Issue 23, Vol. 148. The Brunswickan

www.thebruns.ca

Volume 148 · March 11, 2015 · Issue 23

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

THE COST OF A STRIKE

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY COULD HAVE PREVENTED LABOUR DISPUTE: TEACHERS’ UNION; PG. 3

WHAT WENT ON BEHIND THE HIRING OF LAW DEAN JEREMY LEVITT?

BY EMMA MCPHEE | PAGE 2

WHAT TO DO IN FREDERICTON THIS ST. PATRICK’S DAY

BY MARC GAGNON | PAGE 10

VARSITY REDS ENTER UNIVERSITY CUP AS AUS CHAMPIONS

BY JAMIE TOZER | PAGE 12

BRUNSWICKANNEWS

2 • March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148

CORRECTION A story on pages 4 & 5 of the Brunswickan’s Feb. 25 issue contained several errors.

Based on formatting issues, certain printed information did not match the candidates’ provided responses.

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Dean Levitt’s hiring process was conducted ‘in confidence’ Emma McPhee News Editor Like many of the UNB law school issues, the search process for the dean of law that ended with the hiring of Jeremy Levitt was kept confidential.

Although dean search processes usually include a presentation to students, the search for the dean of law omitted this step. The names of the candidates were not released to law students or the wider UNB community.

“Given the probability of having high-profile candidates to whom confidentiality during the interview process would be essential, the search committee decided at the outset that this search would be conducted in confidence. The process did include presentations by candidates to which members of the law faculty were invited,” said UNB spokesman David Stonehouse.

The hiring process for the dean of law began in the fall of 2013 and ended in March 2014. It followed the same timeline as the searches for the dean of engineering and the dean of nursing.

The search committee recommended Levitt after a process which included on-site visits by the candidates and a presentation to faculty.

Stonehouse said that an offer to Levitt was made after a “360 reference check” by a search consultant which is “an industry standard in such searches.”

But the reference check did not turn up the allegations of harassment against Levitt by two former female colleagues at Florida A&M University College of Law. This prompted student senator and law student, Lyle Skinner, to request a special meeting of the UNB senate to address UNB senate search committee processes.

“A review of Senate Search Committee practices should serve to improve any future process for hiring senior administration whether they are deans, vice-presidents, or the president of UNB,” said Skinner in his document to senate.

The special senate meeting will be held on March 23.

Levitt was the “distinguished professor of international law” of Florida A&M University College of Law. According to the database of Florida State University System Employee Salaries, Levitt received $187,430 at Florida A&M. At UNB the dean of law position falls within the $150,000 to $174,999 pay band, according to information from 2013.

Levitt is currently on a two-year unpaid leave from Florida A&M. He has also been on an unexplained leave of absence from UNB since January.

In the weeks following Levitt’s leave, it has been revealed that dean is facing unproven allegations of harassment made by the AUNBT on behalf of law professors. He is also facing allegations of sexism and threats of violence from two female colleagues at Florida A&M.

A response to an RTI submitted by AUNBT president Miriam Jones to UNB requesting “the complete cost of refurbishment and renovation of the office and bathroom of the Dean of Law between January 1, 2014, and the present” revealed that $25,837.20 was spent on new furniture for the Dean of Law’s office.

External Investigation of UNB law concluded The results of the external investigation on the UNB law school fiasco were reported to UNB vice-president academic Tony Secco on Monday.

The investigation, conducted by law professor emeritus Neil Gold of the University of Windsor, was initiated on the request of the university to help resolve the recent issues at the law school, including allegations of harassment against law dean Jeremy Levitt.

“Prof. Gold … has spoken to a number of individuals at the law school as part of his review of allegations by faculty and staff involving Dean Jeremy Levitt,” said Secco in a memo to law students.

“I will be taking time to review the report carefully before deciding on what action is required to ensure a respectful and collegial work environment at the law school.”

Secco also said that once a decision is made, it will be communicated to the UNB community but to “[keep] in mind that sensitive and confidential personnel matters are involved.”

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 3

THE BRUNS

NEWS news@thebruns.ca

Administration has formed an ad hoc committee to reveal how funds are used, but the Union says it’s too little too late for the labour dispute.

Adam Travis / The Brunswickan

Handling of money before, during strike should have been addressed sooner: AUNBT

Emma McPhee & Tess Allen The Brunswickan

Had the university been more transparent about their internally restricted funds, the faculty strike of 2014 could have been avoided, according to the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT).

Restricted funds are financial accounts set aside through policy or other decisions for specific purposes. Between 2009 and 2014 UNB’s restricted fund has grown from $42 million to $112 million, something that has not escaped the AUNBT’s notice.

“There has been obscene growth in this fund since 2009 … a $70 million dollar increase over five years or an average of $14 million per year. This annual accumulation is enough money to pay full tuition for 2000 students or hire 125 additional professors,” said Miriam Jones, president of the AUNBT. Jones said that the lack of transparency surrounding the restricted funds was a contributor to last year’s faculty strike.

“If the [Board of Governors] and senior administration had been transparent regarding the internally restricted fund, we might not have had a strike/ lock-out,” said Jones.

The funds have continued to be a

cause for concern. According to Jones, since the strike and lockout, 13 of UNB’s 14 faculties have passed non-confidence motions against the university administration.

In response to these concerns, UNB president Eddy Campbell has created an ad hoc committee to reveal to the university community how the funds operate and how they are used.

The committee will investigate the funds of the fiscal years from April 30, 2011 to 2014. In a letter to the UNB community, Campbell said the committee will “make clear which units at UNB have care and control of these funds, and to make clear the purposes for which these funds were restricted.”

“There have been questions from some people in the UNB community about these funds. It is a complex issue to be sure,” said UNB spokesman David Stonehouse.

“Dr. Campbell struck the committee with the expectation that [they] can look at our restricted accounts and issue a report that explains it to the community.”

But this response was a long time coming for the AUNBT. “[The] AUNBT is pleased that something is finally being done to address this issue. We have repeatedly called for transparency regarding the internally

restricted fund. Our first requests were during the summer of 2013, so it’s about time,” Jones said.

But Stonehouse said that there has been transparency in the restricted funds and that the funds are reported every year.

Members of the committee were chosen from around the UNB community and Stonehouse said they were chosen “based on their expertise on the issue and/or their interest in university finances.”

According to Stonehouse, the restricted funds are set aside for “longerterm initiatives” and allow for “prudent financial decision-making.”

“In many cases, internally restricted accounts are controlled by an academic unit, administrative department or even a specific faculty member. Some accounts of a more central nature are controlled by senior administration. It is intended that the committee’s report will explain some of that in more detail,” Stonehouse said.

The committee is expected to have a report completed by March 26. From there it will be shared with the university management, the executive and financial committees of the Board of Governors and the whole Board before it is released to the university community.

The restricted funds are not the only area of UNB’s finances that are currently under scrutiny. Several Right to Information requests have revealed that the University of New Brunswick spent more than $315,000 on extra public relations and security during last year’s labour dispute.

The Daily Gleaner revealed this week that UNB paid $112,400 to National Public Relations from November 2013 through January 2014 “for services ranging from developing public relations strategies during the strike, to media monitoring, producing communications, advertisements and web copy. The firm also received payment for media training, the creation of a temporary labour relations website and ongoing communications consulting.”

The Brunswickan has learned from its own right to information request that $203,416.76 of that total was spent on security from “strike security experts” AFIMAC. Peter McDougall, associate vice president of human resources and organizational development, said in an emailed statement that hiring such support is not unique to UNB. “At the time of the strike UNB’s communications team was short staffed due to a maternity leave and the recent

departure of the senior manager of communications,” said McDougall.

“There were only three people devoted to communications at that time for both UNB’s Fredericton and Saint John campuses, and there was a very significant increase in the volume of communications activities—including media requests, internal communications, email traffic, social media engagement etc.”

When asked about the numbers for outside security, UNB communications officer Heather Campbell said that internal UNB security personnel “continued to perform their regular duties and did not have the capacity to be present at picket locations to ensure that potential risks were mitigated.”

“We had every confidence that faculty on strike would be professional and respectful, and that is exactly what happened. There was a risk, however, that others coming onto (or passing by) campus might not be familiar with the rights and responsibilities of unionized employees exercising their legal right to strike,” said Campbell.

“While rare, there have been instances in Canada where people were injured at picket sites and we wanted to do all that we could to ensure that our community did not experience this type of incident.”

BRUNSWICKAN NEWS

4 • March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148

Powwow coming to UNB Benjamin Crouse News Reporter UNB’s Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre will be hosting its first annual Mawio’mi/ Siqonawsultipon Powwow later this month.

“We’ve had other powwows with other universities like St. Thomas, NBCC and NBCCD and we’ve taken turns hosting the powwow on each campus. But this is the first time just UNB’s having a powwow,” said Trenton Augustine, the aboriginal recruitment and marketing officer with the Centre.

A powwow is a First Nations tradition

that gathers people together to celebrate life and culture. However, powwows are not restricted to aboriginal peoples.

“One of the misconceptions in New Brunswick’s society is that when they see a notice for a powwow they assume that this is only for First Nations,” said David Perley, director of the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre.

“We’re hoping to have a good turnout from First Nations communities, from the city of Fredericton residents as well as our own UNB students and faculty members,” he said.

The Mawio’mi/Siqonawsultipon Pow-

wow will feature several aspects of First Nations culture, including drumming, chanting and storytelling.

Mawio’mi means the gathering of people to celebrate life and culture. Siqonawsultipon means the surviving of the winter months.

“My ancestors used to celebrate that in early spring because back in those days they didn’t have ... the conveniences we have today, they didn’t have electricity for example.

They had to experience the harsh winter and for them it was true survival,” said Perley.

This powwow will serve as a reminder that “we’re all connected.”

“When the powwow invites people from both the First Nations communities and non-First Nations communities it means that we like to share our culture with you,” Perley said. “It’s one thing to read about a culture, but when you actually experience some of the ceremonies and the traditions ... you have a deeper understanding.”

“It gives students an opportunity to learn about the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey cultures.

There’s a lot of First Nations communities surrounding Fredericton and it’s good to know our heritage,” said Augustine.

The Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre, formally the Mi’kmaq-Maliseet Institute, has several services for First Nations students.

“We offer aboriginal students when they’re attending UNB a lot of support, both personal and academic, and career guidance,” Augustine said.

The Centre also hosts social events like potlucks and bowling tournaments, and has a lounge for students to socialize and meet people from other aboriginal communities.

The Centre, which is less than a year old, has already changed its name.

“The word Maliseet is not a label that was adopted by my ancestors. After contact [with Europeans] ... they imposed the term Maliseet,” said Perley.

The word “maliseet” means “slow speaker” in Mi’kmaq.

“I made a case to the dean of the faculty of education. I made my case that we need to adopt the terminology of my ancestors and that we can’t use the terminology that was imposed on us by external authorities,” Perley said.

Wolastoqiyik means “People of the Beautiful River.”

BRUNSWICKANNEWS

School’s out for grad students who can’t afford tuition Benjamin Crouse News Reporter Robert Ogilvie is one of the five graduate students who have been deregistered from classes this term.

A regulation that deregisters students if they are unable to pay their tuition is now being enforced for graduate students.

“I knew I had tuition I owed them, but I was making biweekly payments. There was a bit of a gap for about ... six weeks,” Ogilvie said.

For those six weeks Ogilvie was waiting to be placed on employment insurance after leaving his full-time job. Ogilvie said that he told financial services about this gap in advance and asked about payment options.

Ogilvie said that financial services responded by saying that they would need everything he owed upfront or he would be deregistered from his classes.

“In the past the norm seemed to be as long as there was a rhythm, there was a steady amount of payment. It was less concern what the overall amount was as long as they could see there was continued effort,” said Ogilvie.

Bruce MacDonald, acting dean of graduate studies, said that deregistering students who have not paid their fees has always been a regulation.

“I’ve just been acting dean since January of this year, so I presume

that it’s always been in effect that if a student registers and doesn’t pay after a certain length of time that they would lose their services. It’s been consistent with the undergraduate policy,” he said.

MacDonald also said that so long as the deregistered student makes a payment plan with financial services, they’ll be put back into their classes right away.

“They’re not removed from the program, per se. They’re sort of put in limbo until they pay their fees.

They don’t have to reapply or anything,” he said.

Cindy Flann, director of financial services, said that while this has always been a regulation, it has not always been enforced by the School of Graduate Studies.

“The graduate school hasn’t always deregistered students, but they’ve notified all the students lately that they’re going to start the process as per their regulations,” said Flann.

For Ogilvie, being deregistered only worsens his financial situation.

“The real problematic thing for me as a graduate student who’s involved in research is that I’m able to apply for and have access to a lot of potential funds through awards and things. But I need to be able to be a full-time student in order to receive these things,” said Ogilvie.

“It basically will mean that I can’t finish my graduate program.”

With files from Emma McPhee.

THE BRUNS OPINION editor@thebruns.ca

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

An open letter to the anti-bilingualism Facebook group FranÇAY What?

Student loan system doesn’t support students I have always wondered why the Government of Canada commercials on our TV screens support students going to university, and the Canada Student Loan system does not support full-time students, not lending enough money for basic living expenses.

I am a full-time student at St. Thomas University, and for the past 2 years, I have struggled right up until now with no financial options left, living off of an $850/month living allowance for the school year that is $300 a month short of covering all the basic necessities I and other full-time students need to survive on, causing us to apply for bursaries, having to go to churches for food vouchers on a regular basis.

During the summer months when I am not attending class, I work a full-time minimum wage job, paying me $1,200 a month after taxes and deductions. $1,200 monthly is only enough to cover my rent, cell phone, internet, power and groceries, nothing more. I cannot save any money on $1,200 a month working a full-time minimum wage job, but at least it is enough to cover all my basic survival necessities so I do not need to ask anyone for help as I am pleading right now.

Did you know that Canada Student Loans has not increased their monthly living allowance for full-time students over the past 10 years?

A journalist from CBC News who does not want their name to be

mentioned sent me this from Canada Student Loans:“Thank you for the request. The student loan maximums of $210/week of study (federal) and $140/week of study (provincial) have been the same over the past 10 years.”

If the maximum amount is $210 a week federal, and $140 a week provincial, why am I not receiving a maximum of $1,400 a month to cover my basic survival necessities while going to school full-time as a broke independent student? We students should be allowed to focus on doing our best in school while studying, not fighting to survive.

I have gone to Canada Student Loans and appealed for more funds: I got rejected. I went to the St. Thomas Emergency Bursary Committee: I got rejected. I went to The Royal Canadian Legion because I used to be in the military: I got rejected I would not be writing this letter if Canada Student Loans lent out an extra $300 a month to full-time students, money that has to be paid back anyway. I have been told that I will not owe as much money to student loans when I graduate because of a low living allowance, but if I am out on the street with no fixed address, how will I graduate to pay the money back?

This letter is not just about me, it is about standing up and fighting for us students, all us students that just can’t seem to get ahead no matter what we do.

-Joseph Keefe

the brunswickan

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief • Tess Allen Business Manager • Liam Guitard News • Emma McPhee Arts • Sebastian Maynard Sports • Jamie Tozer Photo • Adam Travis Art Director • Andrew Spindler Copy • Sarah Dominie Multimedia • Devin Patterson Web Developer • David Ackerson Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher Arts Reporter • Kevin Lemieux News Reporter • Benjamin Crouse Videographer • Kayla Renee-Ossachuk Sports Reporter • Sarah Rouse

Contributors

Lee Thomas, Mark Mancini, Grace Gallow, Seb Arseneault, Brad Parker, Melanie Michaud, Emily McPhee, David Milley, Siddharth Raval, Stephanie Sirois, Barbara Roberts, Stacey Taylor, Armin Afrough, Marc Gagnon, Alec Boudreau, Travis Piercy, Alex Warman. Waleed Khokar, Melanie Michaud.

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 148th year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

Alec Boudreau After my last column I was surprised to find that people actually read what I write. I have an audience. Cool! I shouldn’t take all the credit though.

I did get to ride on the coattails of SEXtravaganza and an awesome headline after all. Seriously, though.

Thanks for reading.

This article isn’t about my incredulity. It’s about the elephant in the room. Since people actually read me, I should address it.

Before I do that, I want to make it clear that I also support the revival and protection of native languages but will refrain from appropriating the struggle of native peoples and will use this space to concentrate solely on how linguistic policy applies to francophones.

Without further ado, I have decided to pen an open letter to the Facebook group “New Brunswick Referendum on Bilingualism 2014.”

Recently a Facebook group was created calling for a referendum on bilingualism in New Brunswick.

Officially, the group says that it is about “standing up for equality for all New Brunswickers,” that it is not

anti-French, and that it is “AGAINST STUPID POLICIES AND LANGUAGE LAWS that are bankrupting our province” (emphasis theirs).

Let me take a strong stance by calling this out as the tired, bigoted, entitled bullshit that it is.

On a calmer note, allow me to address some key failures of their argument and how they betray their true bigotry.

First off, the policy that is bothering these people is not bilingualism.

Please strike that word from your policy vocabulary. New Brunswick practices linsguistic duality and equal status for English and French. These are the notions that English and French are of equal value, and that each community has different needs and priorities which the government must address in an equal manner. It is categorically not the result of a policy decision to make our population bilingual. See the difference?

Take for example our education system, where both cultures are maîtres chez eux. Here, the entire department is split down linguistic lines. This way both peoples may govern the educational futures of their own students. Makes sense, no?

Allow me to directly address the referenders: You are mind-bogglingly entitled. Especially when you talk about the injustice of the government hiring francophones and bilingual people. Believe it or not, there are some jobs which require bilingualism. That’s because in that job, you will need to use both official languages. It’s like being a manager: You need plenty of skills, including leadership and numeracy. If you’re a leader but can’t do finances, you

simply aren’t qualified.

Further, it’s not your employer’s responsibility to educate you. If you want to learn French, do it on your own time. Francophones across Canada have been learning English on their own for decades. If you don’t put in the effort and practice your French (maybe by making francophone friends?), you’re not going to have the skills to work in both official languages. If you want better programs to learn French, ask for them or create them, don’t try to strip the rights of francophones.

You referenders have made some good points, most notably on French immersion. I took French immersion for a while and I can attest that, in my experience, New Brunswick’s French immersion is seriously deficient. The problem with your argument is that French immersion is administered by the anglophone sector. This means that you, as parents, get to decide if French immersion is a priority. Your sector, your choice. Duality in action.

Your complete misunderstanding of how duality works in New Brunswick and your heaping of the responsibility for your shortcomings on the government betrays your true intentions. What you’re fighting isn’t a failed policy; it’s the persistence of francophones in New Brunswick.

As a francophone, let me clear it up for you: you’re fighting the survival of our culture, history and identity.

You’re fighting services that we can access and understand. You’re fighting the recognition of our language as being equal to yours. You’re fighting our ability to raise our children in a province where they are treated with as much value as yours.

Our having these things takes nothing away from your ability to have them too, so why fight?

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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 Editor-in-Chief.

BRUNSWICKANOPINION

6 • March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148

Not all information should be shared

POLITICAL CHATTER

Mark Mancini If one believes Jan Wong, one would believe that the media is the great defender of all that is holy and right on the campus of the University of New Brunswick.

Wong, a professor in STU’s journalism program, recently penned an article about the “turmoil” at UNB’s faculty of law. I don’t want to rehash the issues at UNB law; they have been discussed ad nauseum. But, Wong’s article illustrates a broader problem with the role of the media, particular to the UNB law issue

as well as in the wider society.

Wong’s piece centred around the fact that the CBC was doing the real nitty-gritty work in terms of finding out information for students (and the wider public), and posited that UNB failed in its search process for Dean of the law school. Further, she chastised law students for being quiet throughout this whole process, and also for lashing out against the media and journalism students who were attempting, in their wisdom, to get to the bottom of this debacle.

Wong’s piece echoes sentiments printed in these pages before about the role of the media, in the broader community as well as in the context of the law school.

There is a two-part argument implicit in all of these statements: first, that the media has a fact-finding role (and that they are good at it), and secondly, that the media (and the broader public), is always entitled to as much information as possible.

The first argument is unobjection-

able. The media, historically, has been tasked with the responsibility in a free and democratic society of uncovering the information that people should know. One need only look at Watergate and the 2003 Iraq War to see the important role the media plays in any society worth its salt.

But how far does this role go, and do any responsibilities accompany it?

This is the second part. The media is not a sacred entity always entitled to all information. For example, in the context of the law school issue, a private meeting was held between upper UNB administration and students. The purpose of the meeting was for students to raise important questions about their own education at the law school. Various media outlets attempted to enter the place, discretely. It was portrayed as a “closed-door” meeting, as if this were a bad thing. The fact that information was shared between two groups of people and not with the larger community was inherently wrong, in the minds of the

media outlets.

This is where the media has a certain responsibility. Why should it be news that students are attempting to ask pressing questions about their own individual educations? This is a line-drawing exercise for the media — they must be able to discern when a meeting is private and not for public consumption, and when the information is clearly in the public interest. They have a responsibility to draw that line.

It’s unclear if the media is unwilling or unable to complete this exercise. It seems as if a philosophy of complete public disclosure governs the media’s conduct. Freedom of expression is their lifeblood. But this right (under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and I would argue in any reasonable conception of the right) are subject to certain limits. The media has a responsibility not to go beyond that line, where private information somehow becomes in the public interest. A good example is the controversies surrounding the personal

lives of politicians. The media has often been at the forefront of trying their utmost to get the salacious details of extra marital affairs on the part of senators, presidents, and other high-ranked politicians. The line between where this information is in the public interest and where it isn’t is a blurry one. But the media has a responsibility to draw the line, much as they do in the context of a private meeting.

This is an inconvenient fact, and it doesn’t sound good to say it: we don’t have a right to know everything. The media doesn’t have the right to know everything. Nor do we have a right to say whatever we want without repercussion and without some limitation. What we do have a right to know is what is in our interest — in this case, this is what we, as law students, were trying to do in the context of the closed door meeting.

Sometimes, rather than being the knight on the white horse, the media can simply be the annoying little brother pulling on your sleeve.

It’s time to speak out against UNB’s money troubles AN OPINION

Micah O’Donnell-Gillies There wasn’t any money to pay the profs.

There was, sure as hell, money to pay for external security and communications firms.

In solidarity with our professors and librarians, I had walked the picket line. I can remember the hired security firm that UNB felt they needed approaching picketers to chat and ask how everyone was dealing with the cold. I also remember other security guards standing on UNB grounds videotaping the picketers as though a sudden revolution was going to break out.

The one problem with having a revolu-

tion break out on campus is that we don’t have an Eddy statue to topple.

People who hire security and communications firms—especially when they already have their own internal security and communication bodies—do it, I suspect, because they are afraid.

The firm UNB hired for security is called AFIMAC. Their slogan is “a world of solutions.” They can provide such exquisite services as assisting “a client’s legal team by gathering evidence to obtain injunctions and temporary restraining orders.”

AFIMAC also has other savoury services such as ensuring “the safety of the supplemental labour assisting the company is [sic] continuing operations when crossing the picket line.” That is, they protect scabs.

Let’s tally some facts: UNB pulled a massive surplus this year. They spent over $300,000 on an outside security and communications team. Eddy continues to get a massive salary. Tony Secco is still struggling to afford the demand for coffee on Tuesdays.

Alternatively, adjunct professors continue

to be subjugated by contracts and meager wages. Tuition increases continue. Tenured positions get cut. We’re still paying a facilities fee that is complete bullshit. And Eddy’s porch is looking better than ever.

I’m leaving this university in a few months. Assuming all goes well, I will walk away with my second degree from UNB. I’ve commented before that I love this university. It played a massive role in my professional growth and personal development.

But now, I can’t wait to get away. I am fed up. I am tired. I am disappointed. As a student, I feel taken advantage of. I look at my online statements of tuition payments.

Like many of you, I’ve handed over thousands upon thousands of dollars to UNB. I handed that money over for student services. For pedagogy. For mentoring by the amazing and dedicated professors of UNB. I never once paid tuition so Eddy could swing his elephant trunk around and pretend he’s Frank Underwood when no one’s looking. I didn’t pay for leadership that thinks it’s okay to say they have no

money while hiring security firms and pulling surpluses. And I sure as hell didn’t pay to have coffee with Tony on Tuesdays.

Let’s diverge. Tuesdays with Tony is one of the most uncreative, unimaginative methods of reaching the student body. I am not at all convinced that it’s effective.

I think, instead, it’s a nice way for Tony to say that he’s ‘consulted’ the student body on various issues. Tony thinks it makes him look nice and connected. I think it makes him look pathetic.

Tuesdays with Tony is an analogy for how the administration thinks of consultation: if you can create the image of involvement, that’s enough. As long as the administrative CV can claim some type of connection to the campus, it doesn’t matter if that consultation actually happens.

Like many students and professors at many universities across Canada, I feel completely embarrassed of my degree. Not because of my professors. Not because of my fellow students. But because the university, with its burgeoning neo-liberal desires, has played me. I’ve been the fool. And now

I am $40,000-plus in debt.

So congratulations Eddy. Good work Tony. You’ve both distinguished yourselves as masters of the money game. You know how to get it. You know how to make it keep flowing in. I shovelled it over and never thought of it.

Perhaps, with this semester’s tuition, you could hire your own security detail. Perhaps a personal driver. Maybe pay a student to lightly spoon caviar into your mouth.

Does Eddy bang his ring twice on a desk when he leaves an office? It’s likely. He’s the face of power. The image of money. The only thing more powerful than Eddy at the moment is our collective voice.

I can’t wrap my head around why we’re not more pissed off. We’ve been duped into shovelling money over. And once we discover the con, we shrug and carry on. Why aren’t we filling up the Old Arts building? Why aren’t we confronting Tony on Tuesdays? Have we no dignity?

Maybe not. But if we’re without any sense of self-respect, I can’t imagine what Eddy sees in the mirror.

Learn to cook; your body will thank you STUDENT’S DIGEST

Stacey Taylor There is growing concern about the trend toward decreased home cooking and loss of cooking skills among Canadians of all ages. An increasing reliance on prepared convenience foods not only leads to a potential escalation in personal food-related costs, but can also pose challenges to eating a variety of the nutrient-rich “real” foods

needed every day to support personal wellness.

Besides, cooking has always been a critical life skill. We all need to consider the connection between diet quality and overall health. Good things can happen if we make a greater effort to buy “close to the farm” foods and create pleasurable meals and snacks.

For instance, some immediate effects of eating well could include having more energy, and an improved ability to focus and remember things. Longer term impacts may include better heart health and less risk of developing various chronic illnesses like high blood pressure or diabetes and certain types of cancer. Though students are saddled with busy schedules, time constraints, tight budgets, less than optimal kitchen facilities, and sometimes less control over their food (if living in residence

or sharing food with roommates), it is still possible to eat well.

Ellen MacIntosh, a registered dietician at the UNB Student Health Centre on campus, gives us some inspiration and a few simple tips to get cooking.

Let`s start by answering the question: why cook? Well, students are at a turning point in their lives in terms of forming their own eating habits after leaving home. A lack of cooking skills is associated with decreased vegetable intake and increased fast food consumption. Significant health consequences can arise from relying on processed foods. Plus, real foods just taste better.

Students are often in a hurry. It can be tough to keep up with studies, juggle part-time employment, enjoy social time and find time to

cook healthy meals. But you’re not alone. Though students feel they are unusually busy, Canadians in general say the biggest barrier for not cooking is lack of time. The point is, we have to plan ahead a little bit. Have ingredients ready to go to make home cooking a little easier. On the weekend, prepare foods to last during the week — make a big batch of pasta sauce, pre-cut your veggies, grate cheese. Marinate meat or perhaps cook meat ahead and freeze in small portions to defrost overnight in the fridge. Cook a large amount of brown rice, pasta, or quinoa at the beginning of the week and reheat a portion each night.

Take a short-cut with healthier convenience foods. Healthier “fast” foods can help make a tasty meal in a matter of minutes. Choose items with less sodium, fat and sugar. Here

are 10 convenience items that make healthy short-cuts to improved nutrition: canned tuna or salmon, pre-cut butternut squash, canned beans (like chickpeas, lentils), canned diced tomatoes or tomato paste, shredded cheese, eggs, plain frozen fish fillets, frozen vegetables and fruit, whole wheat cheese tortellini and whole grain pizza crust.

Want to start eating better but not quite sure where to begin? Check out our website at go.unb.ca/healthcentre and click on the link Healthy Eating and You to find even more nutrition tips, healthy cooking ideas and reliable resources, including Canada`s Food Guide for Healthy Eating. If you have a favorite meal or study snack idea, send it to our “Ask Ellen” blog, so that it can be shared and enjoyed by other members of our university community.

BRUNSWICKANOPINION

W E I V OINT P

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 7

on What’s YOUR s week? i h t d n i m

What are your thoughts on the “man bun”?

Matt Daley

Mitchell Upton

Jeff Hadley

Mack Purdy

Mandy Smith

“Do whatever floats your boat.”

“Cut them off.”

“You do you, boo.’”

“Finally, a use for my scissors.”

“A thing of beauty. Every man should want one.”

Kelsey Cail

Olyoi Rozum

Samantha Mesher

Megan Doucet

Peitra Grant

“I like it.”

“I like man buns.”

“Man buns are cool.”

“I don’t appreciate them.”

“It depends.”

THE BRUNS

ARTS arts@thebruns.ca

Before you pick a Bud Light or Molson Canadian, think about choosing a beer you haven’t had before.

Adam Travis / The Brunswickan

A guide to some of the best beers you’ve never tried Adam Travis Photo Editor Thought by some to be oldest fermented drink in the world, beer has long been a staple of social gatherings through the ages.

And just like those who enjoy it, every beer is unique, from lagers and ales to dark beers and more. For those wishing to expand their foamy horizons, the abundance of options can seem intimidating. With this in mind, I recently paid a visit to the Ale House for a guided beer tasting.

The night started off with a trio of lagers: Sapporo,JeverandBelleGueule.Allthreehad the expected crisp taste and thirst-quenching

traitsfoundinlagers,buttherewasstillasplash of variety between the three. The Japanaese Sapporo was very crisp, if a little bland, like a Molson Canadian with less bite. Jever, a German staple, had an earthy, floral smell with a kick of hops in the taste. Quebec’s Belle Gueule, on the other hand, sat between the other two with a balanced taste and lingering sweetness.

From lagers we moved into more flavorful beers. Starting off the next chapter was a Belle Gueule Rousse Red Ale. This was a nice change from the lagers with a fuller taste, containing notes of caramel and roasted coffee, making for a very smooth taste. Next was Oranje Weisse (Dutch for “Orange

White”), a crisp and refreshing white beer.

This is definitely a beer for the summer months with a fruity and refreshing taste; it was almost like a Radler, but without that overbearing sweetness.

As we drained our glasses of Oranje Weisse, our waiter returned, this time with a pair of India Pale Ales (IPA): Imperial IPA and Phillips Hop Circle. IPAs can be a bit of an acquired taste, and both of these beers came on strong in the hops department with a very bitter taste. Of the two I preferred the smoother Imperial, but both were too bitter for some.

Back to Quebec, our next beer was Coup de Grisou. This beer, made with buckwheat,

had a unique taste with a mix of spices and fruitflavorspresent.FollowingthespicyCoup de Grisou was Red Racer Pumpkin Spice ale.

As expected, this beer was delicious, with the typicalpumpkinspiceflavor,aswellasahintof actualpumpkin. Though it currently feelsout of season, I can definitely see myself picking a bottle up come October.

Our next beer was ominously named Fin du Monde. Brewed in Quebec, this beer was gold and creamy with a tall foamy head and enough taste to mask the strong nine per cent alcohol content. The beer was one of my favorites of the night with a smooth, creamy taste, and though it’s a bit pricy on its own, it’s more than just a beer to get drunk on.

Finishing off the tasting was a pair of very flavorful “dessert” beers: Younga Double Chocolate Stout and Fruili Strawberry. The Younga tasted like fresh roasted coffee and dark chocolate, with a dark color, while the Fruili was light and fruity, similar to wine.

Both beers were stellar, and though I’m not sure I’d want more than one or two of each, they’re definitely worth a taste.

So whether you’re a fan of beer or not, a tasting is a great way to learn more about one of the world’s most popular beverages, and if a full tasting isn’t your style, I’d still suggest picking up a few of the beers mentioned here onyourown.Youneverknow,youmightjust leave with a new favorite.

From buzz cuts to man buns: The evolution of men’s hair Kevin Lemieux Arts Reporter Girls have always been known for taking care of their hair. Curls, straight, bangs, bobs, dye jobs. But what about guys?

It seems that hair care is becoming a priority for guys. So say goodbye to the buzz cut and the faux hawk.

Tasha Parker is a stylist at Blonde Inc. on King Street. She feels that men’s hair has become important because of TV. “Guys like what they see on TV and on celebrities. Mad Men is one of those shows that the guys had classic hairstyles so it’s something really trendy.”

Parker, along with Dayna Gaunce and other girls at the salon, recently took a modern barbering course where they learned what is “in” for men’s

hairstyles.

“Fades are big right now,” says Gaunce. “Short at the nape and getting longer towards the top. Beards are in. Guys are coming in to get their beards groomed and tidied up.

A hard part is also a big trend, where

we buzz away extra hair at the part to accentuate it.”

The stylists also said that long hair above the shoulders with waves is a

good look, like Jared Leto’s hairdo.

Both stylists said that the man bun, also known as the “topknot” or “mun,” is hot. Some people don’t like it as much as Gaunce and Parker, though.

“Stop the Knot,” which was posted on Derrick Watts and The Sunday Blues’ YouTube channel now has over six million views. The concept of the video involves two guys driving around the city, chopping man buns off and driving away. I was first introduced to the video when someone posted it on my Facebook wall, so I have a feeling that person is not a fan of my man bun either.

Gaunce said that those who have a man bun often have a look that goes with it.

“Grungy or hipster look, with scruff. Maybe tattoos and a v-neck,”

she said. “Just carefree.”

Parker explained that more and more guys are going into salons now instead of barbershops, and they are more willing to try new things with their hair.

“Guys are coming in now wanting the full experience of a salon. They want the shampoo and scalp massage.

Guys are also the most loyal customers because they’ll buy any product you tell them. They just want it to be easy to do by themselves.”

BRUNSWICKANARTS

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 9

Ross Neilsen comes back to where it all began Kevin Lemieux Arts Reporter Sometimes the best way to beat the winter blues is to embrace it.

The Ha r vest Jazz a nd Blues Festival are trying their best, by creating a way for people to get their f ix of great music with the 2015 Winter Blues Series.

As part of FROSTival, Earthbound Trio performed the f irst show of the series on Feb. 13. The next show will feature blues artist Ross Neilsen.

“I’ve been touring across Canada since Jan. 2. I started all the way in British Columbia and am just end i ng t h i ngs i n Q uebec before doing the show in Fredericton.”

The award-winning singer will be performing a solo show at the

James Joyce Pub on March 14. For him, this show is an important celebration.

“For me this is a decade long relationship with being a part of the festival. In 2005, I opened their mid-winter show at the James Joyce, where I was encouraged to enter the Galaxy R ising Star Contest. I then won and that’s where my career started off.”

W ith this show being in the James Joyce Pub, it’s more of an intimate setting and Neilsen plans for straight blues for the evening i nter t w i ned w it h stor y tel l i ng.

Usually though, Neilsen’s band shows have an electric and rock feel.

K now n a s C a nad a’s ha rdest working blues rocker, Neilsen has been performing for years across the country as well as in the U.S.

With a load of awards and a few albums under his belt, his bluesy music isn’t stopping.

“I’m always excited to play in town. I haven’t done a solo show in town for a while now. I’ve been thinking about this show a lot. It’s going to be nostalgic and I’m very pleased they asked me. It means a lot.”

Bei ng Ha r vest’s 25-yea r a nniversary, the return of Neilsen is at a f itting time. Based out of Fredericton, his performance is as much a celebration of his music as it is a celebration of the local scene that began his career.

“After winning R ising Star, I was inspired to do my f irst album and fully pursue this as a career.

I just want to thank the team at Har vest for really kick-starting my career.”

HILLSIDE ESTATES LTD 19 Forest Hill Road

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Visit our website at: www.hillsideestates.ca

As part of the 2015 Winter Blues Series, Ross Neilsen will be playing on March 14.

Submitted

Joel Plaskett wows at last semester’s Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival.

Adam Travis / The Brunswickan

BRUNSWICKANARTS

10 • March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148

The Brunswickan’s Food & Liquor: St. Patrick’s Day Special Van Morrison

Sebastian Maynard

While Bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly have helped create a distinctive sound that is associated with Ireland, the music that comes from the European country is a lot more diverse than just Irish punk or political folk songs. Ireland has been the birthplace of some the best (or most annoying) musical acts in a variety of genres, from U2 to The Cranberries to My Bloody Valentine. One of the most influential Irish musicians, though, is Van Morrison, who has won six Grammy Awards and been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Morrison’s second studio album, Astral Weeks, has been featured on a variety of “alltime” lists, and is your recommended listening for St. Patrick’s Day 2015.

The Commitments

Adam Travis

Harp Lager

Corned Beef

Having already reviewed Guinness (see Issue #15), another Irish beer worth checking out is the Harp Lager. This one will hang out and fiddle around with your taste buds for a bit, and then smoothly shuffle itself down to your liver. Harp is a beauty of a lager: perfect gold color with a smooth grainy taste to it. If Guinness isn’t your style, grab a couple tall cans of Harp Lager at the liquor store and have yourselves a time on March 17.

Devin Patterson

The story of the “world’s hardest working band,” The Commitments, is about the rise and fall of a soul band from Dublin.

Although the genre may seem played out and riddled with cliché moments, The Commitments seems to overcome that.

None of the drama seems forced or like a cheap plot device, and although the cast is made up of relatively unknown actors, the acting is still honest and believable. Perhaps the biggest draw of the film is the soundtrack though — covers of Motown soul performed by the cast members themselves. The Commitments is an honest, enjoyable film, and one you shouldn’t miss out on.

Corned beef is a popular Irish dish that is made up from meat treated with large pieces of rock salt, also called “corns.” In Canada, we are used to it as “Montreal Smoked Meat,” which is a variation of the same dish. Probably the best way to have it is as a sandwich with mustard and a pickle, which is easy to make and is as delicious as any breakfast or lunch meal. Consider it for a hangover brunch after St Paddy’s.

Mathieu Wong

St. Paddy’s Day in Fredericton Marc Gagnon Staff Reporter It’s clear that there’s only one way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Fredericton: by blasting your l iver w it h Gu i n ness stout. So crank the Irish Descendants on the stereo, bust out your favourite Irish t-shirt and go chasing that pot o’ gold.

W h i le Freder ic ton may not have a tradition of Irish parades l i ke ot her cit ies enjoy, we do share with them the noble ritual of d r i n k i ng g re en b e e r f rom sunrise to sunset on March 17.

So it’s suggested that you brace your stomach throughout the day with an assortment of traditional Irish food, as nothing goes better with day drinking than Irish stew and corned beef.

To that end, Fredericton’s pubs and restaurants are planning a hell of a shamrock shindig. Starting on the weekend before, both the Social Club and boom! will be holding events on Saturday the 14th, allowing students to maybe get the festive spirit out of them during t he weekend (a lt hough who are we kidding, classroom attendance on Saint Patrick’s Day is usually in single digits.)

The real fun will be on Tuesday the 17th, though. Most pubs

will be opening at 11 a.m., with The Snooty Fox promising heav y drinking beginning at 11:01 — so we suggest waking up at dawn to get a leg-up on the competition.

For those looking for grub f irst and foremost, places like Dolan’s Pub will have you covered. A long with food and drink, the bar will feature bands playing throughout the day.

“We’ve got Barry’s Privateers playing in the afternoon; they’ve played this day at Dolan’s for 15 years now,” said a staffer. “Then at night, a great band from Halifax called The Frequency playing until close.”

Vault 29 also promises a good time, with local musicians J.J M.E playing their maritime/Irish rock in the evening, while the restaurant will offer their own unique t a ke on la mb ste w a nd s weet G u i n ne s s w i ng s . T he L u n a r Rogue will be serving up favorites like Corned Beef & Cabbage and Irish stew, set to the tunes of the band Different Folks.

K lub K h rome w i l l a lso be of fer i ng a celebr at ion for St .

Pat rick’s Day. The ba r w ill be rocking from 3 p.m. onwards with trivia, prizes, and the ubiquitous green beer.

BRUNSWICKANARTS

Songs of the week Sebastian Maynard Arts Editor

Jay Electronica – “Road to Perdition” Every time New Orleans rapper Jay Electronica shares a song it causes speculation that his long-awaited album may finally see the light of day. It was in 2012 that he originally shared the track list of the record, and now in 2015 he has released what was then said to be track 10 of the upcoming album, “Road to Perdition.”

The new song features a sample of Jay-Z’s “Success” and sees Electronica delivering lines that are going to force you to look them up online; In fact he wants you to do so. “Google me, baby, understand where I’m coming from/My destiny’s to hit a grand slam when my number come,” he raps. We don’t know when that will exactly be, but Jay Electronica has a way of keeping people ready.

Kanye West – “All Day (feat. Allan Kingdom, Paul McCartney & Theophilus London)” Though it has 19 people credited to writing the song, Kanye West will be the one that gets the primary credit for “All Day,” the most promising

track he has shared in promotion of So Help Me God. Overtop a menacing beat that reminds of Yeezus, West brings a Watch the Throne-style rap song that is catchy in the complete opposite way that “FourFiveSeconds” is.

Unlike West and Paul McCartney’s previous collaborations, “All Day” also features McCartney providing vocals on the songs outro. There is no release date yet for West’s muchanticipated album, but as is always the case, it seems the new record will be very different from what he has done before.

Modest Mouse – “Of Course We Know” Modest Mouse continues to release new music in promotion of their upcoming album, Strangers to Ourselves. The latest is the catchy “Of Course We Know,” which is a little mellower than their previous singles, with dreamy backing vocals humming over a complex musical arrangement that continues to change throughout the song. “What in the hell are we here for? We just do not know,” sings Issac Brock, a question that the band has asked before using

Calum Jackson is currently performing every Thursday at Cinnamon Cafe.

Submitted

Calum Jackson continues to impress Sebastian Maynard Arts Editor Like many musicians, the reason for Calum Jackson’s first musical act was in hopes of getting a girl.

“I got up and played an acoustic song for a girl I was trying to impress,” said Jackson of his first high school performance. “I think that was a big step towards my performances today.”

Jackson can now be found playing every Thursday at the Cinnamon Cafe in downtown Fredericton.

“I’ve always liked performing anything I possibly could, ever since I was very small,” he said.

Jackson began by playing ragtime and jazz standards on his acoustic guitar, but says that his music is changing now that he has begun using an electric guitar.

“I have been playing around with new things. Similar things, but new in some ways,” he explained.

For Jackson, the Cinnamon Cafe performances came about by simply reaching out to the owner of the cafe. It is another

example of the openness that is found within the community, both from businesses and artists.

“The musicians in Fredericton are very talented, and also incredibly friendly,” said Jackson. “It’s easy to get together and jam with them.”

Along with his weekly performances, Jackson hopes to finish recording an album before the summer hits. Though he admits that the sound will be somewhat raw and unedited, his hope is that the more he plays and records, the better he will get.

“I am trying to practice playing a lot, performing whenever I get the chance and trying to get my name out there a bit,” said Jackson.

As Jackson begins performing at other venues around the city, the list of people he has impressed will continue to grow.

“Music is certainly a huge part of my life, perhaps the biggest,” he said, and whatever he does in the future, it seems that music will continue to play a prominent role in Jackson’s life.

different words, and though “Of Course We Know” sounds familiar, the differences are enough to make it an exciting reminder of the past and preview of what is to come from the bands music.

Tobias Jesso Jr. – “Without You (feat. Danielle Haim)” In lead up to the release of his debut album, Goon, Tobias Jesso Jr. recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, performing alongside The Roots. His musical collaborations continue in his latest song, “Without You,” which features Danielle of HAIM on drums.

The new track sees Jesso pleading for his love to give him a chance.

The piano ballad isn’t a reinvention of the wheel, you have heard songs like this before, but the Vancouver native has been able to gain some anticipation towards the March 17 release of Goon. The record will be available via the Canadian record label, Arts & Crafts.

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 11

EVENTS LIST WEDNESDAY, MAR. 11 Music on the Hill: Remember Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m., $10 (Students)

THURSDAY, MAR. 12 Ghettosocks, Monarch, Old Self & Benzie The Capital, 10 p.m., $8

FRIDAY, MAR. 13 Phantom of the Opera The Playhouse, 7:30 p.m., $34

SATURDAY, MAR. 14 Harvest Winter Blues Series: Ross Neilsen James Joyce Irish Pub, 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAR. 15 Derek Edwards The Playhouse, 7:30 p.m., $37.50

MONDAY, MAR. 16 1st Annual UNB Mawio’mi / Siqonawsultipon Powwow Currie Center, 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, MAR. 17 St. Patrick’s Day

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 12

THE BRUNS

SPORTS sports@thebruns.ca

UNB celebrates winning the AUS Championship last Wednesday at Acadia University.

Eric Cederberg / Acadia Sports Information

Reds rolling into nationals

Jamie Tozer Sports Editor The UNB Varsity Reds are heading to the University Cup on a winning note.

The Varsity Reds won their fourth Atlantic University Sports men’s hockey championship in five years last Wednesday in Wolfville, defeating the Acadia Axemen 4-2 to take the best-of-three series 2-0.

Phil Halley scored the series-winning goal with 1:48 remaining in game two, redirecting a Jordan Murray shot. Dylan Willick added an empty net goal while Rob Mignardi and Chris Caissy also scored in the victory. David Shantz made 28 saves.

The Varsity Reds pounded the Axemen in game one, scoring four power play goals in an 8-2 win at the Aitken Centre. The result

Sarah Rouse Sports Reporter

came as a surprise given that Acadia had won three of the four regular season meetings between the two.

“It’s another step in the process,” said head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “The goal for the team at the first of the year was to try and be the most improved team in our league in the regular season and I thought we achieved that. The playoffs were a similar goal, to try and find ways to get better within a series and often within a game.

“It’s certainly a great accomplishment but we know there’s a lot of work ahead for us.”

The Varsity Reds and Axemen had already clinched spots in the University Cup tournament before the AUS final began.

The host StFX X-Men, who were eliminated in the AUS semifinals by UNB, will be the

third Atlantic Canadian team at the national championship.

UNB finished first in regular season play with a 22-4-2 record. MacDougall has said all year that he wants the team to get better every day, and after a couple slip-ups in the AUS semifinal, they’ll enter nationals on a three-game winning streak.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport will be introducing a new format for the University Cup this year, ditching the six-team, pool style tournament in favour of an eight-team, single elimination format.

Although the single-elimination format leaves no room for error, the old pool style format didn’t allow for many mistakes either.

“The only difference I look at is that there are two extra teams,” said MacDougall.

“Even though it wasn’t a one shot deal you always had to play [as if it was] a one shot deal.”

UNB is no stranger to the national championship, winning four of the past eight. Their last trip to the tournament was in 2013 when the V-Reds defeated the Saint Mary’s Huskies 2-0 in the final. Only four players from that game — Cam Braes, Taylor MacDougall, Adrian Robertson and Tyler Carroll — are still with the team.

“We’ve got some experience at this destination point so hopefully we can use some of that experience and continue on with the progression of our team.”

Along with the three AUS teams, there will be three squads from Ontario University Athletics and two from the Canada West

Universities Athletic Association. UNB has seen StFX and Acadia play plenty this season, but preparing for teams the V-Reds haven’t faced is a bit trickier.

“We’ll get some game tape once we know our opponent,” said MacDougall, noting that teams are obliged by CIS rules to send tape of their last game to opponents.

“That being said, it’s more about what we want to do.”

The University Cup begins Thursday, March 12 with a pair of quarterfinal games at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. There will be two more quarterfinals on Friday, March 13 with the semifinals taking place on Saturday, March 14. The bronze medal and championship games will be held on Sunday, March 15.

The big weekend has arrived for CIS

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is hoping for big things from its inaugural Super Championship Weekend.

In previous years, the women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s hockey and men’s hockey national championship tournaments were each held on separate weekends. The Super Championship Weekend, by contrast, will have all four championships running concurrently from March 12 to 15 in four different cities across Canada.

Michel Belanger, communications and media relations manager for the CIS, believes that the adaptation will aid in promoting Canada’s finest athletes through nationally televised game coverage.

“Our decision was influenced heavily by the six-year agreement that we signed with the television station Sportsnet last year,” explained Belanger. “Among the things we discussed at that time was the fact that our

ratings hadn’t improved in recent years.”

While the CIS football championships garnered many viewers each fall, the numbers weren’t quite as impressive for the winter sports. This spurred the CIS executives to brainstorm solutions to this problem, and ways in which they could improve.

“One of Sportsnet’s producers had worked at several Olympic Games, and suggested that if we put all of the championships on the same weekend, viewers could jump from women’s basketball to men’s hockey, for example, all on the same channel,” he said. “Initially it was just an idea, but as we started to discuss it in further detail we realized that it might be a huge step forward for our program.”

While the executive committee discussed at length which sports would be feasible in this context, they eventually decided that hockey and basketball would be most profitable on television.

“Instead of having them spread out

on separate weekends, we decided to try hosting them all in one action-packed weekend,” explained Belanger. “We’re pretty confident that it will drive up our television ratings, because firstly we’re able to focus all our promotional material on one weekend. Secondly, we’re hoping that someone who is primarily interested in say, women’s hockey, might be tempted to also tune into some basketball games. Alumni from schools which may have several teams playing throughout the weekend might end up watching all of the games.”

While the new format has many upsides, Belanger admits that it has created some challenges logistically.

“If you look at last year, for example, McGill had teams qualify for all four national championships. In situations like that, it can create some challenges for fans and athletic directors, who have to choose which tournament to attend, and which team to support.

“With every new idea or concept comes

new challenges, but we think overall it’s going to be great for the CIS.” The CIS men’s and women’s hockey tournaments will also be undergoing a significant change in format, with eight teams now taking part in a single-elimination tournament.

“We had been looking for a new model for the hockey championships for years,” explained Belanger. “For the last 15 years, we had six teams playing in two pools. This created headaches every year, because oftentimes the standings would come down to point differentials. In these situations, it was really hard to explain to television viewers how one team might have to win by a certain number of goals in order to qualify for the championship game.”

Many CIS officials suggested a true round robin tournament akin to the Memorial Cup, in which all four qualifying teams play each other. This idea was vetoed, however, due to the length of round robin tourna-

ments, which can often run for more than a week.

“We just couldn’t justify taking university students on the road and away from school for that long,” said Belanger. “We were seeking formats which would still allow us to hold the championship over four days, and that’s why we chose to move to an eight-team, single elimination tournament, like what we see in basketball and soccer.”

The Varsity Reds men’s hockey team will be the lone UNB team taking part in the inauguralSuperChampionshipWeekend. The University Cup men’s hockey championship begins March 12 in Halifax.

Calgary will host this year’s CIS women’s hockey championship. Toronto and Quebec City will host the men’s and women’s basketball Final 8 tournaments, respectively.

Every tournament’s semifinal games and championship games will be aired coast-tocoast on either Sportsnet One or Sportsnet 360 on March 14-15.

BRUNSWICKANSPORTS

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 13

Halifax set to host Cup

Marc Gagnon Staff Reporter

Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s men’s hockey championship, the University Cup, is rapidly approaching, and organizers in Halifax want everyone to know that there’ll be just as much to do off the ice as on it.

Attractions will include the Hockey Canada Century Tour, an interactive experience celebrating 100 years of hockey where attendees can try green screen hockey shootouts, video games, and even a synthetic ice surface. Each team’s designated “hockey house” pub will get fans out and exploring Halifax’s nightlife.

Derek Martin, CIS University Cup Organizing Committee Chair, said that off-ice events for visitors are a key factor of the tournament.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working on the entertainment value outside the rink with this event,” he said. “From the Hockey Canada Century Tour exhibit that will be set up in the Grand Parade all week to the hockey health symposium designed for parents, coaches and health professionals. We’ve attempted to build a celebration of hockey.”

The “hockey house” drinking venues are certainly one of the main draws, providing a place for visiting fans to cheer on their team in a friendly, boozy atmosphere. The UNB

Varsity Reds’ hockey house will be located at the Stubborn Goat Gastropub on Grafton Street. Acadia and StFX will also have their own venues while Cheers will serve as a general hockey house for all CIS fans.

“One of Halifax’s strengths as an event host is the location of Scotiabank Centre in the heart of downtown, a short walk to multiple hotels, restaurants and bars,” said Martin. “University sports provide a unique opportunity for people to gather together around a shared experience or memory and we wanted to give everyone the best forum to do that.”

Gardiner MacDougall, head coach of the Varsity Reds men’s hockey team, believes

to the tournament is key.

“The university hockey product is a terrific brand of hockey but it suffers from a lack of exposure,” he said. “We really hope this national championship can help raise its profile and attract loyal fans. I am proud of the work our team of staff and volunteers have put in to make this championship about much more than just the great action fans will see on the ice.”

The University Cup begins on Thursday with quarterfinal action and ends on Sunday with the bronze medal and championship games.

that Halifax will do an exceptional job as host city.

“I think the people of the area will endorse it,” he said. “They have three AUS teams representing our conference — which I think is an added bonus — and I think there will be plenty of fans from all three [schools].”

The Aitken Centre was packed for most games when UNB last hosted the tournament in 2011 and 2012. Last year, Saskatoon set a University Cup attendance record and had over 8,000 fans in the building for some games. While ticket sales for this year’s tournament have been robust so far, Martin said that attracting young, hockey-loving families

2015

UNIVERSITY CUP PREVIEW SCHEDULE

TEAMS

Scotiabank Centre – Halifax, N.S.

Thursday, March 12 Calgary vs Guelph at 1 p.m.

Windsor vs UNB at 7 p.m.

Friday, March 13 Acadia vs UQTR at 1 p.m.

StFX vs Alberta at 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 14 Semifinal 1 at noon Semifinal 2 at 4 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 Bronze Medal Game at 2 p.m.

Gold Medal Game at 6:30 p.m.

ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (1) Canada West Champion Regular season record: 24-3-1 (1st Canada West) Leading scorer: T.J. Foster (42 points) Playoff record: 4-0 Last CIS Championship: 2014

GUELPH GRYPHONS (3) OUA Gold Medalist Regular season record: 11-13-3 (6th OUA West) Leading scorer: Nicklas Huard (28 points) Playoff record: 7-2 Last CIS Championship: 1997

ACADIA AXEMEN (5) AUS Finalist Regular season record: 20-5-3 (2nd AUS) Leading scorer: Brett Thompson (38 points) Playoff record: 3-4 Last CIS Championship: 1996

WINDSOR LANCERS (7) OUA Bronze Medalist Regular season record: 22-4-1 (1st OUA West) Leading scorer: Spencer Pommells (50 points) Playoff record: 5-3 Last CIS Championship: None

UNB VARSITY REDS (2) AUS Champion Regular season record: 22-4-2 (1st AUS) Leading scorer: Phil Maillet (39 points) Playoff record: 5-2 Last CIS Championship: 2013

UQTR PATRIOTES (4) OUA Silver Medalist Regular season record: 19-4-3 (3rd OUA East) Leading scorer: Marc-Olivier Mimar (35 points) Playoff record: 6-1 Last CIS Championship: 2003

CALGARY DINOS (6) Canada West Finalist Regular season record: 20-8-0 (2nd Canada West) Leading scorer: Elgin Pearce (31 points) Playoff record: 2-3 Last CIS Championship: None

STFX X-MEN (8) Host Regular season record: 17-9-2 (4th AUS) Leading scorer: Michael Kirkpatrick (34 points) Playoff record: 4-3 Last CIS Championship: 2004

THE PATTERN

5 THINGS TO KNOW

You could say the UNB Varsity Reds are due for another national championship.

The team has won CIS titles in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and, after failing to qualify for the 2014 tournament, will be looking to continue the odd year pattern this weekend in Halifax.

PANEL

FAMILIAR FOES

WELCOME BACK

WAR OF WORDS

BROADCAST INFO

There won’t be too many unfamiliar logos on the ice at this year’s University Cup. Only two teams taking part in this year’s tournament — the Calgary Dinos and Windsor Lancers — haven’t won national championships.

Meanwhile, teams participating in this year’s championship have won 16 of the past 20 University Cups.

Scotiabank Centre may not be home to a CIS team, but there will be plenty of players at the University Cup who used to call the building home. Former Halifax Mooseheads taking part in the tournament include: Cam Critchlow (UNB), Randy Gazzola (UNB), R.D. Chisholm (UNB), Brad Cuzner (StFX), Trey Lewis (StFX), Gabriel O’Connor (StFX) and Travis Randell (Acadia).

The possibility of an UNBUQTR meeting at the University Cup is certainly intriguing. In a Quebec newspaper earlier in the season, UQTR head coach MarcÉtienne Hubert accused UNB of “bending the rules” when it comes to player recruitment. The Varsity Reds filed a complaint to the CIS who went on to fine the Patriotes $2,000 and place the team on a 24-month probation period.

As part of the inaugural CIS Super Championship Weekend, both semifinals and the championship game of the University Cup will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet 360. On the radio, UNB campus station CHSR 97.9 FM will be broadcasting every game of the tournament.

Is a single-elimination format for the University Cup a good idea?

THEY KNOW WHAT’S UP

Jamie Tozer

Scott Hems

Jonathan Copeland

Sports Editor

Columnist

Sports Fan

I like it. The new format will make the tournament much simpler to follow and will ensure that every game has meaning. It might suck for a tournament favourite that gets eliminated in their first game, but everyone loves upsets and Cinderella runs. This format style should help those.

It seems like a waste to have a team fly across the country just to be done after one game. Though it kicks up the atmosphere with higher pressure in the game, there’s no chance for redemption, which is probably the best part of any playoffs.

I really like the new format. The main criticism I had of previous tournaments was their complicated nature. No one wants to be sitting in the stands with their calculator trying to figure out what team advances to the final. The basic eight-team tourney format will be phenomenal.

John Robb

cellarpub.ca

V-Reds Fan

I actually prefer single-elimination to the pool format they were using before. The old format was confusing and had many issues with tie breakers and match-ups. At least in the single-elimination format you know what your job is — get the win. Of course a series would be better, but it would be tough logistically. I approve of this change.

14 •March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148

BRUNS

SPORTS

BRUNSWICKANSPORTS

Reds upset in AUS semi Jamie Tozer Sports Editor

It was a tough way to end a great season.

After finishing first in the Atlantic University Sport regular season standings with a 16-4 record, the UNB Varsity Reds men’s basketball team had their season abruptly end with an 85-74 semifinal loss to the Dalhousie Tigers on Feb. 28 in Halifax.

“Our defence kind of left us in the second half. We had a really poor matchup with Sven Stammberger and we didn’t really follow through on the defensive game plan on that end,” said UNB head coach Brent Baker.

“When you give 56 or 57 points or whatever in a half, that’s pretty good indication that you’re not getting it done.”

The Varsity Reds led 40-29 at halftime and had a 12-point lead in the third quarter.

The Tigers, who were seeded fifth entering the tournament, slowly crawled back into the game though, making it a one-point match heading into the fourth. In that final quarter, Dalhousie posted 28 points and pulled ahead in the final couple minutes.

“We kind of got a little stagnant on offense,” added Baker. “We didn’t attack and guys weren’t moving. Once the ball got into [Will] McFee, Javon [Masters] or [Matt] Daley’s hands, everyone kind of stood around and expected them to do it.

We didn’t move the ball well.”

Although the 2014-15 season didn’t end with a championship, this was still quite an impressive season for the Varsity Reds. Masters led the entire country in scoring again this year with an average of 25.1 points per game, winning AUS most valuable player honours. Masters was also named a first team AUS all-star while McFee made the second

UNB’s Matt Daley goes for a block at the AUS Championship semifnal last week.

Nick Pearce / Atlantic University Sport

team and Jesse Kendall cracked the all-rookie squad. On top of all that, Baker was named the AUS coach of the year.

The Varsity Reds sat in first place for most of the season and clinched top spot in the conference for the first time in nearly 50 years. There’s no doubt that this year’s team was one of the best the Varsity Reds have assembled in recent memory.

“I’m not disappointed in these guys. I’m more disappointed for them,” said Baker.

“For everything we did this year, losing that game doesn’t diminish that this is the only [UNB] team that’s gotten the bye [by finishing first overall in the regular season] since 1967.

“We did a lot of really, really good things and I think when you put that all over the course of 20 games, we didn’t mess up our way to 16-4. We did it because we played well.”

Looking ahead to next season, UNB

will be without the services of Will McFee, Jordan Irvine and Ryan Smith due to graduation. Baker was quick to point out that the subtraction of those three may not be the only roster adjustments.

“My job is to upgrade the roster. We’re going to try and make sure that we always keep getting better. There’s two types of loyalty here: my loyalty is to make sure the program goes forward, gets better and we can keep adding better players. Their obligation or loyalty is that I don’t have to recruit for that position. You can get better through development and you can get better through recruiting. We try and do a little bit of both.”

The V-Reds have already announced three recruits, adding 6’9 Cam Redl, 6’7 Ben Redl and 6’8 Stephon Smith to next season’s roster.

“We’ll have, probably, more athletic size than we’ve had in a few years. We’ll be bigger.”

Women’s team happy with progress

Sarah Rouse Sports Reporter

Although the UNB Varsity Reds women’s basketball team’s season ended in defeat, the 2014-15 campaign was nonetheless one to remember for head coach Jeff Speedy and his squad.

“I thought our program took some definite steps forward after a very tough season in 2013-14,” said coach Speedy. “We won some tough games on the road against Acadia, StFX, Cape Breton and beat a top 10 team in an exhibition game.”

The team finished with an 8-12 record in conference play, which was good for sixth place in the Atlantic University Sport standings, securing them the final berth at the conference championship tournament a few weeks ago. This was a distinct change from the previous year, in which the women’s team

won only five games throughout the season and did not qualify for the playoffs.

“Our main challenge this year was dealing with injuries,” explained Speedy. “We lost a starter for the season in October, two other key players to season ending knee injuries in Januaryandtwootherkeyplayersforsixweeks each due to severe ankle injuries.”

UNB’s season came to a close with a 6545 loss to the UPEI Panthers in the AUS quarterfinals on Feb. 26. While their season may not have ended as they had hoped, Speedy believes that the team developed tremendously over the course of the season.

“Back in September I thought we were a top four team that could have competed for a leaguetitle.Wewereveryclosetodoingsoand I think we could have without our injuries.”

All season long, the team had aspired to make it to the playoffs, and Speedy was proud of the effort put forth by his team against a

UNB’s Jane Boyle charges towards the basket at the AUS Championship last week.

Nick Pearce / Atlantic University Sport

tough UPEI squad.

“It was nice to make the playoffs this season, especially with the games being in the Scotiabank Centre for the first time,” said Speedy. “That was an exciting atmosphere to play in, even though we only got to play one game.

“I do think we played well in our playoff game vs. UPEI. They are a very physical team and we didn’t back down from them for the entire first half. They beat us four times this season so they deserved the victory.”

Although the team has struggled over the past few seasons, Speedy is hopeful for the future.

“We started one first-year player and two second-year players, so I’m very excited to watch them develop,” he said. “Second-year player Grace Wade was voted a second team AUS all-star, second-year player Laura Kaye wasveryclosetobeinganall-starandfirst-year playerNicoleLafleurmadetheAUSall-rookie team. I expect all three of these players to have huge years next season.”

Speedy also acknowledged the inspiring performance of the team’s sole graduating player, Colleen Daly.

“She was a very important player for us for four years, and has been an unreal teammate.

We will miss her big time.”

The Varsity Reds are slated to host the 2015-16 CIS Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. Coach Speedy had no qualms in expressing his vision for the team’s upcoming season.

“Our goal is to win an AUS Championship and not need to rely on the host berth to get to nationals.”

BRUNSWICKANSPORTS

March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148 • 15

Notebook: Maillet named AUS MVP Jamie Tozer Sports Editor The U N B Va rsit y R eds men’s hockey team didn’t win all of the awards — but they did win most of them.

Atlantic University Sport announced the major award winners and all-star teams for men’s hockey last week. UNB’s Phil Maillet was named the conference’s most valuable player, V-Reds defenceman R andy Gazzola was named the rookie of the year and head coach Gardiner MacDougall took home coach of the year honours.

With 39 points, Maillet led the AUS in regular season scoring.

Gazzola f inished second in defenceman scoring with 24 points.

MacDougall, in his 15th season as head coach of the Varsity Reds, led UNB to a f irst-place regular season f inish for an eighth consecutive year.

Ben Duffy of the Saint Mary’s Husk ies, who redsh i r ted w it h U NB last year, was named the most sportsmanlike player. StFX’s R ob Sla ney won t he st udentathlete community service award.

Mea nwh i le, Ma i l let a nd defencema n Jorda n Mu rray were named to the f irst all-star team.

Gazzola made the second all-star team and all-rookie team. UNB’s Cameron Brace was also named to the all-rookie team.

Big night for Maillet In game one of the AUS men’s hockey championship, Phil Maillet woke up UNB’s struggling power play in a big way.

Maillet netted four power play goals in the Varsity Reds’ 8-2 victory over the Acadia Axemen last Monday at t he A it ken Cent re.

UNB went a woeful 2/21 on the man advantage during their f ive game semif inal series against the StFX X-Men. “It’s obviously nice to get the power play going. I know we’ve had had some trouble lately,” said Maillet, whose team f inished 4/8 while a man up. “It’s one of those games where you bring the puck to the net and it goes in.”

In game two of the AUS Championship, UNB went 0/4 on the power play.

Abelev wins another gold UNB wrestler Ilya Abelev won his fourth straight CIS gold medal in Edmonton a couple weeks ago.

Abelev, a former Western Mustang, won gold in the 76 kg weight class, defeating Winnipeg’s Aleksander Soronov. Abelev has now won gold in the 76 kg (2015), 72 kg (2013), 68 kg (2012) and 65 kg (2011) classes.

Other UNB wrestlers winning medals at CIS nationals include Alyssa Cleaves (bronze in women’s 48 kg class), Grayson St. Laurent (gold in men’s 82 kg class) and Alex Thoms (silver in men’s 100 kg class). Mea nwh i le, Da rr ion Sterling won the R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award.

Frogmore Estates

Myatt finishes strong Sarah Myatt of the Varsity Reds was named the AUS female track athlete of the year at the conference championships in Moncton a couple weeks ago.

Myatt, the captain of U NB’s women’s t rack a nd f ield team, f inished the AUS season by winning the 600m and 1,000m races.

She also helped UNB’s relay team w i n si lver i n t he 4x80 0m a nd bronze medals in the 4x200m and 4x400m.

Up next for Myatt are the CIS national championships in Windsor on Ma rch 12-15. She w i l l compete in the 600m and 1,000m races.

Tigers upset their way to title The biggest story from the AUS men’s basketball championship was, without a doubt, the surprising Dalhousie Tigers.

The Tigers, who were seeded f ifth after f inishing the regular season with a .500 record of 10-10, upset Cape Breton 62-60 in the quarterf inal, upset UNB 85-74 in the semif inal and then upset Saint Mary’s 88-78 in overtime to win the AUS Championship.

“They won it. They didn’t have it given to them for sure,” said Varsity Reds head coach Brent Baker.

“I think it was a surprise run for their 10-10 record but they do three things that really make a championship team: they play pretty tenacious defence, they have a lot of discipline on offense and they stick to the game plan. They didn’t get rattled. They were down double-digits to all three teams — I think they beat the three best teams all in a row, including one in overtime to win it. I couldn’t think of a more deserving team.

They deserved to win that championship.”

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managers@frogmoreestates.ca Phil Maillet has been named the AUS men’s hockey MVP. Adam Travis / The Brunswickan

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BRUNSWICKANSPORTS

16 •March 11, 2015 • Issue 23 • Volume 148

Outrunning the stigma

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Scott Hems

It took a long time before I realized what I was fighting for. I knew I was depressed and had an obesity problem, but I didn’t realize I had a mental illness and was fighting to end the stigma.

Fortunately, I was curing my illness though I didn’t truly understand it.

The beauty with my weight loss, along with all my life, was that I learned one irreplaceable truth about mental health.

If you can look at all the horrible moments in your life, and be thankful for them, you will know true happiness.

I didn’t think it was okay for me to be sad and overweight. I was surrounded by this image in the athletic world that I had to be happy and skinny to succeed in my dreams.

Show us your sport face

the brunswickan sports

I always think about what I would say to that overweight kid crying his eyes out and contemplating his life. You can’t just not think about these things.

I’ve dealt with suicide and thought about what I would tell them to stop them, just as I thought about what I could tell myself when I contemplated it. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to university someday, you will travel the world reffing the sport you love, you will meet people who accept you and you’ll never feel that low again.”

I would have been right. If I told myself I’d lose 114 pounds, run a marathon, and hug people I cared about knowing I made a difference in their life, I wouldn’t have believed it. Just like

I wouldn’t have believed the best quote I ever heard to end the stigma, and maybe the most powerful statement in the human language — you’re not alone. Two of five people have a mental illness, but everyone has mental health.

I can admit that at times, I ran solely to avoid suicide. At times I ran so much that I forgot I was depressed. The best part about overcoming depression is the fact that others will be ignited. By far my favourite moments of my story have been people’s reactions. I love it because it proves I wasn’t alone. All those times I thought I was on my own there was someone else who felt just as lonely.

Things may have been different had I realized long ago that it was okay to be

sad and bigger. But I can’t regret the accomplishments I worked for. I was born to be something greater than part of a stigma, and so were you.

It was years before I realized I was winning a battle I had blindly fought my entire life. Sometimes we overcome demons we didn’t know were haunting us. But that’s what makes it incredible that you’re going to win. Keep in mind, I was losing this battle ferociously at one point. But I was just too close to the puzzle to see the picture that was forming.

“Every good thing that has happened in your life happened because something changed.” – Andy Andrews