casting includes award-winning young Robert Stadlober (Best Leading Actor at the Montreal Film Festival, 2001).

You will start to think that your hair is getting lighter this week, dear Taurus. Fortunately, you will soon realize that your hair is the same colour, but your face (and only your face) has been getting darker. Now you should wonder why your face is randomly darkening. Your lucky biblical person is Methuselah.

Gemini

Cancer

(May 21st - June 21st)

(June 22nd- July 22nd) The gum you left under your desk at the beginning of the year will transform into something amazing this week, dear Cancer. Years of piling pieces of gum on top of each other will result in the creation of a stalactite Your lucky Oscar Wilde novel is The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Leo

Virgo

(July 23rd - August 22nd)

(August 23rd - September 22nd)

The constant droning of your professor’s voice will be very tiresome this week, dear Gemini. You will awake from your lecture-inspired coma to discover that your professor is actually a bee. You have only one decision: take the honey and run! Your lucky Tom Cruise movie is Legend.

Feeling your joints creaking lately, dear Leo? It’s not due to aging, it’s due to your forgetting to apply oil to your joints. If you forget to continuously apply your oil, you’ll rust up!

Don’t worry, you definitely have a heart. Your lucky personification of a season is Old Man Winter.

You will notice the colours in the world becoming increasingly grey lately, dear Virgo. You’re not going crazy, it’s because you’re in the Matrix. Actually, scratch that, you are crazy. Your lucky Randy Newman album is Good Old Boys.

Libra

Scorpio

(September 23rd - October 23rd)

(October 24th - November 22nd)

You will hear some amazing stories around the campfire this week, dear Libra. However, because of all the snow outside, the fire will melt all of the snow, extinguishing your fire.

Boo-urns. Your lucky English is Old English.

You will win the award for being the World’s Oldest Person this week, dear Scorpio. Unfortunately, you are not actually the world’s oldest person. Fortunately, you will keep the award and be complemented on how good you look! Your lucky stage of canonization is “Venerable.”

Sagittarius

Capricorn

(November 23rd - December 21st)

(December 22nd - January 20th)

You will notice considerably more grey hairs than usual this week, dear Sagittarius. Luckily, they will all be from your grey cat, who is shedding excessively. His name is Sheddy.

Your lucky Walt Disney animators were the Nine Old Men.

You will notice something especially unusual this week, dear Capricorn.

Everyone will begin to revere you and gaze longingly at your legs.

Little do you know, your legs have been replaced with elephant legs.

Your lucky town in Essex, England is Grays.

Aquarius

Pisces

(January 21st - February 18th)

(February 19th - March 20th)

A debate will occur between you and your friends this week, dear Aquarius.

Remember to keep in mind that whether you spell the word “old” or “olde,” it’s still not appropriate to get into fistfights. Your lucky Aretha Franklin song is “Respect.”

Your master painting skills will come into the limelight this week, dear Pisces. Through your deft applications of black and white colours, you will create the most radiant shade of grey that the world has ever seen. Your accolades will pile to your neighbour’s ceiling! Your lucky wrestler is Mike Awesome.

this week in brunswickanfilm Reading at the film series This week’s Monday Night Film Series on Mar. 16 features Stephen Daldry’s The Reader at Tilley Hall. Screening is at 8 p.m., in the usual room 103. The Reader follows the story of a teenager in post-World War II who becomes ill before being attended to by a complete stranger. Their relationship quickly develops into a secretive affair that flourishes through their deep physical connection and shared enthusiasm for such literary works as The Odyssey and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

brunswickanarts

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 • 15

Are you Jimi Hendrix experienced?

Annual India Nite event a success

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

This year’s annual India Nite, held at the Student Union Building on Mar. 7, was a visible success. Indo-Canadian cuisine and activities were held throughout the atrium for over 400 attendees.

Flickr Creative Commons

Classic Albums Live presents Jimi Hendrix’s first album Are You Experienced at the Fredericton Playhouse on Mar. 11.

Alison Clack The Brunswickan Chances are that you have heard at least one of the songs off of Jimi Hendrix’s classic album Are You Experienced, but have you had the chance to hear it live?

No, the guitar legend has not come back from the dead to take the stage again. Instead, The Playhouse will be hosting a performance tonight of the classic album that is sure to rival the real Jimi Hendrix experience.

Hendrix’s debut album Are You Experienced was a powerhouse of chart topping hits that have impacted both movies and music over the years.

The original North American recording contained some of Hendrix’s biggest hits including: “Foxy Lady,” “Fire,” “Purple Haze,” and “Hey Joe.” With the popularity of this album and Hendrix’s talent on guitar, many other musicians of the days took note.

Some artists were said to be scared of what he could do. Pete Townsend and Eric Clapton were allegedly worried that Hendrix would steal their popularity.

Other artists admired his innovations and applauded his work. Famous jazz

artist, Miles Davis, compared Hendrix’s skill on the guitar to John Coltrane’s skills playing jazz saxophone. Davis also frequently asked the guitarists in his bands to emulate Hendrix’s style.

His songs have also been covered by dozens of other influential artists over the years including The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ozzy Osbourne.

The attention surrounding Hendrix’s death spoke volumes about his popularity and talent. He is remembered as one of the three tragic deaths of musicians in 1970, along with other greats Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison.

Although he died at the young age of 27, Hendrix continues to influence music and gain commendations even today.

Hendrix has ranked in the top echelons of dozens of both expert and popular-vote lists.

He has six solos on the readervoted list, “100 greatest guitar solos” in Guitar World magazine. Hendrix was also ranked third twice in VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock” and “100 Best Pop Artists of All Time.” Hendrix’s gift on guitar was acknowledged by Rolling Stone when he was ranked number one on their “Top Guitarists of All Time” list.

He has been inducted into the

American and UK versions of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

It is not hard to understand why Classic Albums Live would choose to present one of his albums. The series has also put on dozens of other shows at The Playhouse for other influential artists such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

Classic Albums Live is a group that was formed in 2003 and is based out of Toronto. The series has performed hundreds of shows across Canada and the United States.

While most of their shows feature one classic album they have also performed more dramatic presentations of the albums. One such performance was a thirteen-hour concert in Toronto where the entirety of the Beatles catalogue – 213 songs – was covered.

The Playhouse has won the ECMA award for Venue of the Year three times – winning the third only a few weeks ago in Corner Brook, N.L. The Classic Albums Live showing of Are You Experienced is tonight, Wednesday, Mar. 11, at the Playhouse.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Regular student tickets are $24; however, the show is Student Rush friendly.

brunswickanarts

16 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

Now you can be a “G” on your XBOX The Final Score Dan Hagerman & Angus Morrison 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand: Dan’s Take When I heard that 50 Cent was releasing another video game, I knew that I had to play it. This was done not out of respect for 50’s first game, the inappropriately titled and horribly designed 50 Cent: Bulletproof, but rather out of sheer masochism. I paid real, honest money to play a game that I knew I was going to hate.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand has all of the makings of a game that should fail miserably for a surplus of reasons.

For starters, it’s a licensed game. For another, this license is 50 Cent. That’s pretty much all you need to ensure epic failure.

The story begins painfully enough: Fiddy and some of his G-Unit crew have just finished a concert in a nondescript Middle Eastern country. They immediately storm into the manager’s office – toting shotguns and bullet-proof vests, no less – and Fiddy demands a $10 million cheque. Apparently, Fiddy’s payment has been stolen or something, which makes Fiddy very mad. In return, he’s offered a priceless diamondencrusted skull. Fiddy and company are appeased, but still want the $10 million later.

Naturally, they drive off in their vehicle of choice: hummers. They are subsequently ambushed by RPGwielding thugs, and a very nimble femme fatale leaps into the scene, steals the crystal skull, and runs off. Fiddy channels his inner Shakespeare and ponders, “Where’d she go? Bitch took my skull!”.

From there, the story honestly doesn’t matter. Honestly, if you’re playing a 50 Cent game for the story, you’re likely the same kind of person who watches reality TV shows for their intelligent discourse.

Suffice to say, Fiddy chases after the

Screenshot

50 Cent may have taken a break from rapping, but now he’s back in a violent video game remniscent of Gears of War. girl, some treachery is afoot, explosions abound, and expletives are uttered.

While I really wanted to hate every single part of this game, I actually have to commend the graphics in Blood on

the Sand. Created using the Unreal Engine 3, 50 Cent looks exactly like 50 Cent should (including the stiff, lifeless acting), the textures on everything are usually pretty sharp, and explosions are nicely animated. It’s too bad that all of the levels look pretty much look the same; they’re a lot like 50 Cent’s songs in general: once you’ve played one, you’ve played them all.

The game became much more tolerable when I unlocked the song “P.I.M.P.” for the game’s playlist and set it to endlessly repeat. I even sang along whilst murdering digital bodyguards, at least until I remembered Snoop Dogg’s lyrics about showing somebody the strength of his “pimp hand.” Then I felt kind of dirty.

Overall, I’d recommend this as a rental for somebody with a masochistic edge to their personality, anybody who shops at Lids, or fans of 50 Cent and G-Unit’s music in general. Aren’t they all the same thing?

Angus’ Take Let me preface this review with the following: I don’t consider rap to be “music,” and generally look down upon those who do with a kind of contempt reserved for those who talk during movies. I expected the worst going into this review but was surprised to find a relatively functional game underneath the rapper trappings.

The control scheme borrows heavily from Gears of War, which makes the game accessible to most gamers. Aside from bustin’ caps, the main elements

of the game are collecting money and points. These are used to upgrade profane comments, weapons, and melee attacks for Fiddy. Points – gained from doing pretty much anything – unlock new songs, surprisingly-censored music videos, and boring concept art.

Running up to enemies and watching the over-the-top brutal melee attacks is very amusing, such as the “Ohhh!”inspiring strike where 50 uppercuts a poor opponent and proceeds to stab them several times in the chest before their body slumps to the floor in a blood-spurting pile. Your opponents have the self-preservation instinct of a brain-damaged goldfish, but this works because of the linear level design that discourages any tactics aside from hiding or shooting; however, 50 is so hilariously indestructible that there is never a need for more advanced tactics.

Given those complaints, I found myself enjoying the game for what it is: an overthe-top, linear shooter that doesn’t try to take itself too seriously. While I’d never consider outright buying the game, the rental fee was, despite my downright hatred of rap and rap culture, worth it*. For fans of 50 and his music, this is probably a pre-determined sell; however, for those of you who wouldn’t normally be interested in the title, it’s worth getting some friends together, grabbing a case of beer and ordering a pizza.

Dan Hagerman is Copy Editor of the Brunswickan.

Angus Morrison is his roommate. *Editor’s Note: Angus didn’t pay for the rental, Dan did.

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brunswickansports

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 • 17

sports@thebruns.ca

Reds, Huskies set to meet in AUS finals

File / The Brunswickan

The UNB Varsity Reds are set to defend their AUS championship title this weekend when they face the Saint Mary’s Huskies in a best-of-three final, kicking off this Friday. Due to the AUS receiving the wild card this season, both teams will have already advanced to the CIS Championships, hosted in Thunder Bay, ON.

VS 1st 24-4-3 3-0 134 67

AUS Placing Record Playoffs Goals for Goals against

Mitchell Bernard The Brunswickan

2nd 20-7-1 3-1 135 90

Who’s hot?

Hunter Tremblay 50

Pts

Marc Rancourt 57

Between the Pipes

Travis Fullerton 3-0 .940 1.29

Brandon Verge Playoff Record 3-1 Save percentage .914 GAA 2.57

Reds, Huskies to meet in AUS finals After sweeping the Acadia Axemen in the AUS semi-finals last week, the UNB Varsity Reds will now advance to take on the Saint Mary’s Huskies in a rematch of last year’s final.

This past week, UNB claimed 5-2, 1-0, and 3-2 victories over Acadia, who upset St. FX in the quarterfinals to earn their chance to take on the Reds. Saint Mary’s took four games to knock off UdeM in their semi-final series. It was a hard-fought battle for the Huskies, with three games finishing within a one goal margin.

Last season, the Reds and the Huskies met in the AUS final. It took two overtime meetings, but the Reds got the job done, winning the best-of-three series 2-0 and advanced to the CIS championships in Moncton, NB. This year, CIS championship qualifying is now complete as, thanks to the AUS receiving the wildcard slot in this year’s tournament, both the UNB Varsity Reds and Saint Mary’s Huskies will represent the AUS at the championships, slated to take place March 26-29 at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. It won’t be an easy one for the Reds – SMU took the season series 3-1 and have been a tricky opponents for UNB all season. Despite this, UNB head coach Gardiner MacDougall said it’s going to be a normal practice week for the Reds. He touched on the importance of the Reds’ special teams, including their powerplay and their penalty kill, in order to fend off the pesky Huskies.

UNB will look to goaltender Travis Fullerton to continue his strong playoff performance.

Fullerton, a native of Riverview, N.B, has currently taken over the starting goaltender role for the Reds, posting a 3-0 post-season record with a .940 save percentage.

The series is set to kick off this Friday when the Reds host SMU at the Aitken Centre at 7 p.m. Game two will go on Sunday in Halifax at 7 p.m., and if game three is required, it will be played at the Aitken Centre next Wednesday.

Dickie talks down MAINEiac discussions It’s not a done deal. In fact, it’s not even close.

According to UNB athletic director Kevin Dickie, there haven’t been any noteworthy discussions as of yet between the University of New Brunswick and the Lewiston MAINEiacs.

“We met with them last Monday and it was just a courtesy visit,” said Dickie. “The good people from [Lewiston] wanted to discuss things with us, and in the end, it just took on a whole different level the next day when their president decided to express his thoughts on the possibility.”

Over the past few weeks, it was reported that discussions between the Lewiston MAINEiacs and the University of New Brunswick have taken place over the possibility of a partnership for the upcoming season. The deal would allow the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise to move to Fredericton next season, sharing the Aitken Centre with the UNB Varsity Reds.

The franchise in Lewiston has been struggling over the past year. Currently, they are in a tight squeeze as team owner Mark Just is searching for an area to relocate the team. After being denied approval to move the franchise to Montreal, Just says that Fredericton is his only choice to move the team.

There are a number people in the Lewiston organization who have a connection to the Reds.

Former V-Reds head coach Don MacAdam is now the head coach of the MAINEiacs, president of the V-Reds Prospects program Roger Shannon is the head scout for Lewiston, and their goaltender coaching, Reg Bourcier, is a former UNB goaltender.

brunswickansports

18 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

Miles wins James Teeing off in the dome Bayer Scholarship Mitchell Bernard The Brunswickan

It’s not always easy being a student athlete. Spending weekends on the road, early morning practices, and tough training regimes leave little time for academic work. However, UNB soccer player Isabelle Miles has found more than a healthy balance between the two.

Last Saturday at an awards ceremony in Halifax, Miles was named the recipient of the 2009 James Bayer Memorial Scholarship for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, sportsmanship, and citizenship. The Fredericton native is a biochemistry student, who in three and a half years has received an A+ in all 129 credit hours worth of courses, giving her a perfect 4.3 GPA. Miles, who is listed as a fourth-year mid-fielder for the women’s soccer team, was caught off-guard when they announced her name as the recipient.

“I was in shock,” said Miles. “I wasn’t quite sure if I had heard my name or not.

I had no idea where I was suppose to go, or what to do. Then, I just pulled myself together and hoped I wouldn’t trip on the way to receive the award.”

The James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award was established in 1985 and it is noted as being the most prestigious award offered annually by Atlantic University Sport.

“It was a great honor just to be nominated by UNB in the first place, and there are no words really to describe how I feel about then being the recipient of the award this year,” said Miles.

As the 23rd recipient of the award,

Miles embodies exactly what the award recognizes. Besides excelling academically as well as on the court, Miles finds the time to volunteer with a number of organizations including “Read with the Reds”, “Heads up with the Reds”, as well as coaching with Soccer NB. “I’ve never really thought what I was doing was worthy of recognition, I was just doing what I loved,” said the three-time academic all-Canadian. “I’ve always enjoyed staying busy ever since the time I started high school. I just feel more organized, energetic and happy when I’m busy...but a balanced busy, meaning my life doesn’t only consist of my studies.”

The award, which looks not only at on-field stats but also how athletes perform in the classroom and in the community, means that the recipient must be a well-rounded individual. As for Miles, she’s just happy that people are credited for their work off the field as well, something that should be important to all student athletes.

“It’s nice to have an award that shows that AUS athletes are not only defined by our athletic successes, but that we are students and contributors to the community as well,” said Miles.

UNB women’s soccer head coach Andy Cameron noted that Miles, who was captain of the team for three of the four years on the squad, is truly deserving of the honour.

“I think it was fantastic and she’s very deserving of it because she’s a leader on the field, in the classroom, and in the community,” said Cameron.

Miles, who graduates this spring, received a $1,000 scholarship for the award.

“With my graduation in the spring, its an amazing recognition to end my undergraduate career with.”

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

This past week, UNB opened up its golf facilities in the dome at Chapman Field. Open Monday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., 6 p.m.

- 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Sunday 4 p.m. - 10 p.m., students have the ability to practice their swing during the off-season. Included is a driving range with 12 tee stations and targets representing different golf shots, as well as a putting area. It costs $12 for a 30 minute time slot and $20 for a 60 minute time slot. For more information regarding the golf facilities in the dome, call 440-3384.

Economic downturn spurns athletics Travel amoung biggest concerns to Atlantic schools

Danielle Webb CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief ANTIGONISH (CUP) – While the current economic crisis is taking its toll on university varsity athletics, Atlantic University Sport travel budgets have been impacted the most.

“Travel is by far our number one issue in terms of expenses. Over one-third of our operating budget is devoted to travel. It used to be around a quarter a couple of years ago,” said Kevin Dickie, athletic director at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, N.B. UNB made cuts to its athletic program in March 2008 by downgrading six varsity teams to club status, claiming the teams didn’t bring in enough revenue to balance their budgets.

“The changes made last year were out of necessity. There would be no sustainability if we didn’t [make the cuts],” said Dickie.

“To what extent is a team able to raise revenues to offset the costs? So, if one team is very costly, is it able to raise revenue?” Terry Haggerty, Dean of Kinesiology, told the Brunswickan at the time.

Still, UNB remains conscious of their current financial shortcomings.

“We talk about ways we can continue to be fiscally responsible. We’re not waiting for some type of sugar daddy to come bail us out,” said Dickie.

UNB self-generates a portion of their operating budget through sports camps, sponsorships, and high levels of philanthropy.

While rising travel costs have also become an issue at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., fundraising options are beginning to shrink.

“The biggest economic challenge we face is in fundraising. In tight times, businesses will often cut the marketing and advertising expenses to help contain their costs. This makes it more challenging for us as we need to ensure they see a partnership with St.FX athletics as a valuable and worthwhile exercise,” said Leo MacPherson, director of athletics at St.FX. “Nobody is immune from a downturn in the economy and athletic departments need to continue to be prudent in the way we manage our resources. It [has] put a great deal of pressure on fundraising to ensure we have the dollars necessary to offset the expenses,” MacPherson said.

Donations to athletics are also in decline.

“We occasionally receive a transfer of shares from someone’s investment portfolio. When the stock markets are depressed, the value of the share is low and people are inclined to hold off on

donations until such a time when the markets recover,” said MacPherson.

Despite the penny-pinching, cutting programs is not an option MacPherson will look into, as this creates revenue problems.

“Our student athletes pay tuition fees, residence fees and meal plans, and help enhance our enrolment numbers. If it weren’t for the varsity sport opportunity, these students would be at another institution pursuing their academic and athletic goals,” he said.

Even though St.FX students don’t pay admission to varsity games, MacPherson believes students are valuable assets in the crowd.

“Students bring energy and excitement to our sporting venues and other fans, and our teams love to see the support. Although [they] aren’t a source of revenue, they improve the event with their attendance and this makes other paying customers want to come to each and every home game.”

Geographically isolated from the rest of the AUS teams, travel costs are the biggest concern at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, N.L. MUN has not had to take any costreduction measure at this point, and only funds core areas of the athletics program such as regular season play, playoffs, and national competition, says director of athletics Michelle Healey.

“We always look for ways to reduce costs in an effort to get the most for the funds we have, and I believe our teams are being very accountable with the dollars they have,” said Healey.

MUN isn’t looking at increasing ticket prices to help generate more revenue during this time. Healey remains optimistic about the future.

“There seems to be some relief in these areas since January, so we look forward to a better economic climate heading into the 2009-2010 year than we faced heading into 2008-2009.”

-with files from the Brunswickan

sports@thebruns. ca

brunswickansports

Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142 • 19

this week in brunswickansports Reds place seventh at first CIS championship in 30 years

In their first appearance at the CIS men’s volleyball championships since 1979, the UNB Varsity Reds dropped both of their matches to finish in a tie for seventh place.

The Reds faced the top-seeded University of Alberta Golden Bears in their quarter-final match-up. In front of 2,400 fans, the Reds stunned the hosts carrying leads of 8-7, 11-9, and 16-12 early on. However, the undefeated Bears overpowered the Reds, taking the match in straight sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-21).

South Branch, N.S. native Tyler Veenhuis was named player of the match for UNB. Veenhuis contributed seven kills in 20 attempts for the Reds.

In their second match of the tournament, the Reds faced their conference rival Dalhousie Tigers in the consolation semi-final. Again, their opponents took over early, as the Reds dropped the match 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-16).

Fourth-year middle Ryley Boldon was named player of the match for the Reds for his six kills in the consolation semi-final match-up.

Athletes of the week

UNB Media Services

(Left) Isabelle Miles Women’s Soccer BSc, 4th Year Fredericton, NB

Pete Yee / The Gateway

The top-seeded Alberta Golden Bears dropped the UNB Varisty Reds in the quarter-finals at the CIS men’s volleyball championships. The match marked the first time since 1979 that the Varsity Reds particpated in the tournament.

Sharpe, Van Vlack, and Anthony recognized at AUS awards

Third-year forward Amanda Sharpe was named a first-team all-star while point guard Tashina Van Vlack was named a nominee for the Tracey MacLeod Award recently at the AUS women’s basketball awards ceremony. Meanwhile, first-year guard Dustin Anthony was recently named to the AUS men’s basketball all-rookie team at the AUS award banquet.

Anthony, a native of North Bay, ON averaged 12.1 points per game for the Reds this season. Other members of the all-rookie squad include Jeremy Dunn (St. FX), Casey Fox (Acadia), Justin Boutilier (Acadia), and Simon Marr (Saint Mary’s).

A dominant force on the court all year, Sharpe posted 16.9 points per game this season for the Reds. She finished second in league scoring over the season, helping the Reds qualify for the AUS championships.

Van Vlack, a native of Golden, B.C., was announced as a nominee for the Tracey MacLeod award, recognizing the women’s basketball player who demonstrates determination, perseverance, and unwavering spirit in the AUS. Van Vlack tore an ACL in her right knee in January 2007, had surgery in April 2007, and resumed playing in October of the same year. She re-tore the ACL in the same knee in November of 2007, and once again underwent surgery in March 2008. Despite the injury, Van Vlack returned to the court this past season, appearing in 18 of the 20 regular season games for the Reds, averaging 25.6 minutes on the court.

UNB swimmers participate at CIS championships

The three rookies who attended the CIS National Championships in Vancouver, B.C. came home with mixed results and some very good racing experience. The competition was the fastest and most competitive CIS Championships in history, with 25 CIS championship records being broken and 15 of those where also new senior Canadian short-course marks.

UNB’s Shannon Donnelly and Danielle Merasty, both rookies for the Reds, managed to stay focused against the very strong competition, each posting lifetime best performances and made second swims during the weekend. Merasty posted lifetime bests in the 50m butterfly and 100m Freestyle and made a consolation final in the 100m freestyle, placing 13th in the event. Shannon Donnelly had a lifetime best by three seconds in the 400m freestyle and made a consolation final and placed 15th in the event while also posting a top 16 finish in the 800m freestyle. Rene Boudreau was the third representative for the Reds and, unfortunately, was very ill at the meet and was not able to swim by the final day of competition.

The UNB squad is still training hard and planning on racing throughout the summer with a lot of the team in positions to be able to attend the Canada Summer Games in PEI in August. The focus for the program for the next four months will be to recruit more great athletes to come to UNB in the fall and to continue to raise funds and scholarship dollars for the team. (Submitted by Paula Crutcher).

UNB fifth-year right side Christina Ross goes for the attack against the fifth-seeded York Lions during the consolation semi-final match-up at the 2009 CIS women’s volleyball championships hosted by UNB. The Reds fell 3-1 to the Lions, finishing the tournament in a tie with UdeM for seventh-place.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Women’s volleyball fall at CIS championships

It was another disappointing performance for the women’s volleyball squad as they hosted the 2009 CIS women’s volleyball championships during the March Break at the Aitken Centre.

In a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal match, UNB feel once again to the heavily favoured Montreal Carabins in straight sets (25-17, 25-17, 25-16). Fourth-year left side Erica Hay was named player of the match for the Reds. Hay contributed six kills and had just as many digs in the match. Saint John, N.B. native Jill Blanchard had seven kills for the hosts.

In their consolation semi-final match-up, it was once again another disappointing loss for the Reds, this time to the hands of the fifth-seeded York Lions. After dropping the opening set by a small margin, the Reds dominated the second.

But the third and fourth sets were a different story, and UNB lost steam and dropped the final two and the match 3-1 (28-16, 12-25, 25-21, 25-20).

Middle Barb Vriends, who had eight blocks in the match, was named player of the match for UNB. Blanchard continued her strong play with her 16 kills in the match.

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

(Right) Jonathan Harty Hockey BBA, 1st Year Oromocto, NB

brunswickansports

20 • Mar. 11, 2009 • Issue 23 • Volume 142

Making no excuses this semester World-reowned fitness model gives tips on staying healthy during peak busy times

Mitchell Bernard The Brunswickan

All across campus, students are back into their routines as they prepare for the busy midterm season that awaits. As such, it is often easy to slip into a cycle of not exercising and poor diet. Many studies show the effects of proper diet and nutrition on concentration and

energy and as such, it is important that students remained focused and active to combat the busy season.

They say hard work pays off, and for Gregg Avedon of Fort Lauderdale, FL, it certainly has. As a personal trainer, Avedon knows what it takes to stay motivated towards being healthy when the busy season hits. Besides appearing on hundreds of magazine covers such as Men’s Health and GQ, Avedon has recently wrote a book on health and nutrition, appeared in a number of films and television commercials, and in the past has modeled for the likes of Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana.

Avedon recently sat down to answer a few questions about maintaining a healthy balance during the busy season.

Brunswickan: People’s daily lives are being bombarded with work and stress. As a result, we are often drawn to convenience foods or skipping exercise.

What are the first steps people can take to make a change in their lives?

Avedon: The first course of action begins with your mindset. You’ve got to be honest with yourself and ask what it is that you truly want. If your desire is to have a ripped physique, to look and feel your best, have more energy, think more clearly, and have more confidence, then you’ve got to take the steps necessary to achieve that. You’re not going to do it by eating junk food, you won’t find it at a fast food drive through, nor will you sitting on the couch playing video games. It just ain’t gonna happen. I highly encourage all of my clients to set goals. A goal is your barometer for achievement. If you’re about to eat a burger and fries, stop and ask yourself, “Is this going to take me closer to or farther away from my goal?”

B: Hitting the gym in the new year is often difficult as it seems everyone has the same objective, flooding the gyms

and exercise rooms. How do you avoid the long line-ups for equipment and beat the crowd?

A: That’s easy – just go at off times.

At the gym where I train, you can basically own the gym from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and anytime after 7 p.m. Most peak gym times are 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., and again from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Go anytime around those hours and you should be okay.

My favorite day and time to train is Friday after 6 p.m. because most every gym across the country is deserted!

B: Above all else, the one thing people should attempt to do in 2009 is...

A: Make a sustainable change! In other words, don’t attempt something that’s beyond the scope of your ability or desire. If your goal is to add 10 pounds of muscle while losing 10 pounds of fat, get in the gym four to five days a week for an hour of

resistance training and do 20 minutes of interval cardio three to four days a week. You also need to clean up your diet, so I recommend taking the worst thing you eat and cut it in half that first week.

The following week cut it in half again. For example, if the worst thing you eat is pizza and you normally have four slices four days a week, cut it down to four slices two days a week, then cut it down to only two slices two days a week, and so on. Once you begin to see results, you’ll get motivated to cut more of the bad stuff out of your diet and replace it with higher integrity foods.

These include lean proteins like fish, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, eggs, cottage cheese, and non fat yogurt. It also includes an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains. I tell people if you can trace a food back to its original source, it’s good for you. In other words, processed foods are crap.

2009 UNB Shield held

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

The 2009 UNB Shield took place over the weekend at the L.B. gym. The UNB / STU Fencing club finished with first and third placings in the Atlantic University team events over the weekend.

Redsticks in action

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

The UNB Redsticks hosted an indoor field hockey tournament at the L.B. gym last weekend. Eight teams participated in the tournament, including teams from UPEI, Acadia, St. FX, SMU, and UNB.