Issue 25, Vol 141, The Brunswickan

feature // bullying isn’t just a kids’ game >> PG. 5

The Brunswickan

Volume 141 Issue 25 • Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication • UNB Fredericton’s Student Paper • Apr. 2, 2008

The whipper-snapper raving ‘The old man rant’ gets a good punch in the stomach

Arts, page 14

by Naomi Osborne

Natalie Sonier is just one of many university students whose dreams have been crushed by the government’s recent decision to scrap the Early French Immersion program.

She is a fourth-year student at UNB and is majoring in French. Her plans after graduating were to attend St. Francis Xavier University to get a Bachelor in Education with a specialization in Early French Immersion. Her dream was to work with elementary students enrolled in the early immersion program in New Brunswick.

But this plan has changed since the government initiated the new intensive Core French program, which will not allow students to study French immersion until the fifth grade.

“The chances of me getting a job in New Brunswick are slim now,” said Sonier. “I would much rather find a job in the Maritimes, but if I can’t find something in my field I will have to move away.”

As her family lives in Alberta, she would not have as many troubles finding a job there, although she would like to stay in New Brunswick. She says the problem which needs to be considered is that professionals, like doctors and lawyers, might move out of the province so their children can learn French at an early age.

Most of the time, it is the welleducated, prestigious parents who want their children to be brought up speaking French at a young age, said Sonier.

Sonier started taking French in kindergarten and is very thankful for the opportunity, because without it, she feels she would never have been accepted into the Education program. Her experience leads her to believe that the Early French Immersion program is vital, so children can learn French at an early age.

“The best time to learn is during the younger ages when they are eager, excited, and their minds are like sponges.

Whereas, in grade five, kids have social concerns and by that time, French may not be seen as ‘cool’ anymore.”

She feels that starting French in grade five will only prolong the problems that children will face.

“Students will be bombarded with French, and it could be very overwhelm-

see Jobs page 2

Sports, page 11

VP External announces candidacy for city council

by Josh O’Kane

Scrapping the Early French immersion program may not only affect elementary students, it also has the potential to drive away New Brunswick’s future generation

CIS to big leagues

Golden Bears Rockin’Vixens Lounge captain lands AHL deal

Opinions, page 7

Immersion changes deter education students

Special Ops

He’s not a student, he says. He’s a young professional who is involved in his community who happens to be a student.

Jordan Graham, who will be handing away the reigns of the UNB Student Union VP External at the end of the month, is running for city councilor of Ward 11 under that premise.

The 21-year-old candidate realized last summer that municipal elections were approaching, and saw things he believe he could do with the position.

“Over the course of the year,” says Graham, “I saw things that I could be doing if I were in that capacity and I saw things that were being done that weren’t representative of all people in the community.”

He says that he’s been encouraged to run for the position on many fronts, including the business community and many long-term residents of Fredericton.

“I thought that I could bring a lot of fresh ideas to the position and to the ward on how to make things better and really represent everybody instead of just

a small portion of the people.”

Ward 11, which includes the College Hill neighborhood between the UNB Campus and Regent Street, is currently overseen by Councilor Cathy MacLaggan. The incumbent councilor is vying for the position once more.

Graham and MacLaggan once waged words on the pages of The Brunswickan over the growing number of rooming houses on the College Hill.

On the September 12, 2007 issue of The Brunswickan, MacLaggan stated that former family homes treated as rooming houses “basically make a hole in the neighborhood.”

In that story, Graham denoted this mindset as “sad, when the city’s officials are jumping to conclusions and making statements about the constituents whom they are responsible to represent.”

According to Elections New Brunswick, persons are eligible to vote in the municipal election if they are of voting age, a Canadian citizen, a resident of New Brunswick for at least six months, and an ordinarily resident of the region as of the day of the election.

Thus, university students aged 18 or older, having lived in New Brunswick

see Council page 3

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Jordan Graham is running for city councilor of Ward 11, which includes the UNB and the College Hill

“We don’t do that in Africa” A bawdy, Bardlike romp

by Josh O’Kane

It didn’t take long to fill up the Dineen Auditorium in Head Hall on Monday night as audience members were forced to spill into overflow rooms to watch Paul Martin speak. The former Canadian Prime Minister gave UNB’s Engineers without Borders’ inaugural “Lightbulb Lecture” that evening, with live feeds streaming in nearby rooms and online.

After an introduction by Engineers without Borders’ co-CEO, George Roter, Martin thanked EWB for their actions in the world at large. He then moved on to his discussion topics for the evening, detailing the separate involvements of government and business in Canada’s role as a global actor, specifically in Africa, and utilizing resources for sustainable development in impoverished countries.

Regardless of lower standards in some impoverished nations, Martin said that businesses “should adhere to the highest standards of the world, or go home,” in lieu of sinking to poor working conditions, substandard pay rates, and holding back possible development.

In using Canada’s resources, including its skilled workers, such nations can be assisted.

“We have a means of developing skills… it’s up to businesses to provide training across borders.”

Martin alluded to Florenceville, New Brunswick, as a successful model of larger businesses bringing success to a com-

munity by working with local employers and small firms. Instead of working with firms outside of the region, Martin says that McCain Foods Ltd succeeded in the region by asking local firms to specialize for the region’s needs.

“We don’t do that in Africa,” said Martin. “That’s an ethic that’s got to change… We need to give [those countries] the chance to develop.”

After speaking of businesses’ roles as global citizens, Martin spoke of the need to create an African common market in which Canada could play its own role.

The existing 53 state-system leads to a series of small, fragmented, fragile markets, said Martin. Comparing Saskatchewan and Rwanda as two landlocked areas, he said that Saskatchewan makes due by the goodwill of its neighbors, whereas Rwanda is forced to limit exporting and importing of goods. Limited infrastructure also proves a hindrance.

Martin spoke of the benefits versus the detriments of an African Union, citing a transition fund as necessary for aiding smaller countries to adjust to the market.

Such a common market would be necessary to reduce poverty on the continent, he said.

In closing, the former Prime Minister addressed the need to eliminate poverty and reach for equality at home, referring to the treatment of First Nations persons

in Canada. Every resident, he said, deserves an equal opportunity in order for Canada to operate as a global citizen.

“We cannot afford to squander the talent of one person so that we can go o n and do something better.”

TUNB’s “The Rover” is a rollicking battle of the sexes

by Ashley Bursey

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The sound of sword fighting can be heard through Memorial Hall, metal clanging on metal as a jumble of men in flamboyant shirts and beards jump around the stage. The choreography is almost flawless, a practiced dance that ends in an all-out wrestling match and a brutal stabbing.

“It’s like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ in here,” Len Falkenstein says wryly, scribbling notes as the actors behind him get up, dust themselves off, and brandish their swords for another go.

It’s just one of half a dozen swordfights in Theatre UNB’s production of the 17th-century play, Aphra Behn’s “The Rover”, but the fancy footwork and flashing metal can’t even compare to the real battle of the sexes ensuing onstage: the verbal sparring.

Behn, hailed as one of the first feminist playwrights, doesn’t disappoint in this vaguely, misandrist, bawdy romp centered around the Don Juan-ish Rover, Willmore, and his philandering friends.

The play is set in Naples during Carnival time, which immediately amps

the visual appeal of the performance (characters are sporting everything from corsets to silky gowns to long johns, and most of them with brightly-coloured Carnival masks), adding to the period dresses, swarthy buccaneer attire, and lavish frippery.

The plot, at the outset, seems simple: a band of Englishmen arrive in Naples (these, it would appear, are the roguish and dashing “pirates” of the story) and meet two sisters who are trying to escape arranged marriages and convents.

But through several cases of mistaken identity (the masks don’t help our poor star-crossed lovers much) and a few pairs of wandering eyes, the path of love goes awry with comical results.

At the same time, we see several characters advancing their own side plots: the loveless Angelica, who shocks men with her beauty and high price tag; the coquettish thief, Lucetta; the silly Blunt; and the powerful Don Pedro, a Spaniard and brother to our two sisters, Florinda and Hellena.

And for empowered females everywhere, this is one piece that takes sexism and turns it on its head: Although the women lust after the their male counterparts, it’s always the “he” who ultimately gets jilted when the gals get sick of the boys’ inconstant ways. Hellena is a feisty hellcat, Angelica...isn’t, and Lucetta is a manipulative wench with a thirst for other people’s cash.

see TUNB page 16

News

2 • April 2, 2008 • Issue 25

Most students in it for the money

by Joanna Bhaskaran The Manitoban (University of Manitoba)

WINNIPEG (CUP) – A new study has found that students choose their courses based on long-term job prospects more than on how much fun they think it will be.

The study, entitled “Do Students Choose Courses for Love or Money?” was released by the Warwick Institute for Employment Research and published by the Education Guardian, a U.K.-based magazine.

It revealed that, for many students, a good job and long-term career plans are the major motivating factors for choosing university courses and degrees.

Of the 130,000 students polled in Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Natalie Sonier is a fourth year student majoring in French and feels strongly about early French immersion being cut.

Jobs: grads go where teachers are needed from Jobs page 1 ing for them. This may cause them to get scared and back out of it, and could also change their attitudes towards French,” said Sonier.

The reality of it is that graduate students like Sonier will be forced to go where French teachers are in demand.

The Director of the Second Language Research Institute in Canada, Joe Dicks, works at UNB as a professor in the faculty of Education. His concerns lie with graduates and future graduates who are studying French at the Early Immersion level at UNB. “Right now, we have students graduating in Early French Immersion and now it doesn’t look like there will be any jobs for them in this province,” said Dicks.

Already, there are students who were

accepted into the program, prior to the government’s decision, who still need to be told the program will no longer exist.

Dicks says that it would be illogical to keep the program running.

“On one hand, it would be beneficial to keep the program for those students who wanted to go out of province to teach early immersion,” said Dicks, “but in the long term it doesn’t make sense to keep a program when you don’t have the students to fill it.”

He is also concerned that the new program will ultimately lower the bar that has previously been set for French students.

“French immersion is the one program we have that is producing advanced levels of efficiency in students.

It would be best to leave it alone,” said Dicks. “We won’t have many or any advanced speakers under this new

program, which is a shame.”

It is extremely important to Dicks that some French students keep that high level of French so that they are able to graduate with it and find good careers.

For Canadians, the most logical choice for a second language seems to be French, says Dicks.

“It is not just the French part of it, it’s the second language part of it that’s being de-valued,” said Dicks.

Sonier says that people in the west see New Brunswick as a symbol for bilingualism, but taking the Early French Immersion program away will only hinder that prestige.

“It’s how we know New Brunswick.

Getting rid of [the program] will only take away from the province and its reputation for speaking both English and French, and that is sad.”

the study 21.6 percent said that getting a good job was their top reason for choosing what to study. Only 16.9 percent said they were studying because of interest.

Christine Blais, director of ‘University 1’, a preparatory program at the University of Manitoba, said many factors could motivate students to choose courses. He agreed that interest in the course was not necessarily one of them though.

Some students choose courses that fit with their long-term career plans, he said, and others because of parental pressure. Others are genuinely passionate about the subject matter.

“I don’t find my courses particularly interesting,” Ravneet Johar, a secondyear student in the Asper School of Business, said.

“I was in med school in India for two years. But when I came here, the process

to get into med school was too long and complicated. So I decided to transit into business.”

Blais said that three different approaches — the balanced, the focused and the sampling approaches — are a great way for new students to decide which courses to take.

The balanced approach is used when students can’t decide between two university paths. The focused approach is used when students have decided what their long-term career plans are and must begin the prerequisites for the degree immediately. The sampling approach is used when students are unsure what they’d like to do and take a variety of courses offered from many different faculties.

A follow-up to the study, called “FutureTrack 2006,” will follow students until 2011 to determine how career decisions are made.

Fighting the war for women

by Lauren Kennedy It’s a tough life being a woman, especially being a woman in an impoverished county like Afghanistan.

Due to the immense poverty and escalating warfare, Afghan women are being forced to sell their daughters into forced marriages. These girls can be as young as six and are banned from their families and from going to school and getting an education.

It is because of this and many other reports that are surfacing that RAWA was created.

The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan was created in 1977 in Kabul, Afghanistan, and fought for social justice for women with a goal of not only acquiring women’s rights, but to also form a government based on Afghani democratic values.

Soon, it became involved in a wide variety of issues that sought to empower women through education, literacy, and health.

Locally, the Fredericton Peace Coalition and the UNB/STU Women’s Centre, with sponsorship from CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas) have decided to make a difference and host an annual benefit for RAWA. The first RAWA benefit in Fredericton happened last year and marked the 20th anniversary of the assassination of the founder of RAWA. Julie Clark is one of the organizers of this year’s event and a member of the Women’s Centre. She says she is excited to be involved in such a great cause.

“I was approached probably three months ago and was asked if the University Women’s Centre would like to be involved, and I loved the idea,” she said. “I did not attend last year’s benefit, but I am certainly looking forward to

this year’s and am sure this one will be a lot of fun!”

After the original date was postponed, the second annual benefit for will take place Saturday, April 5, at 8 pm in the ballroom of the Student Union Building.

The event will appeal to all ages and include musical talent by the Pointless Sisters, Saa Andrew, Scott MacDonald, Claire Porter, and Marie-Christine Allard. There will be food, a silent auction, and various speeches. The entrance cost is $10, or pay what you can.

Clark says that this is a great opportunity to get involved with a good cause.

“This event is important to me as it is in support of a great cause. Events like this one are important for bringing together community members who either want to be there for the good cause, want to share their learning experiences and information, or who just want to be involved.”

News

Issue 25 • April 2, 2008 • 3

Council: The fight for Ward 11 How safe do you feel on for all represented persons in order to from Council page 1 foster a sense of community, which he says he brings to the table. for at least six months, are eligible to “We need a councilor that can bridge vote for the city councilor of the ward the gap that exists between students where they reside – and be considered and long-term residents, and bring as a resident for doing so. back the community that used to exist Graham says that in running for the on the College Hill.” position of city councilor, he wishes to Graham is already a part of the take heed of the needs of all residents Mayor’s working group on Univerwhom he would represent. sity-Community Relations, which is “The first and most imbuilding an action plan to portant thing is to find out, stop problems occurring on “I think people listen to, and act upon the College Hill and rebuild appreciate the energy the interests of the people that a sense of community for live in the ward,” says Gra- and the ability to bring both students and long-term ham. “Not just people in one residents. He additionally a lot to the table.” specific area, but people from sits on various national and everywhere. It’s a big ward - Jordan Graham provincial boards, and an and it has different people in executive with the advisory different areas of it. group for the Canadian commission change in the taxation structure or at “It’s going to be important to get least the rate that we are taxing people on UNESCO. out into the community and find ways for their properties.”

“I’m committing to serving a minithat we can improve on everybody’s mum of a four year term,” says Graham, Support, he says, is growing quickview of the city and improve on their ly. “and if I didn’t think I would be able problems in a way that accommodates “People from the business com- to represent [the residents] not only as many people within the city as pos- munity are quite interested in my idea. at council but by meeting with them, sible.”

Long-term residents of the city are serving on committees, and negotiatOne major issue Graham hopes to encouraged that somebody is willing to ing with important stakeholders in the focus on is property taxation and as- listen to them and willing to hear what community, then I currently would not sessment. On top of growing rates, he their issues are and ask them what their be putting my name in the hat in order believes that making changes for the ideas are while being able to offer them to represent these people.” betterment of one’s home should not ideas at the same time. I think people At the time of print, persons running be financially detrimental. for city councilor of Ward 11 included appreciate the energy and the ability to “People are being taxed more and Graham, the incumbent MacLaggan, bring a lot to the table.” more for taking care of their property, Wendy K. Hébert and Doug L. Pond.

He believes that a councilor should fixing it up, and owning a nice piece of The Fredericton municipal election be able to bring together the residents property in the city, which is unaccepttakes place May 12. of the ward and be a useful resource able. There should not be a disincentive to improve your own piece of property.

If adding a porch or changing your siding is going to increase the value of your home, and then increase the assessment cost that the tax applied to, then why are people going to do it?”

Graham continues, “We want Fredericton to be a beautiful city and we want people to be proud of the places where they live…we should have a

Ain’t no cure for the summertime blues

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The Neville Homestead helps students around campus find employment for not just the summer but year round job market? Studies show that only ap- wage and go up from there depending proximately 20% of available positions on what department and normally we are actually advertised. For the other would hire students in our recreation 80%, it’s all about who you know and division, tourism division, and then in With so much on making your network a crucial part of the engineering/public works section. students’ minds already, finding a decent summer position.

There are also students who work in the looking for a summer job Maybe you’re not the type who likes administration section, but the bulk of to go to a random business and drop them are in the first few departments.” is another one of those off your résumé? If so, the Student Unfortunately, application deadlines stress factors Employment and Experience Develop- have just passed for these positions. ment Program (SEED) applications are Closing last week, the bulk of the still available for you. Available at the positions for The City are no longer Student Employment Services office, available. But Knorr said that there still

by Mitchell Bernard might be the odd position available if students still want to apply.

“Finding a With Fredericton being a relatively position is It’s that time of year again. The snow is small city in comparison to other metall about melting, classes are ending, and exams ropolitan areas, it is easy for students are around the corner. But there is alto be frustrated at the lack of positions networking.” ways something else that keeps students available. Students often complain - Anne Soucy, preoccupied. about dropping off 30 to 40 résumés Manager of Student It’s summer job season. For those of and only receiving one interview. Or in Employment Services you who haven’t found a job yet, the some cases, resorting to moving back time is ticking. Maybe you’re starting home and taking a position they’ve done to think it’s too late? Well, you are not students can fill out the form and drop since their high school days.

Two UNB students who worked alone. Many students from across the it off in the offices. campus are in the same position.

“There are usually lots of positions in for The City of Fredericton last sumLuckily, there are a number of services the SEED program. However, it’s more mer have decided to take an alternative available at your fingertips even this late luck of the draw. You are not going to approach to summer employment this in the season. One of those services is be guaranteed a position you would like year. Nick Allaby and Zach Ellis, both UNB students, started the company located directly on campus, at the Neville in the program,” said Soucy.

Homestead.

She offers this advice to finding a Allaby Lawncare Services.

“We are just doing the same work that Anne Soucy is the Manager at Student good summer position.

“Start early. Most positions will we did for The City last summer. This Employment Services. She notes that while some students may have already become available in mid-January. You way, we can make a lot more money in secured summer positions, there are still have to start thinking early and talking fewer hours. We registered the company to potential employers. We had a sum- and are looking for funding now,” said plenty of positions available yet.

“Around Fredericton, there are a mer job fair this February in the SUB. Allaby. lot of companies that just hire for the That would have been an excellent A good means to put their education summer,” said Soucy. “Most companies opportunity to network and meet with to the test, Allaby knows this job will like hiring students to fill the void of em- these employers,” said Soucy not only help him this summer, but in ployees taking summer vacation. FindWayne Knorr, Communications the long run end as well. ing a position is all about networking. Coordinator for the City of Fredericton The long and short of it is that if you There is a hidden job market. It’s about tried to shed some light on what the city haven’t found a summer position yet, it is time to get started. So print out having a chance to go around and see does to help the students.

“There are about 160 students hired the résumés and start practicing your what you might be interested in doing, and talking to potential employers.” for The City of Fredericton,” said Knorr. handshake (firm, but not too hard) – it’s How many positions are in his hidden “Basically, jobs start around minimum time to start networking.

campus?

For the most part, a university campus can be a safe haven for students, but sometimes it never hurts to take extra precautions

by Lauren Kennedy

It’s midnight and you emerge from the library, red-eyed and head spinning after studying the night away for a midterm early the next morning. You proceed to head home and try to get a few hours of shuteye before heading to your doom in the morning. Walking along Kings College Road, you notice a presence following you in an otherwise deserted street.

Spidey senses tingling, you wonder what to do about the situation.

According to Reg Jerrett, Director of Security, there are steps a student can take to avoid a situation like this one.

“Campus Security are on duty all night, every night, to ensure student safety, as well there is a SafeWalk program in place each evening. The Student Union operates the SafeRide program to ride students from campus during the evening,” he explained.

Keely Wallace, VP of Student Services, agrees that these are great programs in place to make students feel safer on campus.

“SafeRide is an amazing program in that our drivers pick students up and drive them home, eliminating the potential fear students may have in walking home at night,” she said. “The program is widely used and the Union is very proud to offer this service.

The SafeWalk and SafeRide programs are only two of steps the Student Union has taken to making the campus community a safer place for students.”

She believes besides taking advantage of these options, there are other things students can do as well.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Emergency phones like these are stationed around campus to ensure safety of students “Every year, Orientation gives out rape whistles. These, believe it or not, are great. You can put them on your keys and hold it in your hand while walking at night,” she explained. “As well, it is great to have a buddy system, and a good measure is to tell someone in your house or residence a time when you should be home and if you aren’t back by that time, someone will know something is not right.”

During the end of December 2005 and January 2006, an online survey conducted by Security and Traffic was sent around to both the UNB and St. Thomas students. The goal of the survey was designed to measure how well the department of security preformed, identify flaws, and make changes to the department to make it more effective for student safety.

688 students filled out the survey where 46% felt safe on campus. Jerrett feels these results ranked well.

“Based on a scale of one to five, the results were favourable. Students can and do walk around campus at night and can do so feeling safe,” said Jerrett confidently.

Dr. James Brown, Executive Director of Residential Life, Campus and Conference Services, who originally came from York University, feels that Fredericton is

a very safe campus – by any standard.

“I come from a campus where there were rapes just off campus and two or three times a year there would be rape alerts, but here we are so distant from that,” he described.

Jerrett trusts in the security at UNB and agrees with Brown that this is a secure place to be.

“In comparison to other university campuses, we are a very safe community.”

Wallace feels that though UNB is safe place to be, there is always room for improvements.

“The atmosphere of each campus is different and thus, safety precautions would be different on each campus.

That being said, I think there is always room for improvement. The lighting on this campus could stand to be a lot brighter in many areas such as the walkways between the HIL and the bookstore.”

Despite the programs put in place by UNB Security, the Student Union, and the Residence community, it never hurts to take extra precautions.

“An incident could happen anywhere, so no one should be too confident that it couldn’t happen,” advised Brown.

“No one should be lulled into a false sense of security.”

News

4 • April 2, 2008 • Issue 25

Clinton, Obama, and McCain on the Canadian mind Canadians look to upcoming results of US party elections

by Laura Ryckewaert The Charlatan (Carleton University)

OTTAWA (CUP) -- Canadian media has always been littered with news of American politics, and with November’s upcoming presidential election, this trend has become all the more evident.

A recent survey released in partnership with the CBC indicates 15% of Canadians would rather vote in the American election than the next federal one.

“The interest of Canadian media is hardly unique given the leading role the U.S. plays in world affairs. Its presidential primaries are good copy and of interest all over the world,” said Carleton University political science professor Glen Williams.

Our society has become emotionally invested in American affairs because, as history suggests, what happens in America does not stay in America.

“America has the largest economy in the world and anything that happens politically in America has the potential to create a ripple effect across the world and a change in the Canadian political system doesn’t,” said first-year Carleton University student Emerson Feniak.

46% of those surveyed said it matters a great deal to Canada who wins the November 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Another 35% said it mattered somewhat, while only 8% said it doesn’t matter at all.

“The U.S. is a leader in global affairs, Canada is not. Whether you live in Saskatoon, Shanghai, or St. Petersburg, it is relatively easy to develop a superficial view of American politics,” said Williams.

It is easy to blame the Canadian media for broadcasting such a high volume of

Internet

Any one of these candidates could be the next US President. Clockwise from left, Senator John McCain, Senator Barack Obama, and Senator Hilary Clinton American news and as a result, influencing the Canadian masses.

But one must also consider the amount of money spent in American politics.

According to the Boston Globe, before abandoning his bid to become president, Republican Mitt Romney put in at least $42.3M of his own money, a big chunk of the $97M he spent, into his campaign.

Democrat Barack Obama reportedly raised more than $36M during January, the biggest single-month total during a competitive primary.

During his campaign, Obama — who is vying to become the first black presi-

dent in U.S. history — has raised more than $100M, and his campaign has told supporters it is close to reaching a historic one million donors.

“We might all be more interested in American politics simply because they make such a show of it. They can make a huge show of it because they spend a crazy amount of money on it,” said Andrea Scoog, a first-year student at McGill University in Montreal.

“Canadian politicians spend a lot less money on their campaigns so they have a lot less money to draw our attention with.”

Canadians do not directly elect the prime minister, only their local represen-

tatives, and political campaign donations are strictly limited. This means Canadian politicians only have to campaign in small, local areas and the campaigns are not nearly as expensive as they are in the U.S. “This particular election has the entire world on edge. First, of course, because we all have Bush fatigue and secondly, because of the cutting-edge nature of the Democratic primary contenders,” said Melissa Haussman, a Carleton political science professor.

Entire countries are also apparently declaring views for either Obama (Japan) or Hillary Clinton (Europe), says Haussman of the two Democrat

front-runners for the presidential nomination.

While Clinton is already famous by association, thanks to husband and former president Bill Clinton, Obama has garnered the support of many celebrities, including A-lister George Clooney and the always-influential Oprah Winfrey.

With a continuous stream of state-bystate updates, the epic battle between Clinton — who, if elected, would be the first female U.S. president — and Obama for the Democrat presidential nomination feels more like the actual presidential race.

The fact that 15% of Canadians are willing to give up their voting rights

during the next federal election so they can vote in the American presidential race seems centred around these two candidates.

Strangely, coming across anyone who is willing to make such a sacrifice to reelect the Republicans is a little rarer.

As part of this free world, it is important to Canadians who America decides to elect.

“We are all so interested in who the American people decide to elect because the president of the United States of America has a huge effect on the world and we have to live in this world right next door to them,” said Steven Holkman, a first-year student at Carleton.

Feature

eic@unb.ca • April 2, 2008

The Bullying Game

by Melanie Bell

T

he Research Team on Workplace Violence and Abuse states that “workplace bullying encompasses both intentional and unwitting behaviours (words, gestures, images, actions, and failure to act) which, over time, humiliate, demoralize, or terrorize an employee or group of employees, undermine their targets’ credibility and effectiveness, and contribute to a disrespectful or hostile work environment.” Replace the word “employee” with “student” in some instances, and the definition transfers to a university setting.

According to Marilyn Noble, UNB faculty member and co-chair of the Research Team, bullying is an issue of power and control. “Sometimes people with power will bully, sometimes people will bully others who they perceive as having more power.

Universities encourage collegiality, where everyone gets to have a say, so sometimes the little fish will gang up on the big fish.” Insecurity is often behind bullying behaviour, and students who feel uncomfortable in a classroom may cover this up with cliques and factions.

A significant point of contention in bullying research is whether bullies are aware that their behaviour constitutes bullying. Noble’s team has found that the answer is usually no. “Sometimes [bullies at the university] don’t know any other way to manage or control a classroom or residence, and sometimes they don’t have the problem solving skills,” she explains.

own benefit, to make us laugh. That’s a form of bullying.” A turning point occurred during his second year, when a student left Neville House due to the initiation activities Hamilton had helped carry out. While the hazing, according to Hamilton, did not involve anything extreme, it was enough to make that student feel marginalized. After leaving the residence, “His life went in a totally different direction, and it was partly because of the hazing.”

Most people who are hazed, as Hamilton himself was during his first year, come out of it relatively unscarred, but hazing “has a latent effect later on in life,” he says.

Solutions at UNB

H

amilton is researching ways to prevent hazing in residences and sports teams, where it also occurs. For the past three years, he has provided workshops about

bullying directly. There’s probably an important gap that needs to be addressed.”

This gap is being dealt with in one faculty, at least. Marilyn Noble is working with the university’s law school to develop strategies to mitigate bullying. Like Hamilton, one issue she targets is Orientation. She mentions the faculty’s pub crawls, especially, are an instance where bullying occurs. “Students have felt pressured to buy rounds of drinks for older students. I have sometimes seen them spend up to $200 out of their own pockets.” Another case of bullying is the Legal Rites Variety Show, a tradition intended to entertain which has ended up humiliating both faculty and students. A committee of students, faculty, and staff has now developed a set of ground rules to govern the content of the show.

“They had to come primarily from students,” Noble says, “but it took some students with enough courage to say that they don’t think [what goes on at the show] is right.” The law school has also initiated peer and faculty mentoring programs, so that newer students would have more senior contacts in their faculty w h o

Hazing

“L

a r g e r residence buildings,” says Ryan Hamilton, Don of Maggie Jean Chestnut Residence and former Don of Neville House, “are just like high schools with their different cliques and groups. It’s a struggle for power.

People are made fun of, excluded, and made to do things.” Residence bullying often takes subtle forms. One of its most explicit contexts, however, is hazing – the degrading treatment of new students through “initiation” activities. According to Hamilton, instances of hazing have decreased from the past. “I believe the Residence Administration’s done a great job, but there were times when hazing was a real part of orientation. Although it was said to be for the sake of initiating students into a new environment, it was more about people having power.”

Hazing can take subtle forms whose hostility may not always be recognized. “You can sometimes see it in the tone of voice people use,” Hamilton says.

“I saw a lot of examples where first year students weren’t allowed to speak. They had to sit on the floor with their heads down for a length of time.”

Hazing can also take the form of nicknames given to incoming students in many residences. While nicknames can be a great way to make new arrivals feel welcomed into their residence communities, the monikers chosen are not always so friendly. “One year, one guy’s nickname was ‘Math Camp’,” says Hamilton. Many names could have been chosen for this student, he says, but the selected one was “intended to marginalize—it was as if the only important thing about him was math.” Hamilton remembers a few instances where the student came to him upset. “He really didn’t know anyone like him and didn’t feel like he fit in. The residence was going in one direction he wasn’t interested in going.” Hamilton still sees the student occasionally.

He has found friends and is happier in his university life—no thanks to his initial experience in residence.

Hamilton attests that negative “frosh names” can have a lingering influence: “Nicknames can be very powerful in defining what someone is like.”

Hamilton has experienced hazing from multiple perspectives: those of the hazed, hazer, and witness.

“It’s been embarrassing for me to look back at what I’ve done as an undergrad student leader,” he admits. “The activities we organized were for our

A fall break?

I

n the fall of 2008, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa will implement their first week-long autumn break. Student leaders at both universities gathered support through referendums and approached administrators with their idea. The break is intended to ease stress and reduce drop-out rates. A number of other universities across Canada, including schools in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and New Brunswick’s Université de Moncton already have a fall break in addition to their spring break. In 2001, Dean of Science Allan Sharpe opened debate regarding a similar break at UNB. “I think it’s a great idea,” says Angela Garnett, Director of Residential Life, adding that the possibility has not been seriously discussed lately.

“We do see the stress level of students increase in November. In the second semester, we don’t see it quite so badly and I think it’s because we have that break. Our largest month for our residences, as far as discipline goes, happens in November.” Ryan Hamilton feels a fall break would be beneficial for first year students especially. The initial excitement of university often staves off homesickness, which tends to set in around the end of October or beginning of November. A fall break would provide a chance for these students to reconnect with their families.

Would such a break have an impact on bullying?

“I think the impact would be very indirect,” says Hamilton. “Bullying may be caused by stress, so perhaps a break might do something by addressing mood and stress levels.”

Marilyn Noble is apprehensive. “Would it really reduce stress or just increase the work during other weeks?” she asks. “As for bullying among students, sometimes it’s more likely to happen in nonstructured environments.” International students wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford to return home for a fall break, and would remain susceptible to bullying in this context—perhaps more so in a less supervised environment. If a fall break were to be considered, Noble maintains, “we should ask these students how they feel about it.”

If you are affected

A

hazing to residence leaders and some sports teams. It’s important for these settings to have clear policies and training regarding hazing, he says. “We don’t just say, ‘Don’t haze,’ but we educate about how not to.” The university has developed clear sanctions for hazing. In the past, students who have implemented hazing activities have been moved to other residences, lost their leadership positions, and have been fined.

He offers suggestions for groups to ensure that hazing does not occur. “When activities are being organized,” he says, “ask how this will benefit first year students.” He emphasizes the need for orientation activities to be clearly linked to the needs of their target audience. Creativity and variety are important in order to provide a rich and varied experience for new members of the group. Residence activities, such as fundraisers for house charities, provide a context of shared experience that can forge bonds between residents and mitigate bullying that would otherwise occur. “I look at an event like the NevilleJones Bed Push,” Hamilton says. “An event like that is successful because every member is dedicated to it. It creates bonds between people who wouldn’t normally be friends.”

While Hamilton’s work has an effect on the lessening of hazing at UNB, he believes the training he provides regarding the subject does not necessarily translate to other forms of bullying. “I think a lot of the training may address a piece of it, but there isn’t anything that addresses

they would be comfor table approaching if they encountered problems. “These are probably suggestions that could be implemented in other parts of the university,” Noble adds.

The residence system has a code of conduct in place to address instances of bullying. Proctor training also addresses the issue.

International students are one group that has been significantly targeted by bullying. The International Student Office has tried to set up a buddy system to pair newcomers with Canadian students. There were a lot of international students willing to participate, says Noble, but there were not enough interested Canadian students to partner with them.

Targets of bullying can also make appointments with UNB’s Counseling Services. The service attempts to meet with students whose needs are urgent within two to three days. Every day, one counselor or intern does intake reserve in the office in the Alumni Memorial Building.

One or two spots are reserved for walk-ins or students with same-day urgent needs. “There’s a myth that you can’t get an appointment,” says Craft. “It isn’t true. We do try to ensure that people whose needs are urgent are seen promptly.”

ccording to Noble, bullies often have forceful personalities, making targets afraid to speak up to them. The impact of bullying builds up until targets hit a point where they finally react. Bullies are not aware of the build-up that occurs and usually interpret this as overreaction to the current incident.

If they are notified of their behaviour earlier, they would then have the opportunity to self-correct.

“We often put the onus on victims to solve [their bullying problems],” says Noble, “but they’re not in a good position to solve it.

Most targets get quite beaten down.” Those who have an opportunity for greater impact on bullying are bystanders.

Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Queen Bees and Wannabes”, delineates additional roles that may be found in bullying situations, particularly among females. “Bankers” hoard information and dole it out to cause trouble, while “messengers” carry rumours back and forth in a conflict, sometimes beginning one in order to maintain their role. “Floaters” can move between various groups are appreciated for who they are rather than for their role.

Such people have a better chance of being able to stand up to bullies.

“We’re trying to empower people to be better bystanders, to step up,” says Noble. “If we could move bystanders a few notches along the spectrum,” states The Research Team on Workplace Violence and Abuse, “we would have this problem well in hand.”

6 • The Brunswickan

April 2 • 2008

Comments & Letters

eic@unb.ca • April 2, 2008

The old man rant an opinion from Dave Evans

The old man rant is a sham!

by Blake McNeil The ‘Old Man Rant’ and its finger pointing jackassery has become a hit recently within the sensational student paper known as The Brunswickan. For the tens and tens of people who read The Brunswickan thrice a year, this is going to be a devastating blow, and most likely for students campus wide. After the

article on old television cartoons, I realized many of these classics were from my past, as well. Something about this whole scenario tipped me off, because the only thing I should have in common with an old man is a mutual love for after-dinner mints and a mutual loathing for those who talk too much during intense bingo games. I committed to an in-depth investigation on this mystery “old man”, only to discover he is younger then the cougars we students enjoy as a freebie on Val-

entine’s Day, courtesy of the 20/20 Club. Is this a conspiracy within The Brunswickan?

Although reports of rhubarb thievery were confirmed and enacted for purely research purposes, and although he does have the smell of expired Irish Spring soap, he is not of an age to be deemed an old man.

Indeed, this blow to campus pride is worse then a sledge-hammer to a gerbil, and there is but one proper response to it: The Whipper-Snapper Raving!

The whipper-snapper raving an opinion from Blake McNeil

I

’m more pissed off than a stage mother with an ugly child! I’m more pissed than an Arts grad in a call center when they realize no one gives a shit about what they learned in philosophy, no matter how well they articulate. The falsehood of the Old Man Rant leaves this campus feeling as discarded as Hulk Hogan’s ripped shirts. Yeah, we’ve all lied from time to time, like on Halloween, or when your genders’ washroom is full at the bar so you tuck in and briskly cross genders to urinate and hope no one notices…

But to toss 50-60 years on yourself – that’s just wrong. I’m certain there is some diabolical goal associated with such a clever guise to fool the campus and give us a laugh, but banging the remaining Golden Girls is not a success you’ll achieve on the back of UNB students! You can keep your mah-jong and cod-liver oil, but abandon the Rant for all our sakes. This is a campus crisis! And that’s another point: A rant should have exclamation marks! A real old man would riddle a rant with exclamation marks like our campus is riddled with wasted cash!

In conclusion, let it be known that faking your age, especially when you’re not even an Oil of Olay junkie woman, is just wrong. Don’t choke on your Viagra, jackass.

the brunswickan.

easily better than the aquinian any day of the week

look for our special spoof insert next week!

got ideas? eic@unb.ca

Y

ou know what makes me (almost) angrier than those little sons of bitches who steal my rhubarb? The environment. Now I can just hear all of the tree-huggers out there going, “Whoa man, the environment is like, far out,” or whatever it is they say when they get all doped up like goofballs. I, however, am sick and tired of taking crap from Mother Nature all the time. Why is there so much ice in my driveway that when I go out to get the mail, I slip and swear louder than an old lady losing at Bingo? The environment. Why do the polar ice caps melt and raise sea levels, making my property taxes go up because I’m closer to having “water-front property”? The environment. Why does the weather get all nice, causing my rhubarb to grow, thus allowing those little shits to come steal it? The environment.

Not to mention all those tornados, earthquakes, and the inability to degrade my Styrofoam. I heard today that it’s “Earth Day” or some such nonsense. Screw you environment: From 8-9 pm, I’m going to turn on every light in the house; crank up my space heaters, which I’ll power with diesel generators; and see if I can’t find some good old fashioned CFCs. “But Dave,” you say, “that’ll hurt the environment and cost you a bunch of money on your power bill!” Yes to the first one, and no to the second, as I plan to run extension cords from the neighbors’ houses (I may be an ass, but I’m not stupid). So if you’re tired of shoveling snow and having to give money to earthquake victims, tell Mother Nature where to go and how to get there – you might get struck by lightening, but at least you’ll feel damn good about it.

Comments & Letters

8 • April 2, 2008 • Issue 25

The Brunswickan Editorial Board

Editor-In-Chief • Jennifer McKenzie Managing Editor • Tony von Richter Co-News Editor • Josh O’Kane Co-News Editor • Lauren Kennedy Arts Editor • Ashley Bursey Photo Editor • Andrew Meade Sports Editor • Brian Munn Copy Editor • Alicia Del Frate Production Editor • Ed Cullinan Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Mike Lee Contributors Christian Hapgood, Brad Conley, Alison Clack, Jordan Gill, Doug Estey, Dan Hagerman, Sean Horsley, Dave Briggs, Melanie Bell, Naomi Osborne, Mitchell Bernard, Ed Bowes, Jason Henry, Nick Ouellette About Us The Brunswickan, in its 141st year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

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

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

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

Letters Must be submitted by e-mail including your name, letters with pseudonymns will not be printed. Letters must be 600 words maximum. Deadline for letters is Friday at noon.

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

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

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

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CFS needs to let student groups go

by The Charlatan editorial staff, the Charlatan (Carleton University)

OTTAWA (CUP) -- They say if you care about something, let it go. But when three universities in British Columbia started holding referendums to pull out of the Canadian Federation of Students, the lobby group decided to play for keeps.

The first two university student groups voted strongly in favour of leaving, but the third group, representing students at Kwantlen College, had its referendum delayed when the CFS dragged it to the B.C. Supreme Court to get it pushed back to September. The judge dismissed them and said the referendum should go ahead in April.

If a student group wants to leave the CFS it has to get a petition signed by 10 per cent of the group’s population. At Carleton that's 2,000 signatures. The

petition also has to be sent to the CFS executive six months before the vote noting its exact times.

If you want to include such a referendum question with the Carleton University Students Association ballot in February, the petition needs to be signed and delivered before August, ahead of the student union's referendum deadline of January.

There's also red tape surrounding policies on campaign periods, who is allowed to campaign, and control over the wording of the referendum question.

But if a group does jump through all these hoops and escapes with a majority that wants to de-federate, is that it?

Not quite.

The national executive has to look over the results to determine if they are “in order” and then makes a recommendation on whether to accept de-federation.

If the CFS really cares about students and isn’t just after numbers and monetary support, it should make the process to leave easier and more transparent.

Exchangeprogramscreate stilted view of academics

by The Charlatan editorial staff, the Charlatan (Carleton University) OTTAWA (CUP) -- While exchange programs can offer students an opportunity of a lifetime, they lack a certain degree of merit.

When students go on exchange, their semester or year turns into a time of fun, relaxation, and partying.

That’s not to say having a good time is a bad thing, but the focus of an exchange should be on both the cultural and academic aspects, with a greater emphasis on the latter.

Usually when students take courses at another university, a ‘pass or fail’ grade system is used. Since letter grades don't appear on a student’s transcript, this

can lead to a lack of motivation on the student’s part because the system gives them an easy way out.

Most universities claim that it's hard to convert grades between institutions because the marking systems and course guidelines differ. But a solution — perhaps using percentages to calculate grades — is needed.

Some exchange students take harder courses to prevent their overall averages from being affected. This is unfair to students who forgo ‘pass or fail’ courses at other universities or who are unable to do so.

This weakens the credibility of a student's degree because they can avoid having certain course marks factored into their grade point averages.

Universities, including Carleton, should re-evaluate the way it evaluates exchange students.

Student loan facts from the trenches Dear Editor, Here are some facts about the cost of post secondary education from someone who has attended university from 2000 to 2006. After completing an undergraduate degree at St.Thomas University and a Bachelor's Degree at UNB (two year program), I am now left with an outstanding balance of $60,694.86 on my student loan debt.

The established repayment that has been assigned for my loan is $777.45 a month for 10 years. The interest rate currently stands at 7.75% on this outstanding balance.

Now, if I take advantage of the repayment flexibility that is currently offered, I can extend my loan to 15 years. By doing such, the repayment

calculator indicates that the total amount payable is $136,436.37, which means that the total interest payable is $75,741.51.

I am grateful that I am able to be on interest relief due to a currently low salary. During interest relief status, the Government will pay $4,640.04 a year on my behalf for up to 5 years. Regardless, the total interest payable of $75,741.51 over the course of 15 years is obscene.

Yes, the interest can be claimed on my income tax, but that amount is more than the original cost of attending university and is money that could be better spent either by investing it or saving for retirement, which would grow a greater return for my future either way.

As a student loan carrier from the trenches, I believe it's time the Provincial Government considers eliminating the interest charged on student loans altogether. This would enable student loan carriers to not have to repay more than it costs us to attend university, would provide greater flexibility to manage our hard earned dollars, and would provide immediate and long term relief. In other words, the revenue that is generated from the interest collected on our student loans is not something that keeps the provincial budgets balanced but could and should be, considered a great investment.

Mark Barbour Fredericton, NB

SU should reject incoming VP External Dear Editor, I believe I need to bring light to the current situation regarding Mr. Timothy Ross. Mr. Ross was elected VP External for the academic year 2008/2009. I will not be able to support his ratification as Mr. Ross will not be able to complete his duties as VP External. He will be leaving the country between the dates of May 1st and July 6th, 2008. While Mr. Ross did explain his situation to the current Chief Returning Officer, he did not fully disclose to the Council in general.

The CRO, as I understand it, would not have the bases for understanding, why Mr. Ross’s internship would affect his ability to perform his duties as VP External.

Mr. Ross’s actions were, in my opinion as a Member of this Union, unprofessional and without the best interests of the student body as a whole. In a professional setting you simply do not allow yourself to be ‘hired’ for a position when you know you have prior commitments, without at least being transparent about your situation.

Mr. Ross will not be in the country during an important summer for student representation. The Report on Post Secondary Education will be released in

the last week of April, and it needs the attention of a fully engaged and present VP External. This is of importance to every student in this university and across the country. Absenteeism does not present a united front to Politicians and media makers. Mr. Ross did not consult the current VP External for professional advice regarding the feasibility of working for a Corporation, such as the Student Union, and also completing an internship.

The student body is in an uncomfortable situation, as there is only one week to solve this issue. If Mr. Ross had approached Your Council earlier regarding his inability to perform his duties; I would feel more favourable towards his situation. Something might have been arranged earlier to solve this issue. I feel his move to wait until he was elected to inform Council was deceitful.

Although I understand Mr. Ross has vital academic commitments to complete this summer, all students must deal with these issues. I do not believe he should be given special treatment, because of his requirement to go overseas. I justify this by saying that most executive members are set back a year in their studies by their positions. This is not a

unique issue.

I also call on the current President Bradley Mullins to explain why he did not contact neither the council, nor the CRO regarding Mr. Ross’s situation.

Regardless of who or what is at fault for the current situation, I believe Mr. Ross will not be able to fulfill his duties and that he has misled this entire student body. I request, as a student who pays union fees, and wants to be fully represented by my VP External, that Mr. Ross step down and allow another individual the opportunity. An individual who can spend his/her time in Fredericton, in New Brunswick, in MY country to represent ME on issues that are important MYSELF and ALL students of the University of New Brunswick. I had no idea that Mr. Ross was leaving the country.

I cannot support an individual in this position of importance, who does not have the integrity, dignity and foresight to fully disclose his position to Council and the Student Body.

If anyone has any questions or comments regarding my position on the matter, please feel free to contact me at: CMRuelland@gmail.com.

Thank you, Courtney Ruelland

Comic and Sudoku VICTORIA (CUP) --Youtopia comic.

By Andrew MacLachlan Nexus (Camosun College)

Comments & Letters

iewpoint V

Issue 25 • April 2, 2008 • 9

The

Brunswickan

the bruns awards banquet: saturday, april 5th 5:30 pm at mcginnis landing all staff, volunteers and editors welcome

dominating the hill up, down & sideways

the brunswickan.

Question: What are you looking forward to most about summer?

Bikinis Andrew Bishop

Having money in my pocket Dylan Marche

Being best friends Ed Bowes & Brendan Mittleholtz

Being done university Graham Scott

Come back later, I’ll think of something clever Jason Brown

Not being in school Jeff Whiteway

Drinking Jeremy Dube

Laying around Leslie Eccelston

Moving away Lindsay Best

Not having to answer your questions Lindsay Wilson

Drinking at the golf course Micheal Clifford

Sitting on the beach and drinking beer Tim Brothers

Sports

brunswickansports@gmail.com • April 2, 2008

Women’s V-Ball announces new recruits Supplements may harm more than help

by Danielle Pope The Martlet (University of Victoria)

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

With three new recruits and a strong core group of veteran players returning, the Varsity Reds look to be in great shape to contend again in 2009.

by Mitchell Bernard The UNB Varsity Reds have added more depth to their roster as they prepare to host the 2009 CIS Championships again next February.

The defending AUS champions have named three recruits who have committed to play for the Reds next season: Calgary's Jenna Wamsley, Winnipeg's Megan Dudeck, and Fredericton's Amber Gamblin.

Wamsley is a setter who played for the 17-U Dinos volleyball club last season.

She will add depth to UNB’s already strong setting position, currently held

by CIS second team all-star Melanie Doucette.

Dudeck, who plays libero, suited up for the Cobras volleyball club in Winnipeg last season. Dudeck will look to fill the void left by libero Jena Fox, who graduates from the UNB program.

Amber Gamblin will add a bit of hometown flavor to the Reds roster.

One of the top high school players in the province, Gamblin will attempt to crack the roster of the top women’s volleyball team in Atlantic Canada.

While the new recruits will add depth,

most of the rookies may only receive regular starting time a few years down the road. But Coach John Richard knows the new players will keep the returnees on their toes.

“We return a pretty large core of our top players, but getting players at this level will speak to the depth. If some of our top players go down, it helps. But it also helps to build that competitive environment everyday in practice, which pushes everyone,” said Richard.

With new recruits coming from as far as Calgary, UNB continues to draw players from the strong western Canadian market. It gets easier as the team continues to win, as they attempt to draw in more top prospects to the UNB program.

“Top student athletes want to play with other top student athletes and want to play in a winning program. When you can win, obviously it makes recruiting a lot easier,” said Richard.

“The fact that we’ve had a lot of western Canadian players – two or three every year for the last six or seven seasons – kind of speaks more to our ability to continue to find players in that market.

Success breeds success.”

The new recruits weren’t the only news coming from the UNB program

this week, as two players from the current roster have been invited to attend the Canadian National Team Camp. First year middle Tanya Paulin and second year right side attacker Jill Blanchard have been invited to camp, which is May 5-9 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Both players have a vital role in the Reds program. Paulin made an impact in her rookie season, becoming a regular starter for the Reds. She made a strong campaign for AUS Rookie of the Year, only to be ousted by Kerri Smith of SMU, also a Team Canada camp invitee.

Blanchard continued her dominance in her sophomore season. After being named the AUS Rookie of the Year in 2006-07, Blanchard stepped it up a notch and was awarded with AUS conference all-star team honours this past season.

The experience will give the players an opportunity to see the game at its highest level and provide an opportunity for them to grow as individual players.

“I feel incredibly honored to have been selected to try out. It will be an amazing opportunity,” said Blanchard.

“I hope to learn and absorb as much as I can from the top players and coaches

in the country. Playing at such a high level will benefit me in the future because I'll be able to bring that experience and knowledge back here (to university) and allow us to make our great team a little bit better.”

Coach Richard is also excited for the girls to receive this opportunity. He realizes that the invite not only helps the players grow, but will benefit the Reds programs as well.

“There were only three kids east of Quebec invited. Fortunately, we have two of those three. For them to go out there and play in that type of environment for a week, or two weeks, or potentially if they make it all summer, will help them as individuals. And also what they can bring back to our environment next September will impact our team as a whole,” said Richard.

The Reds are poised to have a strong veteran presence next season, with twotime AUS conference MVP Melanie Doucette, two-time AUS conference first team all-star Erica Hay, former AUS conference all-star Christina Ross, and middle Barb Vriends set to return for next season.

A strong mix of rookies and returnees should give UNB a strong bid to return to the AUS championship next winter.

VICTORIA (CUP) -- The end-of-term stress is building, and it’s that time of year again when classes are dragging, immunity is dropping, and some athletes are turning to nutritional supplements to keep their performance up.

Many athletes have been carefully supplementing for years and for those who know what they’re doing, it’s not an issue. But what you don’t know about those little pills and powders might scare you.

Lynneth Wolski, a professor with the University of Victoria’s School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, said that vitamin C pills are one “remedy” that can get you in trouble, and overdosing is easier than you think.

“Vitamins and minerals are the most commonly abused supplements we’ve been seeing in athletes — especially super-doses,” said Wolski. “Protein powders would rank next.”

"Super-doses," such as a few thousand milligrams of vitamin C per day, can be damaging to the liver and body over time. Even though the excess dosage will eventually be flushed out in urine, it has to be processed by the body first.

Wolski said there is medical evidence to prove that vitamin C helps boost immunity, but there isn't anything to support the claim that taking vitamin or mineral supplements improves athletic performance.

Wolski said nothing replaces the value of a balanced diet. In other words, you could down that ham sandwich for lunch or take your multivitamin, but you don’t need both — and your body will only gain energy from the

sandwich.

Energy myths aside, supplements can often be damaging to our health in other ways, and Wolski said using any substance without a medical consultation is not a good idea.

“It’s really important that you know exactly what you’re taking,” Wolski said. “Question the product, and see if it holds up.”

How can athletes protect themselves?

Wolski has some tips for weeding out “fake” supplements that work off the quick-fix agenda rather than offer any actual health benefits.

1. Look for a drug identification number (DIN), a naturopathic number (NPN), or a homeopathic medicine number (DIN-HM). This tells you the drug complies with Canadian law.

2. Only buy recognized brands. A product made from a drug company that already has to put their name out for the standards of their other products is far more reliable than a no-name company.

3. Be mindful of Internet sales. Note who owns or sponsors the website, what their main goal is (to sell product, or to inform) and how current and accurate the information is (if they use sources, look at them yourself).

Wolski suggested checking the Health Canada website for a list of reputable drug and supplement sources.

Wolski also urged athletes not to confuse natural for nutritional. Arsenic, lead, and mercury are all natural, but they can kill you.

“We often hear the word ‘natural’ and confuse it for safe,” Wolski said. “People think herbal substances are better, but we forget that they can also contain bad materials — they’re drugs too, and they have repercussions.”

University sports: why doesn’t anybody care?

Despite having some of the best hockey around, the CIS can’t get any respect

View From the Sidelines by Tony von Richter

It was an exciting time to be a university hockey fan last week, and the Moncton Coliseum was the place to be. For a few days, the tiny rink on the outskirts of the city was the centre of the hockey universe with the CIS Men's Hockey National Championships in town.

Everyone who's anyone in the hockey business was in attendance, and millions of fans around the world anticipated the outcome of the tournament.

At least that's what I would like to have written. In actuality, while thousands of people were interested

be such a glaring one if all people cared about were professional sports. However, as we've seen this month, there is a huge interest in college athletics, and just not Canadian college athletics, because the CIS seems second-rate when compared to the NCAA. The appearance of inadequacy isn't going to go away anytime soon with several Canadian schools, including the prestigious University of British Columbia, looking to join the NCAA's Division II, perhaps as early as this fall.

Is the CIS actually inferior or does it just have the reputation of being worse than its American counterpart?

Obviously, the NCAA has a higher quality of play in most sports. I won't try and pretend that it doesn't, but just because the NCAA may be better it doesn't mean that the CIS is poor and not worthy of attention – especially not CIS hockey.

In fact, I think a former Brunswickan editor said it best on Sunday, when he said that if given the choice to attend one hockey game each year, he'd

atmosphere with thousands upon thousands of people in attendance and all going crazy for their team.

Compare that to what a CIS game looks like on television: it's sparsely attended, there's not a whole lot of noise being made, and it looks about as important as a game in the local peewee league.

It's kind of a catch-22 situation, as one of the reasons the NCAA is so popular is because it's seen as being important due to millions of fans taking an interest in the league so more people want to watch since everyone else is. This perception limits the CIS, as they can't really grow unless it's seen as being important – which it can't do unless people attend the games.

What this issue really comes down to is marketing. The NCAA has massive marketing dollars behind it, and while the CIS obviously doesn't have the resources of their American counterpart, they could do a much better job at marketing their sports and athletes.

The current level of promotion is about as good as it is for your local slow pitch softball team.

Whereas every sports fan knows who the top NCAA basketball and football players are, it's highly doubt-

“…the vast majority of Canadian sports fans couldn’t care less about the CIS.” in the tournament, millions more were focused on the upsets and events surrounding the NCAA's March Madness.

So what does that say about the state of the CIS, when in the most hockey-mad nation on Earth more people would rather watch the college basketball championships for another country than watch their own universities face off to crown the top team in their national pastime?

Sadly, this means the vast majority of Canadian sports fans couldn't care less about the CIS. While this is a problem, it wouldn't

choose the CIS finals, even over game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.

While I don't know if I'd choose any sporting event over a game seven, I'd argue that the quality of CIS hockey is on par or better with the NCAA version, particularly our own Varsity Reds who could compete with the best that the larger organization has to offer.

So if the CIS is a good organization, why doesn't anybody care?

I believe that it all comes down to the CIS not seeming important enough.

Watching NCAA games on television, they have such a big-deal

ful that anyone outside of the AUS and hardcore CIS hockey followers could tell you who Rob Hennigar or Hunter Tremblay are.

Hell, most of the students on this campus don't know who they are, since students are outnumbered at UNB games about 6 to 1 by alumni, kids, and people from outside the university community.

Going forward, the key for the CIS will be to improve their marketing and the visibility of the league and its players. The quality of play is already there, it's just long past due to make students and the general public aware of it.

Sports

Issue 25 • April 2, 2008 • 11

Oilers lock up National Champion

by Bruns Sports Department

The Edmonton Oilers have signed University of Alberta Golden Bears defenceman Harlan Anderson to an American Hockey League amateur try-out agreement. The Alberta team captain will join the Springfield Falcons this week.

The 6'2", 200 lbs native of Vernon, British Columbia, completed his fifth and final season of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) eligibility last weekend, helping lead Alberta to its record-setting 13th CIS University Cup national championship.

Anderson enjoyed a very successful season with the Golden Bears in 2007-08 as he scored 18-26-44 in 36 games with Alberta and was named the Canada West Hockey MVP and defenceman-of-the-year. Despite missing the final six games of the conference schedule due to injury, Anderson still managed to lead all defencemen in scoring and finish 12th in the Canada West

by Bruns Sports Department

Hockey scoring race with 11-16-27 in 22 games.

In the post-season, Anderson scored a goal and seven assists in seven games, including four assists in three games at the CIS University Cup tournament in Moncton, New Brunswick. A two-time CIS All-Canadian, Anderson was one of two Golden Bears named to the University Cup all-tournament team.

In five seasons at Alberta, Anderson scored 64-117-181 with 170 penalty minutes in 198 career games.

Harlan Anderson Defence 6’2”, 200 lbs. Shoots: Right Born: October 17, 1982; Vernon, British Columbia Regular season & playoffs SEASON GP G A PTS 2003-04 35 9 12 21 2004-05 45 12 34 46 2005-06 44 12 20 32 2006-07 38 13 25 38 2007-08 36 18 26 44 Collegiate Totals 198 64 117 181

Former X goalie in NHL

Brad Conley / The Brunswickan

After five stellar seasons with the Golden Bears, Harlan Anderson will attempt to join the wave of CIS players making the move to the NHL

Former St.FX X-Men hockey goaltender Mike Mole has been called up to the New York Islanders. The 25-year-old Islanders prospect made his way to Long Island earlier this week to join the NHL squad in a back-up capacity for goaltender Wade Dubielewicz and is expected to stay there for the remainder of the season.

"We are extremely happy for Mike Mole," comments X-Men Head Coach Brad Peddle. "He was an outstanding player for the X-Men hockey program and as tournament MVP, played an instrumental part in winning the 2004 CIS national championship. He has worked tremendously hard to get to this level and we wish him the absolute best in his NHL opportunity."

Mole was signed by the Islanders on October 5, 2006 and since then has seen action in both the AHL and ECHL. He played 15 games for Bridgeport (AHL) during the 2006-07 season, posting a 3-8 record, and played 39 games for Pensacola (ECHL) for the remainder of

that year, posting a 13-18 record with a 3.95 GGA. This past season, he has an 18-13-5 record with the Utah Grizzlies, the Islanders ECHL affiliate. The Islanders are scheduled to play the Pittsburg Penguins tonight, marking Mole's first appearance in an NHL game.

Mole played with the StFX X-Men during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons under the tutelage of then-Head Coach Danny Flynn. He helped lead the X-Men to their first ever national championship win in 2004 and was named the CIS tournament Most Valuable Player for his efforts between the pipes. He finished the 2003-04 AUS regular season with a 16-3-2 record and a 2.49 GGA, good enough for second place overall in the conference and he led the X-Men through the playoffs to their first AUS championship title since 1978. During the 2004-05 season, Mole led the AUS in GGA (2.33) and saves (28.48/G) and was named an AUS 1st team all-star and a CIS 1st team all-Canadian.

Mole made the move to the professional ranks after the 2005 season and after a successful run with CBC's first “Making the Cut” reality series, where he was amongst six finalists awarded an NHL try-out.

Women’s hockey: loads of support, but still no fans The Fifty Mission Cap by Brian Munn

I had the privilege – although I’m sure many in Fredericton would disagree with my use of the word – to watch the men’s hockey championship game from the press box at the Moncton Coliseum last weekend with UNB Athletic Director Kevin Dickie.

I know, I get it. He’s pretty much the devil. He cut down UNB’s varsity sports program, and essentially ended

the existence of the women’s hockey program.

After watching the final game in Moncton with Mr. Dickie, I can see that he has incredible respect for the Varsity Reds program, and lives and dies by its success. Unfortunately, he had to make a tough decision and is catching hell for it – whether he deserves it or not is for you to decide.

If you read this column with any regularity, you’ll know I think it was a horrible decision. I’ve looked at the “strategic plan” and heard the banter about numbers, but it’s still terrible.

I struggle to understand how one can justify cutting loose an entire team of tremendous student athletes. It may be business, but I say business has no place at a university (no offense to anyone in

the BBA or MBA programs).

Anyway, back to the press box in Moncton.

I was playing around on my computer during the second intermission, and started checking out the posts on the “Support UNB Women’s Hockey” Facebook group.

I think the amount of support the girls are getting – there are 1,758 members as I’m writing this – is spectacular. The cuts have been in the news across the country, from The Bruns to the Gleaner to Hamilton and national news wires.

But one post on the Facebook group wall caught my attention the other day.

“As an Aitken Centre usher, the most I ever saw at a women's hockey

game was 74 people. Hell, it was free this year and still no one showed up,” said the post.

“If all of you cared about the team, why didn't you support it?”

Of course, this got a rousing response from other group members.

“You're a joke,” read one.

“Are you an AUS all-star, an academic all Canadian, or a member of a varsity team? Check yourself, cus ya don’t know what your talking about, an usher at the games is the closest thing u’ll ever be to a varsity athlete. [sic]” Umm… I think this guy missed the point.

The support for the women’s team, to be sure, is astounding. What I don’t understand is why there weren’t 1,758 (and counting) fans at the women’s

hockey games.

I was at pretty much every woman’s hockey game at UNB this year. I usually had a notepad in hand, and sometimes a camera. I get that it was my job to follow the team, but I didn’t have to go. I sometimes went when we didn’t run it in the paper, just because I enjoy hockey.

I’m not trying to sell myself. I’m not taking a “Holier than thou” approach by saying I actually show up at the games.

What I’m saying – or rather, asking – is where the hell was everyone else?

A Facebook group and an online petition are great. People speaking out and getting some sort of dialogue going can only further alert the community of the issue and gather support.

But you know how to make a team feel the support? Go to the rink. The Aitken Centre rocks for men’s games. At women’s games, you can have a conversation with your buddy, uninterrupted, when he’s sitting three sections away.

You can scream and curse about Dickie and Terry Haggerty if you want to. If you think that’s a productive way to get these two men to strongly consider a reversal of this decision and seeing this support as legitimate, I don’t think it’s the wisest decision.

But say the decision is reversed. The Varsity Reds open their wallet, and decide the $100,000-ish budget for women’s hockey is worth providing.

Are we going to see 1,758 (and counting) fans in the bleachers?

I doubt it.

12 • The Brunswickan

April 2 • 2008

Classifieds

Classifieds are a FREE service for members of the university community. Please try to limit submissions to 35 words or less. Your name, student number, and phone number are required at submission, but will not be published. We can accept them at Room 35, SUB, 453-5073 (Fax), or e-mail: bruns-ad@unb.ca. Please do not submit by phone. We reserve the right to edit or refuse publication. All classifieds are subject to available space. For display advertising contact Bill at 447-3388. Classified deadline is Monday at noon.

WANTED We are two students and looking for a ride from Fredericton to Montreal between: April 26th to 28th. We will help with the expenses of the ride. We have two suitcases, so a van or a car with a spacious trunk would be an ideal. I should mention that, if the drive would be on April 28th, it should be early in the morning, since we should be in Montreal by 5:00 p.m. Please e-mail me at iebrahimim@gmail.com.

TANNING SPECIALS

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

ONE FREE TAN

20% OFF 04/15/08

Main Street Bowl-A-Drome 301 Main Street 472-2361

1 FREE GAME

• Shoe Rental Included • Birthday Parties a Speciality • Restaurant – Licensed Lounge • Air Conditioned • Student Rates

Student I.D. Required.

Valid Until April 15/2008

Limit 1 per person per day. During public bowling times.

Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid with group booking. No cash value

I collect old camcorders or vcr’s. if you got any to give away. E-mail me now Gordon.knight@live.ca.

FOR SALE 15” Apple Powerbook G4 (Aluminum), 1.5 GHz, 512MB, 80 GB, Wireless, Bluetooth, DVD+-RW/CD-RW. It was $2499 new, and still functions the same.

Brand new battery ($80 value). Price $699.99. Wireless presentation device & optical mouse (PC). Like new, with the box and CD and manual. Bought for $260+tax. Price is $89.99. Please e-mail me at s87w1@unb.ca. Works for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

HP Pavilion Slimline desktop for sale, 19 inch HP widescreen, HP keyboard, 1024 mb system, 250GB hard drive, windows

vista, super multi DVD burner with lightscribe, built in wireless. $750 OBO. Contact: p904t@unb.ca.

Offered: Spanish lessons. Beginner & intermediate levels, 6 wks. Mond & Wedn 6-7:30 p.m. For more information, or to register, contact Miguel at m_america_789@hotmail.com or call 206-2939.

ACCOMMODATIONS Rooms to rent: Now taking deposits for rooms for the college year 2008-2009 commencing Sept. 1/08 and ending April 30/09 – serious, mature male students only— furnished bedroom, separate kitchen, bath, laundry and entrance.

Utilities included. Cable and internet available. Five minute walk to UNB. Four rooms available on Kitchen St. Phone 455-1979 or 451-2979.

Three bedroom apartment (top floor of a house) for rent. York St. close to campus. $800 per month. Utilities extra. Call 454-8825 or 476-3959.

Renting now for September 08. Five bedroom house, two minute walk to UNB. All utilities included. Laundry, parking.

Call 461-2500.

Three bedroom apartment and a bachelor apartment at 796 Hanson Street. Call 453-9188.

Subletter wanted. Looking for mature student for the months of May, June and July. The apartment is: Three bedroom, big apartment, roomy living room, furnished. Close to bus that goes to campus, mall, and downtown. $433 a month of rent (with heat, power, hydro, furniture, snow clearing, internet and cable). If you are interested please email me at y2ai6@ unb.ca.

Available May 1, 2008: One unfurnished

bedroom in a three bedroom furnished apt. to be shared with two other male students. Location Beckwith Street. Two minute walk to campus. Laundry on site.

Summer rent negotiable. Call 455-0263, leave message. E-mail Phillip at j3nm1@ unb.ca and/or Steven at p59tv@unb.ca.

month utilities included. Call 454-3500 to view.

Now renting for Sept1/08; a large five bedroom home on Graham just seconds from UNB. Spacious rooms. One bedroom off living room on main level along with kitchen with two fridges. Also one bath off kitchen. Second floor has four bedrooms and one bath. Heat, lights and water included. Coin operated laundry on site. Parking for one car. Looking for five friends to fill house. Call 363-5200 or 461-7104.

PSAs

Eight month lease – September to April.

Great deal for students. Three or four bedroom apartment for rent. Scully Street, literally at the bottom of campus. $1200 per month for four bedroom or $1000 for three bedroom - everything included. Call 454-8825 or 476-3959.

Three-bedroom home. Close to Superstore and short 15-minute walk to campus. Huge backyard. One year lease available beginning May 1; $1120 per month + utilities. Please e-mail: q0f2a@unb.ca.

Room to rent: InterSession and summer session – May to August – serious, mature students only- furnished bedroom, separate kitchen, bath, laundry and entrance.

Utilities included. Cable and internet available. Five minute walk to UNB. Five rooms available on Kitchen Street. $90 per week. Phone 455-1979 or 451-2979.

Room for rent. Spacious room in a four bedroom house. Very close to university. New appliances, excellent condition.

Available immediately. Please call Peter at 449-3202.

Rooms for rent. Five minute walk to UNB and STU. Share a kitchen, dining area, large den. Furnished, heat, cable TV, laundry, wireless internet. Air conditioning. Private entry and washrooms. Rent $250 May – August. $375 Sept-April.

Female students only call 452-7293 or 470-5554.

Beautiful spacious 3, 4, and 5 bedroom house for rent. Very close to university.

New appliances, excellent condition.

Available from May 1. Please call Peter at 449-3202.

Available immediately. Three bedroom upper level house. Large living room, dinning room and kitchen. Fridge, stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer. Walk out deck and huge storage barn. Big back yard.

Damage deposit required. $1200 per

Sublet for summer – four bedroom front portion of a house. Scully St. $600 everything included. Coin-operated laundry.

Call 454-8825 or 476-3959.

The Fredericton Chapter of Parkinson Society Maritime Region invites you to attend their 6th annual “Porridge For Parkinson’s” breakfast on Saturday, April 19th from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Christ Church (Parish) Church on the corner of Westmorland and Charlotte Streets, Fredericton.

Sex, Lies & Economics. Why is the market economy all that counts? Why is “women’s work” - especially unpaid - ignored or undervalued? Why do “oil spills and war count as contributors to economic growth, while child-rearing and housekeeping are deemed valueless.” A free Lunch & Learn with Professor Joan McFarland Department of Economics/ Gender Studies at Saint Thomas University Monday April 7, 2008, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. Wilmot United Church, Corner of King & Carleton St., Fredericton, N.B. Attention all Ex-RCAF Airwoman : RCAF Airwoman’s 9th Reunion June 5-7, 2009, London, Ontario. www.rcafairwomen.ca or E-mail: glen@rcafairwomen.ca.

Heartmenders-coming out of the shadows healing life’s hurts and dealing with what lies beneath. Overcoming life’s controlling issues–sexual abuse, anger, depression, suicide, grieving your losses and forgiveness. May 9th 7:00 p.m. May 10th 9:00 a.m. To register: www.sunsetchurch. com/heartmender or call 506-458-9255 or 506-443-9960.

The UNB Concert Band and UNB Chorale, directed by Björn Runefors, present their annual Spring Concert as part of the Music on the Hill 50th anniversary concert series, Monday, April 7, 2008, 8:00 p.m., in Memorial Hall, UNB Fredericton Campus. The UNB Concert Band will perform an animated program of marches, dances and Dixieland. The UNB Chorale, with special guests, the Fredericton Chamber Orchestra, will deliver the soothing and reflective Requiem

by Gabriel Fauré. Soloists will be Alexis Erwin, soprano, and David Perritt, baritone. This concert is free to students.

Tickets, $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, are available at the door. For more information call 457-2233 or visit cel.unb.ca/ music.

UNB’s Musicians in Residence give free noon time concert April 8th. Take a break from your busy day with a free noon hour concert hosted by Music on the Hill. Pianist Julien Le Blanc and violinist Geoffrey McCausland will conclude the Music on the Hill 50th anniversary concert series with a short concert of music by Mozart and Franck, Tuesday, April 8, 12:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall on the UNB Fredericton campus. Admission is free to all.

Next Wednesday, April 9 will be the last issue of The Brunswickan for the term.

Arts & Entertainment

bruns.arts@gmail.com • April 2, 2008

“Protesting seems to be pretty popular lately” Montreal-based Special Ops are bringing their brand of rock to Fredericton

by Ashley Bursey Self-described as a mix of Nickelbackmeets-Metallica-meets-Rage Against the Machine, the six-year-old Special Ops hails from Montreal. Their highenergy shows and protest songs, including a couple of studio albums (Phase 1: In Search of Madness and Phase 2: Amidst the Madness), have established them as a musical presence in Quebec.

Now, they’re taking their music across Canada, including to a show in Fredericton.

The Brunswickan: So why protest music? Was that something you always wanted to write?

Akbar Johnson: Anger [laughs.]

Well, it started off [because] I’m very cynical in terms of the public and the way governments run things and politics and relationships, and I like to point out what people don’t see, including what people don’t see about themselves, if that makes any sense…try to take an angle that no one else has used before.

But protesting seems to be pretty popular lately.

B: Yeah, there was just a huge antipolice-brutality protest a week or so ago, right?

AJ: Welcome to Montreal. We’re always protesting. I had a meeting – actually, a business meeting – that day for the band.

B: Where did you come up with the

Submitted

“When we try to cross borders, it’s always the colour police...we’re no strangers to that,” says Akbar Johnson of Special Ops, who will be playing at Vixen’s on April 5 name “Special Ops”?

AJ: That is four guys racking their brains as to what the hell we’re going to call this music, and it was around 2002, so you can imagine how fresh the Iraq war and Kuwait and all of it was... it was all over the news, and the term “special ops” just kept popping up on TV, and we thought, “Wow, that’s a good name.”

B: So do you write a lot about Iraq and that whole atmosphere?

AJ: Maybe on the first album. One, it was everywhere, and two, we’re all from ethnic backgrounds... and when we try to cross borders it’s always the colour police...we’re no strangers to that. It’s a big problem with regular travel. If you have a work visa, and you’re a band, they sometimes outright won’t even let you through.

B: What’s your inspiration for writing?

AJ: Nina Simone would be good inspiration, I know she’s a whole different genre, but...Joe Satriani, who’s again melodic, not typewriter rock, but I guess the whole politics and all that…it comes from the whole grunge era, which was my heyday. Growing up and having Nirvana and Rage and all the “fuck-you” songs – that’s when it really hit, because

everyone else...the real mainstream was just doing the real lovey-dovey [music], “I-have-long-hair-and-makeup”, which is unfortunately coming back.

B: Coming back? What do you think is next for the scene?

AJ: The scene will always change and will always revolve around itself. It loops. It’s a constant rubber band in a sense that it expands and comes back.

Things will always be commercial to a certain level, and underground to a certain level. When you have things – ska exploded at some point, and before that, ska was underground, and who the hell thought ska would have comeback?

We just know the rock stuff because it’s in your face...people get bored of one thing, and they find the next thing. The question is, who’s the next Nirvana or

the next band that’s going to be the next big thing?

B: And who is it?

AJ: I don’t know. Definitely not bands like Hedley or anything like that, because it’s all said and done.

What kind of genre? To be honest with you: rockabilly, psychobilly. I think that whole thing is here to stay. I like the Necromantics a lot. That’s my thing, but I think it’s here to stay because I’ve been looking around and seeing more and more bands pop up, and more and more people are supporting the look and touring and getting in. It’s about fucking time something else came up.

B: What’s it like making music in Montreal?

AJ: Montreal is a very awesome city, because you have a little bit of everything

and anything. You can go from super popular in one day to – people can really see through the bullshit here. They’ll look at you and say, “Who the fuck are you? Why should I come and support you?” They’ll take the time to research and they’re finicky...it’s not liking going to a small town, where people are desperate for any band that comes in...

[But] in Montreal right now, people are sick of the politics. The whole indie thing is back, the whole elctro-pop rock, beep-beep thing is going on, and they’re sick of [politics]...because, fuck, it’s been going on since 2002.

B: So what do people think of you guys across the country?

AJ: It’s a different response everywhere. Quebec [City], it’s all about the politics, Ontario they just want to have fun. Every province – I can’t say for New Brunswick yet, I’ll find out this weekend – it’s so different, because this country is so wide and has a relatively small population, and there are concentrations in every province...they’ve got their own subculture, I guess. It’s fantastic. You gotta read it, you gotta know where you’re going or how to treat it. When you’re going to Calgary, you don’t treat them the same as someone from Quebec. You gotta know these things...

B: And what’s your live show like?

AJ: We’re very, very high-energy. We make sure when we put out an album, if it sounds anything close to a song we already have, we’re not doing it. It gets thrown in the bin, so you don’t get bored listening or watching, because we don’t do the same thing twice. The guitarist uses his fingers, not a pick – kind of awkward, actually – and you have the singer with dreads going all over the place, but it’s fun to watch...We get [that we sound like] Rage, System of a Down, we used to get Tea Party for some reason, [but] I don’t see where they get that from. The single gets a lot of Metallica, things like that. We get compared to the big boys a lot and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

Special Ops play at Vixen’s in Fredericton on April 5.

“Are you with them foolish fellas?”

by Ashley Bursey I grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where schtick and comedy were an everyday way of life. In my high school, one of the most-loved traditions was a talent show, where a particularly funny young gentleman would regale crowds with his version of “Da Yammie” or “Is You ’Appy”, audience favourites created and cemented as legendary

by Newfoundland music and comedy troupe, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers.

So when I heard they were coming to Fredericton, I jumped at the chance to get Ray Johnson, one of the group’s three members, on the phone.

At home in Lower Island Cove, Johnson is soft-spoken, with a lilting Newfoundland accent. He was in the Maritimes about 18 months ago, he says, and now the b’ys are ready to go again with the Dirty Big Tour.

Even if you didn’t grow up singing “Saltwater Joys”, Johnson says, don’t

Submitted

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers bring down-east fun to New Brunswick on April 3 at the Playhouse fret: the show’s not geared toward Newfoundlanders. It’s full of candid insight, down-home humour, and the rapid-fire hilarity the Fellers are known for.

“Any down-easter at all appearing at our concerts knows full well they’re getting a taste of home,” he says, adding, “We tell people[who are not from the Maritimes] to listen as slow as possible and to sit with a fellow Newfoundlander next time they come out. They ask, ‘Where have we been all these years to miss a group like you fellas?’ They also say you don’t have to be a Newfoundlander to appreciate the humour...we’re

also speaking of people from Cape Breton – any down-easter. It’s in the blood and it’s automatic.”

In fact, for most of the audience, the words may be strictly Newfanese, but the messages are universal.

“I think it’s because [much of the audience] may see themselves within that bit of character that Kevin [Blackmore, also known as Buddy Wasisname] portrays, people in your own community who have this wit about them, and they have a great line sometimes that some young people would never be able to come up with, even with a

masters degree or whatever. I remember a story: there were old people sitting in a mall in Clarenville, they flagged over Wayne [Chaulk] and said, ‘Excuse me, are you one of them foolish fellas?’ and that says it all.”

And this time around, the Fellers have some new material to debut.

“We have a brand-new song called the ‘Quad Song’; essentially it’s called ‘In Quad We Trust’. Every Newfoundlander we know has a quad, and those who don’t, well, we sympathize with you. Suzuki, Yamaha...we describe these and which one is the best. We also have the ‘Family Reunion Song’, written and sung by Kevin. He talks about how he gets together once in a while with his family and what a turmoil it becomes, and a strain on him or whatever, but it’s very comedic. We’ve gone outside the box with this particular tour – we have a gospel song. It’s getting good reviews.”

25 years ago, when they first formed the group, Johnson had no idea it could have turned out like this a few decades down the road.

“It was difficult at first. You didn’t know how [the audience] was going to react. You looked out the hole in the curtain before the show and only saw ten people...you think, ‘Is this what it’s going to be like?’ But now there are 2,000...I think we played our cards right...Now, the hardest part is knowing [a skit] may work in the shed where you do your practice, but it has to work in the next two or three shows. We know what people are looking for.”

Johnson, who also volunteers with local groups to promote culture within the Atlantic provinces, says he knows the importance of a different kind of education.

“I think it’s important to have a chat or a yarn or whatever. Sometimes when people see us, there’s nothing but communication going on, laughter, and tears of joy. I think we need to see more of this. I, for one, would love to visit all the universities and high schools and talk about this with young people...I think our curriculum needs that. It’s fine to go to page 25 and do your academic thing, but are you still happy inside?”

To brush up on the lyrics to your favourite songs and skits, check out www. buddywasisname.com.

Arts & Entertainment

14 • April 2, 2008 • Issue 25

Applesauce, spiders, and cigarettes...

A

Brunswickan writer Ed Bowes buys way too many beer, gets lost, and almost falls over a cliff – and only two of those things are related. The last segment of his tour of Australia.

Canadian, an American, and a Scotsman go for a walk in the woods...I know, it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but in all reality it was the start of a truly outrageous adventure in the Blue Mountains World Heritage site outside Sydney, Australia.

A group of 20 of us had rented two cottages in the mountains to have a relaxing weekend of partying and scenic views. Myself and two friends, Mark from Edinburgh, Scotland, and Drew from Missouri, were in charge of taking the early train up and securing the two ten-person chalets. After our long train ride, we stopped at a local Aussie pub for a couple of pints and a few games of 10-cent pool. Beer was cheap so we felt obliged to stay for a few and trade some witty foreigner chat with the locals.

We left the pub and started the slightly buzzed walk through the rural village of Blackheath. Along the way to the cottages, we stopped at a liquor store and grabbed three 30 packs of Toohey's New, a delicious Australian lager. The owner of the bottle shop (that’s what the Aussies call the liquor store) told us that we should go and check out the view of the mountains and do a quick 30-minute trail.

He gave us some directions but we weren’t really listening because we were too excited at the prospect of seeing the ‘Australian Grand Canyon.’

Famous last words.

We jumped in a cab and dropped our beer off at our cottage, and without even taking the time to put the beer in the fridge, we got back in the cab and set out for the mountains. We were dropped off at a lookout point and the view was so amazing it didn't even look real.

Picture this: Enormous mountains stretching as far as the eye can see and at the bottom was an even larger rainforest. After a few ridiculous pictures in bizarre poses, the three of us took off down the path we believed to be the correct one.

5 pm – Three hours of sunlight remaining.

The path we were supposed to take was a direct trail down the side of the nearest rock face, straight down then straight up. I guess we were too excited to realize, but we accidentally walked ourselves onto an eight-hour trail which circled the upper portion of the mountains before taking its travelers down through the rain forest.

For the first two hours of our trek, we stopped at every lookout along the way. The trail started to lead downwards towards the rainforest and the lower we got, the more it looked and felt like Jurassic Park. There were tropical plants with leaves that were bigger then me. We even stopped at a waterfall and went for a quick dip.

All the hiking had really tired us out, so we munched on the bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos I had been hiding in my book bag to refuel.

Little did we know this would be the last meal for nearly 12 hours.

Call us idiots, but not once did any of us

think that we had been on the trail for a hell of a lot longer then 30 minutes.

7 pm – We finally realize that we are on the wrong trail and that we are most likely completely screwed.

We came to a fork in the road and tried to read the signs, but they were too old for us to even make out the letters. Drew suggested taking the right trail, and we agreed.

8 pm – We’re soaked from our swim... and it’s starting to get dark.

We were all getting pretty nervous but trying to keep it together. It was pretty clear that we were in the middle of the rainforest and that the mountains, our only way back up, were hours of hiking away.

8:30 pm – Darkness.

The only light we had is from our cell phones, which we were using as flashlights.

Oh yeah – it had also started to rain, so that sucked because we were already freezing.

Throughout our entire journey, we had been following these little arrows that were meant to point travelers in the right direction.

We reached a stream that was impossible to cross in the darkness and we all took a couple of bad spills on the slippery rocks (which complicated things later.)

Although I couldn't see him,

I knew my buddy Mark fell because I heard a splash followed by, “Aye...ya bastard,” (in a Scottish accent) followed by Drew's laughter. After multiple attempts to cross the river, we decided to give up and go back to the other side. Mark stepped up and made the decision that we were going to have to set up camp for the night. Just before we tried to cross the river, we had passed a rock which was kind of shaped like a cave, so we backtracked and parked ourselves under the rock and tried to make some decisions.

We were all shivering and knew something needed to be done fast. Thank God we had a pack of smokes and some matches. We gathered what dry wood we could find under the rock and started to build a fire – twigs and broken cigarettes made perfect kindling.

For the first couple of hours, we sat in a circle around the fire and shared stories in an attempt to pass the time. We talked about what our other 17 friends were thinking at the cottages and came to the conclusion that they must have known something bad had happened – they knew we would never leave 90 beer out of the refrigerator.

I think we actually may have started to go a little crazy because the conversations we were having we absolutely outrageous. At one point we were so hungry, we had an hour-long conversation about the foods we were craving.

I personally was in the mood for a tall glass of apple juice because I was unbelievably thirsty from the six hours of hiking we had done.

This got us into a deep conversation about apples and apple related products.

Ed – You know what I want right now?

Some apple juice...with ice.

Mark – No man, applesauce. Hot apple sauce.

Drew (ever the realist) – You know what,

“We came to the conclusion that our friends must have known something bad happened - they knew we would never leave 90 beer out of the refrigerator.” boys? I want a sleeping bag, ‘cuz I'm freezing.

Mark – Imagine a sleeping bag full of hot apple sauce. That's what I want.

Ed – Mmm…with cinnamon.

Drew – Idiots.

All the talk about apple juice made us thirsty, so we went on a mission back to the river to get a drink of water. (Note: This led to days of diarrhea upon our return. That was probably the single greatest drink I have ever had in my life.

By now, it was about 3 am and we were all tired. Our fire was raging and the rain finally stopped. We started doing half-hour shifts so we could get a little sleep. One person would sleep while another would get firewood and the third would watch for big-ass spiders, bugs, and snakes. (Note: Australia has some of the most dangerous spiders in the world, the Funnel Web and the Redback, which we were probably attracting by the heat of the fire.)

Every once in a while, you would feel something crawl up your shorts. It really sucked.

We also decided on a designated peeing spot because we didn't want to go searching for wood that was covered with pee.

By this point, we realized that Mark had cut his ankle pretty deeply on the rocks at the river and was bleeding heavily. We tore up an old sock and wrapped him up.

Our shifts went on for hours until we finally, and accidentally, all fell asleep. We woke up huddled together just as the sun was coming up. The fire was out.

We all had to take a morning pee and went to our designated peeing spot, which we saw in the light

was about half a foot away from the edge of a 50-foot drop.

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Guess we really dodged a bullet there.

We said goodbye to the rock that saved our lives and started to make our way towards the river. After about an hour and a half of walking, we finally reached the base of the mountain. It took another hour to climb the sketchy path that zigzagged its way straight up the rock face.

As we reached the top, our cell phones started to get service back and we were bombarded with text messages from our friends who apparently were pretty worried.

We all had about 50 missed calls from the police as well.

We called a cab and decided not to call any of our friends. We were going to surprise them with the whole “being alive” thing. Our cabbie took one look – and one smell – at us and said, “Jesus, fellas, looks like you had a rough night.”

Our only response: “Take us somewhere we can get apple juice, apple turnovers, and meat pies.”

After our bellies were full, we got back to our cottage and snuck in the front door.

I think everyone drank away their sorrows because there were people passed out everywhere. So, in typical fashion, we grabbed some pots and pans from the kitchen and began smashing.

Everyone woke up in a drunken, hung-over state of confusion. All the girls were crying and the guys just tackled us and started punching us.

And apparently, while we were lost, our friend Will from Jersey decided, in a drunken rage, to go searching for us. Needless to say, he didn't make it past the driveway before passing out. We were finally home.

Arts & Entertainment

Issue 25 • April 2, 2008 • 15

‘Helvetica’: not just a font (anymore)

by Doug Estey

I'll admit I would never have predicted it, but there we were, sitting around a table in a semi-circle, in a town 500 km away from home, watching a full-length feature film about a font. The date was Saturday, March 22, and the event was none other than the Atlantic Region Canadian University Press conference (ARCUP) hosted by Acadia University in bustling Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

You've all seen the font Helvetica (or cheap knockoffs of it). It plays an integral part of modern corporate logos, including those of American Apparel, Parmalat, Energizer, Oral B, The North Face, and JC Penney, and it's often imitated by digital typeface designers.

Chances are that you've used Arial or DejaVu in your favourite word processor before – they mimic the legendary font. But what is it about this font that makes it so significant?

Helvetica American Apparel Helvetica Helvetica Helvetica You could rent the film yourself and find out, or I could write about it in The Brunswickan and save you from being made fun of by your friends. The choice is yours, but they don't give me a lot of space to rant about this stuff so the latter just might turn out to be a valuable use of your time.

The film was released on DVD in November as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the font. It's a documentary that attempts to cover some of the

radical changes in typography, graphic design, and global visual culture that began to occur sometime after the Second World War. Design up to this point was gaudy and elaborate, or “tired” as some professionals might say, and when Helvetica was introduced in 1957, it revolutionized the industry with its simplistic appearance.

Thankfully, the film focused mostly on real-world examples of Helvetica's impact instead of boring us with mun-

dane details about how it came about, featuring candid interviews with famous designers and typographers across the globe. Some of them were admitted Helvetica fanatics – “it’s neutral and efficient, but the smoothness of the letters makes them seem almost human,” says one interviewee – while others (as the font grew older) were completely against it and tried to do anything they could to create the ultimate “anti-Helvetica” (one particularly adamant anti-fan

A new album, a controversial message Michale Graves, former Misfits frontman, is hitting up Fredericton with a message of protest on April 4

by Andrew Kelly This Friday, the former frontman of “The Misfits” will be unplugged in Fredericton to promote the unfair death sentence given to one of the infamous West Memphis Three, a trio of men who are currently serving what Michale Graves calls “unfair” jail sentences (including a death sentence for Damien Echols) for the alleged murder of three

eight-year-old boys in Arkansas.

Graves was the man responsible for the legendary vocals on Misfit albums like “American Psycho” and “Famous Monsters”. After several years heading the classic group, Graves embarked on a solo career. He still plays shows, he still rocks face paint, he still performs many classic tracks from throughout his career, and he just released a new album called “Illusions!”.

The album isn’t just a typical Misfitsesque album. It showcases a more intimate side of Graves’ music, some acoustic guitar, and as always, his powerfully deep vocals.

The new album also has some contributions from one of the three men who were charged with murder more than 10 years ago. Saving the trio happens to be the main theme of the tour Graves is on right now.

The issue that has had many organizations and musicians standing behind

Internet

Michale Graves collaborated with convicted muderer Damien Echols on Illusions!

the accused is the alleged unwarranted questioning of Jessie Misskelley Jr. without parental or counsel consent. On top of that, Misskelley was mentally handicapped, and the police only recorded 46 minutes of the 12 hours of questioning, leading many to believe he gave a forced confession.

A site dedicated to the West Memphis Three, WM3.org, also states: “Although there was no physical evi-

dence, murder weapon, motive, or connection to the victims, the prosecution pathetically resorted to presenting black hair and clothing, heavy metal t-shirts, and Stephen King novels as proof that the [eight-year-old] boys were sacrificed in a satanic cult ritual.”

With the help of the media, Echols is determined to make his case known and has plenty of help from musicians, organizations, and activists who have been fighting to see a fair trial.

On the new album Illusions!, Graves has worked with Echols to collaborate on lyrics for the album. Graves has also dedicated his current tour to raising awareness about the West Memphis Three and the alleged unfair death sentence handed to Echols.

The concert will be held on Friday, April 4 at the Musicplex Event Center.

Tickets are $10. Joining Graves will be the Rocking Argentos and Holophonic Porno.

linked the font to the current war in Iraq). The documentary also explored the transition from modernism into postmodernism, and how our beloved Helvetica played a key role.

Helvetica (the film, not the font) gains some points from this writer for having a sweet soundtrack featuring bands like The Album Leaf and Battles (a personal favourite), but that probably doesn't surprise you. The interviews, while mostly serious, can get pretty funny: one scene where a graphic designer is critiquing a Helvetica-adorned ad for Coca-Cola has him standing up and shouting, “Drink Coke. Period.”

And I actually really enjoyed the sit-down with David Carson, the (in) famous typographer behind Ray Gun magazine, who offered some interesting views on society as a whole (and, of course, the significance of Helvetica).

Sadly, these were the few memorable moments I had while watching (enduring?) this film, and the rest of it is just kind of floating around in my subconscious somewhere.

Don't get me wrong. The concept

of this documentary is interesting, and while it possesses a great deal of energy (well, about as much as is possible for a film about a font) it loses its shine purely because of its length. Seriously, who wants to watch an 80 minute video about a font? 45 minutes would have been much more appropriate and might have even inspired a more positive review. In all honesty, watching this film made me feel like there were a lot of other things I should have been doing, but I guess when I wasn't sleeping I learned a lot, so I'll give it a six out of 10. The average Wolfville resident (or Acadia student, for that matter) would probably give this film eight out of 10, simply because it provides something for them to do (i.e. after the bars close at 1 am.)

Keep in mind, though, that I'm a biased multimedia student who works with typefaces almost every day, so for the average university student who doesn't attend Acadia, it would probably get a three out of 10. If that doesn't scare you off, then you can probably find it at your local video store.

Monday Night Movie Series

The Savages

April 7, 2008, 8 pm The Savages Director: Tamara Jenkins Cast: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe Run Time: 113 minutes Country: United States Year: 2007 Language: English “The Savages” is a sometimes-funny, sometimes-sad look at family dynamics, but this time around the sense of humor is more wry than riotous.

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman play Wendy and Jon Savage, a pair of siblings on the cusp of middle age. She’s earning money in New York City as a temp as she writes an autobiographical play about their childhood while he lives in Buffalo, teaching college and finishing a book on Bertolt Brecht.

Their estranged father (Philip Bosco) lives across the country, but the Savages reluctantly rush to see him when they learn that he may not be able to take care of himself any longer.

Jon and Wendy bicker over problems old and new as they try to figure out what’s best for a man they barely know. Like Noah Baumbach in “The Squid and the Whale” and “Margot at the Wedding”, writer-director Jenkins knows how to mine family dysfunction for both comedy and drama. Jon and Wendy tear into each other as only people connected by blood can, but their fighting feels entirely genuine, largely thanks to the performances of Linney and Hoffman. Though they’ll get most of the buzz for their roles, character actor Bosco is heartbreaking as their aging father. Though his decline is difficult to watch, the actor’s performance is absolutely mesmerizing

Arts & Entertainment

16 • April 2, 2008 • Issue 25

Bimbos of the world, unite! all options. But, as I pass my mouse over the steak, it pops up: “This will make your Bimbo full, but it will also make her fatter.” I – what? Is this for real? I check with the chocolate bar – same deal.

The vegetables are, essentially, the only food my Bimbo can eat without worrying about gaining 40 lbs in a sitting.

The game is billed as a “virtual fashion game”. According to reports, it really took off in France, and now they’re trying to market it in Britain.

The Bimbos are salacious, titillating hotties with wardrobes of barely-there clothing and all kinds of fun activities on their calendars (think tea parties and, apparently, university).

But it really came under fire when parents began checking out just what their tots were doing on the Internet when they weren’t watching. The

Ashley Bursey / The Brunswickan

Marisa Martin and Will Pacey, the leads of TUNB’s ‘The Rover’, meet onstage for the first time

TUNB: “Not so cut-and-dried” from TUNB page 1 For director Len Falkenstein, directing such a frisky, raunchy soap opera was a challenge he met gladly. Having directed TUNB’s “Travesties” earlier in the semester, this piece, he says, was “the polar opposite.”

“It’s quite a fascinating play and I’ve never done a restoration play before so there was that appeal of doing a play from an era I actually hadn’t directed,” he says, speaking over the sound of clashing metal. “They’re quite fabulous plays from that era. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it’s very plot-driven, so there’s

never a dull moment, but it’s also quite troublesome in certain ways. The play isn’t easily categorized. It is a comedy in the sense that everything ends well and everyone gets married in the end, but they go through some strange territory on the way there. In that way, it’s kind of like Shakespeare’s problem comedies, like ‘Measure for Measure’.

I’m interested in doing works that aren’t so cut-and-dried, where there’s room for directorial interpretation and audience interpretation.”

Marisa Martin and Will Pacey, who play leads Hellena and Willmore, say that mastering the script was the hardest part of bringing The Rover to life.

Despite this, their vivacious characters

and physical humour will help audiences who may not be, as Pacey says, as “learned” as the average old-English scholar.

“The whole play is about love and lovers, and it’s all kind of timeless,” Martin says. “I think they’ll catch on.

It’s all very fun.” “[There’s also a lot of] body humour and the sexuality,” Pacey adds. “It’s actually a really funny play.”

And working with Falkenstein, they say, has been an incredible experience.

“He comes to each practice with such a vision,” Martin says.

The play runs at Memorial Hall from April 2-5 at 8 pm nightly. Tickets are $10 regular and $6 for students.

pills from the game...” one message read. Another hoped to apologize for This website “the media comparison of Miss Bimbo for girls needs and Paris Hilton. We feel that this does a definite a dis-service [sic] to the players whom [sic] send their bimbos to university, tea makeover parties or chess tournaments.”

And lastly, they threw this one in there, “At this time we would also like to remind players that the Miss Bimbo

by Ashley Bursey team assume [sic] no responsibility or liability for any fashion faux pas, hair style disasters or boob jobs incurred in It was a regular day in the office when real life as a result of playing the Miss I discovered Miss Bimbo.

Bimbo game.”

Worldwide media attention, includ...Wow. ing scandalizing stories on Yahoo.ca And I thought the skanky lingerie and CNN, brought this pink-and-fluffy (think garters and stockings for a online game for girls to the forefront a ten-year-old), over-the-top makeup, week ago, offering jaw-dropping tales and “diva dolls” and “bimbo attitude of nine-year-olds frequenting a site that, points” were bad. simply put, seems It all boils down like a bad joke. to one thing: kids “It’s so inspiring that you’re I decided to give are bombarded fostering a sense of negative it a peek for mywith this shit every self-worth and giving self. Logging in, day, from extreme I created my very makeover shows to thousands of prepubescent own Bimbo (think Tiger Beat magazine girls reasons to stick their Neopets or Tamagto anorexic runway otchis) and bought models. There’s no fingers down their throats.” her some clothes way they need to (four-inch stripper feed this ridiculous heels, ass-grazing skirts, and cleavage- game, marketed to 9-16 year olds, is image obsession with websites like Miss baring shirts are pretty standard fare). trashy and derogatory, pinning physical Bimbo. It tears down the advances Next, I was urged to get her beautified beauty as the ultimate, and hailing diet women have made in the past century, – new haircut, pounds of makeup, and pills (yes, you could really buy these in stomping out the footprints we’ve carea healthy UV-filled tan. the game) and a nice rack as the be-all fully created, and leaving us with corsets Checking out my Bimbo, I was told and end-all. and diet pills and tea parties. that I should keep her at 127 lbs, beI guess the negative media attenGood for you, Miss Bimbo. I’m so cause she’s 5’6” and that’s the “most tion surrounding the game worried its glad you’re teaching kids to be proud attractive” height-weight ratio. (Myself, creators, because today, when I surfed to call themselves bimbos, ingénues, standing at 5’6” and weighing nowhere over to check how my Bimbo was doing and divas. It’s so inspiring that you’re near that, took this as a bit of a personal (54% hungry, actually – but isn’t that the fostering a sense of negative self-worth insult – we can’t all be Jessica Alba!) point?) there was an update on the site’s and giving thousands of prepubescent But that’s not the worst of it. My “welcome” screen. girls reasons to stick their fingers down Bimbo-meter is telling me she’s hungry, This, verbatim, is what it said: their throats. Keep it up. so I click on over to the market, where “As a result of this rather surprising And when my thirteen-year-old there are lots of delicious choices. Choc- media attention we have decided to daughter starts asking me for a boob olate, steak and fries, and vegetables are remove the option of purchasing diet job, I’ll know exactly who to thank.

Internet

‘Even resort to meds or plastic surgery. Stop at nothing to become the reigning bimbo!’ encourages a tagline on Miss Bimbo’s main site