Issue 24, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

opinion // has nb liquor unleashed socialism in a can? >> pAGE 8 Volume 142 · Issue 24 • March 18, 2009

thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

A look at the Engineering differential fee Engineering students are required to pay an extra $1000 per year for facilities

Zaheer Abbas The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Adaeze Esinulo and Anne Hsiah-Asare perform at African Night last Saturday at the SUB. The event, which celebrated Africa’s diverse cultures, drew close to 450 people and has already generated buzz for next year’s event.

African Night brings out hundreds Alison Clack The Brunswickan It’s hard to ignore the snow and cold temperatures outside, but African Night made it a little easier to forget.

The event that was held this past Saturday, Mar. 14, was put on by the UNB/STU African Students’ union.

The theme was the tastes and sounds

of Africa, and the event did not fail to deliver on either count.

The night, which was a celebration of African culture, featured dancing, food and music, among other things. In addition to a celebration, the night was a chance to educate students and people from the area about African culture.

“Our objective was to make you feel like you are in the middle of Africa – not in the desert but culturally. We wanted the students here to feel and enjoy the African hospitality through their food, their music, and their cultural dress at

the event,” explains Samuel Josephson, president of the African Student Union.

Beyond bringing the culture of Africa to campus, Josephson says that the ASU wanted to bring people together and expose the local community to the positives of African culture.

“The purpose of African Night was to bring all of the Africans, their friends, the community – non-students, the faculty and staff together. It was to showcase African culture, to help the people of Canada and New Brunswick understand African culture and to get to

know African people,” says Josephson.

If numbers are anything to go by the ASU did a decent job. Josephson says that the attendance was close to 450 people – a strong showing for the university on a Saturday night.

Food was in abundance for all of the attendees, although Josephson laments that he was not able to enjoy the food.

“Unfortunately I was not able eat all the food because I was the guy who was

SEE AFRICA PAGE 13

UNB Fredericton has a very strong engineering presence on campus. Sir Howard Douglas Hall, a.k.a. the old Arts building, was also the birthplace of engineering education in Canada.

UNB’s rich history, its historic architecture and its century old programs no doubt continues to add value and attract top researchers and students to UNB. The question remains as to whether or not all of these factors raise the cost of providing quality engineering education for the faculty.

The Brunswickan met with the Acting Dean of Engineering Dr. Michel Couturier and took a closer look at the faculty’s very own Engineering Program Fund (EPF). The fund was created through faculty-wide consultation with students, professors and administrators during the 2005-06 academic year.

When asked why such a fund was created, Dr. Couturier said “the faculty has not been receiving enough money. As a result, budgets have been declining. We had not been investing in our labs and our classrooms as much as we should have had. Things were not improving; we didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“So we sat down with the students at the time and explained if we continue this way, we were likely going to lose professors, students and possibly accreditation.”

Each engineering student contributes to the fund by paying $1,000 per academic year in addition to university tuition. The fund generates a little over a million dollars for the faculty annually.

The long-term goal of the faculty is

SEE FEE PAGE 2

brunswickannews

2 • Mar. 18,2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

Two UNB teams land top ten ad exec spots Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Four University of New Brunswick students have been selected as top 10 finalists for Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive Competition. This year’s competition has been tagged as “Face the Fear.” It is being supported by Volkswagen Canada, the leading sponsor of the event.

Two teams of finalists are representing UNB. The first team consists of Mitchell Bernard and Laura Noseworthy. They are both BBA students in their fourth year from UNB’s faculty of business administration.

The second team is made up of MBA students Elizabeth-Anne McCleave and Matt Daigle.

The UNB teams were chosen from among 143 teams representing 36 different universities across Canada.

“It’s impressive because these students have been selected from across Canada and we have two teams going,” says Liz Lemon-Mitchell, the Director

of Communications and Operations for the Faculty of Business Administration at UNB. “So we’re really proud.”

Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive is a competition aimed at promoting learning through active participation.

It encourages students to apply what they have learned in school to reallife situations that are common to the advertising field.

“We found out about the competition a week before the first part was due, and that was a pitch to the judges,” says Noseworthy, one of the undergraduate team members. “Other schools had a few months to prepare, and some actually did this as a class.”

At UNB, however, “it was thrown on us last minute.”

The students put everything else aside and worked hard to make a pitch that stuck out, says Noseworthy. The competition is still ongoing, so she can’t give out too much information about her pitch or marketing campaign yet.

To get into the finals, the two UNB teams had to create a marketing campaign to promote awareness of the new Volkswagen Routan. The campaign budget had to stay within $250,000.

The campaign also had to be consistent with Volkswagen’s marketing strategy for the Routan, which centers

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNB students Mitchell Bernard, Laura Noseworthy, Elizabeth-Anne McCleave and Matt Daigle will compete as finalists in Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive Competition later this month. around the vehicle’s highlight as a miniminivan. Big SUVs and minivans are quickly becoming a thing of the past because of high gas prices and adverse environmental effects.

However, the Routan provides a smaller, more environmentally friendly alternative for the average family.

“Our budget is a quarter million.

For a national campaign, that is quite small,” says Noseworthy. “Ours is a customer relationship management and engagement plan. It’s based on the notion that a VW driver is an individualistic person, so we wanted to make sure we could keep those people loyal to the brand, as well as ensuring that VW can build customer lifetime value over people’s involvement with the brand.”

The UNB students will travel, with the other the top ten finalists, to Toronto from Mar. 30 to Apr. 1. They will then deliver a 30 minute presentation to a panel of academic and industry experts.

All of the top 10 finalists will be offered internships, and the winning team will walk away with a new Volkswagen Golf for each member of their team.

“We’re taking the plan and turning it into presentation format, working with someone to get a storyboard layout to make the presentation stick out,” says Noseworthy. “We’re working with some other key people to help us prepare and break through the clutter and stand out.

There’s a lot of practicing in the next few days,” she says, as the trip to Toronto gets closer.

The Business faculty is ecstatic that two UNB teams have been chosen to compete in such a lucrative competition.

“I think this just shows how good our students are,” says Lemon-Mitchell.

“We have excellent students here, and we’re really fortunate that our program attracts students like that.”

The success of UNB students in programs such as Canada’s Next Top

Ad Executive helps show that UNB’s business program is amongst the better programs in the country, and it is the students that make the program successful.

“We work here every day and every day there’s a new challenge,” says Lemon-Mitchell. “We struggling to keep everything running and provide excellent programs and when this happens, we realize that we do have really good students.”

Noseworthy says the competition is important to her and her fellow students as aspiring marketers.

“We’ve been able to come up with a Canadian marketing campaign for an internationally renowned brand that is so iconic. We definitely feel honoured to make it this far, and at the same time we are really proud of ourselves.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working on our plan, and at times we’ve had to put schoolwork on hold. But we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love it.”

Necessity of fee questioned FROM FEE PAGE 1 to upgrade laboratory equipment and improve overall quality of engineering education.

The fund is managed by a committee that is comprised of four students and three faculty members. The committee

has a very rigorous selection process-all projects that request funding have to submit a written proposal and make an oral presentation.

The committee also looks into the number of students enrolled with the department requesting funding, to make sure that the larger student body benefits. The dean seemed impressed with the process and professionalism demonstrated by the students involved and said that “there are not many

examples where the entire program fund remains with the faculty and where the university takes no portion from the fund.”

He emphasized that this should continue to remain so.

New classroom furniture and laboratory equipment, project rooms, plaques displaying upgrades which were otherwise not possible – all of these are items towards which the fund will contribute.

The dean also showed the Brunswickan some areas of the building that have remained in the exact same condition since he was pursuing his own undergraduate studies back in the 1970s.

The building’s flooring, woodwork, prominent green door at the entrance of Head Hall and ventilation system are all areas in which the dean believes the building could be improved upon.

The dean’s remarks were that “I have the oldest faculty in the country and I have the buildings to prove it.”

Although EPF is allowing the faculty of engineering to make improvements, some students are unimpressed with paying for the upgrades themselves, instead of the university.

Sébastien Després, an upper year Mechanical Engineering student said that “primarily it is the university’s responsibility to update its own facilities.

The university is an enterprise like any other and the students are its customers.

Obviously if the value/cost ratio is not attractive at this institution, students will go elsewhere.”

brunswickannews

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142• 3

Sally Wasserman speaks for SHOUT UNB

Sarah Farquhar / The Brunswickan

Holocaust survivor Sally Wasserman travels around Canada to speak to students about her life’s events, including her escape from concentration camps. Wasserman visited UNB last Thursday. Pictured above is Wasserman, second from right, with SHOUT members Pamela Stevenson, Josie McConnell, Paul Cormier, and Katie Randall.

Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

Between 1939 and 1945 in Europe, the pain of millions echoed around the world.

This is known today as the Holocaust.

The number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling and few remain to share their

stories with the present day generation.

Sally Wasserman is one of them.

SHOUT UNB, a branch of the national organization that promotes genocide awareness and speaks against racism and intolerance, takes an annual trip to Germany and Poland to visit the sites of the Holocaust. Sally Wasserman has accompanied the group on the trip for several years.

Wasserman told her story to UNB last Thursday night in Dineen Auditorium

to a handful of students and community members.

She was born in Poland, four years before the beginning of the war, to what she calls a “great family,” consisting of her mother, father, her younger brother and herself. She was forced into a Polish ghetto at the age of seven, along with the rest of her family.

Life in the ghettos was difficult, recounted Wasserman; having barely any food, no medical care, hunger pains

and disease were a way of life. She lived this way for 14 months.

Her story of hope begins with a man named Mr. Turkin, a Christian Polish man holding a city job in the ghetto.

She described him as being an older man, with an extremely devout Catholic wife and no children.

He approached her one day and engaged her in conversation. She said that on the day, with that action, he became a ‘righteous gentile.’

“I don’t know what makes one person become involved; all I can tell you is that there weren’t too many in Europe who would get involved,” said Wasserman.

Mr. Turkin let both Wasserman and her mother know that soon a day would come when the ghetto would be liquidated and its inhabitants would be relocated to Auschwitz, notable for being the most dangerous death camp of the Second World War. He offered to take Wasserman and hide her in his apartment until the end of the war and promised to return her to her mother at its close.

After two meetings with Mr. Turkin, her mother agreed. Wasserman said her father had been long gone by this point.

Sure enough, the residents of the ghetto were “resettled,” a common term used by the Nazi government for relocating to concentration camps.

Wasserman was advised by her mother to walk straight out of the gates of the ghetto while chaos ravaged the streets and they were left poorly guarded.

She managed to escape, but said that was the last time she ever saw her mother and younger brother, the latter of which

she called the greatest tragedy of all.

Compared to the six million Jews that were murdered throughout WWII, only 23,000 people were registered as righteous persons – a statistic that did not sit well with Wasserman.

Mr. Turkin risked his life to save the life of this young girl. If an individual was found hiding Jews, the person and their entire family would be shot.

“It became easier when it became obvious that I wasn’t going anywhere. It didn’t take long before I began to trust them and love them, and they me,” said Wasserman of her adjustment to life in hiding.

She lived with the Turkins through the end of the war and after.

Wasserman was 12 when Mr. Turkin decided that it was no longer safe for her to remain with them. Anti-semitism remained rampant in Poland after the war. She was sent to Toronto to live with relatives and has remained there to this day.

She never saw the Turkins again but remained in contact, sending them luxuries and money when she could afford it.

Wasserman has been telling her story to high school and university students for the past 10 years and believes it is her duty to attempt to make a difference in the lives of others.

“I try to convey that every single one of us has the power to help another human being, one at a time. Just one at a time – and that is truly something that I hope, if I accomplish anything at all by speaking, by travelling with students – I hope that this will become a legacy.”

Committee reccomends Bottled water: convenient or destructive? for councillor to stay Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

An investigation committee into the appropriateness of UNBSU Science Rep Alex Corey has decided that he should keep his position as councillor.

The investigation was struck after fourth-year Science student Jonathan Keow brought a petition to council last month signed by 32 students from the faculty.

The petition questioned the councillor’s competence in representing the needs and concerns of science students.

The committee consisted of four other councillors who decided that none of Corey’s actions have refuted his job description as councillor.

The committee had difficulties in completing an investigation, as “representation remains undefined,” said Arts Rep Danielle Tudor, one of the committee members, at Monday’s council meeting.

While the committee reviewed the appropriate SU bylaws, science students were not consulted as part of the investigation.

The committee was composed of Tudor, Renaissance College Rep Matt Abbott, Engineering Rep Maggie Pitts, and Education Rep Jeremy Hogan.

SU President Bethany Vail challenged the committee, saying that they should “actually investigate, not just speak and form opinions.”

She also pointed out that the committee should have spoken to science students to get a general consensus of their opinion, as they are the people that Corey represents on council.

“I’ll take the onus of the fact that we didn’t discuss what an investigation is,” said Hogan. “The meaning of ‘investigation’ is ambiguous.”

“At least we did things,” said the Education Rep. Student Senator Nick Ouellette also questioned the methods of the committee.

He said that if the committee had made the opposite decision, it would be “hard pressed to stand up here and say so.

“All you’ve done is formulated opinions amongst yourselves,” he said.

Pitts made the point that the committee found it difficult to gauge a reasonable number of Science students to quiz.

“There’s nothing in the by-laws,” she protested.

“It would be very difficult to do that [poll students] without damaging the reputation of Councillor Corey,” she added.

President Vail rejoined with the question, “Are we being fair to the constituents and giving them the opportunity to voice their opinion? I thought it was obvious to do some sort of investigation.”

After some 40 minutes of debate on the topic, Council Chair Chris Samuel suggested a wrapping up of the discussion due to “spinning of wheels.”

It was decided that, as the academic year is coming to a close, there is no time for further investigation.

Also at council came the ratification of the 2009-2010 UNBSU executive and councillors.

Additionally, VP Finance Lisa Solte announced that there will be more open budget meetings regarding the SU budget. Meetings will take place on Wednesday, Mar. 18 and Thursday, Mar. 19, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. respectively. Students are encouraged to attend and voice their concerns.

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has asked Canadian towns and cities to take steps toward decreasing the sales of bottled water on municipal property.

An anti-bottle resolution has been passed by the Federation board of directors, according to a recent press release. While legal ramifications are not brought into play for continued sales, the movement does aim to influence municipalities to avoid distribution of bottled water where possible.

Fredericton city councillor David Kelly stands in support of this sort of initiative.

“When you consider the fact that so many other municipalities across Canada are looking at the bottled water issue, it shows it is a concern indeed,” he says.

“Here in Fredericton, we are proud to say that based on the study we had by an independent source a few years ago, the results clearly showed that tap water in Fredericton is as good as or better than water you buy from stores in a bottle.”

Landfills are jam-packed with the bottles, and this can become an even bigger issue if we don’t start to reduce our frequency of bottled water purchasing immediately, says the councillor.

“At Fredericton City Hall, Councillors have each been given their own ceramic mugs, so that we do not use styrofoam or plastic containers for water.”

From a student perspective, Councillor Jordan Graham presents both the positives and negatives surrounding potential anti-bottle legislation in Fredericton.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

While some students try to make a positive environmental difference by using reusable bottles, others love the convenience of buying bottled water.

“It’s an interesting decision to be made,” he says. “Reducing bottled water sales would help the environment,” he agrees.

He also points out, however, that it may not be so reasonable to cut bottled water sales from such recreational areas as hockey rinks. Athletes need hydration, and if they happen to forget water from home, they need to get water from somewhere.

Graham also voices concern over the issue of seemingly forced purchase of reusable bottles on those who do not wish to purchase them.

“Is it worth the headache it’s going to be?” he asks.

“Every municipality has a role to play across North America to do all they can to combat waste, and this will show that it is possible, not to mention much more cost-efficient, to get water from a tap versus from a convenience store shelf,” says Kelly.

“I have a pitcher of water I poured from a tap in front of me at all City

Council meetings and am proud of it,” he adds.

Graham sees it as potentially feasible to, after discussion, phase out the sale of bottled water from some municipal buildings. To do a large-scale phasing out, he says, would require much public support.

Mayor of Sherbrooke, QC and FCM President Jean Perrault says that not only do about half of all water bottles purchased wind up in landfills, there is also a large economic benefit to drinking tap water.

“Buying a bottle of water costs approximately $2.50. The cost to produce water in the city? I can fill up 6,000 little bottles for the price of $2.50,” Perrault said in the CFM press release.

The release continues to state that 27 Canadian municipalities have already phased out the sale of bottled water, along with the creation of bottle-free zones at no less than 21 universities and colleges nation-wide.

brunswickannews

4 • Mar. 18,2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

UNBSU execs to attend CASA conference Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

SU President Bethany Vail and VP External Jon O’Kane will travel to Ottawa next week to attend a CASA conference and lobby for more affordable & accessible education.

In order to lobby for accessible, affordable education for students, UNBSU President Bethany Vail and VP External Jon O’Kane are traveling to Ottawa to participate in an annual conference put on by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).

The conference takes place from Mar. 22 to Mar. 28, 2009.

VP O’Kane says the conference will be filled with “wonderful, non-stop lobbying.”

The nine days in Ottawa will make for two conferences combined.

There is usually a meeting held in November which revolves around discussion of policy and the visitation of each MP. This meeting, however, was postponed this year due to the federal election. It was rescheduled to January, and again pushed to March

due to the prorogation of parliament.

Traditionally, the CASA Annual General Meeting is held in March, so the two are being combined so as not to lose one of the conferences.

“Three to four days will be dedicated to lobbying,” says O’Kane. Students will form diversified groups with members from different provinces— groups with representatives from Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick, for example, might be formed.

O’Kane says the office of each and every MP will be visited, some of which are located on Parliament Hill.

“We are going to find them and let them know our agenda,” says O’Kane.

On Friday, Mar. 27, the new National Director (ND) will be selected. This person will replace current head of the association, Zach Churchill, who is currently in his second term as ND. During the conference, CASA will be looking at the Canadian Student Grant Program (CSGP), which will replace the Millenium scholarship.

The CSGP is intended to be lowincome based, says O’Kane, but CASA is lobbying for consideration of other variables such as need.

O’Kane gives the example of a

mid-income student in a high-cost program, who could become eligible to receive more funding than they currently are able to obtain.

“These students could benefit from larger grants,” says O’Kane.

Low-income students will still be taken care of in the new plans, however.

Also examined at the meeting will be copyright laws surrounding academic freedom. O’Kane says it is a goal of CASA to ensure academic freedom, so that students and teachers will share resources.

Questions will also be posed regarding research funding.

O’Kane says that plans have been put in place in government to redistribute funds from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). These funds will be directed to funding for marketing and business.

He says that CASA is against redistribution of the funds, and this will be made heard at the conference.

President Vail says of her hopes for the conference, “I’m hoping that the outcome is that students will be able to keep PSE and student financial aid in the minds of the federal government.”

The student perspective on the merits of Costco in Fredericton

Flickr Creative Commons

After ongoing debate of about a year regarding a new Costco in Fredericton, Mayor Brad Woodside has started a Facebook group entitled “Costco in Fredericton.” Some students like the idea of bringing the store to the city due to the convenience of bulk goods, and others dislike it due to the depletion of woodlot space.

Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Fredericton’s Costco debate has been going on for over a year. Some residents want the bulk retail chain to migrate to the capital city, but others are set against it.

Last week, the debate rose to a new level when Mayor Brad Woodside started up a Facebook group called “Costco in Fredericton.” Within days, hundreds of Frederictonians had joined the group, and opinions ranged from complete support to complete rejection.

Woodside himself has been criticized for putting up and then quickly removing a poll on the issue after discovering that persons could vote multiple times.

Amidst all the chaos and confusion over the Costco debacle, one group seems to have been left out of the loop: UNB students.

“When I was on Facebook the other day, I saw the link to the group called Costco in Fredericton,” says third year arts student Robert Glenncross. “And there was one comment I read where someone had typed ‘we need a Costco!’ and I was like: oh dear, here we go.”

Some students think that it is out of place that UNB students haven’t been consulted on the proposed Costco, because the planned building location is on UNB property. It has been proposed that the Costco be built on the UNB Woodlot, close to the Home Depot that opened late last year.

It is this proposed location that has some students upset.

“It would be nice if it stayed as a green space,” says psychology major Emmaline Mortimer. “But someone will end up making a lot of money off of this.”

And with the fragile state of the economy, some students think that UNB needs all the help it can get.

“From what I’ve heard the UNB is running out of funds and they need to use the woodlot to make some money,” says third year English major Alex Buckingham. “So it’s not really an

ethical question, it’s just a question of keeping the university afloat.”

Several students question the necessity of a Costco when there are already Walmart and Zellers locations in Fredericton.

“The first thing that ran through my mind was what does Costco have that you can’t get at either two of the Walmarts in Fredericton, or Zellers, or Home Depot, or Canadian Tire?” asks Glenncross.

Some students do not understand why the Costco move is being questioned at all. There is already a Costco in Moncton, and many Frederictonians frequent the Moncton location and then drive back with their bulk goods.

“I would love it!” says second year Economics major Jamie Sxu. “My whole family has a membership for the one in Moncton and we used to go there a lot.”

Like a lot of Frederictonians, UNB students seem largely split on the issue.

The debate doesn’t look to be cooling down quite yet, though, with a town hall meeting on the issue scheduled for Apr. 15.

brunswickannews

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142• 5

German immersion weekend an enriching experience: participants

The storm is calming: N.L. economist Ian MacDonald The Muse

Marianne Eiselt / Submitted to the Brunswickan

The UNB Department of Culture and Language Studies held a German Immersion Weekend in which students were fully surrounded by German language and cultural practices. Fifteen students participated, learning to cook German recipes and socializing with students from other universities also in the German language program.

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

The German language department at UNB recently held an Immersion Weekend, during which 15 students were fully engaged in both speaking German and participating in German cultural practices.

Marianne Eiselt is a professor with the Department of Culture and Language studies; she and colleague Johanna Blum sat down with the Brunswickan to describe the weekend’s events.

The getaway was held at Kouchibouguac Resort from Feb. 21 to 22. This particular resort was chosen, Eiselt says, because the owners and employees are German and speak the language with students.

“That added a bonus to the language immersion weekend,” she says. “We love that place.”

“I really enjoyed and benefited from this weekend since it gave us the chance to interact with German-speaking people and students of various levels,” says mature student Diane MercierAllain.

Participants experienced a variety of Germany’s cultural elements as well, such as cooking certain recipes.

Blum says that “we made potato salad, pasta salad, and vanilla and chocolate crème desserts.”

They also learned to make special German hamburgers called frikadellem.

“The organizers did a good job balancing out the weekend,” says participant Tim McLaughlin. “There were a few outdoor activities, language games and music.

“And, more importantly, they managed to balance the different language-levels of the participants, so the beginners weren’t excluded and the more advanced students weren’t bored,” he adds.

The budding German speakers played vocabulary games, which involved translations of German to English and vice versa.

“There were other language games as

well,” says Eiselt. “We wanted a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere, and we had that atmosphere.”

The immersion weekend included not only UNB students, but students from St. Stephen University and Mt. Allison as well. Eiselt says it was a good opportunity for the German language students to interact with others beginning in German.

She says many Facebook connections were established.

The students also took on German names to create “a whole German environment,” Eiselt says.

This was done in order to “make them more comfortable with the language and introduce them to the culture,” she continues.

The event was sponsored by the UNBSU as well as the federal government of Germany through the Association of German teachers in Atlantic provinces.

Participants only had to pay $20 each.

Four UNB students are going on exchange to Germany this year, and out of those four, three attended the immersion weekend.

“It was an enriching experience that I would highly recommend to any student of German,” says Mercier-Allain.

“It was a great experience. I’d definitely go again,” says McLaughlin.

Eiselt says the Department of Culture and Language studies would like to make this an annual event.

ST. JOHN’S (CUP) – Looking over his graphs and charts, Wade Locke, economics professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, predicts that economic activity will pick up by the middle of this year.

When initially asked to give a speech

by Memorial’s Alumni Association, Locke says he believed that he would be speaking to a room of a few old men trying to figure out the future of Canada’s economy.

Instead he got a room of about 200 people looking for a sign that things will get better.

Locke admits that he isn’t an expert in financial markets, but his research as of late has taken him to that area, which prompted him choose it as his speech

topic last week.

Based on all the data he has collected, he believes that economic activity within the country will start showing signs of picking up by mid-‘09.

But that doesn’t mean unemployment will immediately fall.

“You and I will still see signs of the recession,” said Locke. “It’ll take some time for employment to pick back upwards – that could be 2010 or even later.”

He believes that if this economic upturn happens, in four or five years, things should be back to where they were before the start of the recession.

“In 10 years’ time this will be a faint memory for you. It’ll be an interesting conversation over coffee,” he said.

At the end of his speech, Locke came under fire from attendees who questioned the logic of believing the same economists who failed to predict the current recession.

“I believed six month ago things were going to be really positive [in N.L.]. I was surprised by this,” he said. “What we need to do is learn from this and come up with better theories.”

brunswickannews

6 • Mar. 18,2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

St. FX student dies after fall from residence window Danielle Webb CUP Atlantic Bureau Chief ANTIGONISH (CUP) – Nicholas Sheehan was one of the first people Michael MacDonald met when he arrived at St. Francis Xavier University this past September. Little did he know that only six months later, the friendship

would be cut tragically short.

At about 8:50 p.m. on March 8, Antigonish RCMP responded to a 911 call at the university. Upon arrival they found 18-year-old Sheehan, a first-year student, on the ground after he fell to his death from a fourth-story window in Lane Hall, a residence building on campus.

Paramedics pronounced him deceased minutes later.

MacDonald was in a neighbouring residence when he heard the news.

“I heard the news from a text from

someone in [Lane Hall] asking me what happened. I didn’t know what she was talking about and then she said someone fell out the window. I ran over and went up to the [fourth] floor and saw everyone sitting at the end of the hall with their heads buried,” said MacDonald.

“Nick was a great guy; easy-going and could always make you smile.”

The university responded immediately to ensure grief counsellors were on site and available to students throughout the night, said a release issued by St.FX Communications Director Kyler Bell.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and classmates of Mr. Sheehan,” said Bell.

An autopsy was conducted March 9 and toxicology testing was completed to determine whether or not drugs or alcohol were present in Sheehan’s system at the time of the fall.

The RCMP has ruled out foul play.

Eric Goyette was in shock when he saw the news on a friend’s Facebook status.

Goyette had known Sheehan since the two started Grade 6 at Albert Street Middle School in Fredericton, N.B. Goyette remembers playing hockey with Sheehan.

“He was the type of player that on the ice he would do anything to stop you and when the game was over he would

go back to being such a nice guy.”

“Nick was the type of friend that everyone needs in their life. He may be gone, but will never be forgotten,” Goyette said.

Fellow Albert Street alumnus and best friend of Sheehan, Conrad Fox, also heard the news through Facebook.

“My immediate reaction was I didn’t know what to think. I was in shock,” said Fox. “He was a hilarious guy – very, very smart. He always got along with everyone and he was always willing to help people out,” Fox continued.

“Everyone who knows him is really going to miss him.”

Appeal presented to STUSU over election Hilary Paige Smth The Brunswickan

While it was an eventful election season for the UNBSU, recent events at St. Thomas have shown that theirs could be eventful too.

Craig Mazerolle is the current Holy Cross House representative with the STUSU and ran for Student Union President last month, losing to Mark Henick, current VP Student Life.

Mazerolle’s issues with the election arose when several people mentioned to him that there were irregularities with his name on the paper ballots used by STU polling stations. Some ballots were printed only “azerolle” and others cut half of his name horizontally off the ballot.

He says that he was approached by friends, as well as a member of another campaign, when they noticed the spoiled ballots on the first day of voting.

He says he approached Ryan Baxter, the Chief Returning Officer, on this day, mentioned the irregular ballots, and was told not to worry. However, the problems continued on the second day of voting.

Mazerolle says a friend then approached him and noticed that a ballot she was given cut half of Mazerolle’s name off. This friend requested another ballot to make sure her vote counted.

“We emailed the CRO and we said ‘look, this is still happening. We want to make sure that this is rectified.’ ” Baxter says he returned the email acknowledging Mazerolle’s concerns.

Mazerolle then approached his scrutineer with the problem and asked her to keep a rough tally of how many ballots

she noticed had been spoiled. He says that she noticed between 30-35 irregular ballots.

The candidate says he internally debated his next move, eventually choosing to “go for it” and call for a recount.

Due to the March Break, the recount did not take place until Friday, March 16.

The results of the recount were complex. It was initially believed that 42 ballots had been spoiled, however, when the recount was complete the number of spoiled ballots had been reduced to 18. Mazerolle says that 23 ballots had been cut in a strange way that clouded his name. He believes that these ballots made it into the recount, accounting for the drop to 18 spoiled ballots.

He proceeded by informally consulting some of his friends who are law students. He says that they believe he has a strong case to appeal.

The appeal was received by the STUSU on Monday, says current President Duncan Gallant. An appeals committee, headed by student advocate and Chief Appeals Officer Mike Bell, has 10 days from Monday to hold a hearing, 24 hours after which a decision needs to be made.

“This would be the first appeal that will go through the appeals process that was put in place this past summer, to handle situations like this,” says Gallant. “Our constitution has been recently reviewed by our lawyer.

Our process will be able to handle this complaint.”

It was revealed last week that Mazerolle lost to Henick by 47 votes.

Three additional ballots were found at the recount, shifting the total to 44. He believes that the spoiled ballots could have impacted his chance to succeed.

“The very fact that it looked as though my name was being cut off the ballot could have suggested to people, on the one hand, that maybe I dropped out of the race at the last second,” says Mazerolle.

He mentions that candidates dropping out at the last second has not been uncommon in previous elections.

“My name was, in a sense, sliced off the ballot; people might have thought ‘well maybe they meant to cut it all the way off and he’s not running anymore.’

Mazerolle does not believe that the ballots were deliberately spoiled.

Last year’s STUSU election had a voter turnout of 12 to 15 per cent. This year’s election saw 20 per cent of the student population voting for the presidential position. He believes that the spoiled ballots were the result of a lack of preparation for a larger voter turnout.

“I remember seeing them at the help desk, cutting the ballots. They were just slicing them, trying to get them out there. So, I think that they just weren’t ready and the infrastructure just wasn’t there and so it allowed for all of these things to build up.”

Mark Henick, whose election as next year’s STUSU president is jeopardized by the appeal, says that it’s unfortunate that the STUSU’s “newly designed, legally reviewed system” is being questioned like this.

“It’s a good thing,” though, he says, “that if there are questions to the legitimacy of the election that they be resolved quickly.

“We’ll let the system do what it has to do, let it play out and see what happens. I hope it doesn’t get too ugly and that people don’t take it to too personal of a level.”

-with files from Josh O’Kane

this week in brunswickannews

Committee verifies Dr. Eddy Campbell as new President of UNB The UNB Senates and Board of Governors have approved the nomination of Dr. Eddy Campbell as next UNB President. The nomination is scheduled to go forward to the Lieutenant Governor in Council for approval. If approved by government, Dr. Campbell will act as 18th president and vice-chancellor of UNB after the retirement of John McLaughlin this summer.

Plane crashes outside Fredericton Two students being trained to fly a plane, as well as their instructor, have escaped virtually unscathed after their small aircraft came down just north of Fredericton.The crash occurred on Saturday, Mar. 14, in a forest 40 kilometres from the city. Both a Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules aircraft were dispatched from the Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, N.S., after a report was received by authorities of an overdue flight.The victims were found, flown into the Fredericton airport, and transferred to an ambulance which brought them to the hospital. Mike Doiron, principal and CEO of the Moncton Flight College, stated that the plane was from the Fredericton campus of the college. Neither the students or the instructor sustained life-threatening injury.

Funerals of two fallen soldiers draw hundreds Three soldiers were killed and two more wounded in a March 3 roadside bomb explosion just northwest of Kandahar City. Cpl. Kenneth Chad O’Quinn, 24, of Oromocto, N.B. and Warrant Officer Dennis Brown, 38, of St. Catharines, Ont., were killed by the explosion. Also killed was Cpl. Dany Fortin, 29, from Bagotville, Que. St. Luke’s Chapel at CFB Gagetown saw approximately 600 mourners crowd in a memorial of O’Quinn on Saturday. About 200 more watched a video on the base.

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 7

editor@thebruns.ca

Advice for the new SU council Rousing the Rabbles

Jon O’Kane

On March 22-27, you will have the opportunity to vote in favour of or in opposition to a 12-month Universal Fredericton Transit Bus Pass. Undergraduates can vote online through e-Services. Graduate students can vote March 24-26 by secret ballot at the Grad House.

Students voted against a universal bus pass three years ago by a narrow margin.

Primarily, students had voiced their

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, Kennie Gathuru, 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.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The incoming UNBSU council has some long-standing issues to deal with when they enter office in May. Pictured above are the 2009-10 executive.

First, Councillors are ultimately responsible to those who elect them, and a meaningful form of review is not something from which to hide. Second, these procedures were established as a means to correct the backroom nature of previous investigations in which Councillors could conduct these affairs entirely behind closed doors, depriving constituents of their right to be involved in the evaluation of their representatives and raising serious concerns as to fairness. In one instance, an investigatory committee returned a recommendation not to dismiss the Councillor, but Council voted in closed session to dismiss the individual notwithstanding this recommendation.

Although these topical issues are important, there are several perennial issues which you should note. A long term vision for the Student Union has yet to be developed, despite at least three projects in the last eight years to have one endorsed

by Council. A consolidation of all these projects should form a corresponding enquiry to the consideration of the role of a Councillor; the two questions are

ultimately guided by the same principles.

Find a Council meeting time that works for most people, and attend meetings. Councillor absenteeism has been an issue for a number of years, and deprives students of their effective say in how the Student Union runs.

For that matter, the way in which the Union is structured may need to be rethought. At the Presidential Debate in February, a candidate raised the idea of reconfiguring the voting constituencies of the Student Union. This is an excellent thought and one that may ultimately help to resolve the chief underlying concern in the organization: engagement.

I have routinely heard the comment that the most recent election campaign was the most engaged many have seen students at UNB for years.

Unfortunately, the experience was negative for a large number of these students. Engagement with the Student Union should focus on positive aspects, and it falls to the Councillors to create those opportunities.

Work more proactively to strike a partnership between the Executive and

the General Councillors. Perhaps this requires a relocation of the dates on which the new Council takes office next year. May 1 is an inopportune beginning of the Council year; the first four months of the cycle see the Executive form bonds in the absence of the Council. This does not lend itself to meaningful engagement with the direct representatives of students.

Elections that occur earlier could very well resolve the issue.

Remember that ultimately you will not agree on what the issues are or how to resolve them. However, you will have fulfilled your role if you approach it with respect for the trust that has been placed in you to represent your constituents to best of your ability and with a genuine goal of advancing the interests of students at UNB. Nick Ouellette is a third year law student who has served on the UNB Board of Governors, the Student Union Council, and other university and student bodies.

He is currently completing his second term as a UNB Senator for Fredericton and is the Don of Neville/Jones House, one of UNB’s residences.

The pros and cons of a bus pass Student Beat

Editorial Board

Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher

Nick Ouellette To members of the incoming Student Union Council: Congratulations on the ratification of your election results at Monday’s Student Union Council meeting. You now take up the charge of a deliberative body with many unresolved issues of fundamental importance to the role of the Student Union. To that end, I have been asked to share my thoughts on the various issues that have presented themselves to Council since I began my studies at UNB. Those of you who attended Monday’s Council meeting know that a recent investigative committee into the fitness of a current Councillor returned a recommendation that a dismissal was not in order but that the governing documents of the Student Union are deficient in defining the role of a Councillor. Their vagueness renders them useful for little more than a guide for Councillors, so they fail to serve as any test against which constituents may evaluate their representatives. A working group to highlight the key concerns was formed and you will receive its results in September. Consider them vigilantly as the present incarnation of this guideline was only recently adopted (less than a year ago), and it deserves to be reviewed given the hardship and confusion it caused this year when first exercised.

The notion of whether the present regulations governing the dismissal of Councillors are appropriate was also raised. The arbitrariness with which a notice to dismiss a Councillor was lamented, and Councillors noted that these tools could be used as part of an election campaign to denigrate the character and reputation of candidates.

These are valid concerns and these sections of the by-laws are as juvenile in their development as the established role of a Councillor; although enacted in 2004, they were not used in practice until this year. Having seen one result, a review is in order. However, your haste to create barriers to these remedies should be tempered with two points.

the brunswickan

concerns with a mandatory fee being added to student accounts for students with vehicles or those who do not use the bus. What has changed? Though students pursued an optional bus pass, Fredericton Transit is holding ground and only offering a universal choice.

To argue against the pass, there seemed to be political will on City Council that an optional clause would be great for students and they city. It seems disadvantageous to vote for a universal pass when in future years we could attain an opt-out clause. Student living out of town will be subsidizing the costs of transit that they cannot use. Further, there is no guarantee for improvements to the system and students may see no growth come September.

One cannot blame the lack of an optional plan on the economy. Public transit use improves with poor economic conditions as individuals choose not to drive personal vehicles. In these harsh

times, the city will see an increased ridership, helping their finances, and allowing for more flexibility in an optional plan.

Then why support the pass? Our Student Union has been historically passive with large scale environmental activism and the green benefits of this are vast and direct. In future years, the number of student drivers may diminish if students planning for an education are aware they have a universal pass.

And though Fredericton Transit cannot guarantee development of routes, they are committing to responding to the demand of the giant student ridership.

A Universal pass results in roughly $800,000 in revenue for the city, making students valuable stakeholders in the process.

Students limited by transportation could, with a pass, seek housing away from the College Hill and surrounding area, indirectly opening up more

affordable housing options that could cover the cost of a universal pass in a few months’ rent. One full time student parent who works during the day approached the SU, highlighting that this pass will improve physical access to education, living in farther corners of Fredericton and taking night courses.

The choice is yours, so make it. A bus pass is just one way for students to take initiative towards a greener campus community. Is it the best first step? Perhaps we, students, should work towards carpooling incentives and other environmental rewards. Before any of this can begin, we need an active student body to mobilize behind the needs. Be engaged and bring solutions to the table.

And always remember to vote.

Jon O’Kane is VP External of the UNB Student Union and can be reached at external@unb.ca. Student Beat is a weekly column by UNB’s student leaders examining issues pertinent to students.

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

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated

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

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

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

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

brunswickanopinion

8 • Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

Trading community for a screen The Opinionator Nick Howard

I have become aware of my own hypocrisy.

While many of my columns have focused on the disappearance of community, I have also commented on a general disengagement from organized religion in a positive light. While I still believe that community is good and religion is bad (though not quite so universally), it is time to clarify the contradiction.

I grew up in church. Not in a church, but in church. I was a regular in an Anglican parish as a child; I believed in God and thought that the bible was more than an elaborate and welltold story. While my opinion is different now, I can still recognize the usefulness of church.

Community is important, as any reader of this column knows, and church provides community.

Well, perhaps “provided” might be more accurate. Church attendance is declining. At first glance, for an atheist or agnostic, a decline in Church attendance seems like a shot in the right direction for critical thought. However, the issue contains complexities that are not addressed in a glance.

Generally, people agree that community is beneficial to the development and maintenance of moral, ethical and social values. Rarely, however, is thought given to where community stems from. People assume that community is something that just exists, something that we are free to participate in if we so choose. I would

like to offer a new conception of community.

Community is something that is built. Like any social structure it must be maintained, injected with new ideals and values and given a direction with each generational changing of the guard.

The community members are responsible for the growth of the community; we learn the meaning of social responsibility.

The church is a community which has had relatively steadfast ideals and values involving God and worship – at least until recently. As some Canadians come to realize that the Christian ideas of God and Jesus make little sense in their modern and multicultural lives, they have moved further from the church community. So the real question is: where are people building community if not in the church? The answer is: they’re not.

Well, at least not anything like a traditional community. TV, movies and now the internet have slowly been replacing church and even community groups for many years. Screens for community: seems like a rip-off to me. Sunday morning church service, Sunday school and coffee hour (i.e. meeting other people) have been replaced in with Sunday morning cartoons.

Community brunch has been replaced with shopping and other individualistic activities. I know because I am as guilty as anyone. But a lack of community does not mean that we should all run back to the church. Indeed, I would rather that not be the answer.

The sometimes exclusive traditions of the church, though slowly, slowly changing, are not as conducive to an open and accepting environment as we might like to harbor in our communities. If we are to live up to the human rights goals we have set for ourselves, we cannot go back to a community which has for so long been prejudiced against women, minorities, homosexuality and other important groups of people. We need to build new communities that have foundations of equality and are based on

the lives of regular people.

Morality can be achieved through the recognition of shared humanity and does not require supernatural or divine creation.

Community gardens and conservation projects are just two examples from the limitless possibilities for community building. These communities can strive for something greater than its individual members without relying on an omniscient or omnipotent being. Creating healthier lifestyles and understanding the environment we depend on are two such goals.

Most important, we need to redevelop the contact we have lost. We no longer know each other; we know only our own wants and needs.

These quickly become excessive and meaningless in a void of social interaction. We need to build new communities based on the values we now hold. Humans created the church, so we know that strong community building is possible; but it is time for a change that suits the challenges and lifestyles of today.

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

The old man rant a satire from Dave Evans

I

f there is one thing I love more than anything else in this world, it’s beer. Beer is the nectar of the gods. Beer comes in many different types and flavours; lagers, ales, stouts, pilsners, and so on. Thanks to the meddling of the New Brunswick government, it also comes in an entirely new flavour: Socialism.

On March 12, NB Liquor stores began selling their own brand of beer, known as “Selection”.

The reason for creating it was to provide New Brunswickers with a “cheaper” alternative so that they wouldn’t have to drive to Quebec to get their drink on. I bring attention to the word “cheaper” in that NB Liquor is charging $18.67 for 12 cans, the same price I’m already paying for 12 cans of Alpine. The ridiculousness of this is that NB liquor is now saying that $18.67 will ultimately be the lowest price any producer will be allowed to sell their beer for, and even then they can only sell at that price for a limited time, upon approval of a special permit. Wait, what?

The government is telling me that if I want to sell beer (only in their own stores), I can pretty much screw off because I can never sell it as cheaply as they can? So again, they already have a total monopoly on retail beer sales in the province, and now they basically want to hold the monopoly on cheap beer? People, this is complete and utter bullshit. The provincial government has no right to be getting into the brewing business. The only thing the government should be doing is promoting existing NB breweries, such as Moosehead, Picaroons and Pumphouse. How are we supposed to be creating a self-sufficient New Brunswick when the Province is deliberately taking away the capability of private industry to grow, prosper and ultimately bolster the economy? Not to mention that the ultimate reasoning of encouraging residents to buy local instead of going to Quebec is ridiculous. Unless you live in Campbellton or Edmundston, why the hell are you going to drive several hours to the Quebec border for beer anyway?

Dear readers, I would also like to share with you the most important part of this entire fiasco; the beer tastes like stale piss. On the night of Mar. 12, I had some friends over to my place, and suggested one of them buy some of this beer so we could try it out. We each had one can and decided to drink some water afterwards, since it tastes better. When they were leaving, I reminded them to take the beer with them, to which they mumbled something and ran out the door, sticking me with the canned urine. Two nights later, same thing: another friend brought it, hated it, and left me with more of it. It’s like a deadly bacteria that is slowly filling my home with its stench. Oh, and the best part, the cans look like some no-name soda you’d find at the dollar store; the stuff you know is cheap, but if you drink it you’d probably be on the toilet the rest of the night.

Long story short: do not, under any circumstances, buy this beer. It’s garbage. Write your MLA, write the Premier and even write me, telling us how much you think this decision was asinine.

Personally, I think the president of NB Liquor should resign, if only for the fact he said in press releases that the swill tastes “comparably to other lagers”. In fact, buy other New Brunswick-made beers instead and tell NB Liquor to go to hell. Your taste buds as well as your common sense will thank you.

Dave Evans is Online Editor of the Brunswickan. Tell him what you hate at online@thebruns.ca.

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 9

Discrepancies between talk letters to the editor. and action at the Woodlot Sharing stories to impact UNB’s political landscape

Kerri Krawec Submitted to the Brunswickan

In light of the recent infraction involving the Woodlot development, I thought it time to tally the list of discrepancies between what UNB says and what UNB does. In each example, the stated principles of UNB will be compared to the actual practices of the University and its partners in development. This list includes actions undertaken by those companies employed by UNB, as their mandate invariably comes from the landowner. The five points are taken directly from UNB’s Land Management Strategy and Woodlot Implementation Plan.

1.

Practice Responsible Stewardship On Jan. 26, 2009, Terrain Group of Dartmouth N.S. was ticketed for conducting geotechnical work in the Woodlot without a Watercourse and Wetlands Alteration permit.

Serge Gagnon from the Department of Environment confirmed that the company was fined $1204.50 for working without a permit; a spokeswoman from Terrain Group declined to comment on the fine.

While Terrain Group’s business practices may represent the norm, their employer (UNB) has indicated

that it wants to demonstrate bestpractices in land development. I find it hard to see how ignoring mandatory permits demonstrates a commitment to responsible stewardship.

2.

Support Teaching and Research As had been previously reported, a UNB Forestry Professor, Dr. Rod Savidge had his research land cut down to make way for Home Depot.

The loss of 20 years’ worth of research was done without his knowledge or consent. If ever there was an example of how little the UNB administration actually knows about the uses of the Woodlot, Dr. Savidge’s experience serves as a glaring reminder.

3. Strive for Excellence in Design and Development When I think of excellence in urban design, stretches of asphalt and big-box retailers are not what come to mind. A senior UNB administrator suggested that “soft aesthetics”, like trees in the parking lot were examples of environmentally sustainable design.

Talk about setting the bar low! In terms of transportation, Knowledge Park Drive was not constructed with dedicated bike lanes, despite the opportunity to promote low-impact transportation options.

4. Establishment of Endowment Conservation Lands UNB has requested a variance from the City to re-zone land that had been classified as Endowment Conservation Lands and have it changed to Endowment Development Lands. This request is at the behest of Costco, for whom UNB seems

willing to bend over backwards to serve. Not only will land potentially be re-zoned for Costco, but baseline buffers protecting a wetland will be violated in three separate areas. It’s a far cry from the 80 metre buffers that UNB had promised at an open house in October 2004.

5. Enhance UNB’s Reputation Currently petitions are circulating throughout the UNB and Fredericton community gathering signatories who are dissatisfied with UNB’s current development strategy. The lack of confidence being expressed in UNB’s governing bodies is hardly surprising, given the lack of representation UNB students (including the Student Union) and many faculty and staff had in the development consultation process. Also interesting to note is a recent petition that included signatures of organizations that UNB had previously included in their consultation process, including the Fredericton Area Watershed Association, Fredericton Nature Club, and Nature Trust NB. How exactly does this opposition translate into a good reputation?

These five examples show that there is a huge discrepancy between UNB’s intentions and actions, which I find unacceptable. I would like to see that chasm disappear entirely by UNB following through on its promises and acting with integrity. However, should development continue as per usual, the least UNB can do is not couch their intentions in “green” language; if it’s all about the money, then at least admit it.

Dear Editor, The campaign for the student union was challenging for all of us – including graduate students who care deeply about the future of this campus. It’s important to document our stories so that others – potential activists, future student union representatives, and radicals – can hear the voices of those that have been silenced. It’s with some amount of fear that I write this letter, knowing very well that it will come back to haunt me, but I do so with the hope that it will inspire others to question our political friendships, our student groups, and our student representatives and to share their stories, to make their impact on the political landscape here at UNB. I would like to point out a few facts about how some members of United for Change handled fellow activists, particularly my partner and I. I am openly an anarchist, and I have participated in many actions, demonstrations, and political gatherings through the last six years of my academic career here at UNB. I know many of the UfC and Strax folks at a very personal level.

They all know that I am critical of political power games (from the local to the national level). I feel that it is probably for this reason that Matt Abbott, Alex Corey and David Steele brought a case against me to the university for investigation by the director of UNB security Reg Jerrett. In, what I feel to be, an effort to intimidate me from political criticism and participation, they accused me of attempting to sabotage and discredit the election process at UNB; a mighty claim, without any grounding, that could have put my funding and academic career on the line. After being

hauled out of two of my classes for various meetings with Mr. Jerrett, Matt Abbott and other members of the UfC ignored numerous emails requesting that they sit down and have a discussion with me about the grounds for these allegations. I feel that these individuals manipulated the services that are set up for students in order to promote a very narrow ideological agenda. I believe these allegations demonstrate ideological discrimination, political profiling, and the extent to which these activists are willing to go to eradicate real dialog.

But this is not an isolated event. Students are correct to link Mr. Abbott and Mr. Corey with the student activist group Strax; indeed, the membership within the UFC and Strax overlap, and their organizing efforts outside of campus politics have always crossed paths. I was in several groups with members from both the UFC crew and Strax in the past. Later last year I tried to join Strax but was denied entry by two executives who made me feel as though they would do everything in their power to ensure that I was not involved. Once again, they ignored emails or outright refused to discuss their reasons for the exclusions, refused to let me know when and where their next meeting was, and refused to provide me with any reason whatsoever as to why they would exclude somebody who agreed with their points of unity. Strax is funded by the student union.

Let this be a lesson to all students and activists: sometimes the run for power can get the better of us. It can make us turn our heads and shake our fists at the very people we claim to be in solidarity with (fellow activists, the students). Now that the election is over it’s time to reflect and rebuild lost alliances.

Sincerely, Duane Rousselle

brunswickanopinion

10 • Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

SU ad

brunswickanopinion

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 11

The Brunswickan, the Student Union, and the rest of the world Sam Submitted

Perlmutter to the

Brunswickan

It’s time for students to take their heads out of the sand.

While at home during reading week I visited my old high school in Thornhill, ON, minutes north of Toronto. My high school has a student run newspaper, much like our very own Brunswickan. On my visit I leafed through the newspaper and was very disturbed to find more articles in The Eye of the Tiger about what was happening outside our borders than I have ever seen in our precious Bruns.

There was an article about Darfur, where the government has been supporting militias in an ethnic cleansing reminiscent of Rwanda.

There was an article about Michael Ignatieff, the newly anointed official leader of the opposition. Even my treasured Toronto Maple Leafs got some coverage.

All of this in a newspaper written by a bunch of high school students.

Recently in our very own Student Union, the Renaissance College Rep Matt Abbott proposed a resolution regarding the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. The response to this was not a debate about the issue itself, but condemnation and disgust at the idea of our student union dealing with anything other than students. Heaven forbid we talk about events occurring outside of our borders.

I understand that the mandate of the SU is to represent and serve the students of the university. I also understand that the Brunswickan has a responsibility to provide news and information about the happenings relevant to the university itself.

However, there are a few important reasons that providing coverage and debating issues concerning the rest of the world would fulfill both the SU’s and Brunswickan’s mandates.

Yes, we are all currently university students, and matters concerning our campus and education are likely to be the most important to us. However, let’s re-examine the purpose of a university education. Why exactly are we here? Our university education is supposed to prepare us for the real world. Everyone wants something a little different out of their experience, but ultimately this is a stepping stone to the rest of our lives. And the rest of our lives are not going to be lived primarily in a university town or on a university campus. The rest of our lives are going to involve the rest of the world and what is happening in it.

I think it is sometimes taken for granted how lucky we are to be receiving a university education.

Such an education is something not accessible to most of the world.

This is supposed to be an institute of higher learning, where we acquire the skills to contribute positively to our city, province, or even country.

We are supposed to be the bright minds of tomorrow. Our education

is simply a tool for us to make some sort of positive difference in our own lives and those of others upon our graduation.

While I recognize that not everyone’s goals upon graduation may be as altruistic as mine; going through our education blind to the happenings of the rest of the world is to nobody’s benefit. Eventually we will all have to deal with the harsh realities that exist outside cozy little Fredericton. The happenings within Canada and around the world will affect our lives in many ways. That is simply undeniable. I’m sure there are still some of you out there saying, ‘well yes, but it’s not the job of the SU or the Brunswickan to deal with these issues or inform us’. Wrong.

The SU can do much to spread awareness without actually spending a penny of money from other student services. It does not cost anything to debate or pass resolutions about issues that are relevant to us as students.

For example, passing a resolution condemning Queen’s University’s

‘conversation cops’ – student monitors who eavesdrop on conversations in residence and intervene when hearing ‘offensive or discriminatory’ comments – would send a clear message to the administration that our student body does not support such an initiative.

Carleton University’s student union passed a resolution to end Shinerama on the premise that cystic fibrosis is a disease that affects mostly white males. In light of UNB’s support for Shinerama, and because cystic fibrosis is a disease that does not mostly affect white males, it would have been nice to hear the student union speak out in some way.

UNB enjoys a great collection of international students. Unfortunately many of them have families currently living in conflict zones. It would take only time and effort to discuss resolutions about these conflicts, and hold forums or rallies to raise awareness of these issues.

The SU is not only supposed to represent the students but to provide

services as well. What greater service could it provide than informing us what is happening, how it affects us, and what action we can take. Initiatives taken by the student body can and do have a meaningful impact.

To be the leaders of tomorrow we need to be informed about what is happening in the world. That knowledge is the single biggest tool we can leave with to help make a difference. After all, the ultimate reason we are here as students is to acquire knowledge. As a union designed to serve students, and for a newspaper, whose job is always to inform, there can be no greater service provided or more valuable information passed on to the students than what awaits them in the world upon graduation.

While most student newspapers focus primarily on issues regarding their respective universities, there is also frequently coverage discussing other issues around the world and the impact they have on the student body. On the front page of the McGill

Daily’s website there were links to articles discussing the civil war in Sri Lanka and the conflict in Israel. The Queen’s Journal had articles about how the Olympics in Vancouver will impact First Nations’ and what Stephen Harper’s recent comments on CNN mean to us as Canadians.

The SU and the Bruns have the power and ability to inform the student body about not only what happens in our sheltered little campus, but what is happening abroad, what we can do, and why it matters. The way to prepare us for life after school is to inform us of global realities. The SU and Brunswickan can do this, and would only be serving themselves, and the student body as a whole, to deal with bigger issues both in Canada, and the world.

You can only live in a bubble for so long before the rest of the world smacks you in the face.

Sam Perlmutter is the 2009-10 SU Renaissance College representative councillor. He can be reached at sam. perlmutter@gmail.com.

iewpoint V

brunswickanopinion

12 • Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

the brunswickan.

Question: What is your most awkward childhood memory?

“Falling asleep at a Remembrance Day ceremony.”

Adam Brewer

“My childhood hasn’t ended yet.”

Andrew Mercier

“I would rather not remember.”

Cody Jack

“I didn’t think my parents would let me out of the car but they called my bluff and drove away.”

James Goodwin

“When my first crush found out I liked her.”

Joseph Doran

“Getting caught playing maple leaf and having people think I was talking to myself ’.”

Justin Barber

“Disney came to our school and I ended up as a Lindsay Lohan stunt double.”

Dave Rive

“I thought I was too cool to have a sticker book so I gave it away. They became cool the next day.”

Emily Hawkins

“Getting lost at the buskers and asking for my mom to find me.”

Matt Miller

“I could tell you, but you wouldn’t print it.”

Matt Vincent

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 •13

A celebration of African culture

Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

Ishmael Radikoko performs in the foreground at African Night, last Saturday in the SUB. The event was put on by the UNB/STU African Students’ Union.

FROM AFRICA PAGE 1 running around for everyone,” jokes Josephson.

However, he believes that everyone else had a great time sampling the food and experiencing the diverse new tastes.

“There were different kinds of recipes: rice, beans, plantains, all kinds of food. Everyone really loved and enjoyed the food,” says Josephson.

Food was only half of the night’s offerings; music and fashion were another sight to see.

Demonstrations of music from across Africa and musical differences between the various parts of Africa went on through the night.

“They did a lot of different demonstrations that day showing the different ways they tap their

feet to the way West Africans shake their bodies – everything was explained.

“The way Ethiopians play their stringed instrument is different from the way the West Africans play their drums which is different from the way that the South Africans, Botswana and Zimbabweans tapped their feet,” says Josephson.

Even though it’s only been a short while since the event, Josephson says he has received a lot of positive feedback about the night.

“The night was fantastic. I’ve been getting a lot of emails from people who were really happy and excited. I also got emails from people from Saint John saying that next African Night, they want to be a part of it because they enjoyed this one so much,” says Josephson.

The positive feedback has also gotten Josephson

thinking about next year’s event.

“If I’m president next year I will do another one again. I think it will be awesome.

“Next year, come prepared. It’s going to be even greater than what you saw this year,” says Josephson.

While Josephson says that the ASU “expressed as much of our culture as [they] could,” he also states that the event had some charitable endeavours.

While the ASU does not receive a great deal of funding from the universities, it still has a goal of donating some of African Night’s proceeds to charities in Africa.

“We promised ourselves that this time once we’ve paid all the expenses for the event we wanted to support charity in Africa. For example, the children of war and we also want to support a

group of Malawian refugees and NGOs that help students in Malawi,” says Josephson.

While the group doesn’t know how much they’ll be able to donate yet, Josephson says they are hopeful they can help. At this point Josephson says he just appreciates the attendance and help from the community.

“I’m impressed with the attendance. I’m thankful for the non-African student volunteers who worked with us through the event. Even though we may have thanked them or given a little gift it cannot compare to the amount of work that people put in as volunteers. We’re grateful!” Says Josephson.

The African Student Union is an association of students from across the continent of Africa from both St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick.

this week in brunswickanarts The Weakerthans are back - with friends.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few months, you’ve probably noticed posters (and last week’s Q&A in the Brunswickan) about The Weakerthans & Constantines’ upcoming show at UNB’s own Student Union Building on Mar. 23.

Securing a ‘Safe Passage’ to the Capital The Slate Pacific’s debut EP Safe Passage will kick off at a CD release show on Saturday, Mar. 21 at the Capital Bar. 100 free tickets are being literally given away by the band in order to encourage everyone to bring their friends. To get yours, email zach@theslatepacific.com or check out the band on Facebook.

The Black Crowes will be headlining at FredRock this year.

Flickr Creative Commons

Playhouse wins ECMA for Best Venue The ECMAs have come and gone, and the Fredericton Playhouse has once again claimed the award for Best Venue.

This is the Playhouse’s third time receiving the award and sixth time being nominated. Executive Director Tim Yerxa, who was present in Corner Brook to receive the award, exclaimed that “this should be a great source of pride for Fredericton.”

brunswickanarts

14 • Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

Local rock-reggae reels in the fans Alison Clack The Brunswickan

Years of work have come to fruition with the release of Weak Size Fish’s debut album, Off We Go. The band, which consists mainly of UNB students, celebrated the release of their album with a packed show at the Cellar this past weekend.

“It was honestly one of the coolest experiences I think that we’ve gone through so far. We did it without really knowing what to expect and we’re really glad with what happened,” says bassist Andrew Thomson about last Friday’s show.

The experience was likely a great deal different from the band’s beginnings playing house parties.

Thomson, who joined the band a little bit later than the rest, explains how the band came to be in the state it is today.

“I came into the band a little bit later than the rest of the guys. They were together playing house parties and one day I guess they realized they needed a cute bass player,” jokes Thomson.

Their choice of Thomson was a random choice that worked out quite well for the band.

“We didn’t even know each other; they just knew I played bass. So, they gave me a call and I went to Charlottetown with them one day.

Love at first sight I guess,” quips Thomson.

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

Weak Size Fish have put a lot of effort into their latest release Off We Go, which took over a year to record.

From house parties to bigger venues to the release of their debut album, Weak Size Fish has come a long way over the years.

“We matured a lot as a band. It’s kind of cliché, what I’m saying, but just sitting around for hours listening to these songs over and over and trying to make them perfect and was really cool. Now we just have to do the hard part and pay it off,” says Thomson.

While the recording of an album was a new experience for most members of the band, the album’s sound doesn’t show any inexperience.

The album is full of the same great fusion of rock and reggae that has enamoured students on the hill for the past four years. None of the tracks fail to impress, and unlike a lot of bands who only give high-energy performances live, the CD manages to recapture that feeling.

Only days after the CD’s release, students on the hill have already been heard saying that Off We Go is a great choice to chill out and dance to.

The album’s title is a representation of the band’s attitude as they put this album out.

“We sat around for awhile trying to come up with a title for this. Off we go is the title of one of the songs on the album and we really liked the feel of the song and what Nick [Mazerolle,

vocals/guitar] was trying to say when he wrote the song. We figured that it went well with our attitude right now,” says Thomson.

With the release of the album Thomson says that he finally feels like he has a reason to play.

“We’re promoting this CD now and it’s really cool. People have always asked whether we had a CD and we’ve always had to just say ‘no, we’re working on one.’ It’s different being able to say we have a CD now.

‘We’re promoting it, this is us,’” says Thomson.

“We’ve made friends everywhere.

There are beautiful crowds everywhere and I cannot wait to keep playing more, it’s been so much fun. We just like to see people dancing and that’s what we’re getting,” says Thomson.

The release of the CD won’t be the only change for Weak Size Fish this year. A few of their members will be graduating – a change that Thompson doesn’t expect to affect the band too much.

“We’ve talked about it a bit before. We’re all still going to be in Fredericton and we’re going to keep going with what we have now. We love what we’re doing so far,” says Thompson.

Always moving forward, Weak Size Fish will be playing a show in a few weeks with Cape Breton band Slowcoaster.

“To all of our fans, we’ll hopefully see you soon. We’re playing with Slowcoaster in a couple of weeks.

Anyone interested in coming out should come get your groove on,” says Thomson.

The Weak Size Fish and Slowcoaster show will be at the Cellar on Mar. 28.

Beer Goggles: The take on tabloids Brian Savoie & Stephanie Allen The Brunswickan

In honour of the Brunswickan now looking like a tabloid, we decided to review the trashiest tabloids that we could find in Sobeys. Keep in mind that the tabloid you’re reading is free while we spent near fifteen bucks writing this article (beer not included).

1) National Examiner: $3.95 CAD + tax Cover Story: “Sexy Scandal Could Destroy Obama!” - Also, his brother was caught with drugs!

Let’s face it - when tabloids attempt to exploit politicians, our drunk eyebrows are instantly raised with enough exuberance to fly from our faces. We are forced to pencil in our brows indefinitely.

The “sexy scandal” in question is, from what we gather, that Obama

was “way too close” with a beautiful campaign worker and his wife was all “wtf”. The campaign hussie in question randomly moved to the Caribbean so that’s apparently grounds for accusing Barack of sleeping with her. Also, his brother was found with ONE JOINT. And it apparently wasn’t even his. Fail.

Moral of the story: Magazine covers are blatant exaggerations of the articles themselves.

Competitiveness to the Bruns: hmm... more stories about people we don’t give a shit about, and more ads for things that we would never waste our money on. Bruns, you’ve got some catching up to do!

Side note: This tabloid was absolutely laden with puns. Puns usually go well with beer, but these ones did not amuse your poor, drunk journalists.

2) Star: a whopping $4.95 CAD + tax Cover Story: “The Jen-Brad Tapes”.

That’s more like it!

Upon first inspection, this one looks a bit more legit: not newsprint (sorry Bruns), better-quality photo, Brad Pitt’s abs on the cover. We like.

Later on, we find out that the quality of the mag is actually terrible as it falls apart in our drunk hands. We no longer like.

This cover story is interesting because Jennifer Aniston has been portrayed by the media as a controlling, possessive headcase with baggage. The main gist is that Jen and Brad have been splitsville for four years. Now Brad’s father to a kindergarten class of kids, and Jen’s still hung up on him. Weird – we knew about this long before reading the article, and we are NOT starsavvy. Our money would have been better spent on snack wraps.

Competitiveness to the Bruns: It has more activities. Crosswords, Sudoku and other word puzzles?

Wow! That’s not worth five bones though. You can get that shit online.

Actually, you can get all of this gossip online. Actually, you can also get the Bruns online! But the Bruns is free anyways. Sorry, Star!

3) National Enquirer (the big daddy of tabs): $4.79CAD + tax Cover Story: “Octuplet Mom’s Lies Exposed”/”Swayze Wasting Away”.

The octuplet mama was featured in every magazine. She’s mooching off her parents and trying to raise a plethora of kids who were accomplished with the grace of in vitro fertilization. Your drunk reporters are totally lamed-out.

Our level of interest dropping

considerably, we turn to the horoscopes. Oh wait, there are none in this tabloid. We resist the urge to set it on fire and take our drinking elsewhere.

Competitiveness to the Bruns: The Brunswickan is towering over this

horoscope-less, miserable excuse for a publication. Ew. Your reporters had a good realtalk about how stupid it is to focus solely on famous people. Let this be the disclaimer: you should put your own life and the lives of those around you before what you read in the tabloids.

Most of that rubbish is made up or exaggerated.

That being said, lots of bitches have gained weight!

We have realized many things about tabloids. For starters, they are filled with facts that are either wellknown and useless, or unproven.

They also use stories about random, uninteresting people as filler. The advertisements in tabloids are aimed at 70-year-old women who are lonely or really into tacky knick knacks.

Bruns, you win. Thank you for being at least pseudo-relevant.

Check out thebruns.ca for exclusive web content, including a live performance of the Great Lake Swimmers in Fredericton.

brunswickanarts

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 15

Keeping your Mac addiction in check From The Tubes Doug Estey

From the outside, I would seem like a stereotypical Mac user. I’m a web design geek and a multimedia student. I may or may not have a Waffles account, and I frequent Indie Pop Nights. Hell, I work at the Brunswickan in an office full of Apple products. iPods are aplenty, and an iMac plays a pivotal role in the production of this very paper that you read.

Only my close friends know the truth.

I hate Macs.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh. I don’t hate them, and this isn’t some kind of Windows fanboy rant. I got out of that deathtrap years ago once I got tired of lost essays and browser hijacks. But boy, is it ever fun to pick on Macs and - better yet, the stereotypical user base that goes hand-in-hand with them.

Before you get all indignant on me and spill your fair trade coffee over your MacBook, hear me out: you probably spent a lot of money on that cute little thing. So what do you use it for? If you’re recording tracks for your band’s upcoming EP while creating a montage of practice videos on iMovie, chances are that you’re getting your money’s worth. But if you’re using it for cruising Facebook and listening to music, well, I’m legally entitled to make fun of you.

For those of you currently unblessed, a Mac is a substandard (but optimized!) PC in a sleek-looking case that has been made remarkably difficult to upgrade and costs more money than an ordinary computer. Sounds great, right?

I left something out: OS X, which incidentally isn’t all that bad. It is, after all, based on BSD (a UNIX variant) and features the primary bragging right of our day and age: it isn’t Vista.

Hundreds of intuitive (albeit “borrowed” in some cases) design principles have been tightly woven into OS X, and it shows when you’re switching from app to app. It’s slick.

Unfortunately, when the OS boots up it looks for a little chip called an EEPROM that is unique to Apple computers. This means that even though an iMac and a run-of-the-mill

desktop are identical under the hood, it’ll only run on the former.

And you Mac users wonder why I like poking fun at you. What’s wrong?

Afraid that deep down, everyone hates the look of your computers and only drops $1,500 for your OS? Is that even a bad thing?

I’m no business major, but taking a huge bite of Microsoft’s market share doesn’t sound like such a bad idea to me, old Steve-o. Maybe you should invest some fresh thinking into your hardware line and market the hell out of OS X to manufacturers. Then we’d see some real competition, and even Windows would have to be good.

Maybe I’m a little out in left field here by saying this, but the last time I checked, OS X has less than 8% market share on the consumer desktop. That means two things: that Apple is losing, and that I’m not alone in my Macinfused spite.

Just sayin’.

Doug Estey is Arts Editor of the Brunswickan, and can be reached at arts@ thebruns.ca.

Doug Estey / The Brunswickan

The new MacBooks are thin, light, and still a PC.

brunswickanarts

16 • Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

Skinny dipping with The Great Lake Swimmers Jordan Dashner The Brunswickan

What’s that feeling when you leave an overly complicated urban environment and escape to a rural paradise?

Suddenly, your life falls into place and every disjointed variable seems to synchronize. The busy hubbub of the city no longer drowns out your internal dialogue, and chewing on a piece of straw becomes more important than adding ten cents to your minimum wage; also, there’s the skinny-dipping.

The instant you strip off your clothes and let the cold waters of some murky pond engulf your shins, thighs, and the goose bumps on your cold naked ass, you think to yourself: Why can’t

my thrills always be this simple? Have I become the victim of some cultural standard that tells me when and how to enjoy myself? These worries, of course, quickly dissipate, as you call on some long forgotten moxie and dive headfirst into the pond’s chill embrace.

Seeing the Great Lake Swimmers perform at The Capital last Thursday night I couldn’t help but be re-immersed with these uniquely rural concepts; however, it took no courageous effort on my part.

As Tony Dekker approached the microphone and curled his upper right lip to let out the first ghostly note of the evening the audience fell silent. It’s in the nature of the Great Lake Swimmers’ style to be calming and relaxing, but in all my years of going to The Capital, or any other bar, I have never heard a place go so silent. Mouths that had

TANNING SPECIALS

3 LOCATIONS 530 Queen St. 458-9771 1113 Regent St. 454-8267 154 Main St. 472-5048

TWO FREE TANS

20% OFF VERSA SPA SUNLESS MIST TAN 03/31/09

moments ago been spewing words were now closed – goosebumps and hairs immediately stood up. To my surprise the voice that came out of the speakers was the same voice I had heard hundreds of times before.

Let’s face it, who goes to concerts these days expecting to hear the exact same voice they’ve heard on the band’s CD, and still be satisfied? Usually the excessively fast paced screech and holler of competing instruments drown out any potential a singer might have as they strain their vocals to be heard, so when I heard the soft forming of Dekker’s voice call across the room, it was truly a pleasant surprise. The instrumentation was there to frame rather than embellish, emphasize and encourage rather than challenge. Their sound was one of perfect synchronization – nothing alluring in the way of star power, or showboating guitar riffs, but a simple bond between instrument, voice, and poetry that is rarely seen in music these days. Starting with an eclectic gathering of past recordings from Ongiara and Bodies and Minds, which helped to set up an immediately nostalgic atmosphere for present fans, and invited new listeners into their melodic folk stylizing, the band than introduced tracks from their new album Lost Channels.

As the evening flowed on it became more apparent as to why their new CD was named Lost Channels. Their style has evolved into something haunting, something that can only be imagined as a placid channel winding off the St. Lawrence River, dotted with the occasional abandoned wharf. Despite

Christian Hapgood / The Brunswickan

Great Lake Swimmers performed to a sold-out audience at the Capital last Thursday night. For a video of the performance, check out thebruns.ca. these feelings, the music remained strangely comforting and mesmerizing, an effect eagerly emphasized by the rustic plucking of Erik Arnesen’s banjo strings and the strong resonance of the double bass. It became so soothing at points that the slight contrast in tempo between songs like “Concrete Heart” and “Pulling On A Line” left you feeling absolutely exhilarated. Despite the soothing quality of the music, each song carried an undeniable energy that lent itself well to their natural presence.

When the evening was over I couldn’t help but wonder why life’s little thrills couldn’t always be this simple. Recognizing the small size of the establishment, and the growing popularity of the band, you still couldn’t help but feel that something natural was happening here – that some lost pleasure was being rediscovered. These worries, of course, quickly dissipated when I hit play on my iTunes and dove head first into the chilly embrace of Lost Channels.

The video game maestro Alex Hayter The Cord Weekly

WATERLOO (CUP) - Tommy Tallarico, 41, has been performing live video game music concerts since he was 10 years old.

In his family’s TV room.

With a broomstick.

Charging friends a nickel to serve as his special audience, Tallarico would throw on a tape cassette with recordings of music from the local arcade, stick a game cartridge in his Commodore 64 console, and then grab the broomstick as his guitar.

“Everyone laughed and thought it was hilarious,” laughed Tallarico from his LA office. “Who knew, 30 years later I’d be doing it with 150 musicians from the LA Phil’ behind me at the Hollywood Bowl in front of 20,000 people?”

Quite the change of scenery for Tallarico, a man who has spent over 20 years in the gaming industry as a composer, critic, and self-described “class clown.”

Video Games Live is the performanceart phenomenon that has been creating hysteria around the world since its founding in 2005. Since then, it has gone from performing three shows globally, to over 60 planned dates this year. Just last week, the show wowed over 100,000 fans in Taiwan, complimented by a fireworks display and mass sing-a-long.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra performed as part of VGL on March 13 and 14 at Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ont. Tallarico began VGL as a way to “prove to the world how culturally significant and artistic video games have become.” Cofounded with show conductor Jack Wall - soundtrack composer of Mass Effect and Splinter Cell - with the goal of creating a show for everybody, not just gamers.

“You don’t have to know a darn thing at all about video games to come to the show,” said Tallarico.

Each night of the show, a live symphony orchestra performs on stage to a backdrop of video game footage, perfectly synchronized. But this isn’t one of your regular nights at the prom.

“I don’t allow the people in the orchestra to wear tuxedos; it’s a rule,” said Tallarico.

“We encourage clapping before, after, and during the performance.”

The event’s hybridism has brought fresh fans to classical music and video game compositions alike. Even members of the orchestra, says Tallarico, find an instant adoration and respect for songs they have never heard before.

“They thought they’d be sitting down plucking out pizzicatos on the violin all night - ‘bleep bleep bloop bloop bleep,’” he chuckled. The music demonstrated in the show is far from the simple variety though.

The key to VGL’s success is its variety - with music starting as early as Pong, through ‘80s classics like Frogger, to new favourites such as Halo.

“We’ve never played the same show twice,” said Tallarico. “We’re always adding to the show, doing different stuff.”

The music is a mixture of both new and old, he says. “If anything, we lean more towards the new stuff.”

In next week’s show, the set list will include fresh material, such as the seminal Bioshock, and Tallarico hopes to debut material from Megaman.

A sure highlight will be a Guitar Hero: Aerosmith segment, where a competition winner is brought on stage to duel Tallarico’s real guitar playing, backed by a live, improvised orchestra.

This part is a particular favourite for Tallarico: He’s Steven Tyler’s cousin, after all.

Often taking centre-stage, Tallarico will don a flashy jacket, wield his SpiderMan-branded Gibson guitar, grab the microphone, and holler song melodies for the crowd to chant along to.

And while Tallarico doesn’t take himself

too seriously, the man’s certainly passionate about his two loves: music and games.

A stroke of luck brought these two joys together when Tallarico, 20 years old and virtually homeless in California, was approached by a video game designer at the music store he was working at. Tallarico, adorned in a video game T-shirt, got a job as a game tester - and before he knew it, he was composing the soundtrack to Prince of Persia in his spare time.

Tallarico later went on to become cohost of G4 Tech TV’s Electric Playground, a show where he and founder Victor Lucas debate the merits of the latest videogames.

Since taking VGL on the road, his appearances on television have dwindled to only a handful of appearances per season.

Though he misses having an outlet to vent his critical voice, Tallarico was eager to spout off his opinion on some of his current peeves in the gaming industry.

He still feels that the name “Nintendo Wii” was an awful choice for a console.

“I hold them to such a high standard that when they come out with horseshit, I’m gonna fucking call ‘em on it,” laughed Tallarico. “All lot of people are afraid to say the things I say. But for me, it’s not really my career – so I don’t give a shit.”

And Wii Music, Nintendo’s answer to the music game phenomenon? “[Creator Shigeru Miyamoto] dialed that one in, I think . . . I don’t know what the hell happened,” he said.

Tallarico certainly doesn’t plan on dialing the rest of his career in – the sound of thousands of screaming, adoring fans is too much of an incentive for this natural showman.

“It’s instant gratification to see that excitement,” he said. “We’re ushering a whole new generation of people to come out and appreciate the arts and appreciate a symphony.”

Tallarico will be sure to gratify VGL’s fans as he continues to expand the show’s musical catalogue. Having just added Chrono Trigger to the mix, we’re set to hear Super Smash Bros., Shadow of the Colossus, and Street Fighter II in the near future.

brunswickanarts

Hagerman’s horny horoscopes Aries

Taurus

(March 21st - April 19th)

(April 20th - May 20th)

You will see your first narwhal this week, dear Aries. Normally this would be pretty cool in and of itself, but what’s even more amazing about your sighting is that it will be dressed business-casual. When you ask it why’s it’s all dressed up, the narwhal will merely roll its eyes at you in an annoyed fashion. Your lucky sports teams are the Texas Longhorns.

Cancer

(May 21st - June 21st)

(June 22nd- July 22nd) Rocking out at a concert will have unfortunate consequences this week, dear Cancer. By rhythmically waving with your hands in a devilhorn position will open a portal to a demon dimension and summon all sorts of demons onto the stage. They will grab the instruments and begin to play. Poorly. Your lucky horn to toot is your own.

Leo (July 23rd - August 22nd)

Drinking excessive amounts of mead will bring you much happiness this week, dear Leo. The goat to which your mead horn originally belonged will burst into the room and angrily baa for its horn back. Instead, you’ll give it some mead to calm it down.

The goat will be appeased by this and go away. Your lucky musical instrument is the English horn.

Libra (September 23rd - October 23rd)

Your blacksmithing career will see a sharp increase lately, dear Libra. The demand for sharp metal weapons will spike due to the government’s cutting of jobs. This will not be due to people wanting to stab the government, but rather that the only new jobs coming would be if Medieval Times came here. Your lucky horned weapon is the trident.

Virgo (August 23rd - September 22nd)

You’ll be on the phone a lot this week, dear Virgo. A mutual disagreement with a friend of yours will result in an epic battle of wills, albeit separated by a great distance.

Thankfully, by the time you meet face to face with your friend, there will no longer be any dispute. After you punch them in the face. Your lucky rhino horn is made out of hair.

Scorpio (October 24th - November 22nd)

Expressing your distaste for the driving of others will have a positive outcome this week, dear Scorpio.

When somebody ahead of you stops at a green light, you will lay on your horn so hard that the force of the noise will blow them off of the road and into a nearby (empty) pool. Your lucky 13th Century Middle English romance story is King Horn.

Sagittarius

Capricorn

(November 23rd - December 21st)

(December 22nd - January 20th)

Aquarius

Pisces

(January 21st - February 18th)

(February 19th - March 20th)

You will hear something unexpected while listening to the radio this week, dear Sagittarius. Upon adjusting your dial in just the right fashion, you will hear a transmission being broadcast by aliens attempting to listen into our transmissions.

They will have English accents. Your lucky land is crescent-shaped.

You will encounter a new sweet aspect of Buddhism this week, dear Aquarius. Playing the dungchen will both satisfy your quest for inner peace as well your quest to play ridiculously huge instruments while wearing awesome robes. Your lucky symbol of food and abundance is the cornucopia.

FEELS GOOD TO HELP DARFUR

Playing a concert will have unexpected results this week, dear Taurus.

You will play every single note one half-note higher than you were trying to. However, you were trying to play the notes a half-note lower than it was printed on the sheet music.

Also, the LSD will make the notes more purple than usual. Your lucky heirloom is the Horn of Gondor.

Gemini Your carpentry project will go awry this week, dear Gemini. The part of a jamb extending above your head will become loose and fall. It will fall on some geese that just so happen to be passing through your doorway.

Thankfully, the geese had it coming.

Your lucky signaller of Ragnarok is the Gjallarhorn.

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 17

You will make an interesting discovery while using a loudspeaker this week, dear Capricorn. While trying to protest high student debt, your voice will vibrate at such a frequency as to erase all student loans from existence. Ecstatic, you will cheer triumphantly, thus bringing them right back. Your lucky Max Payne villain is Nicole Horne.

Your career as a matador will be expectedly bloody this week, dear Pisces. Instead of being gored by a bull’s horns, however, you will give yourself a really bad papercut when filling out the required consent forms. You will quit being a matador to pursue less papercut-filled work.

Your lucky mythological horned creature is the minotaur.

arts@thebruns.ca

Gorica Barudzija / Submitted to The Brunswickan

Feelsgood.ca hosted an event titled ‘Feels Good to Help Darfur’ on Monday night at the Garrison District Alehouse, featuring a variety of performers, including Jason Merrill, above. “Our goal is to raise awareness on the issue in Darfur and bring a voice to the issue,” said Paul McAllister of Feelsgood.ca. “We don’t expect to make drastic changes with this event, but rather just to bring attention to it.”

brunswickansports

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 18

sports@thebruns.ca

AUS HOCKEY TITLE ON THE LINE

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The AUS men’s hockey championship will be decided tonight at the Aitken Centre. With the best-of-three series at a 1-1 deadlock, the Saint Mary’s Huskies will travel to UNB to take on the top-seeded Varsity Reds to decide who will hang the conference championship banner. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.

GAME 1

Brandon MacNeil

GAME 2

5 1

The Brunswickan

2 3

GAME SUMMARY

GAME SUMMARY

First Period No scoring

First Period No scoring

Second Period 1. UNB – Jordan Clendenning (Rob Pearce, Lachlan MacIntosh) 2:14 2. SMU - Tyler Cuthbert (Colby Pridham, Marc Rancourt) 2:50 3. UNB - Kyle Bailey 17:50

Second Period 1. SMU - Marc Rancourt (Scott Hotham, Cody Thornton) 10:31

Third Period 4. UNB - Jimmy Cuddihy (Kevin Henderson, Jonathan Harty) 2:24 5. UNB - Jordan Clendenning (Justin McCutcheon, Lachlan MacIntosh) 6:42 6. UNB - Alex Aldred (Jordan Clendenning, Bretton Stamler) 19:12 1 14 UNB 9 SMU W: Travis Fullerton (21 saves) L: Brandon Verge (37 saves) Shots on Goal

Attendance: 3768

2 10 10

3 18 3

Tot. 42 22

Third Period 2. SMU - Cam Fergus (Justin Munden, David MacDonald) 5:29 3. UNB - Dustin Friesen (David Bowman, Kevin Henderson) 16:48 4. SMU - Chris Morehouse 18:50 5. UNB - Ryan Seymour (Jonathan Harty) 19:56

1 6 UNB 19 SMU W: Brandon Verge (29 saves) L: Travis Fullerton (37 saves) Shots on Goal

Attendance: 3248

2 13 7

3 12 14

Tot. 31 40

After a long and hard-fought season, the AUS men’s hockey championship title will come down to one last game. The top-seeded UNB Varsity Reds will meet the Saint Mary’s Huskies in the third and final match of the AUS championship series tonight.

The Reds took an early lead in the series on Friday night. After handling the Huskies 5-1 on home ice, the series returned to Halifax where Saint Mary’s had their revenge over the Reds courtesy of a 3-2 victory.

Tonight, the Aitken Centre will play host to the final match of the best-of-three series between the two teams, promising to be an action-packed affair between the conference rivals.

After finishing up the regular season schedule atop the AUS standings, the Reds will be destined not to go without a fight. And they’ll do so with a reminder of Sunday’s loss at the hands of the Huskies.

“I’m looking forward to it,” says UNB netminder Travis Fullerton. “Obviously we have to forget about the loss and move on.”

Fullerton is having a stellar playoffs thus far for the Reds. He currently has a 4-1 record, and leads all goaltenders in playoff save percentage at .938.

In the five games, Fullerton has allowed only eight goals to opponents, garnering a 1.57 goals against average.

Meanwhile, UNB forward Jim Cuddihy leads UNB scorers with seven points thus far in the post season. Saint Mary’s Marc Rancourt, who was recently named the AUS most valuable player, has eight points in six playoff matches.

A capacity crowd was on hand for the first game of the series, setting the stage for yet another loud and cheerful crowd at the Aitken Centre on Wednesday night.

“Hopefully Wednesday’s crowd is the best this

year, and we’ll be able to use that to our advantage,” says Fullerton.

Fourth-year defenceman David Bowman agreed with Fullerton. “Our fans continue to give us so much energy,” says Bowman. “We’re certainly motivated to bring a championship to our fans by winning on home ice, something they haven’t seen in a few years. As a player you always dream of standing on home ice, hoisting the trophy above your head.”

Due to the Atlantic conference receiving a wildcard to this year’s CIS men’s hockey championships, both the Huskies and the Reds will participate in the national finals, regardless of Wednesday’s outcome. And after the hardfought battle the AUS finals have been so far, both teams should be more than adequately prepared for the competition they’ll meet at the national championship, which take place next weekend in Thunder Bay, ON. “[The AUS finals series] will certainly make us stronger,” says Bowman. “Especially the loss on Sunday if we can learn from it. Saint Mary’s is one of the top teams in the country and this adversity will only help us prepare for nationals.”

Nonetheless, the Reds focus still remains at the task ahead. “At this point, [the CIS championships] not the intent. For now, it’s all about winning AUS.” The puck is set to drop tonight at 7 p.m. at the Aitken Centre.

Reds recognized at AUS awards banquet Four members of the UNB Varsity Reds were recognized at the AUS awards banquet held over the weekend. Last year’s AUS rookie-of-the-year Hunter Tremblay came away with a first-team all-star nod, while teammate Kevin Henderson rounded off the Reds presence on the first-team.

Both players had 50 points for the Reds during the regular season.

UNB captain Dustin Friesen was named to the AUS second-team all-stars. Friesen finished sixth in defenceman scoring with 20 points in 28 games played. Meanwhile, Edmonton, AB native Bretton Stamler was named to the all-rookie team. Stamler contribued 13 points in 27 games played for the Reds this season.

brunswickansports

Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142 • 19

Successful year for UNB wrestlers Chris Cameron The Brunswickan

It’s been a successful season for the UNB wrestling team. Recently, they competed at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport wrestling championships at the University of Calgary. UNB’s showing at the championships was their most successful in team history, showing how much the program has grown over the past season.

At the CIS championships, the men’s team finished fifth in the nation at 33 points. Simon Fraser took home the title with 70 points. There were mixed results from the team with three medals being captured. Shawn Daye-Finlay won a bronze medal in the 65kg class with a 3-1 record. Eric Feunekes also took home the bronze for UNB in the 82kg weight class.

The largest success was by last year’s male rookie of the year, Vince Cormier.

Cormier, a third year Kinesiology student from Robertville, N.B., won his second straight CIS championship in the 57kg weight class. He was also named as a first-team all-Canadian.

On the women’s side, UNB placed sixth in the nation, one point behind fifth place University of Regina. The UNB women were led by Rachel Pinet, who claimed a silver medal in the 72kg weight class, falling only to Calgary’s Erica Weibe in the gold medal matchup. Pinet was also named a second-team all-Canadian. Other notable female performances consisted of Krista Betts, Sarah MacDonald and Emilie Guitard who all had strong performances with a 2-2 record and placed fifth in their respective weight classes.

UNB Media Services

Submitted

Vince Cormier (left) is presented with his CIS championship medal recently at the Aitken Centre. Cormier claimed the title in the 57 kg weight class.

UNB head coach Don Ryan felt that these performances were close to the team’s expectations. “Going into the year we knew we had a young team with our oldest wrestlers being in third year.

Looking at our skill level, we felt the potential to finish top three as a team.

As we progressed through tournaments at Concordia, McMaster, and Alberta, finishing in the top three in all of those, we expected near the same at CIS.” A few weeks before the CIS championships, Sean Leblanc, a former national medalist, suffered a seasonending injury. It was too short a time period to fill his place or train another to take his place. Currently, LeBlanc is recovering and Ryan is looking forward to having him back next year.

“Even though Sean was missing for the championships, making us short

a team member, the team performed exceptionally and have expectation for an even better season next year from both him and the others,” said Ryan.

Looking ahead to next season, some major recruiting is being looked into.

UNB is hosting the national high school wrestling championships from Apr. 2-5. This will be used to recruit more students to the program and university for the next few years. “The way we approach it is by showcasing the academic opportunities available here at UNB as this is our first priority.

For example, Vince Cormier is on the dean’s list in his faculty and we like our athletes to have high academic standing.

Therefore if we find a student interested in academics at UNB we then try to enhance their experience here through the sport.”

Bring on the MAINEiacs View from the Sidelines Tony von Richter

With the AUS playoffs coming to a conclusion tonight at the Aitken Centre, you’d think that the talk surrounding UNB hockey would be about the Reds’ chances at the CIS Championships next week. However, the potential move of the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the AUC has stolen the attention of the hockey fans in the capital city.

The V-Reds might want to get used to that because I think that the MAINEiacs will be coming north of the border soon.

Is this a good thing?

Although there would definitely be some downsides to a QMJHL team moving to Fredericton, I think it would benefit UNB, especially if a partnership is developed between the team and the university as has been discussed.

Clearly the primary benefit of a potential Lewiston-UNB partnership

Athletes of the month

is financial. Currently, the Reds play less than 30 games on home ice each year, meaning that the AUC sits empty more often than not. A Quebec league team would automatically add another 35 dates to the schedule, and that’s not including any pre-season or playoff contests that the team might play.

Obviously I’m not in on the negotiations, so I don’t know any numbers. But having another tenant renting the ice for more than 35 games a year, plus practice time, could add up to a significant source of revenue for UNB. With the economy in turmoil and the operating budget of the university likely shrinking drastically next year, I’m thinking that UNB could use all the money that it can get – so adding a tenant to the Aitken Centre makes a lot of sense.

Nothing comes without a price however, so the V-Reds would have to accept some drawbacks to sharing the city with another top tier hockey team. First and foremost, the Reds’ attendance would drop with another team competing for the fans attention, particularly since the QMJHL has a much higher profile than the CIS. The other main issue would be logistical as the Reds and MAINEiacs would have to split time in the rink and work around each others’ schedules for practices and games, which could make life difficult for both teams on occasion.

From the outside looking in, those seem to be the two main issues that the Reds would have with a Q-team

coming into their building, which really aren’t big issues at all.

The revenue from leasing the ice time would more than likely cover any potential loss of revenue from lost ticket sales, and working out logistical issues would be more of an annoyance than an actual problem.

The important things, like the quality of the team on the ice and the ability for head coach Gardiner MacDougall to recruit players, would be the same.

There’s a chance it might actually improve recruiting efforts if players know that scouts will be coming to town to watch the junior team and might just stick around to take in a V-Reds game and see someone they like.

Seems that provided the terms are beneficial, this should be a pretty easy decision for both sides.

Lewiston gets to play in a city that would be excited, at least initially, to see them come to town. Meanwhile, UNB gets an alternative source of funding that could then be used to improve varsity sports or maybe start a fund to add another team or two, all without affecting their current program.

Yeah, that seems like a pretty easy call to make. So bring on the MAINEiacs. They might just be the best thing to happen to UNB sports in a long time.

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

Vince Cormier Men’s wrestling BKin, 3rd Year Robertville, NB

UNB Media Services

Melanie Doucette Women’s volleyball BBA, 5th Year Fredericton, NB

brunswickansports

20 • Mar. 18, 2009 • Issue 24 • Volume 142

UNB/STU Fencing takes gold What’s Members of the UNB/STU Fencing Club were victorious at the Atlantic University Fencing Championship, held in conjunction with the 2009 UNB Shield at the L.B. Gym, held March 7-8. UNB/STU defeated MUN to claim the gold, while a second team from the hosts took the bronze. Pictured from left to right: Bronze medal (UNB/STU) Darcie Scott, Joe Kinley, Wendy Yano; Gold medal (UNB) Jim Stevens, Evan Schriver, and David Themens; Bronze medal (MUN) Nathan Frenette, Megan Glover, and Justin So.

Submitted

going on in the NFL Tip of the Cap

by Josh Fleck

After short hiatus, the Tip is back with a vengeance. And for this one, my tip this week doesn’t go out to one person, but rather a group of people who have been making some rather questionable moves. The tip goes out to NFL general managers around the league for pulling some cake-eater moves (for all you Mighty Ducks fans out there).

First, there is the staff of the Patriots who gave up their “franchise” player, Matt Cassel, after he had a career year where he racked up 21 TDs, just under 3,700 yards passing and a QB rating of 89.4 – not to mention leading the Pats to an 11-5 record.

So the staff in New England decided to send their saving grace to Kansas City, along with Mr. Everything, Mike Vrabel, for nothing but a second round draft pick.

Second, there is the staff of the Eagles. They have done nothing but let fan favorite and the heart and soul of their defence, Brian Dawkins, head to Denver as a free agent. Coming off another solid season that saw him head to the Pro Bowl, Dawkins deserved better from Tom Heckert and the Eagles staff. This is a huge blow to the Eagles who have no one else to step into that void.

Third, the staff of the St. Louis Rams who let Torry Holt walk free this past week. Holt, who had a bad season by his standards, failed to reach 80 catches and 1,300 yards receiving for the first time since 2000. A member of the fabled “Greatest Show on Turf”, Holt was a product of an awful team in St. Louis last season, and can attribute that to his decline in numbers.

Finally there is “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones cut perennial Pro Bowler Terrell Owens and allowed him to stroll into Buffalo. Some people will say Owens does more harm than good, but 10 TDs will do the Bills some good, as well as hurt the Cowboys offence.

Jones also cut an integral part of his defense in Roy Williams. Williams was hurt and on injured reserve for much of last season, but still remains one of the most feared safeties in the game, hurting their defense as well.