Issue 27, Vol 142, The Brunswickan

EVERY rumour you heard about the bruns IS TRUE // SPOOF INSIDE Volume 142 · Issue 27 • April 8, 2009

thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

Exit Interview.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

UNB’s seventeenth President and Vice-Chancellor John McLaughlin will be retiring at the end of August. In his final interview with the Brunswickan, he shares his thoughts on PSE, the provincial budget and a strong UNB. Josh O’Kane The Brunswickan John McLaughlin would rather look forward than back.

UNB’s outgoing president and vice-chancellor – the 17th in the school’s history – has had two particularly tumultuous years dealing with postsecondary education policy, but says he’d rather examine opportunities than dwell on past battles.

“I have zero interest in rehearsing yesterday’s debates,” says McLaughlin, who will be retiring in August after seven years as president. “Let’s think about going forward.”

The Miner/L’Ecuyer report on PSE in Fall 2007 called for the closure of the UNB Saint John campus to create a polytechnic institution, among other sweeping changes. After significant public backlash, a Working Group of university presidents and community college principals was formed to

address PSE in the province instead.

A media leak of the Working Group’s report last June saw the provincial government effectively rush its response, leading to an “Action Plan” for PSE that appeased some members of the community, but did not address many desired changes to student financial aid.

The 2009-10 provincial budget announcement last month saw unforeseen changes in PSE policy, leading to speculation on McLaughlin’s part that the Action Plan might be tabled for the moment as the province adjusts to the world’s harsh economic climate.

Going forward, McLaughlin believes it’s time for the government to engage the public in determining its policy.

“Effectively, the last time around, we were given a report, and we spent two years responding to it,” he says of the Miner/L’Ecuyer report. “That’s not the way to do it.

“We’ve got to build a plan that all New Brunswickers can buy into from the get-go. We need to get back to that table, going forward.”

Students were an integral part of the response last time, says the president, but they should be part of the process from the beginning.

“I think the students took a real leadership role in terms of responding to other peoples’ agenda, but the next time around, they’ve got to play a much stronger role in crafting what we want to do, and what our priorities are,” says McLaughlin.

The New Brunswick native says that students are what have impacted him the most during his time as president.

“There’s going to be more than 10,000 students on our two campuses who’ve graduated on my watch. To see their lives enriched, and to see the difference that they’re going to make in the bigger world, it’s by far the most important thing for me,” he says.

“I hope I made a small difference. I know the university community more generally certainly did.

And they’re our pride. At the end of the day, they’re by far the most important.”

UNB students have increasingly made marks on a national scale, he explains. He cites the UNB

Varsity Reds Men’s Hockey team – 2009 Canadian Interuniversity Sport champions – and the winning Canadian Top Ad Executive team of MBA students Matt Daigle and Elizabeth-Ann McCleave as two recent examples of UNB students achieving national success.

“By almost any metric, UNB has gone so far up the ladder in terms of its profile as a national university,” he says.

The search consultants for McLaughlin’s successor as president echoed this sentiment.

“They said we had one of the strongest pools in Canada for any university in the country. It reflected how attractive UNB is to be part of these days.”

The growing partnership between the Saint John and Fredericton campuses is another point of pride for McLaughlin. The two campuses came together to share UNB’s vision of a nationally comprehensive university, he says.

“The PSE debate was big, complicated and had

SEE McLAUGHLIN PAGE 2

brunswickannews

2 • Apr. 8 ,2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142

Tech fee to help curb spam Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Due to a large number of complaints surrounding inboxes full of spam, UNB Integrated Technology Services (ITS) has made steps to reduce the irritating extraneous emails.

After receiving comments from annoyed students, UNBSU VP Student Services Stephanie Lord put in a request to ITS, asking them to do something about the issue.

“I complained based on the students’ complaints,” says Lord. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone change it.

“I’m sick and tired of e-mails about penis enlargements,” says Lord.

A total of $4,104 was requested to improve the quality of spam filters. That number has been approved in the 200910 student technology fee budget.

Janice El-Bayoumi, Director of the Student Technology Fee, says that there will be an option created to automatically delete UNB tagged spam or have it redirected to other places. This will be enacted by clicking a “simple button.”

“Everybody complains about spam.

It’s an irritant. We try to take student suggestions,” says El-Bayoumi.

The situation seems to be looking up now.

“To me, the key item is that a student suggested the change,” says El-Bayoumi.

“We try to turn their suggestions into something that can meet their needs.”

Senior Technical Analyst Bill Hamilton says that ITS hopes to implement the new filters by September 2009, in time for the coming academic year. Timing, however, cannot be determined until May, since the budget depends on funds that UNB expects to collect in the coming year.

“We’d like to get this implemented over the summer, so students get the benefits from the fee,” says El-Bayoumi.

Once the new filters are put in place, an e-mail will be sent to students explaining how to access the new settings.

There are other changes expected in the new budget as well. One of the changes that Hamilton and El-

Bayoumi are especially excited about is the completion of wireless accessibility across all UNB campuses, including Moncton and Bathurst.

“Students seemed to be saying, ‘We pay the tech fee too, and we don’t seem to be getting anything,’ ” says Hamilton. The 2009-10 tech fee is expected to provide wireless internet to all student areas.

There are other highlights as well.

“Public labs are being pretty much totally renewed through the tech fee,” says Hamilton.

El-Bayoumi says that, if underbudget, the overturn from the tech fee is turned over to the next year, continuing to benefit students.

“Every bit gets put back in,” she says.

McLaughlin leaves the building FROM McLAUGHLIN PAGE 1 a lot of difficult moments,” he says of the public debate in Fall 2007 that was sparked by the Miner/L’Ecuyer report.

“But one of the things I’ve taken away from this is how the community rallied behind the vision. The parts contributed to something bigger.”

While the fight to save UNBSJ was a tough one, the end result was positive for the UNB and New Brunswick communities, says McLaughlin.

“Students were so effective politically, it was very hard for politicians to say ‘we want to do what’s best for our students’ when our students were saying, ‘why don’t you give us a chance?’ ” While students did find a voice in government PSE policy – as evidenced by last month’s provincial budget – the university has found itself in uneasy financial circumstances moving ahead “It used to be that we looked with envy to the rest of Canada” for government financial assistance, says McLaughlin.

“Now, unfortunately, we’re also looking at the other provinces in Atlantic Canada.

We aren’t getting the same level of support that the other Atlantic provinces are.”

Investing in universities, he says, is investing in the future of the province, and he hopes that the provincial government recognizes post-secondary education as an essential human capital investment.

“Virtually every other jurisdiction in Canada, even though they’re all going through a very tough time financially, all found new money to invest in universities, because they all know that this is where the future is … Even in tough financial times, you still have to focus on strategic priorities. And that was not displayed in the provincial budget of New Brunswick.”

McLaughlin believes that the localized perspective of the government in New Brunswick is responsible for the treatment of PSE funding in the province.

Its key shortfall, he says, is “an inability to move beyond the local to build a strategic future for the province.

“We’ve got to be able to do that before we can really layer in why post-secondary is more important.”

In the last six months, he says, the dialogue with the provincial government has been getting better. The appointment of Donald Arsenault and Byron James as the new Minister and Deputy Minister, respectively, of Post-Secondary Education, Training & Labour, has sped up the discussion, says McLaughlin.

“I would say the provincial budget was a bit discouraging, but outside of that, it has been a positive conversation.”

However, he says, “I think the government still has a lot of work to do to create an effective communication and engagement strategy.”

At the end of the day, McLaughlin says he never skipped a beat during his term as president.

“There was a lot of heated stuff, but I can’t remember a day when I didn’t wake up just full of excitement. I’ve absolutely loved it.”

He believes that the team behind him has helped make UNB an incredible university.

“A president is at best a conductor. It’s all about an orchestra,” he says. “And an awful lot of people gave everything to the cause over the last couple of years.

When we talk about how we’re on our way to being the top public university in the country – that is a goal we can realize.”

McLaughlin will be succeeded by Dr. H. E. A. (Eddy) Campbell on Sept. 1, 2009.

brunswickannews

Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142• 3

RCMP internal investigation complete

Internet

STU professor John Mckendy passed away this fall as a result of domestic violence. A recent investigation into the RCMP is slated to help prevent instances of this in the future.

Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

Results have been released of the Fredericton RCMP’s internal investigation surrounding details of the death of STU professor John McKendy.

A member of the RCMP in P.E.I. conducted the administrative review.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner LaFosse requested the review. The review was suggested due to the fact that the RCMP stated that they were unaware of threatening emails sent to the McKendy family by McKendy’s murderer, when police were in fact aware of the emails.

McKendy was killed on Oct. 30, 2008. The body of Nicholas Wade Baker, his murderer, was found in the parking lot of a Moncton motel the next day. Baker was related through marriage to McKendy, and foul play was ruled out

in terms of Baker’s death.

Results of the investigation indicated that there was no “significant contravention of policy and/or procedure in relation to the actions taken by members” involved with the investigations occurring at the time of McKendy’s murder.

“A review of training for police officers to raise awareness of possible cases of domestic violence and clear expectations when asking border officials to be on the lookout for a person of interest are key recommendations put forward,” reads a press release issued by the RCMP on Apr. 2.

The review examined both the timeline of events and the response of the RCMP in regards to the activities of Baker, who was under investigation for motor vehicle theft and credit card fraud. At the time, Baker was thought to be in the U.S. The RCMP requested that the Canada Border Services Agency be aware of the situation. However, it was only discovered that Baker was back in Canada after McKendy’s death in Douglastown.

Thus, the review suggested that

RCMP be aware of the level of accuracy in place when issuing a “lookout.”

“We have reviewed the RCMP and Fredericton Police Force reports into the death of John McKendy. It is our opinion that the reports entailed a thorough account of the events leading up to October 30th and offered useful insight into where and how different courses of action might have been taken by the RCMP and border officials,” said the McKendy family in a statement.

“Ideally, the recommendations contained in the Fredericton Police report will be integrated into police practices in the future.”

“All criminal options were considered and being pursued at the time Mr. McKendy was murdered. Mr. Baker’s flight to the United States, his whereabouts unknown, complicated efforts to deal with both the criminal investigations as well as concerns for his mental state,” the report noted.

Following its completion, the review was given to an officer with the Fredericton Police Force for continued review. A variety of recommendations were made regarding two main issues; a large issue was what the reviewer described in the press release as “the communication breakdown between Canada Border Services and the RCMP regarding Nicholas Baker’s return to Canada on October 29, 2008.”

Also, the investigational focus of the RCMP was “primarily on the theft, fraud, and mental health of Nicholas Baker, and not on the possibility that there were factors which could lead to domestic violence,” according to the report.

“John McKendy was a peace activist, committed to non-violence in all forms.

It is our hope that his tragic death will serve as a catalyst for change in the way police respond to threats of domestic violence,” reads a statement released

by John McKendy’s daughter, Colleen Wakeham, and the mother of his two daughters, Carol Wakeham.

UNB MBAs named Canada’s top ad execs Tony von Richter The Brunswickan

Two UNB students have beaten out 143 other teams from across Canada to be named Canada’s next top ad executives.

Elizabeth-Anne McCleave and Matt Daigle, both students in the MBA program, were given the title last week for their bilingual ad campaign for Volkswagen’s new minivan, the Routan.

In addition to the recognition that goes with the award, both McCleave and Daigle will receive a 2010 Volkswagen Golf and internships with one of Canada’s top marketing firms.

“It’s been quite surreal to be honest,” said McCleave when asked how it felt to win the competition. “We worked so hard, and really gave it all we had, and it paid off. It’s been a great feeling, and we’re just so thankful for all the help we got. We had so much support throughout the entire process. I’m looking forward to seeing what will come out of it – and seeing the car obviously.”

Daigle said that the competition topped their expectations and was a life-

changing experience.

“We both knew that we had a great campaign and the chance to present it in front of an industry panel was a huge opportunity in itself. But the experience went above and beyond our expectations when we were approached by several individuals, many of them CEOs of some of the top ad agencies in Toronto,” said Daigle.

“The cherry on the sundae was definitely winning a couple of cars, it doesn’t happen everyday!”

While the competition is in its third year, this is the first time that it has generated a lot of attention in Atlantic Canada. Daigle and McCleave, along with the other UNB team comprised of BBA students Mitchell Bernard and Laura Noseworthy, received a large amount of media attention and support from the university and community.

“I think I speak for both of us when I say we’ve had nothing but great support all along the way, and a lot of this has to do with coming from a tight-knit province like New Brunswick,” said Daigle.

“Knowing that you’re making a difference for your school and your province is very rewarding in itself. We’re definitely not used to all this attention, and we’re thankful that so many people have taken notice of us and have offered their best wishes.”

UNB alumnus looking for stem cell donor Cameron Mitchell The Brunswickan

Just prior to Christmas 2008, UNB Electrical Engineering Alumnus Robin Rocca was diagnosed with Leukemia.

Rocca graduated from UNB in 2003 and is 28 years old.

“For a few months there I was feeling pretty tired and I was really lacking in energy,” Rocca explained. “I have Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory disease of the gastestoral tract), so I thought that it was a flare up of that.

“Then I was home from work one day, just sitting on the couch with some friends, and I started to have some massive body pains. I thought I was having a heart attack or something. So my girlfriend took me to the emergency room, and six days later I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.”

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of cells, characterized by the rapid proliferation of abnormal cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is most commonly found in people aged 65 and over, making Rocca’s case very rare.

After the diagnosis, Rocca

immediately started chemotherapy to help stave off the cancer. Rocca’s doctors told him that it would be a long and difficult struggle, and that he would have to rest for the next six months.

Thanks to chemotherapy, Rocca’s cancer went into remission, but he still has to undergo treatments to keep the cancer from returning. However, the chances of the cancer returning are high. The only way Rocca can rid his body of the cancer is if he finds a bone marrow match.

“I’m gunning for a transplant because that’s really my fix,” Rocca continues.

“They know from my genetic typing and statistics from previous cases that it will probably come back and be somewhat aggressive. So they’ve put me on kind of an urgent search for a donor.”

Rocca’s family and friends have been tested, but he has yet to find a genetic match. Only 30 per cent of patients who are battling diseases such as leukemia end up finding a matching donor within their families; however, there are other options.

“There is a registry in Canada that is international. They search it and once they find a match I’m next in line for a transplant,” explains Rocca.

Many Canadians like Robin Rocca rely on the Canadian Blood Services’ OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow

Network to identify an unrelated match. As Rocca explains, the process of getting tested as a possible donor and the eventual donation procedure isn’t that difficult.

“OneMatch is a program through the Canadian Blood Services. And they do unrelated donor testing,” he explains. “You can sign up online at onematch.ca, and request to be a donor.

And then what they will do is a swab kit in the mail. You basically swab the inside of your cheek to get a couple of cells and then from there they can get your [genetic] typing and they put you in the registry.”

If a person’s genetic typing matches up with someone who needs a donor, they can volunteer to donate their stem cells. The procedure is easy, and the stem cells are drawn from the blood and not the bone marrow.

“What happens is I basically get infused with your blood,” Rocca continued. “They don’t have to go in and poke your bone marrow, or poke your bone and pull out stuff. They can actually pull it straight from your blood.”

Those interested in learning how to help patients like Robin Rocca can visit www.onematch.ca to learn about eligibility for the program and register online.

want to be managing editor of the bruns? contact editor@thebruns.ca for details.

brunswickannews

4 • Apr. 8 ,2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142

Residence life Sick prospective immigrants barred from Canada: study wrap-up Hilary Paige Smith The Brunswickan

The academic year is coming to a close and campus will not be its typical hub of activity for the next four months.

It has been a good and quiet year for Residence Life, according to James Brown, Executive Director of Residence Life and Conference Services.

Brown begins his year-end review of Residence Life on a positive note by highlighting the charity work contributed by houses this year. Neill House, for example, has raised close to $9,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society throughout the academic year.

He also mentions that this has been a relatively mild year for UNB residences as far as disciplinary issues go. A more formal process was introduced this year for appealing disciplinary issues to the Board of Dons and Brown says that the Board has only heard two appeals in the past year.

Residence Life’s financial situation also echoes that of previous years.

They operate on a deficit budget, meaning that monetary output is typically one million dollars more than what is taken in per year in revenue.

“That’s our approved budget, which reflects that the university is going to subsidize us to that extent. We stayed within our budget parameters this year,” says Brown.

Roughly $800,000 was spent by Residence Life this year on capital renewal or the maintenance of buildings.

This encompasses everything from elevator upgrades to roof replacements, says the Executive Director. This also met the budget requirements.

“That’s what we budget and it’s close to the total amount we should be spending,” says Brown with a laugh.

“We do have a deferred maintenance backlog that we are working away at.”

Occupancy in residences this year has also been similar to that of recent years.

The new suite-style residence almost at 95 per cent occupancy, according to

Brown, as were the McGee apartments.

Res Life budgets for this level of occupancy.

“Traditional undergraduate residences” were at over 90 per cent occupancy of the space offered to residents. A floor in McLeod House and a hall in Joy Kidd House were closed this year. In terms of total occupancy, 85 per cent of space is filled, says Brown.

Residence Life tracks what Brown thinks of as “capture rates.” These are based on the percentage of undergraduates on campus who are living in a typical university residence.

Brown says that the number has increased from 16 per cent to 18 per cent since 2005.

No major changes are expected for Residence Life next year, says the Executive Director. Some dons are graduating, but applicants are being interviewed to replace them.

Despite the recent revelation of UNB’s financial woes in President McLaughlin’s Presidential Report on the provincial budget, Residence Life’s budget for next year has been approved thus far and will resemble that of previous years.

Brown says that no plans have been made to close any more residences or to close floors of buildings. Decisions of this nature, however, are not made until after residence applications have been submitted in May. “It’s very early days to judge, but we’re planning on the same number of students choosing to live in traditional undergrad residence as they did this year and all of the indications are that that number will be the same or better,” says Brown.

He also dispels rumours that immediate plans have been made to move Renaissance College from Maggie Jean Chestnut House on Charlotte Street to the Lady Beaverbrook Residence.

“Honestly, that’s been a discussion that’s been going on in the background for a year. It hasn’t moved forward,” says Brown. “I can tell you for sure that I haven’t been asked to surrender the building.”

Applications for students returning to residence must be submitted to the front desk in the Residence Administration building by Apr. 15.

Chelsea Howard The Muse (MUN)

ST. JOHN’S (CUP) – Peter Coyte, professor of health and economics at the University of Toronto, has found that immigrants are being denied entry into Canada based on their medical burden.

Canada’s Immigration Act outlines three major reasons why a person would be deemed medically inadmissible to the country.

Coyte’s research deals with the reason that the immigrant might cause excessive demands on health and social services.

Immigration Canada’s definition of excessive demand is $4,867.40 per year.

If an immigrant could potentially incur more than this amount, he or she won’t be permitted to enter the country.

The study was designed to address whether or not Immigration Canada’s current cost threshold is reasonable, and if it isn’t, what would be a more appropriate threshold.

“We want to look at factors that would yield a HIV-positive immigrant admissible if a new threshold was invoked,” said Coyte.

Coyte, a chair in health services research, focuses primarily on research, education, linkage, and exchange activities within Canada’s healthcare community.

This particular project has been ongoing over the past year, and is in the final stages of research.

Coyte, and Kednapa Thavorn from U

of T’s Department of Health Policy, have been working toward finalizing research that assesses Canadian immigration decisions that deal with immigrants who are suffering from health conditions.

Based upon these consultations, Coyte and the other researchers involved constructed a statistical test to measure the amount of cost before a prospective immigrant’s healthcare burden is deemed to be excessive, or statistically different from that of Canadians.

The study shows that the current cost threshold is too low.

Coyte says it should be almost three times higher, at around $15,000.

This conclusion was reached based upon the distribution factor involved in health-care costs.

Research has shown that while average health-care costs are known, neither the variance nor the cost distribution is known with any certainty.

Councillors drop like flies, lose quorum at final meeting Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan

The last UNBSU council meeting of the year kicked off without having met quorum. As a result, the meeting was not officially called to order until approximately 5:45 p.m.

After enough members were present, the agenda was juggled so that items requiring quorum could be dealt with. Half an hour later, quorum was lost again as councillors

left to meet other engagements.

A highlight of the meeting was the report of Eco-commissioner Jens Ourom. He discussed plans to implement a bike-share program, in which students would pay a 15 per cent deposit at the beginning of the year to cover maintenance, and then be permitted to borrow a bike for a 3-5 day period.

As of right now, there is a verbal agreement with Campus Recreation regarding the plan. In this proposal, the UNBSU Eco-Committee allocates $2,200 (±15 per cent) towards the bike-share program.

This was voted in unamimously.

The Eco-committee would donate 10 Canadian-made bikes, UNB Sustainability would donate 20, and

campus recreation another 10.

Ourom also said that $600-800 would be donated for a bike shelter.

In order to borrow a bike, students will have to be prepared to put a $200 deposit on the table. Deposits will only be taken if bikes are damaged.

The Eco-commissioner said that this will be a good way for students to reduce emissions, as the option of a bicycle will reduce the use of taxis.

It is also in the works to reserve a small number of bicycles for students who wish to use them for quick trips.

UNB VP Finance Dan Murray and VP Academic Anthony Secco also attended the meeting to give a presentation on provincial finances and UNB’s operating budget for the coming year.

brunswickanopinion

Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142 • 5

editor@thebruns.ca

the brunswickan

DONEWICKAN BANQUET

Editorial Board

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

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

The 2008-09 Brunswickan staff pose at the Brunswickan Alumni Awards last Saturday night. From left to right: Mitchell Bernard, Alex Wickwire, Colin McPhail, Josh Fleck, Sandy Chase, Dave Evans, Josh O’Kane, Tony von Richter, Christian Hapgood, Bill Traer, Dan Hagerman, Doug Estey, Sarah Ratchford, Andrew Meade & Hilary Paige Smith.

I’m outta here out with the old Josh O’Kane

You take what you can from life’s experiences. I walked into university fully intending to go to medical school after a chemistry degree. When I couldn’t get on the UNB Saint John Student Council, though, a friend told me to write for the campus paper.

Turns out that pop culture commentary was a lot more interesting than chemistry.

My interest in writing snowballed, and by 2008 I had somehow become editorin-chief of the Brunswickan – a position I somehow wanted to be in.

I walked into this job with a head full of ideas and a series of lofty ambitions. The Brunswickan had gone through a series of ups and downs since I first got involved in 2005, and I wanted to cram the best parts of each year into this one to make it amazing. Was it amazing? Well, it could have been better, but I’m damn proud of what this paper has accomplished this year.

Sean Patrick Sullivan, a former Brunswickan Editor-in-Chief, wrote in his final editorial in 2004 that running a newspaper is akin to treading water – you can do all you want to move forward, but you spend most of your time trying to keep afloat. If you stop for a second, you start to sink and you bring your staff with you.

Sean was definitely right – you can do all you want to fight against that metaphor, but it’ll always come back to get you.

We forged ahead as much as we could this year, though. I’ve had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of editors and staff, and I wouldn’t trade any of them for anyone else. The amazing cohesion I’ve seen this year has not only made the Brunswickan a better newspaper for students, it’s also been an amazing place to work that I look forward to each and every day.

We went forward with a massive redesign this year to rebrand the Bruns as a modern, more accessible product. The redesign went even further as our budget slowly deflated because of declining national ad revenues – making the Brunswickan, one of the last remaining

broadsheet student papers in Canada, finally switch to tabloid format.

News coverage this year has been the most interesting of my five years in the student press. Canada had an impromptu election that saw Fredericton go Conservative for the first time in 15 years. A 21-year-old student was elected to represent Fredericton’s most studentpopulated ward on city council. Our chief competitor, the Aquinian, suffered major financial setbacks, leading us to cover their story with the help of the Canadian University Press.

We started regularly covering UNBSU council meetings, leading to better coverage and, hopefully, more accountability – though some members of the Fredericton’s far left community would disagree. The SU general election itself was more active and engaging than it has been in years. Despite the fact that I stepped back from any and all election coverage, I was slandered numerous times in the process for my connection to President-elect Jon O’Kane, my awesome brother who won a great election fair and square. (Editor’s note: Despite allegations, the previous sentence is the first and last in which I have used the Brunswickan to comment on the UNBSU election to any degree.)

Our opinion section was also rebranded this year, with more student commentary than we’ve ever had since I joined the Brunswickan. We brought in regular columnists and looked at issues both local and abroad, instead of filling opinion pages at the last minute on production nights. Students truly began to embrace it as a forum for dialogue at UNB – which is exactly what it should be.

I’ve taken what I can from my opportunities at the Brunswickan, and I hope you have too. This year has been a great one.

Sean Patrick Sullivan went on to become president of the Canadian University Press. It’s with a great deal of pride that I am leaving my desk at the Bruns for another office Sean once occupied: in August, I’ll be heading to Toronto as National Bureau Chief with CUP. The Brunswickan is a founding member of CUP, which makes me even prouder to continue our paper’s involvement with the organization.

I’ve embraced as many opportunities as I can here at UNB. I hope you have too.

Josh O’Kane is outgoing Editor-in-Chief of the Brunswickan. He can be reached at editor@thebruns.ca – for a little while longer, anyway.

Nice to meet you, UNB in with the new Sarah Ratchford

Good morning.

In my introductory article for the Bruns this year, I tried to stress to students how important it is to embrace life as much as possible, to always take risks. You never know how things will work out unless you try – I firmly believe in this outlook.

Throughout my year as News Editor, I learned my own lesson: the people who say that students are apathetic party animals who don’t know anything about life are sadly mistaken.

I have met some absolutely amazing people during my first year at the Bruns: people who selflessly volunteer their time for others, people who are strongly committed to social causes, people who create incredible inventions, people who are powerful environmentalists and activists. The best part is that all of these highly engaged and fascinating people are students – you guys.

At the risk of sounding completely Pollyanna, which I’m sure I already do, I want you to know that I really love UNB, and that I really look forward to acting as your Editor-In-Chief for the 2009-10 academic year.

Remember that the Bruns belongs to all students, and anyone can use it as a vehicle to express their passions and get their voice out there. Everyone has a passion, so why not share it with the rest of UNB through writing?

In terms of next year’s Brunswickan, I have a lot of plans already. My main goal is to include as wide a variety of opinions and outlooks as possible. UNB is a mosaic of amazing people from across the world, and I’m very proud to be part of our campus environment. I want black, white, brown, yellow, pink, purple and blue people writing. I want gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, trans and asexual people writing. I want angry, happy, sad, perturbed people. I want perspectives. I’m greedy when it comes to other people’s opinions. I eat them up like Popsicles on a hot day – so feed me.

Whether you decide to write or not next year (some people are shy, I know), you can rest assured that you will have an awesome campus paper with as broad a scope as possible. This will not be due to me, but to student writers and our epic incoming editorial board. Each editor at the Bruns next year really fits into the niche of their job, and together I think we will be able to create something fabulous.

The gist of what I’m trying to say is that I am completely open to whatever people want to say. Freedom of speech is key, and the Brunswickan is your forum to exercise that. As of May 1, I can be reached at editor@thebruns.ca with any concerns, comments or ideas.

I look forward to hearing from you and meeting more of you.

2009-10 Brunswickan Editorial Board: Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Ratchford News Editor: Lee Johnstone Arts Editor: Doug Estey Sports Editor: Colin McPhail Photo Editor: Andrew ‘Mandré’ Meade Production Editor: Christian Hapgood Copy Editor: Nick Howard Online Editor: Alison Clack Want to be our managing editor next year? Contact editor@thebruns.ca.

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

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

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

We are an autonomous student newspaper owned and operated

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STUDENT UNION UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK

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

Moving out?

Before your furniture is thrown away, put it to a good cause! Donate your used goods at the following dates! Pick up can be arranged by the UNBSU!

Good

ATTENTION

GRADS! Donations for this year’s grad class project, the Quad Meeting Area, are now being accepted.

A $20 donation will assure that your name appears on the plaque that will be located in the SUB. Any other donation amounts will also be greatly appreciated!

Not so good Move-Out Madness The UNB/STU SU Year-End Yard Sale

In support of STU/UNB Meal Exchange and the New Brunswick Community Living Association

EA

D

UNB SUB Quad (weather permitting) UNB SUB (weather not permitting) Free local food barbeque!

09

Wednesday April 29th, 11-4pm

DL IN E

: DO

NAT IONS W ILL BE ACCEPTED

IL PR IL A T N U

,‘ 24

Visit the grad class website at www.unb.ca/grads to find out how you can make a donation

“WE PUT STUDENTS FIRST.”

UNB Fredericton is a proud member of the New Brunswick Student Alliance, representing over 16,500 students across the province. As the province transforms the development of post-secondary education, the Alliance advocates for an affordable and accessible system of high quality for every qualified student.

Visit www.nbsa-aenb.ca or contact external@unb.ca to learn more!

Do you have what it takes to rock a red shirt in style?

Are you fun, outgoin g and have leadership qua lities?

We want YOU to be a REDSHIRT!!!

RedShirts are one of the lar gest, most active student groups on campus and we are currentl y looking for volunteers for Orientation 2009.

REDSHIRTS ROCK! If you’re interested in becoming a Redshirt contact Julie at suorientation@unb.ca for more information.

brunswickanopinion

letters to the editor.

Joy Kidd students speak out about Don removal It is currently 6:33PM on April the 6th 2009. Less than 24 hours ago, myself, as well as two other residents of Joy Kidd decided to start a petition requesting the reinstatement of our Don, Carl Burgess.

Since 9:00 last night, we have gathered 141 signatures out of a possible 180.

Since the removal of Carl, this is the first time that the residents have had the opportunity to express our views and feelings surrounding the removal of Carl Burgess. It is now a little over two weeks since he’s left us, and the atmosphere within the walls of Joy Kidd has diminished.

We were instructed by the administration of Res Life to “stay out of it”, and to “focus on our work”. We’ve been told time and time again by the persons motioning for the investigation that they have just cause, and that Carl is guilty of the charges, even before the process has been resolved. We’ve had one side of the story force-fed down our throats, and whenever we question the validity of their claims, we are told to shut up and stay out of it.

We have been taught all year to act like adults. From what we can tell, we have done so. Could Res Life have instead chosen to mediate the situation, where the outcome is one of understanding and rehabilitation, rather than this lopsided, win-lose scenario?

The one man who turned this place around is now gone, and for what? The actions of few have impacted Carl’s life, and that of the residents of Joy Kidd.

Couldn’t they have thought about that prior to acting on their own accord?

David Allison and Kevin Burke

New Student Union should work on food options on campus Dear Editor:

Since the beginning of my university days, I have never seen an election that has attracted more attention than the current Student Executive. The Student Union also had a wonderful turnout on the Bus Pass Referendum; it was a fantastic event that demonstrated how much the Student Union cares.

Despite this positive initiative, there are a few suggestions that I have and would like to see changed before I graduate; these issues have been a problem since I have came to UNB. I am currently a third year kinesiology student. I have had the opportunity to evaluate McConnell Hall with regards to my Health Promotion course; such an experience was a good push in the right directions on finding ways to improve the system. I am not writing simply to say Sodexo is not doing a good job, but I believe there are several ways it can improve so everyone can come and eat there and receive healthier choices.

I was able to discuss with some of the cooks; I was happy that they were very open and willing to talk with me. I discovered that special diets – vegetarian, vegan or an allergy – would mean a student would have to speak with a dietician in order to get a diet plan made for them. While this is a smart idea, other students and community people that eat there occasionally are not covered for their special diets; this includes me. I eat at McConnell Hall occasionally and I am a vegan; my options there are very limited.

During the Student Union general election campaigns, I noticed – for the

first time – that one of the candidates was advocating improved, healthier and more affordable food. The candidate believed that properly nourishing student bodies plays an important part in academic success and that students need a wider selection of healthier choices in regards to food at UNB. This was first time that someone was promoting this issue in their campaign and I thought it was a smart idea.

I hope that the student council next year finds someone to help with this idea while getting some representation on the Wellness Community; the vision of the Wellness Community is “to foster an environment where personal growth, healthy choices, and positive community values are encouraged.”

The campus Wellness Program empowers the UNB community to incorporate healthful practices into their daily lives. All that is needed now is to have more access to healthy choices on campus; I know when I am hungry while at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym there are only chips and cookies. It would be nice to see fruits and vegetables as a food choice while also offering them cheaper than French Fries purchased at The Grill in the Student Union Building.

Sincerely, Kristina O’Brien

Beware of online student housing scam Dear Editor: I was almost a victim of a scam for people looking to sublet their house, room, or apartment.

I recently put my room up on Fredericton Student Housing to sublet it for the summer while I am not here. I got a response from someone outside the country who claimed they were going to be on sabbatical for May-August in this area and was interested in my house. After exchanging many e-mails, we decided on a price and payment plan.

She said the company she worked for would pay for it and I should expect a check in the mail. I was instructed that when the check arrived, I was to take out first and last months rent, and transfer the remaining funds through Western Union to her travel agent.

When the check came in the mail, I did just that. When I got to my bank they told me the check was fraudulent.

The manager called the bank on the check and they also confirmed that it was fraudulent. The check was $3800.

If I had cashed it and made the transfer, it would have been my responsibility to come up with that amount of money to pay back.

I went to the police and filed a report, like the bank manager had suggested. I was told that this happens often but not much can be done because it is outside the country. I thought that since many students, like myself, are looking to sublet their place, they should be weary of people they can’t meet face to face.

I was told by the person who was interested in my room that she got my ad off the UNB student housing website.

I am assuming that I am not the only student being targeted, so students should beware of this scam so that they do not come up short-handed.

I was convinced that this person was reputable. We exchanged dozens of e-mails. Thankfully, the bank was aware of this scam and informed me right away.

Thank you for your time, Kayla Lam

Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142 • 7

The last of my loose change Jacques Landry Submitted to The Brunswickan

Well guys, my pockets are getting empty.

The year is coming to an end so here is the last bit of loose change I have.

The first quarter is an easy one: the V-Reds have won another national championship! After a wicked season, they topped it off with the biggest prize out there. To those of you not coming back next year, thanks for the two national titles. You made us all proud. Good luck with the rest of your career.

Coach Gardiner MacDougall, good job once again in leading the team all the way to a CIS championship. Your contribution to the V-Reds hockey program has been greatly felt since day one. Also, coach, I heard that the Habs are looking for a new head coach.

Please send a resumé and bring back the Stanley cup where it truly belongs!

A prominent UNB alumni is going to get a dime. Lyle Skinner, your time at UNB was mostly spent in board rooms or in council meeting sessions. The people who truly knew you cherish the fond memories of your three-piece suits and eloquent speeches.

But why is he getting a dime? Well, Lyle recently ran as an independent for the position of VP External of the Graduate Student Association at

Carleton University, as well as for a Senator seat. Lyle, you ran an exemplary campaign.

Unfortunately, Skinner did not win his bid. But he was successful in being involved and putting issues that mattered to him on the table. It is why he remains an example for all of us.

Now during his campaign, Skinner obviously had to deal with a bit of adversity. This happens in every election.

In fact, it is necessary for the constituents to make an informed decision. However most of the adversity came from a UNB student. And because of that, Mr. Alex Corey, you get an old penny that has seen better days. Mr. Corey brought up the fact that Lyle was the former President of the UNB/STU Young Conservatives Club. While that is relevant, Mr. Corey also pointed out the fact that Skinner is a Free Mason. I don’t get it – why does this matter?

Furthermore, Mr. Corey suggested that Skinner was part of a Conservative conspiracy to take over student associations across the country. That does not make any sense – it’s like wiping before you poop! (Editor’s note: The previous sentence was deliberately not removed during the editing process by request of the author.)

Lyle Skinner was running as an independent against a very leftist slate. It would seem that it is not uncommon for a member of a very left slate to engage in politics at another school. The Carleton University independent paper The Charlatan has reported that that the Carleton University Student Association President, Brittany Smyth, was seen

at the York University Keele campus campaigning some 400 km away from her office for yet another far-left slate, this one known as “Students First.”

Therefore we are faced with this: on one hand an unproven conspiracy and on another an established trend. Now I would say that it is highly idiosyncratic that Mr. Corey had time to extrapolate grand accusations on Skinner’s electoral Facebook group, while he and the rest of the United for Change slate were unable to commit the requisite time to monitor Facebook and do justice to the discussions brought forward by UNB students. (Brunswickan, February 17).

Enough with the dirty change, time to give out my vintage double-struck silver half dollar. Josh O’Kane, no one deserves it more than you. During your tenure as editor-in-chief of the Bruns you faced a lot of criticism for having the same parents as Jon O’Kane. Your upheld a high level of integrity during your tenure even though unfounded doubts about your neutrality surfaced.

I wish you luck as the National Bureau Chief with the Canadian University Press. I guess you did something right in order to land that job.

Instead of getting a coffee, I will give my toonie to the outgoing SU council Business Rep, Chris Gunter. Councillor Gunter recently received the highly coveted “I almost dress as sharp as Jacques Landry” award at last weekend’s Student Union banquet. While it is true that I look ridiculously awesome in a suit, I am sure that one day, Chris, you will dress as sharp as I do. But not yet...

Not yet.

brunswickanopinion

8 • Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 Volume 142

Faith in empirical evidence versus faith itself Learning to embrace change Ash Furrow Submitted to the Brunswickan

I was reading last week’s issue of the Brunswickan when I found an interesting article concerning the fact that Federal Science Minister Gary Goodyear doesn’t believe in evolution.

Well, the article was actually about how unfair it was to criticize someone based on his or her religious beliefs.

The author proposed that we need diverse thinking and questioning of theories that represent the status quo. She went so far as to draw a rather specious comparison between Minister Goodyear and Dr. Ernest Rutherford. I decided to, in the interests of fairness, present an opposing article. While I will address the fallacious comparison of a great scientist to a mediocre Science and Technology Minister, what I really want to do talk about the elephant in the room, the ominous “Science vs.

Religion” face-off.

What the article failed to mention was that Minister Goodyear had been asked about his belief in evolution, not his belief in religion. If the interviewer of the Globe and Mail piece that sparked this controversy had asked the Minister about his belief in God, creationism, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, he would have been quite right to refuse to answer the question.

However, the Minister was asked about evolution (a matter of science, and not a matter of faith). It would be as if, when asked if he believed in the fact that the Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical pattern, he responded that he was Christian and didn’t see how that fit into the interview.

Author of last week’s article, Danielle Webb, made the comparison of Gary Goodyear to the wellknown scientist Ernest Rutherford.

See, Rutherford didn’t buy into this “atoms are the smallest particles, period” stuff that was floating around the scientific dinner table of the time, so he decided to investigate and discovered the subatomic particles.

Having changed the course of human history forever, this makes him an admirable man.

The comparison falls apart almost immediately. Rutherford didn’t just believe without evidence that there existed smaller-than-atom particles; he had empirical evidence that pointed him in that direction, so he followed it. Science is testing theories through the gathering and analysis of empirical evidence; faith is believing in something with no (or contradicting) evidence.

Furthermore, had his experiments proven him wrong, Rutherford would have accepted the outcome. This strikes to the heart of the “Science vs.

Religion” debate; Science is what we observe to be true and Faith is what we believe without proof.

Scientists who don’t support faith are often labeled as Atheists, as though that is a bad thing. This got me thinking and investigating (OK, on Wikipedia, but you do it, too) about discrimination against Atheism. The aptly named article had some interesting information.

Perhaps Goodyear invoked religion in the face of a scientific question not, perhaps, because he is a deeply religious man, but rather because he was afraid of loosing public support.

Imagine what might happen to him in the next election if someone thought he was an Atheist.

About half of people in the US would not vote for a qualified Atheist presidential candidate. That figure was the highest among the groups queried about. Almost half of people questioned in 2006 claimed that they

would not want their child to marry an Atheist. It’s incredible to me that in this modern age, we’re still freely prejudging a group of people based on their minority opinion.

Some people say that Atheists are immoral and corrupt. I don’t think so at all. As a Secular Humanist myself, I believe that people do not need a higher power to derive morals from. Most Christians don’t really get their morals from the Bible, or else technically, no one would wear more than one type of fabric at a time and pi might be equal to three (Chronicles II 4:2-5). Rather, people have their own morals and find support for them in their religious book of choice.

Atheists are not so different than those of faith. We choose to believe in what we can empirically measure and observe, while others choose to believe in something they cannot. Is one or the other better? Well, that’s a personal question, but I don’t believe that someone’s belief should prevent he or she from holding office unless there is a direct conflict of interests; you wouldn’t want an Atheist representing religion, and I don’t want someone who doesn’t believe in scientific theories representing Science.

Both my Atheist and Evangelical friends agree that you don’t have to share beliefs to get along. I really don’t have a problem if Goodyear chooses to believe in something unscientific, but he needs to reconcile his faith with science in order to properly do his job as Science and Technology Minister.

Ash Furrow is the CS councillor-elect of the UNB Student Union.

Mugwump Tony von Richter

It has certainly been an interesting year, both here at UNB and abroad, and if you had to pick one common theme for the past 12 months it would have to be change.

Of course everyone remembers Barack Obama capturing the hearts and minds of millions across the world with his “Change you can Believe In” mantra leading him to the White House; however, we don’t have to look that far to find change as change was the main topic of discussion during February’s Student Union election.

Whether you liked their policies and tactics or not, the United for Change slate got people talking about student politics like never before, and while it didn’t lead to a huge spike in voter turnout, hopefully it results in a more engaged and educated voting population for the next few years.

It’s not only the political world that’s different. Even I’ve changed, as for the first time since high school, I’ve actually made education my priority. Whereas in the past you could typically find me in the Bruns office at any hour, nowadays I’m usually at the same table in the SUB, studying for one class or working on one assignment for another. Of course, that’s mostly due to the influence of one particular person and, even though they’re probably not reading this, I just wanted to say thanks, since I don’t say it enough in person.

It’s funny to think that I used to have a near pathological fear of any kind of major change. While I knew that everything would work out and that we can pretty much adjust to everything, I used to dread any large impending changes in my life. Sure, I still don’t like change, but I think this year has finally convinced me that change can be a good thing.

Hopefully UNB continues to change, but only for the better.

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

Editor’s note: Tony, thanks for everything.

You’ve given your all to this paper for six years, and there’s no question how much we’ve appreciated all that you’ve done. Your contributions have never g o n e u n n o t i ce d. B e s t wishes in the future, and enjoy finally having free time. You deserve it.

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142 •9

Fredericton’s biggest rock festival yet

Submitted

FredRock, the latest concert effort by BabZee’s Entertainment, is a huge outdoor rock ‘n roll festival that begins June 19 and ends on the 21.

Doug Estey The Brunswickan

BabZee’s, an entertainment group which he co-founded with Mike Babineau and has been working hard on for the past four years, has plans to host quite possibly the largest outdoor rock festival Fredericton has ever seen this coming June.

Many of the bands featured in the line-up have already been announced,

including headlining rock outfits Live and The Black Crowes as well as supporting acts that include Matt Mays and El Torpedo, The Respectables, Ross Neilsen and 2008 King of the Stage winner She Roars!.

“Fredericton already has some great festivals going for it,” admits Zildjan. “Harvest Jazz and Blues, the country showcase, and so on. But we’re all huge rock fans, so we wanted something that would cater to that demographic as well.”

Zildjan explains that he and Babineau met up with Matt Harris from Symphony of Sound after having witnessed a number of large rock festivals themselves, and realizing that what they really wanted was to bring

something big back to Fredericton that would engage the wide demographic in the city.

And they don’t plan on disappointing anyone.

Wary of the differences between how a band sounds in concert versus on a recording, Babineau and Zildjan did their homework to ensure they wouldn’t be bringing out a Milli Vanilli.

“We spent hours and hours researching bands’ actual live performances. It’s simple enough to get a band onboard that will draw out a lot of people, but there are so many bands out there that exhibit a crappy live performance.”

To coordinate the event, BabZee’s is

encouraging students to get involved with FredRock by volunteering for it.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to get out there and see how something like this is run while supporting its presence here in Fredericton. And hey, it’s a way to check out the show for free, too The festival will run the entire weekend of June 19-21, kicking off on the Friday night with an indoor nightclub event featuring high-end DJ talent and an accompanying lightshow at the Capital Exhibit Centre. Saturday and Sunday’s lineups will be playing outdoors in the middle of the racetrack on the exhibition grounds. Friday night’s kickoff will be 19+ while the last two days of the

festival are wet/dry.

Zildjan says that if all goes well this year, FredRock could become an annual event.

“Right now we’re just concentrating on this year. So far, everything’s been going extremely well and the community support has been unbelievable. We’ve yet to see what the turnout will be like, so it really depends on things like that.”

Two- and three-day passes for FredRock are already available at Read’s Newsstand, Tony’s Music Box, the Capital Exhibition Centre and CDPlus. Students can access more information about the festival by checking out www.fredrockfestival. com.

this week in brunswickanarts Independent country with a twist With their sophomore album Mountain Meadows scaling the charts both in Canada and the U.S., longawaited and much-praised Elliott Brood will be hitting the Capital bar on Apr. 23. Mountain Meadows tells the difficult story of the 1857 Utah massacre. Tickets are $12 and doors open at 9 p.m.

Submitted

Hey Ocean! hits Fredericton on Apr. 16 at the Capital.

Hey Capital!

Energetic and fun-loving Hey Ocean! – all the way from Vancouver – will appear at The Capital on Apr. 16 in support of their September release, It’s Easier To Be Somebody Else. Hot off the heels of SXSW and Junofest, the band has just released a music video for their single “Song About California” on YouTube.

Gallery opening at the NBCCD Liminal Spaces, a solo photography exhibit by Greg Klassen, PhD, will begin on Apr. 17 at the Gallery of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. The reception starts at 4:30 p.m. that day, followed by an artist talk at 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

brunswickanarts

10 • Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142

Zombies and beer

Hey Rosetta! to hit Fredericton again

Internet

Hard Rock Zombies is ridiculous, and even more ridiculous if you’re hammered.

Stephanie Allen & Brian Savoie The Brunswickan

Your movie reviewers have very different views on zombies, dear readers. While Brian thinks that zombies are pretty rad indeed, Steph is absolutely terrified of them. Your brave reviewers split two-thirds of a pint of gin within five minutes of starting the movie in order to neutralize that difference.

Hard Rock Zombies Synopsis: A group of eighties rockers who like to date minors are murdered randomly by a promiscuous lady, some evil dwarves, a werewolf and some other things that really don’t make sense. They have to come back to life to defeat Hitler and his gang of zombies, who kind of randomly show up.

Allow us to elaborate. The “promiscuous lady” likes to seduce men and then kill them in wet environments (a small body of water or a shower, for instance).

Your reviewers wonder: when somebody’s head is pushed underwater and they subsequently drown, should there be a lot of blood? Because there was a lot of blood.

For some reason that escapes us, the eighties rockers are thrown in a weird jail cell by some cop wearing an American

Apparel v-neck. This may or may not be rocker discrimination. A really pretty, albeit twelve-year-old girl goes to visit the rocker with long, beautiful hair. He sings her the lyrics to one of the band’s songs: “I’m so in love, but you’re so young.” We would like to know who wrote the screenplay for this.

There are a lot of interesting camera angles and a satisfactory amount of nudity. There is even a sex scene featuring an upper-middle-aged couple!

Wow! There are also lots of scenes where the rockers rock out, and a lot of random chicks scream in adoration.

One thing about this flick is that it really sets the stereotype for rockers as being entirely unintelligent life forms.

As one exchange of dialogue depicts: “I got it from a book!” “A who?!” Haha, your reviewers are in stitches.

So finally, the entire band is dead.

Woo. Hitler and the zombies are now free to roam! This particular scene reminds us of the Thriller music video.

Hitler is quite obviously super stoked and your reviewers feel uncomfortable and extremely offended. What a movie.

Your reviewers become a bit more drunk and can’t remember how the movie ends. In any case, it is really funny and not scary at all. If you are a little wimp when it comes to zombie movies and simply feel like being offended, this is the movie for you. Even sober Colin McPhail is laughing his ass off, so you need not be drunk to enjoy.

Submitted

Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker talks to the Bruns about songwriting and life on tour. He says the band enjoys playing shows at intimate venues like the Capital Bar, where they will be playing Apr. 28.

Alison Clack The Brunswickan Hey Rosetta! is one hardworking band.

Even though the band is currently in the midst of touring, vocalist Tim Baker still finds the time to sit down and write songs in his downtime. However, not all of these songs are meant for an album.

“I’ve been thinking about Neil Young a bunch and I read a few pages [of his biography] and it made me pick up a guitar and play a Neil Young-ish kind of tune,” says Baker about a song he just wrote.

Don’t feel bad if you don’t hear the song at their upcoming show at the Capital on Apr. 28, though; the band is sure to put on a great show anyway.

The band is known for their impressive live show. Even though they perform incredibly often, Baker says they still get excited for their music every night.

“Even though we do it a lot and some nights some crowds are thin or not very enthusiastic, it’s definitely the best part of the day. Usually we just travel or sleep – or try to sleep – it’s pretty low-key generally. It’s a nice release when you’ve been driving all day or doing whatever.

To be on stage and feel that energy, it’s wicked,” says Baker.

But Baker says the band can’t take all of the credit for their energy. Baker says a lot of what they give is reciprocated from the crowd.

“We [recently] played in Calgary – we finished our set and they were yelling for more. I looked out and there was this guy in the third row who had lyrics of one of our tunes tattooed on his forearm,” says Baker.

Baker says he was really inspired by the gesture.

“I was blown away that my words were written as a tattoo – and he had another one too! I was just like, fuck, this is incredible. We did another song and I didn’t feel tired or anything. It just gives you some juice.”

Particularly, Baker says he really enjoys shows at bars and smaller venues that really let you interact with the crowd.

“It’s the way they feel, the whole set up,” says Baker about small venues.

It’s for this reason that Baker says he’s excited to play in Fredericton again.

“I look forward to the Capital show.

I know the past few times over this year [our] Capital shows have been pretty much sold out. It’s definitely a smaller spot and it’s hard to hear on stage but it’s just a great vibe. Everybody is crowded in and sweaty.”

All in all, Baker doesn’t really care as long as he gets to play.

“I really love playing all shows.”

Surprisingly, Baker says he’s at times intimidated by the crowds at shows.

Some of the lyrics he writes are very “extremely intimate and true,” which he says used to make it difficult to perform.

“You have to make yourself forget which ones are intimate and which ones are made up. It’s become second nature, revealing your thoughts and feelings to a group of strangers,” he says.

The inspiration for Hey Rosetta! songs varies a lot, according to Baker.

“Basically, [ideas come from] anything that I think is important or interesting that is happening around me or within me. There are not many restrictions about what you can write a song about. I guess I feel like if they affect me in some way then I assume they’re going to affect some other people,” says Baker.

Baker says some of his songs have been written from inspiration ranging from his friend, who is about to have a baby, to an ex-girlfriend, who was an Argentinean folk-singer.

No matter what song it is though, Hey Rosetta! puts on a good performance.

Hey Rosetta! is playing at the Capital Complex, Apr. 28. Rich Aucoin opens with the show starting at 11 p.m.

Advance tickets are on sale for $12 at Backstreet records, Read’s Newsstand, or online at ticketpro.com. Tickets are also $15 at the door.

brunswickansports

Apr. 8, 2009 • Issue 27 • Volume 142 • 11

sports@thebruns.ca

Friesen, Doucette top athletes

AWARD WINNERS Rookie of the Year Men’s Basketball – Dustin Anthony Women’s Basketball – Kristen Johnson Men’s Hockey – Travis Fullerton Men’s Soccer – Nagib Miguel Women’s Soccer – Elise Arseneau Swimming - Shannon Donnelly Women’s Volleyball – Monica Jones Men’s Volleyball – David McConnell Red and Black Awards Women’s Basketball – Joanna Fox Men’s Basketball – Alex Desroches Men’s Hockey – John Scott Dickson Women’s Soccer – Jackie Fitt-Ryan Men’s Soccer – Karel Prickett Women’s Swimming – Alyson Moore Women’s Volleyball – Barb Vriends Men’s Volleyball – Jacob Kilpatrick Mark Jeffrey Memorial Award Men’s Hockey – Dustin Friesen James Born Award Women’s Volleyball – James Cress Director’s Award Women’s Basketball – Angela Aydon

Mitchell Bernard / The Brunswickan

UNB celebrated their top student athletes recently at the Celebration of Excellence awards dinner. Pictured above (from left) Shannon Donnelly, female rookie of the year, Dustin Friesen, male athlete of the year, Melanie Doucette, female athlete of the year, Travis Fullerton, male rookie of the year, and Isabelle Miles, Garnet Copeland Award recipient.

Mitchell Bernard The Brunswickan

UNB women’s volleyball setter Melanie Doucette added more hardware to her already abundant collection while men’s hockey captain Dustin Friesen capped off an impressive career Sunday at the Varsity Reds Celebration of Excellence ceremony.

For the fourth straight season, Doucette earned top female athlete honours courtesy of the Colin B. MacKay Shield. She became the first athlete in UNB’s history to win four straight awards.

“I’m always very honoured and very touched each time I receive it,” said Doucette, a five-time AUS all-star. “It’s very special this year.”

“I never expected it. It’s such a shock each time.

Every girl that goes to UNB works just as hard and puts in the effort and the time. Everybody deserves to be up there.”

A fifth-year business student, Doucette expects to graduate from UNB this spring. She leaves behind a successful women’s volleyball team who finished first and second respectively in the AUS in the past two seasons.

“I had a good career here. All the coaches and girls I’ve played with, I’m going to miss them so much. It’s been a big part of my life.”

Meanwhile, Friesen, in his last year of eligibility, claimed the James Downey Award as top male athlete. Friesen helped the Reds win the CIS championship this season, a week after falling to

the Saint Mary’s Huskies in the AUS final.

“This year we went through a little adversity and it wasn’t a straight path. The AUS finals didn’t turn out the way we planned, but in the end that made us stronger and made us a better team,” said Friesen.

“At the nationals, we just kept getting stronger and better. To make it to the finals was exciting with the group of guys I played with.”

Friesen, a leader on and off the ice, is noted for his strong volunteer presence in the community.

He has been the chosen leader for the Reds, and has embraced the task over the years.

“I think [the award] is more of a testament to the people I’m surrounded with. The group of guys we have are amazing. Every guy in that room is unbelievable and I’ve learned a lot from them.”

The fifth-year defenseman has come along way since his beginnings with the UNB hockey program, and Friesen noted that he owes a lot to the people he’s come in contact with.

“I owe a lot of thanks to Coach [Gardiner] MacDougall. Firstly, for giving me this amazing opportunity to come here. I didn’t have a great junior career, but for some reason he gave me a chance here and I’m really grateful of that. He really challenged me as a player and as a person. He gave me confidence and opportunities, and I’m really thankful for that.

“UNB has done amazing things for myself and for my teammates, as well as for my wife and my family. There are so many great things about the program.”

Isabelle Miles, team captain of the UNB women’s soccer team, walked away with an armful of awards.

To add to the AUS James Bayer Scholarship that

she received last month, Miles took home the Garnet Copeland Award, given to the top allaround student athlete in academics, community outreach, and athletics.

The biochemistry student plays her part in the community by volunteering at the Stan Cassidy Center for Rehabilitation, the Fredericton Community Kitchen, as well as Read with the Reds and Heads Up with the Reds. She managed to maintain a stellar 4.3 GPA over three and a half years at UNB and is expecting to graduate this spring.

“There are really no words. I wasn’t expecting to get this much recognition,” said Miles. “I’ve had a wonderful four years. Just playing on the team was great enough and this award is just the icing on the cake.”

Travis Fullerton, a native of Riverview, N.B., took home the male rookie of the year award. Fullerton made clutch saves in the CIS championships for the men’s hockey team, helping them claim their second national title in three seasons. Expected to take a backseat in the goaltending role for the Reds, Fullerton stepped it up late in the season and took over the starting position for UNB. “I just tried to have a positive attitude all year.

Obviously, Derek Yeomans is a good goalie. We battled hard with each other and made each other better. Fortunately I got the call in the playoffs.”

First-year arts student Shannon Donnelly took home the female athlete of the year honours.

Donnelly, a V-Reds swimmer, qualified for the CIS championships where she had two Top 16 finishes.

She led her team at the AUS championships where she claimed four medals.

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Most Valuable Players Women’s Basketball – Amanda Sharpe Men’s Basketball – Alex Desroches and Colton Wilson Men’s Cross Country – Matt Pieterson Men’s Hockey – Hunter Tremblay and Dustin Friesen Women’s Soccer – Isabelle Miles Men’s Soccer – Eric Karosan and Ken Morrison Women’s Swimming – Katelyn MacDonald Men’s Swimming – Brian Beaudette Women’s Volleyball – Melanie Doucette and Jill Blanchard Men’s Volleyball – Tyler Veenhuis Men’s Wrestling – Vince Cormier Female Rookie of the Year Women’s Swimming - Shannon Donnelly Male Rookie of the Year Men’s Hockey – Travis Fullerton Garnet Copeland Award Women’s Soccer – Isabelle Miles Colin B. MacKay Shield Award (Female Athlete of the Year) Women’s Volleyball – Melanie Doucette James Downey Award (Male Athlete of the Year) Men’s Hockey – Dustin Friesen