Issue 23, Vol 145, The Brunswickan

arts | the purity myth

news | nbsa debate heats up

opinion| threatening history

sports| unb leads semifinal 2-0

Volume 145 · February 29 · Issue 23, 2012

www.thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

Aitken stands together after tragedy befalls house resident Josh Fleck The Brunswickan For Colton Watson, Feb. 23 will be a day he’ll never forget.

On that morning, his mother Cynthia King dropped two of her three children off at the bus stop for school, and headed home. Her husband Andy had already left for work.

King fell asleep and that’s when the fire started in her home. The blaze consumed the entire house, tragically taking the life of the 38-year-old.

Watson is a first-year engineering student from Pembroke, New Brunswick who lives in Aitken House.

Aitken House has a storied past, built on the foundation of brotherhood, and never has it been more apparent than this past week.

A group of Aitken House members including current president Tyler Belyea, incoming president Matthew Sullivan and proctors Jeff Paradis and Dwyer Penk, came up with the idea to raise money for their friend and his family in their time of need. They “Passed the Can” at the UNB hockey game on Saturday night.

“The idea was originally for our house charity, AIDS New Brunswick,” Penk said.

“But with our house suffering such a great tragedy, we figured it would be good for the brotherhood to raise money for his family.”

Saturday night, the Men of Aitken raised a staggering $3,052 for Watson’s family. The cans made their way around the arena as people emptied their wallets for the cause. Additional fundraising on Sunday pushed the total to over $3,200.

“The tragedy happened on a Thursday, and the whole house was willing to help any way they could,” Belyea said.

“Whether it be through donations, or volunteering to help us out.”

The men of the house are planning a few events in the coming weeks to raise more funds for the family.

“We plan on going through all the residences door-to-door; it’s an easy way to get some money,” added Paradis.

(Left to right) Aitken House president Tyler Belyea, incoming president Matthew Sullivan and proctors Jeff Paradis and Dwyer Penk.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan “Our next big idea is basically a concert, in the SUB or wherever spot we can get donated. We will charge cover and hopefully have some giveaways, as well as donations. A night just for him [Watson]. None of this is set in stone, just ideas that we will hopefully set in motion within the next week or two. This fundraising

won’t be done just this weekend; their family suffered a great loss and it will take them a while to get back on their feet.”

Paradis, Sullivan and proctor Michael Huskilson travelled to Woodstock to attend the funeral service as well as present the family with cards signed by all of Aitken House

expressing their condolences.

They are waiting until all of their fundraising is complete to give a cheque to the family with the final amount. The family was informed of how much was raised in such a short period of time and they were overwhelmed and extremely grateful, house representative said.

Watson also extended his gratitude and respect for anyone and everyone who took part in the fundraiser.

While Watson may have only one brother, after this weekend there are 80 more back at Aitken waiting for him to come home.

brunswickannews

2 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

It shoots, it scores

U of M home to what may be world’s first hockey-playing robot

Fraser Nelund and Marc Lagace The Manitoban (University of Manitoba) WINNIPEG (CUP) — Programmers working at the Autonomous Agents Laboratory at the University of Manitoba may have developed the world’s first humanoid-robot ice-hockey player.

Chris Iverach-Brereton, a computer science graduate student at the U of M, has been programming Jennifer — a DARwin open platform named after Canadian hockey player Jennifer Botterill — for less than a month.

Thus far the robot is capable of taking a shot, stick handling and taking rudimentary strides on some makeshift skates. She makes her moves with a miniature Bison hockey stick.

Jacky Baltes, professor in the department of computer science and Iverach-Brereton’s supervisor, got his student working on programming the multi-sport capable robot to take on Canada’s game mere weeks ago.

Jennifer doesn’t have her own skates yet. Iverach-Brereton told the Manitoban that a customized set of blades was on the way, but had been delayed by a few days.

Jennifer has six motors in each leg and three in each arm. IverachBrereton is looking forward to the addition of new motors in the robot’s

this week in brunswickannews Student pitch competition Application forms for the Student Pitch Competition are being accepted until noon on March 14. The Student Pitch Competition is open for students of all faculties to present a clear and concise overview of a product, service, or idea that they have created. Students, who can work in teams of up to four people, have three minutes to present their idea to a panel of judges for cash prizes. Judging takes place on March 29. For more information and to submit an entry form for the competition, please visit: http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/ engineering/jhsmith/index.html.

UNB professor wins national award UNB professor Dr.Yun Zhang has won the Synergy Award for Innovation from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and a $200,000 research grant. With PCI Geomatics, Dr. Zhang has created complex algorithms that can fuse images from satellites with a processing speed and high image quality.

Marc Lagace / The Manitoban arms, which will serve to increase range of motion.

Her practice arena is the Duckworth Quadrangle. She, Baltes and Iverach-Brereton have prepared a video entry to the 2012 DARwin-OP Humanoid Appliance Challenge, a competition to reward the most innovative uses of the platform.

“We don’t know anyone else that has tried doing it,” said IverachBrereton. “There [are] other people who’ve worked on aspects of hockey.

There [are] robots that make slapshots and stuff. I haven’t actually seen a humanoid robot try to do all of it... Go Canada!”

Welcome Centre closed for the break The UNB Student Union Welcome Centre will be closed from Mar. 5 to 9 for the March Break. It will reopen when classes resume the following Monday.

brunswickannews

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 3

Stereotypes attached to all-female residences often unfounded

Alanah Duffy News Reporter Last Monday, students from the University of New Brunswick’s residence community gathered to form the letter “T” in the Dunn Kidd Tibbits lounge.

The “T” was to show support for Tibbits Hall, a formerly all-female residence that will become co-ed for the 2012-2013 school year.

“It wasn’t a demonstration as much as it was showing appreciation for the fact that the house existed,” said Maggie Yeomans, don of Tibbits Hall.

“It was a get-together to show that the community supports Tibbits, we accept that the change is happening, and it won’t be forgotten the way it was.”

Earlier this month, UNB’s Residential Life announced Tibbits would be making the transition to a co-ed residence due to low application rates.

The women of Tibbits, some of whom have been living in the 3T wing of Joy Kidd Hall this year as Tibbits Hall undergoes renovations, met with the Residential Life administration to discuss the change.

After that meeting and other reactions from the university community, UNB is still going ahead with the transition.

“People won’t be disadvantaged in terms of getting their preference

of gender-specific versus co-ed,” said James Brown, executive director of Residential Life.

“I think that we’ve generally accepted that the way to do this is to look at the application numbers. There’s not a fairer way of doing it; it’s a kind of least-harm principle.”

Both Tibbits Hall and UNB’s other all-female residence, Lady Dunn Hall, have 100 beds in them. Lady Dunn Hall gets more applications per year than Tibbits Hall, prompting the Tibbits Hall transition.

Clayton Beaton, residence manager at St. Thomas University’s Residence Life and Conference Services, said there is a stereotype associated with Vanier Hall, STU’s all-female residence. This stereotype is often attached to all-female residences and can hinder residence occupancy.

“I’m doing interviews for residence advisor positions next year, and a lot of people who haven’t had exposure to Vanier Hall said that it’s catty, gossipy, and has a lot of drama,” Beaton said.

Beaton said those who haven’t lived in the house exaggerate the presence of drama in Vanier Hall. When marketing Vanier Hall to prospective students, the STU Residence Life team stresses the comfort level and traditions that the house has.

Brittany Hunter, Tibbits Hall social representative, said one thing she’ll

miss the most about having Tibbits Hall being all-female is the comfort level among residents.

“It was so casual – you could walk around in a towel and it wasn’t strange.

We had a close-knit community where you didn’t need to do your hair; you can just go chill in the lounge,” Hunter said.

Hunter said she still wants Tibbits Hall to have a sisterhood feel next year, but is also looking forward to incorporating males into the house’s traditions.

The house will have a female president, a male vice-president, one female and one male social representative, and a female treasurer. Other positions will be decided in September.

“With the new house committee, what they bring to the table is how the first-years are going to see Tibbits.

They’re not going to know what it was like before, so it’s all about remodeling and reshaping Tibbits,” Hunter said.

UNB’s Neville/Jones House reopened this year as a co-ed house, having previously been all-male. Like Tibbits Hall, the house was closed during the 2010-2011 for renovations.

Becky McBriarty, president of the house, said there was no animosity making the switch.

“There was a whole new energy in the house, and everybody was working really hard to make it a cohesive

Brittany Hunter said she wants Tibbits to retain an element of sisterhood next year. Tim Lingley / The Brunswickan unit,” she said. She added that old traditions were kept, and new ones have begun too.

“At the beginning of the year, we explained how important it was for us as a house committee to try and keep

the traditions and show people that even though we switched to co-ed, it was still going to be the same Neville/Jones that people remembered,” she said.

University launches new policy to handle harassment on campus

Barbara Roberts, human rights officer for UNB. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Alanah Duffy News Reporter The University of New Brunswick has launched a policy to address sexual harassment, harassment and discrimination on campus.

Last week, the university held two sessions to notify the university com-

munity of the policy, which started being drafted in January, 2009. Another session will be held at the Saint John campus today.

The new policy on sexual harassment, harassment and discrimination is a revision of previously existing policies.

“We had a harassment policy and

a sexual harassment policy, and they hadn’t been revised or reviewed in several years,” said Shirley Cleave, associate vice-president academic.

“There have been lots of changes in society and changes in expectations and standards, which meant that it was time to look at our policies and make sure they were in keeping with

the changes.”

The policy, which was drafted by a 12-member committee, outlines the definitions of sexual harassment, harassment and discrimination.

The 19-page document also details where people can seek assistance and how to launch informal and formal complaint processes.

Informal and formal complaints can be filed with the Office of Human Rights and Positive Environment, which is available free for all students, faculty and staff.

“We have a place where people can come and get information and figure out if their issue fits under the policy, what they might want to do on their own, and what they might want some help with,” said Barbara Roberts, UNB’s human rights officer.

There are two stages of the informal process; one involves meeting with Roberts to decide if action is desired or required and to discuss support and strategies. The second stage is work with an external mediator to solve the problem.

In the formal process of a complaint, an internal third party will conduct an investigation. An officer involved in the case will ultimately decide the outcome.

In both the informal and formal stages, Roberts won’t pursue any action without the consent of the person involved.

“I just want to hear their story.

If they want to take some actions themselves, we can talk about strategies they may want to try. It’s very flexible and depends on the person’s situation and what they’re prepared to do,” Roberts said.

This year, Roberts has launched a pilot project to help with student conflict. A volunteer mediator can help with roommate conflict on or off campus, and landlord and tenant problems.

This service is free to students and can be booked through the Office of Human Rights and Positive Environment. Roberts supervises the process.

Since becoming UNB’s human rights officer in the summer of 2011, Roberts has dealt with six discrimination claims, 18 claims of harassment or bullying and 14 positive environment claims.

President Eddy Campbell told the Brunswickan the new policy is a step in the right direction.

“It’s really important to have these policies in place. You wish you didn’t need to have them, but we’re a human organization and with that implies that we have folks who sometimes don’t know how to behave or cross the line,” Campbell said.

“We have to have fair, equitable ways of dealing with the results of such behaviour. I think that we have a very long step in the right direction with the implementation of this policy.”

brunswickannews

4 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

Council debates potential NBSA moves

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Debate was heated at UNB Student Union council Sunday night over the future of the New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA).

Vice-president external and NBSA president Joey O’Kane said the group is looking at hiring a full-time executive director that would need to be hired by the end of April. This means the UNBSU would invest more money in the NBSA – about $17,000.

This would also mean relocating NBSA headquarters to Moncton.

The NBSA is a student lobbying group that represents more than 16,000 students from both universities and community colleges in the province. Their mission is to represent and advocate for New Brunswick students. They also conduct research and develop policy.

O’Kane said Moncton would be a good place to headquarter the NBSA because the city is a “bilingual hub” and the NBSA is a bilingual organization. He said relocating to Moncton would not be a huge set-back in terms on lobbying.

“After a lot of conversation, we realized that will actually have minimal impact. Because worst case scenario, it’s just an hour and thirty minutes away. Some people actually commute for work from Fredericton to Moncton, so it’s not one of the biggest setbacks,” O’Kane said.

O’Kane also said Université de

Moncton has more resources available than UNB. “One of the major positives with this being in Moncton is that NBSA will actually be able to take advantage of a lot of Moncton’s resources, which includes their full-time communications officer, their full-time policy researcher. Plus, they also have an actual adult work-force.”

UNBSU president Jordan Thompson said these changes would be important to continue good advocacy and lobbying. He also said, despite troubles, the NBSA has been a credible source of student input for more than 30 years and needs to be strong.

“We need a strong PSE advocacy brand in order to move forward with positive changes, that in itself is why I’m supportive,” Thompson said.

Some council members were not sold on the idea.

“I’m struggling to see the logic …

How are they going to represent us two hours away,” asked Law representative Oliver Gorman-Asal.

Some councillors felt the issue was being thrown at them with little notice.

Science representative Adam Melanson said he was not impressed with how long council had to discuss the matter.

“I’m just really not impressed that there’s an expectation that we should come away after one discussion with how we should precede with this issue. This can result in some big changes with how this union oper-

ates. Asking them to come up with a decision after one session isn’t fair.

We should look at what will be cut to come up with proper funds and strike a committee to review this, rather than a basic discussion,” Melanson said.

Education representative Sarah Chamberlain-Boyle said most council members were not ready to discuss the matter.

“It’s not that I mind having this conversation. I think it’s a really important conversation to have. That’s why we’re here. But I feel like most of council is missing the tools in order to have this conversation appropriately,” Chamberlain-Boyle said.

Thompson said though they tried, this past year was not the best in terms of provincial lobbying, and having a strong NBSA will help make lobbying more effective.

“Without resources, we are just shooting in the dark, and that’s not an effective way to lobby at all. This year was not the best year despite the best foot we put forward and the effort we put into it . . . Right now I would argue that we are not getting much value at all for the NBSA. However, it doesn’t have to be that way … The only logical thing then is to improve the organization and move forward,” Thompson said.

Council wished to hear more information to make an informed decision, and agreed to hear more at the next meeting.

SUB Board meeting in brief Christopher Cameron Editor-In-Chief Aquinian moving back in After over a year and a half of not being allowed to utilize their office space in the Student Union Building, the Aquinian has been approved to become tenants again. This is subject to the terms and conditions of a contract that will be approved by the SUB board of directors at a later date.

The Aquinian will also have to cover costs of repairs, which are quoted at approximately $8,000, before being able to become tenants again.

SUB board to review rental policy The SUB board is looking into creating a sub committee at their next meeting to look at who gets to get what rates and what those rates might be. This committee will be put in place after a debate over an outside group purportedly linked to the STU/UNB Magic: The Gathering held an event, where said third party was making money from the event. The issue arose concerning their request to get a student rate.

Gary Waite, chair of the SUB Board. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Constitutional change debated A proposed policy change by James Brown, the executive director of the Residential Life, Campus and Conference Services of James Brown wanted to insert the phrase “except where such new policies would negatively affect the finances of the Building, particularly in the leased areas or other areas which are revenue generating” in the duties

of the SUB board, with regards to policy making. The board changed it to the phrase “any policy it sets must support the financial and operational viability of the building.” This is what has been approved by the SUB board and will be presented to the Board of Governors for approval in March.

brunswickannews

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 5

UNB training front-line therapists for children with autism Alanah Duffy News Reporter A Google search for the phrase “autism treatment” yields more than five million results. There are a plethora of ways to treat autism – but which way is the most effective?

“There’s so much information that’s out there, and most of it is inaccurate. For a parent of a child who just got diagnosed, it’s absolutely overwhelming and it’s really unfair,” said Dr. David Celiberti, president of the Association for Science and Autism Treatment.

Celiberti recently published a report entitled “Quality Indicator and Standards Review in Autism Treatment,” which the University of New Brunswick’s Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) has implemented into its training.

Since 2004, the CEL has been providing training for professionals and front-line therapists who work with children who have autism.

The government of New Brunswick funds the program.

Through the commission of Celiberti’s report, the program will know more about effective ways to treat autism.

“I think the issue here is that there are an awful lot of non-evidenced based treatments that are proposed for children with autism,” said Dr. Paul McDonnell, a UNB Professor Emeritus and member of the CEL Educational Advisory Committee.

“When you’re dealing with children, you want to have treatments

that are clinically or experimentally demonstrated.”

In his report, Celiberti credits Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) as the only method of autism treatment that has been proven successful.

Applied Behaviour Analysis aims to develop a learning environment wherein an autistic child can learn through psychological behavioural principles.

McDonnell explained while most children are learning behaviours all the time through interaction with parents and peers, children with autism are only learning a portion of the time.

“We have to create opportunities for a child to learn, and we have to set it up in a way that the child is successful,” McDonnell said.

At the CEL, New Brunswick’s Department of Education sponsors a program to educate autism interventionists to work with children aged two to five who have been diagnosed with autism. The Department of Social Development also sponsors a program that provides training to group home workers.

The autism intervention training program has even been contracted by the Ministry of Health in Saskatchewan to provide similar programming.

“Dr. Celiberti’s report reconfirmed for us that we are on the right track in terms of providing education and training to interventionists in the province, because we only utilize and incorporate evidence based practices into our training,” said Trisha

Dr. Paul McDonnell is a professor emeritus of UNB. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Fournier-Hoyt, director of the autism intervention training program.

Celiberti visits the centre about once a year to discuss how the training programs are working.

“They have a very organized approached of meeting the training needs of those in the province,” Celiberti said. “They are continually

trying to update their curriculum and they seem to be very responsive to feedback from people who attend the training.”

The CEL trains interventionist workers for about ten weeks.

Fournier-Hoyt estimated about 800 interventionists have been trained through UNB’s program. Training is

available in both English and French.

“If you work with families who have children with autism, you really appreciate what an incredible and valuable program this is,” McDonnell said.

UNBSU election candidates list (from www.unbsu.ca) Executive

Forestry & Environmental Management (1 seat) - Mark Vangel

VP External - Adam Melanson - Ben Whitney

Kinesiology (2 seats) - Brittany LeBlanc

President - Andrew Martel

VP Internal - Jessica Jewell - Mostafa Shaker VP Finance & Operations - Clint Gardiner - Marc Gauvin - David Murray

Law (1 seat) - Oliver Gorman-Asal Nursing (2 seats) - Laura Carr - Lara Shaw Renaissance College (1 seat) - Katie Flynn

VP Student Services - Tomi Gbeleyi - Chantel Whitman

Science (2 seats) - Rosalinda Kan - Emma Matchett

Faculty Councillors

Non-Faculty Councillors

Arts (3 seats) - Tia Beaudoin - Caleb Nunn - Tyler Pitre - Nicole Saulnier

Business Administration (3 seats) - W. Justin Aitchison - Jennifer Connolly - Desiree Leaman - Stephen Muzzerall Computer Science (1 seat) - Ashley Hyslop Engineering (3 seats) - Martin MacMillan - Garrett Proud - Jonathan Steeves

Accessibility Representative (1 seat) - Derek AJ Ness International Student Representative (1 seat) - Babatude Kukoyi - Guanle Shi LGBTQ Representative (1 seat) - Kevin Beets Residence Representative (1 seat) - Robert Cole - Alex Walsh Student at Large (2 seats) - Jeremy Murray - Tawni Trofanenko

Women’s Representative (1 seat) - Kendra J. McLaughlin

University Governing Bodies Board of Governors (2 seats) - Andrew Martel - Adam Melanson - Derek AJ Ness - Joey O’Kane

Senate (4 postions, 1 year seat) - Kevin Beets - Katie Evans - Hansika Gunaratne - Jessica Jewell - Babatunde Kukoyi - Trevor Parsons - Mostafa Shaker

UNBSU election debate. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan

Referendum Questions

Other Governing Bodies

Brunswickan Media Fee Referendum

Brunswickan Board of Directors (1 seat) - Derek AJ Ness

Question: Do you support a $1.50 increase in the Brunswickan media fee (from $5 per semester to $6.50 per semester)?

SUBS Inc. (Cellar) Board of Directors (2 seats) - Lara Shaw - Andrew Steeves

Ancillary Fees & Facilities Access Fee Referendum Preamble: This referendum is to gauge the student body level of concern over ancillary fees and the recent facilities access fee and will be used to formulate SU policy/action on the issue. This referendum mandates the SU to uphold the results of the referendum to the best of its ability. Depending on the results, this may involve action, including lobbying the university to revisit the current fee structure, or may result in the SU’s endorsement of the current facilities access fee and university policy regarding ancillary fees.

SUB Board of Directors (2 seats) - Kevin Beets - Hansika Gunaratne

Question 1: Should University of New Brunswick policy and the provincial University Act require a student referendum on the implementation of ancillary fees?

Question 2: Do you agree with paying the $150 facilities access fee known commonly as the “Currie fee”?

brunswickanopinion

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 6

editor@thebruns.ca

In changing Tibbits, UNB fails to realize what students even like about university Making Tibbits a co-ed house ignores the traditions that make so many people proud to be UNB alumni

Josh O’Kane Special to the Brunswickan UNB is a school that punches above its weight. On the national scene, UNB has influence — in athletics, research, student governance, and, yes, the student press — that far surpasses its enrollment numbers. With 226 years under its belt, UNB has built its reputation on tradition — the tradition of, when it does something, it’s damn good at it.

It is unfortunate, then, that certain decisions made by the school’s administration in recent years throw tradition under the bus, making long-term choices to deal with shortterm enrollment issues and budget shortfalls.

Largely, these decisions have surrounded housing on campus. Turning Tibbits Hall into a co-ed house is the latest of closures and conversions, decisions that solve a short-term issue but ignores both long-term planning and the very traditions that have forged the memories of UNB’s some 60,000 living alumni.

Residence life has long been a huge part of UNB Fredericton’s student culture. Long gone are the days when they were filled to the brim; when there were good old fashioned rivalries; when fourth-year students didn’t have the reputation of a hermit for staying in residence for their whole degree. I remember when I first told older friends I was moving to campus — everyone would talk about how the residences were like frats: the pride, the parties, the friendships.

I never lived in single-sex residence, but I wanted to after I saw them when I got on campus. I first lived in Joy Kidd, and was a proctor in Mack and Neill, and was always jealous of the spirit in the same-sex houses.

Of course, all of my residences were same-sex once upon a time — female, male and male respectively — and were shifted to co-ed to encompass demand.

But those residences that remained single-sex while I was at UNB — Jones, Aitken, Neville, Dunn and Tibbits — were the hotbeds of school spirit on campus. More than the coed houses, there existed a culture of family there, and that’s what residents felt like. The spirit those houses fostered was incredible.

But over time, residence enrollment declined. Jones merged with Neville; Aitken was threatened for closure,

When Aitken House was threatened with closure, UNB alumni rallied in support. Does UNB need to reevaluate the way they look at the history of the residence community? Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan and then half of Bridges closed for a year; the combined Neville/Jones house, one of the last bastions of allmale housing, went co-ed.

Constantly closing and rearranging UNB’s residences doesn’t address enrollment changes. UNB needs to re-examine its history and identity, and put residence life back in the forefront of the student experience. If students were proud to be where they lived, they wouldn’t have flocked away in droves in the first place.

I covered residences for four years for the Brunswickan, and I watched this all go down. I made Res Life executive director James Brown explain himself week after week, month after month, just as the Bruns still does today. And the explanation is always the same: there’s low/changing enrollment, and not enough cash to refurbish UNB’s aging, largely twoper-room residence system into a modern one-per-room system.

Let’s look at another school with a historically great residence reputation.

Half the student population at StFX

lives on campus, and there has been an overflow of students in at least the past three years. There remain three all-male and two all-female residences.

What’s the difference? StFX nurtures its residence culture. Just look at the opening line on the StFX residence website: “Our residential experience at StFX will be unforgettable. That’s why a higher proportion of our students live in residence than anywhere else in the country.”

UNB’s? “UNB considers residence living to be part of a student’s total academic experience. Living in residence encourages the refinement of individual and group life skills, engenders concern for others, and helps residents develop a sense of community responsibility.”

The UNB phrasing uses flat language, and demonstrates a rather passive regard for residence as an asset to the school’s reputation. StFX tries to cater to the student experience; that’s why it’s almost always summed up as a “party school;” even when you’re

not at the parties, it’s a place where students are incredibly proud to be part of their residence’s community.

UNB Fredericton’s residences had that pride when I arrived in 2005, but it sure didn’t when I left in 2009.

When I was in high school, UNB was considered a party school, based largely on its residence system, and I was excited to embrace that culture.

Now, as Tibbits appears to be going co-ed, I’m afraid a little bit of UNB’s proud residence culture will die as another piece of its history gets retooled for convenience.

To actually address this problem, UNB needs to rethink how it markets itself to students, and place its residence experience at the front.

(Full disclosure: after I finished at the Brunswickan, I took a short-term position writing profiles for that department to encourage students to go to UNB, largely because I loved the student experience so much. In hindsight, I should have mentioned this while I was there.)

I spent countless hours writing

about residence while I was at UNB, and to be honest, I always felt bad for James Brown, who was stuck managing it. I watched budgets get tighter and tighter, and Res Life staff numbers dwindle year after year. Too often, Res Life has been handed more work and given less money to do it with. This makes residence enrollment an issue that that does not fall squarely on Res Life: it requires the administration to think about what makes UNB’s students and alumni so proud of their experience there.

To address enrollment demand with more than just a band-aid, the school’s administration needs to give better funding and marketing to Residence Life and the tradition it represents. The student experience goes far beyond what happens in the classroom — just ask anyone who found their second family in Aitken, Tibbits or Dunn.

Josh O’Kane is an editor/reporter with The Globe and Mail and a past editor-in-chief of the Brunswickan. He lives in Toronto.

overwhelming, but we shouldn’t confuse a need with a want. If students truly need to check on a friend or be available for an email about a job, they have no business being in class.

I’m not just talking about etiquette here.

The brain can only take so much stress before it leaks illness out into the physical body.

Turning off the Internet for a two-hour class may be more than good manners: it might just save you from a heart attack or

ulcer down the road.

The problem is getting worse. One of my recent classes was so noisy the instructor was barely able to convey complex ideas over the din of crosstalk. Add into that the strobe lights of flickering Facebook images and the dance of nodding heads over cell phones and, well, focusing in class becomes about as easy as hearing someone give a lecture in a night club.

Now, that would be boring.

Nothing smart about phones in school Jean Oliver Nexus (Camosun College) VICTORIA (CUP) — Lately, I’ve been thinking that the only way I will be able to finish my degree is online. Ironically, there, I’d be free from endless smartphone- and Internet-related classroom distractions.

It boggles my mind that students can be so cavalier about their access to their teachers. Many people would gladly take a

seat in the classroom if they had even half the chances many students seem to take for granted. Ignoring teachers and staying focused on phones is not a smart use of anyone’s time.

But why do so many instructors do nothing to stop this distracting behaviour?

Many teachers I’ve watched are intimidated and unable to enforce their expectations of students paying attention. It’s uncomfortable when a teacher resorts to the old-

fashioned guilt trip by publicly shaming an individual over Internet or phone use.

Students say they need to stay connected to what’s going on. They say smartphone use is a habit. They say there’s an element of risk involved in texting during class. Some justify it to themselves by saying the class is boring.

Well, I say you’re in the wrong class. In my book, boredom is the result of a resistance to learning.

The desire to stay connected can be

brunswickanopinion the brunswickan Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief • Chris Cameron Managing • Liam Guitard News • Hilary Paige Smith Arts • Alex Kress Sports • Bryannah James Photo • Andrew Meade Copy • Kathleen MacDougall Production • Sandy Chase Online • James Waters Staff Advertising Sales Rep • Bill Traer Delivery • Dan Gallagher Contributors Cherise Letson, Josh Fleck, Haley Ryan, Sean O’Neill, Alanah Duffy, Nick Murray, Tova Payne, Colin McPhail, Jennifer Bishop, Sarah Vannier, Bronté James, Damira Davletyarova, Amy MacKenzie, Luke Perrin, Lee Thomas, Susanna Chow, Ben Jacobs, Sarah Cambell, Brandon Hicks, Heather Uhl, Adam Melanson, Derek Ness, Lindsey Edney, Patrick McCullough, Leonardo Camejo, Tim Lingley 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 145th 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.

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 7

Finally seeing some engagement on campus To the Point Christopher Cameron

As of 12:30 a.m. Tuesday there had been 909 voters in the 2012 UNB Student Union general election.

At the end of the 2011 election there were 918 voters.

I don’t want to get too excited, but I think UNB students are starting to care about the politics on this campus.

We’ll know come Saturday night whether Monday was just a big push or if this year is a new leaf for eligible voters on this campus.

I will say if there has been one common theme this year I have tried to communicate to students, it’s that engagement is crucial.

All year I have been critical of students speaking out about things they care about, but if the number of voters as of Monday is any indication of student engagement, then maybe I was wrong.

I’m going to put the thought of me being wrong on hold for a second though.

As with any election there are some lazy voters and I’ve already heard stories from friends about how much people don’t look at candidates’ platforms.

If you’re going to vote, inform yourself. There are Facebook pages or groups for most, if not all candidates. Read up on what they’re going to do for you and this student body.

Unfortunately there’s nothing that can be done to know whether someone was informed or not, but making decisions by just voting for someone on the ballot is embarrassing, in my opinion.

We want to be taken seriously by the governing body of this country yet I’ve heard of people choosing

As of 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday there were 909 voters in the 2012 UNBSU general election. Last year there were 918 voters for the entire week. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan candidates based on flipping a coin or playing “eeny, meeny, miny, moe.”

The same can be said about the Currie Center fee. Can students be taken seriously when making decisions if that’s the way they’re going to make them? Maybe, but let’s not allow people to question whether we as students can make informed decisions.

I will give credit to those students that have turned out, but I hope we can ensure that students do learn to take these processes seriously and fully inform themselves.

Going one step further, once the results close on Saturday, you will know who will be representing you next year. You have every right to make sure that they represent you to the best of their abilities.

Make sure you get the most out of your student union. You can email faculty representatives, those in executive positions, or even the

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.

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

As Josh O’Kane discussed in this issue, there is a rich history on this campus and it continues to be hurt by decisions that are made to get this campus through rough financial times. Although they may help for a while, the long-term effect may be more negative then positive.

I understand residence numbers are down, but we need to protect this campus’ rich history.

The group of residence students that banned together last week to make a human ‘T’ for Tibbits spoke volumes to how much students care about how changing this residence from single-sex to co-ed is being

received.

I hope this campus continues to speak out against what is happening here, whether for or against things.

UNB is essentially a business and students are its customers. If you don’t like something then speak up about it. If you like something they’ve done, you can tell them that too.

They need to take your thoughts and concerns into consideration.

Does that mean you will always get what you want out of them or that they will always be able to accommodate everyone? No, but by speaking up you can help make this university a great experience both now and in the future.

Christopher Cameron is the Editorin-Chief of the Brunswickan and can be reached at editor@thebruns. ca or in SUB room 35 throughout the work week.

UK government ignores Turing’s ‘moral innocence’

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.

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.

president. Make them work for you. *** Another bit of student engagement on campus has been the UNB community speaking out about Tibbits becoming a co-ed residence.

There may be statues in his likeness, but without an official pardon, Alan Turing’s legacy is tainted. Bernt Rostad / Flickr CC deserved in life only makes the way James Formosa he was treated in 1952 more tragic.

The Cord (Wilfrid Laurier University) This year marks the 60th anniWATERLOO (CUP) — Alan Tur- versary of his conviction of “gross ing, an English mathematician, indecency.” Turing had a homosexual logician, cryptanalyst and computer relationship at a time when a dracoscientist, is considered by many to nian legislation dating back to 1885 be the father of computer science still applied in Britain. Turing was and artificial intelligence. Turing has faced with the options of imprisonbeen credited for his substantial con- ment or “hormone therapy” that tributions during the Second World amounted to chemical castration.

War, when he was instrumental in Turing opted for the latter and, deciphering the Enigma Code for the in 1954, he was discovered dead at Allied forces. home, having ingested cyanide. TurHe was also largely responsible ing’s genius in the emerging field of for the development of the first re- computer science was well understood programmable computer. Yet many by his colleagues; at 41 years of age, of Turing’s achievements remained a career with unimaginable potential classified until after his death due to was cut short. The greater tragedy of their pivotal tactical role during the course, is that this man was denied war; that he never got the acclaim he his humanity.

In 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a formal apology to Turing following a large public outcry and massive online support for a petition to this effect. Despite expressing deep regret and an acknowledging the unjust manner in which Turing was treated, Brown never announced an official government pardon for Turing.

In recognition of Turing’s centenary, a petition is calling for this pardon; online it already carries nearly 30,000 signatures. The motion for this pardon was recently considered, and rejected, by the British government. Aside from the potential for homophobic prejudice still existing within the government, there are other, more disturbing possibilities as to why this happened.

Perhaps their concern sits with the precedent that this case will set.

Legislators are supposedly worried about having to give the same sort of pardon to thousands of elderly victims of this archaic law, as well they should.

Some argue that Turing rationally chose to break the law, and offering his pardon would lend credence to a “civil disobedience” can of worms for any other current laws which society at large deems unjust.

Instead of focusing on righting past wrongs, the government is worried about the current consequences of raising public awareness about their own fallibility. Yet fallible it is: it once expected many of its citizens to deny an integral part of their beings. To be expected to forsake one’s humanity; to be forcibly separated from forming a bond with another person was the

crime in this case.

Another caveat made by opponents of the Turing pardon has been the very nature of pardon-grants in Britain. They are typically reserved for cases where the act was committed, but the persons involved are “morally innocent.” This clause of moral innocence was used to posthumously pardon soldiers who were shot for cowardice in the First World War, for example.

I do not see a distinction here between the “moral innocence” of those who refuse to take another human life and those who choose to act on their love for another human being.

This was not a case of Turing making a rational choice to break the law; the law was a broken one to begin with.

Granting Turing this pardon would recognize that he was a morally innocent victim of an unjust law, as were the thousands of other men and women faced with imprisonment or chemical castration by virtue of an essential quality of their being.

As a pioneer of computer science and hero of the Second World War, the tragedy of Turing’s final years has finally entered the public consciousness; thousands are demanding that governments admit they are not infallible and atone for their transgressions. Hopefully, with mounting public disapproval for the government’s handling of the Turing case, justice will be served for this man and for every victim still living with the consequences of prejudiced legislation.

brunswickanopinion

8 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

Student

Viewpoint.

Let everyone know what’s on your mind.

Where will you be in four years (next leap year)?

Jaci Wooden

Laura Mollins

Pamela Cummings

Lena Price

“Living with my mother.”

“Australia.”

“With Laura.”

“Starting a business somewhere.”

Melissa Thompson

Amy Jones

Megan Glenwright

Kendra Jennie

“Mordor or Alderaan.”

“Spying everywhere and nowhere at the same time.”

“So tired of social work that I have to write a PhD.”

“Living in Finland.”

brunswickanarts arts@thebruns.ca

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 9

Pistols and Petticoats: An ambitious portrayal of an ambitious Canadian

Brandon Hicks The Brunswickan The first sound during the opening night performance of Pistols and Petticoats: Shadows of Sarah Emma Edmonds, was singing. Then, the six actors walked onto the stage. These six were to play every character in the play.

Although it’s not uncommon for a few actors to take on several roles, Pistols was different.

Based on the life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, a Canadian woman who disguised herself as a man in order to enlist to serve in the Civil War, Pistols was presented by The Next Folding Theatre Company and performed at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre.

The play was divided into several segments. They weren’t so much scenes as they were short, one-act plays, all serving the same central story line in the life of Sarah Emma Edmonds. Each segment would have an entirely different feel from the one before, with another actor representing the character.

The scenes were spectacularly performed, with the highlight being Edmonds’ enlistment into the army.

This scene stuck out for not only its humour, but because it serves as a perfect contrast to the more serious scenes later on. The shift between atmospheres

and characters demonstrates the great range of these actors.

The set was simple, causing the crew to be creative with how the story was presented, making heavy use of shadows, perspective and noise. Often, they relied solely on the dialogue and emotions of the characters to move the story along. In these scenes, which were brilliantly written, no effects or visual flare were needed because of the overpowering performances being given. When effects were used, such as the manipulation of shadows, it was intriguing to see how a small alteration could have such a major effect on the tone of the scene.

Each segment was well-written, planned and executed. However, when put together in a single narrative, there arose some issue of coherency.

Depending on the scene, an actor would play one role, then in the next they would be playing another, while they were replaced in the role from the previous scene. This went without explanation, and led to confusion about who was who, and at what time.

Eventually, as the segment would progress, one was able to discern who it was, and what was going on, but by the time it was realized, much of the scene was lost on the audience. It seems the actors swapping characters is meant

Pistols and Petticoats was well-executed and creative. Tim Lingley / The Brunswickan to be symbolic of the many disguises, or even the lost identify of Edmonds, and although this is great conceptually, it ultimately lead to confusion in trying to follow Edmonds’ life story.

The performances were an impressive display of the talent and range of the performers, who, according to the Charlotte Street Arts Centre’s website, also wrote the play. Pistols

and Petticoats: Shadows of Sarah Emma Edmonds, was a creative, diverse, if somewhat schizophrenic telling of the story of Sara Emma Edmon

The Purity Myth: abstaining from abstinence education

Purity balls involve young girls to pledge their virginity to their fathers until marriage. Screenshot to the breaking of the hymen during sex Alex Kress – a vaginal membrane often erroneously Arts Editor believed to signify virginity - in a scene from Women, imagine a ripe cherry being vio- the documentary The Purity Myth. lently smashed to bits with a mallet.

So, imagine a mallet to your hymen.

Some abstinence-only educators want Did you wince? young women to liken the violent image That’s exactly the reaction these educa-

tors want from young women; the hope is if they thought about having sex before, they’ll think twice about it after that gory display.

However, that’s not exactly the case.

The documentary, which is based on Jessica Valenti’s book that exposes the failures of abstinence-only education and aims to dispel the argument that a woman’s value is based on her virginity, claims that abstinence-only education actually provokes the opposite effect.

It doesn’t work. And worse, the film says 80 per cent of abstinence-only education contains false information. As a result, teens are engaging in high-risk sexual behaviour.

They’re not armed with the knowledge that they can contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from unprotected oral and anal sex, but what they are told is that vaginal intercourse before marriage is off limits.

You can see the confusion here.

The Purity Myth screening at UNB, funded by the University Women’s Centre and the UNBSU women’s liaison, exposes the fanaticism of “a moral panic over sexuality” in the United States and the rhetoric that’s spewed in schools at the cost of taxpayers – $1.3 billion since 1996 – despite 82 per cent of Americans supporting proper sexual education programs.

And then, there are the purity balls.

These archaic, downright creepy cere-

monies involve young girls – sometimes as young as six or seven years old – and their fathers. The girls get dolled up in ball gowns with fancy up-dos and makeup and pledge their virginity to their fathers until marriage; their fathers dress in tuxedos and pledge to protect their daughters’ virginity until she’s married.

It was unsettling, to say the least. These girls are being identified as sex objects as young as six; they don’t even know what sex is.

“Women are still led to believe that our moral compass lies somewhere between our legs – literally,” said Jessica Valenti, producer of the film.

“There’s this antiquated notion that fathers own their daughters’ sexuality.”

What was particularly disturbing was the segment on pop-star Jessica Simpson.

Evidently, she pledged her virginity to her father in a purity ball. Then she married Nick Lachey and had free reign to ravish him, much to her dad’s delight.

“We’re celebrating the fact that she can do it till she’s blue in the face,” said Joe Simpson, smiling, after his daughter’s marriage.

(Shudder). Weird.

The film touches on other subjects surrounding the idea of virginity like “legislating chastity” via the Republican effort to defund abortion and the Plan B emergency

contraceptive, and vaginal rejuvenation surgery, which has become the fastest growing form of plastic surgery in the U.S. While it would’ve been interesting to see the documentary extended to include commentary from young women and men who’ve experienced abstinence-only education, the film was effective in relaying its overall message: women must be regarded as having more depth to them than what’s between their legs. They have brains, and compassion, and power.

The discussion following the film raised some shocking anecdotal information about sex education in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, or rather the disappointing lack thereof. One woman said she recalled that the guidance counselor who was supposed to teach sex education at her school chose not to because he felt it conflicted with his religion. Megan Glenwright, women’s liaison for the UNBSU, said she recalled having very minimal sex education and not being able to keep track of the pregnant girls at her high school.

It’s clear that a dialogue needs to begin in this province about the importance of sex education, especially with the recent outbreak of syphilis in New Brunswick, which continues to worsen. Each woman has a right to remain a virgin, of course, but it shouldn’t be at the risk of ignorance about sex.

You have a new jealousy notification The New Position Sarah Vannier I love Facebook, I really do.

And I’m definitely not alone. Facebook has over 845 million active users worldwide.

According to the Pew Research Center, roughly 80 per cent of 18 to 29 year olds are using social networking sites like Facebook, and half of them are logging in at least once a day.

Unfortunately, Facebook might not be doing us any favours when it comes to our love lives.

Amy Muise, a social psychologist working at the University of Toronto, is doing research that looks at the effect of Facebook on our romantic relationships.

In a study published by Muise and her colleagues in 2009, more than 300 undergraduate students between the ages of 17 and 24 answered questions about their Facebook use and Facebook-related jealousy.

Facebook-related jealousy was measured with questions like “How likely are you to become jealous after your partner has added an unknown person of the opposite sex?” and “How likely are you to monitor your partner’s activities on Facebook?”

Participants were also asked about their general tendency to be jealous, level of trust in a partner, self-esteem, uncertainty about the relationship, and level of commitment to the relationship.

So, what predicts Facebook jealousy? In general, women reported more Facebookrelated jealousy than did men. And, not surprisingly, a person’s general tendency to be jealous or to trust a partner also predicted whether or not they would experience Facebook-related jealousy.

Interestingly, the amount of time you spend on Facebook also predicts how much Facebook-related jealousy you feel. This means the more time you spend looking at your partner’s profile, the more likely you are to feel jealous. Muise suggests feeling jealous, and keeping an eye on your partner’s profile, can be a vicious cycle. Once you see something that triggers feelings of jealousy, you tend to check your partner’s profile more often, which makes it more likely that you will see something else that makes you feel jealous.

What it is about Facebook that seems to inspire so much jealousy?

First, Facebook gives us access to information we wouldn’t normally have. Say your partner has a friendly (and entirely platonic conversation) with an attractive classmate. In the past, you would have never known about this conversation, so you wouldn’t have been able to worry about it. But, if that same classmate posts on your partner’s Facebook wall, it’s hard not to wonder who they are (and curse the fact that their profile picture features them in a bathing suit looking unfortunately sexy).

Added to this is the problem that a lot of information we see on Facebook is out of context. If that attractive classmate posts something along the lines of “Great talking to you today! Looking forward to next week!” you might be left with questions

about who this person is, and what your partner was doing with them. This effect doubles when the ambiguous message comes from an ex-partner!

What’s the solution to Facebook-fueled jealousy?

It’s simple. Walk away from that computer. The more you look at your partner’s profile, the more likely you are to see something ambiguous, or out of context.

Although jealousy is a very normal emotion, and we all feel it from time to time, the trick is to not let it take over or control your behaviour.

If you want to learn more about this, and other research looking at how new media affects our social relationships, check out Amy Muise’s website at www. amymuise.com.

brunswickanarts

10 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

The Cousins connection Haley Ryan Arts Reporter Your favourite cousin is coming for a visit.

Even though you many not be related to Aaron Mangle, Leigh Dotey or Pat Ryan, the folks who make up the Halifax band Cousins, they want you to know they love your city.

No strangers to Fredericton, Mangle said the band has performed at The Capital as well as Gallery Connexion before, where they’ll be playing tomorrow night. He said they’ve gotten to know a lot of the bands around town, and especially enjoy trips to Farmer’s Market when they’re here.

Mangle said although bar shows are great, something about playing in an art gallery or theatre is special.

“The attention that’s paid at bars is different than in galleries where it’s more focused, and we appreciate that.

It’s more like a special event than any other night,” Mangle said in a phone interview.

The band is touring this Spring to promote their new full-length album The Palm at the End of the Mind and Fredericton is one of the first stops on a journey that will take them into the southern U.S. and back home to Canada.

Along the way, they’ll be performing at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, for the second time. They went last year, which Mangle remembers to be really hectic because they weren’t prepared for just how many bands would be taking part.

“They basically shut down the downtown,” Mangle said, “and every bar has shows all day long ... it’s hard to gauge what your involvement is, but it’s quite exciting.”

Halifax-based band Cousins can boast being SXSW material... twice. Submitted Although Mangle said the Cousins’ sound has changed slightly over the three years since he and Ryan started playing together (Dotey joined last year), their new album still has their contradictory style.

“Jules,” a track from the new record, sounds like a cross between happy, pop-melodies and a garage rock band.

Mangle says he really enjoys maintaining

that difference.

“I like the contrast between the two sounds and trying to make it fit ... it’s a personal sort of reflection,” Mangle said, “and I think they compliment each other quite nicely.”

Everyone in the band has a steady job to help make ends meet, and Mangle said he is looking forward to starting his new job with Canada Post.

To save on costs, they also do all of the booking and music recording on their own, as well as making up their own merchandise. While Mangle said sometimes it might be nice to have those things looked after by someone else, they’ve learned a lot of valuable skills by being so self-reliant.

“A lot of it is spending the money that you earn to try and get somewhere, and

we don’t know where that place is yet ... the business is so confusing,” he said.

“Once we’re on the road and playing it seems totally worth it, even if there’s not much money.”

Cousins is playing with Motherhood and David R. Elliot at Gallery Connexion on Thursday, Mar. 1. Tickets are $7 or $5 if you’re a member of the gallery, and doors open at 8 p.m.

The (Wooden) Sky is the limit Haley Ryan Arts Reporter

NOTICE All nominations for the College Hill Social Club Board of Directors shall be made in writing by a nominator with written concent of the nominee and shall be hand delivered to the General Manager by 5:00 p.m.

Friday March 16, 2012

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

The last time Gavin Gardiner was in Fredericton, he had a late-night adventure.

He said he and a friend got into town late one Sunday evening, and all of the liquor stores were closed.

So, of course, they went on a quest for beer.

They headed in the direction of Mactaquac, and there someone told them to drive on for another 20 minutes, looking for a specific exit.

Gardiner said they drove around for about an hour but finally found the store. They decided to sleep in their van instead of driving all the way back, but woke up not long afterwards.

“We happened upon some kind of drug deal,” Gardiner said. “A guy on a motorcycle pulled up and started banging on the door of the hotel beside us, and we saw them talking and pointing at our van.”

Gardiner said they pretended to be asleep when the motorbike man came over to their vehicle and walked around to look in their windows.

Hopefully this time Gardiner and his band, The Wooden Sky, won’t need to drive too far outside Fredericton to find some drinks.

They’re performing at The Capital tomorrow night, on tour to promote their third album Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun. The title came to Gardiner one day when he was driving, and although he said some might think it “cheesy,” the idea behind the name and theme of the record is about empathy and connecting with people.

“Every single person has their own universe that they’re living in, full of sadness and joy, and every little detail

The Wooden Sky to play a highly anticipated show at The Capital Mar. 1. Submitted in their life is as important as mine is to me,” Gardiner said.

“It’s trying to understand other people, but maybe you never can.”

Besides Gardiner, The Wooden Sky, a five-piece folky fellowship from Toronto, includes A ndrew Wyatt, Simon Walker, Andrew Kekewich, and Edwin Huizinga.

Listening to their first record, sounds range from mellow and calm to fun blue-grass tunes. Gardiner, who grew up in a small Manitoba town, said in their earlier work the band was trying to find their footing musically but still might be, which is a good thing.

A constant in their sound and performance style would be a love of live music and intimate venues, such as house shows.

They even captured all the weird and wonderful places they’ve played across the country in their film A

Documentary in Pieces, which followed their 2009 tour “Bedrooms & Backstreets.” In it, you can see the band perform in a huge field of sunflowers, on a ski gondola in Whistler, or on the side of the road.

Unconventional spots were not only visually stunning on camera, Gardiner said, but really challenged the band.

“You have a different connection with the audience, which is really cool and the songs are totally different from night to night. Musically, it sort of forces us out of our comfort zone.”

The Wooden Sky play at The Capital on Thursday, Mar. 1 at 10 p.m.

Tickets are available online, $12 if you buy them in advance or $15 on the day of the show.

Maybe they’ll even stick around a little longer to play in your bedroom.

brunswickanarts

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 11

Taking time to Bloom

are you an arts guru and feel you could add to brunswickan arts coverage in fredericton?

e-mail: arts@thebruns.ca

Great Bloomers to warm stage for The Wooden Sky at The Capital Mar. 1. Submitted Heather Uhl The Brunswickan Fredericton is no stranger to hosting upand-coming bands, and one such band coming to the The Capital Complex is Great Bloomers.

Lowell Sostomi, lead guitarist and vocalist, said the band’s genre is difficult to describe.

“It’s one of the hardest questions for me to answer,” Sostomi said.

“I mean we play a lot of rock, we play a lot of more folky sort of stuff and everything.

Basically, it ‘s what you want to call it, but it’s a foundation in songwriting and we try to do each song justice however we have to do that.”

Influenced by American pop, Great Bloomers bring country, pop and rock together in an impressive combination. But that doesn’t mean the band has defined itself just yet.

“I think you’re constantly trying to find

your identity as a band,” Sostomi said.

“I would hate to get to the point where I felt like we found our identity and that’s what we’re going to do from now on.”

Great Bloomers has two albums, with a new album to be released at some point in 2012. The first release was a self-titled album in 2007. One track in particular, “Catching Up” became a favorite of CBC 3 and college radio. Their second album, Speak of Trouble, was released in 2009. In 2011, Great Bloomers went on hiatus for a year before heading into 2012 on tour.

Their newest album was originally planned to be released in spring, but was pushed back to fall.

“To tie everyone over we’re going to release some stuff soon. I can’t say exactly what yet but you’re going to be able to hear some new stuff probably in the next few months.”

The 2011 hiatus for the band was to combat a change in the ordering of tracks on the album, Sostomi said.

“There were some stifling lineup changes and we had to regroup because we wanted to get the album done and we really wanted to focus and get back on track with everything.”

Sostomi said it’s easy for band-tour material to get stale, so they took some time off.

“Just stayed in Toronto, practiced a ton. Our new member, Adrian Cook, integrated into the band and we worked on the new record and then recorded. It kind of sucked to stop touring and take that time off but we got a ton done.”

During the hiatus the band wrote two albums, but the first album was shelved.

On Mar. 1, Great Bloomers will be at The Capital with The Wooden Sky. “We’re going to play mainly all new stuff.

And we’re hopefully going to play a nice, high-intensity rock show.”

Doors open at 9:00 p.m., show starts at 10:00 p.m. Advance tickets are $12 or $15 at the door.

The Overlooked: Jim Carrey Ethan Pierce The Brunswickan Ever been left with a sad, empty feeling after you finished a superb movie, and you know it won’t have a sequel?

Sometimes during a search for a new movie to watch, you ignore older titles because of their age. This column – The Overlooked – is about those older movies you may not have heard of, or just simply didn’t give a fair chance.

How about one of Hollywood’s most hilarious? Canadian-born Jim Carrey, is well recognized for his comedic roles in movies such as Dumb and Dumber (1994) and Yes Man (2008). Carrey is a fabulous comedic actor, but is also a genuine dramatic actor.

The Majestic (2001) is based in the early 1950s, a time of flourishing for Hollywood.

A bright, young screenwriter named Peter Appleton (Carrey) is off to a successful start

in his career. During his third film, he’s investigated for having communist ties during his college years for a meeting he attended. Depressed from the effects of the accusations, he gets drunk and accidentally drives his car over a bridge into the ocean.

He wakes with no idea of his identity, on the beach of the small town of Lawson.

The town believes Peter to be another man, supposedly killed during wartime, for his inscrutable looks. Luke’s father, Harry Trimble (Martin Landau), and girlfriend, Adele Staton (Laurie Holden) do their best to restore his memory. During his time in Lawson, Peter helps restore Harry’s old movie theatre called “The Majestic” and integrates into the community.

Another great film starring Carrey is The Truman Show (1998). This film is a comedic-drama with Carrey as Truman Burbank. Christof (Ed Harris), the executive producer of a television show, adopted Truman as baby. Truman is unaware that

his life is a constructed reality television show broadcasted live 24/7 to the world, and that every moment is captured by thousands of hidden cameras in his hometown of Seahaven.

But on his 30th birthday, Truman begins to observe how certain aspects of his life don’t make sense, and are a bit out of place.

From strange occurrences like a spotlight that falls from the sky and repetitiveness such as seeing the same people appear at the same time of day everyday, Truman starts to investigate. Christof and the studio do their best to keep him in the dark about his existence, but Truman is determined to find out no matter what it takes.

Both of these movies stray a bit from Jim Carrey’s usual comedic flicks, but are some of his best films that combine several genres into one: drama, comedy and a bit of romance.

Red Rover Brew(s) up a cider

UNB graduate student Adam Clawson holds up a pint of Red Rover cider for testing at the Gradhouse on the weekend. Clawson, along with two other UNB graduates, is one of the founding members of the Red Rover Brewing Company. Sandy Chase / The Brunswickan

brunswickanarts

12 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

Paper Beat Scissors rocks beats at The Cap Kevin Lemieux The Brunswickan On Mar. 3, The Capital Complex’s stage will be set for Halifax-based band Paper Beat Scissors.

Over the course of the past few months, Tim Crabtree, the lead singer of the band, has been quite the globetrotter.

“In January, I was touring Germany, France, Netherlands, and the U.K. as well,” Crabtree said.

“I also played at the Shivering Songs Festival in Fredericton a few weeks ago. But before all that, it was all album-focus, preparing for the release of it.”

Crabtree hails from the U.K. but has been living in Halifax for eight years. Paper Beat Scissors was originally going to be a solo project, but Crabtree said he changed his mind when he found a great band. He also said he’ll do a large chunk of this tour solo, but the whole band is coming to the Fredericton show.

The band is composed of Crabtree, Tanya Davis, Rose Cousins, Pietro Amato, Sebastian Chow, and Mike Feuerstack.

Paper Beat Scissors’ self-titled debut LP drops Mar. 6. The band is embarking on a national tour, with Fredericton as one of the first dates.

An impressive bunch collaborated on the album, like Chilean audio wizard Diego Medina and Arcade Fire’s drummer, Jeremy Gara.

As the release of the LP approaches, Crabtree explained what inspired the album.

“It’s a documentation of a specific period in the project. When I look back at the songs and the content of

Paper Beat Scissors kicks off national tour with one of first dates in Fredericton on Mar. 3. Submitted them, I think they were focused on an end. The ends of things where you can start again, look back at experiences and see what they mean.”

Crabtree draws inspiration from a wealth of creative singer-songwriters,

including critically acclaimed Mark Kozelek, who played a show at the Shivering Songs Festival on Feb. 4.

“I got to open for Mark Kozelek a few weeks ago at the Shivering Songs Festival and he’s an ongoing

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favourite. Clogs of Light and Mike O’Neil also spring to mind,” he said.

Other than a few wild parties, Crabtree said he’s been behaving himself on tour.

Paper Beat Scissors will be at The

Capital on Mar. 3 at 10:30 p.m. No cover before 11 p.m., and $5 after 11 p.m.

brunswickansports

Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145 • 13

sports@thebruns.ca

UNB leads best-of-five AUS semifinal 2-0

K. Bryannah James Sports Editor

In historical fashion, when UPEI played at the Aitken Centre this year they would score first and that first goal would inevitably be the catalyst in helping them win the game.

Friday night, during UNB’s first best-of-five semifinal game against UPEI, the tables and UPEI’s luck of winning on UNB’s home ice, were about to change.

Friday night was filled with tension on the ice as the Panthers started off the evening in traditional fashion, where at 3:02 into the first period Chris Dasousa, with assist from Fraser, scored first giving UPEI a 1-0 lead.

“We’re 3-1 against them this year because we played them hard,” said UPEI goaltender Mavric Parks.

Jordan Knox, with assists from Carter and MacIssac would be the next Panther to claw his way onto the scoreboard, giving UPEI a 2-0 early in the first.

Varsity Reds’ Wiebe and Culligan would assist Tyler Carroll as he rang one past Parks at 17:46, to slowly bring the score up to par with the Panthers.

Dasousa would answer the call, and give the Panthers their third and soon to be final - goal of the evening before the first intermission.

“I think this game we sat back and got caught up a little bit in the moment,” Parks said.

In the second period Culligan and Harty would assist Kyle Bailey at 10:03, to help close the gap and end the period trailing the Panthers 3-2.

The second period didn’t see as much action. But the momentum picked up in the third period, when UNB made its final push to take the game 4-3 in their favour.

“It was defiantly a big start for the playoffs for us to come back like that.

To show some character and come back and get that win,” said V-Red forward, Chris Culligan.

“They’re the No.1 team in Canada

for a reason; they can play hockey.

That’s all there is to it,” Parks said.

Nick MacNeil tied the game for UNB at 9:07 in the third, and Chris Culligan, with an assist from Todd and Harty, put the Reds ahead of the Panthers, and took the first game of semifinal.

“We knew they were going to come out and play well,” Culligan said.

“They had a big series and an emotional win against Acadia [and we] figured that would carry over.

You know they played a good game.”

Even though the Panthers lost the first game, there was still positivity on the horizon for Saturday’s game.

“We were getting ahead of ourselves, and that’s why we lost,” Parks said.

“Sure they have a lot of skill but so do we, so we’ve got to come ready to play next game.”

Although Friday night was exciting for Varsity Red fans, it was Saturday’s game where things got heated and which really saw the nitty gritty and passionate play between these two teams.

In the third, there were more than 13 penalties and 53 minutes for UPEI and 12 penalties and 35 minutes for UNB. The game would end with a total of 19 penalties and 65 minutes for the Panthers and 18 penalties and 58 minutes for the Reds.

And what caused the high penalty minute numbers?

A number of factors, such as the tension between the two teams, roughing, slashing, tripping, and holding between both teams.

The catalyst for it all: goaltender interference by Varsity Red Ben Wright and a retaliatory call for blood by the Panthers.

The game was aggressive to begin with, as UPEI tried to fight for a win and the Reds wanted to secure a second goal.

However, UNB started its night off with a bang, as Shayne Wiebe scored with an assist from Stamler at 6:11 in the first, put the first digits

the panel voice your opinion

Wiebe looking to find the back of the net over an outstretched Mavric Parks Friday night against the Panthers. Andrew Meade/ The Brunswickan on the board.

“Everything’s more intense and guys are just showing a lot more passion,” Wiebe said, referring to the intensity of play during playoffs.

UPEI’s Mike MacIssac answered Wiebe’s goal 10 minutes later, as he put the Panther’s one and only goal on the board for the evening.

The period closed with a 1-1 tie, which was quickly and drastically changed by the second.

All within the second period, VRed Dion Campbell would be the first to throw a digit on the board, followed by captain Kyle Bailey and Shayne Wiebe, for his second goal of the evening, giving the Reds a 4-1 lead finishing the period.

As tensions hit their zenith in

the third, the game changed after Varsity Red Wright checked UPEI’s goaltender Parks, which resulted in game misconduct.

“Obviously we’re upset. I just want to make sure that it was noted that yes it was a 5-1 game, but nothing happened until he [Parks] was run, and in the last two games they’ve had two five minute majors for hitting from behind. So they still have to come to the Island, don’t forget that,” UPEI head coach Forbes MacPherson said.

“Ben Wright, he’s been a good friend of mine for years but the bottom line is, that was not the right play to make,” said V-Red captain Kyle Bailey. “As a captain, as a leader, I take responsibility for it, because

What did you think about Ben Wright’s hit on UPEI goaltender Mavric Parks in Saturday’s semifinal game?

K. Bryannah James

Christopher Cameron

Heather Uhl

You don’t run a goalie. That’s just how it is. The reason being, is that if you run someone elses goalie, they’re going to run yours. And with Fullerton having had a season with enough injuries, it was evident that UPEI was going to try and run him after. I get that games get heated- evident in Saturday’s game. However, goalies are off limits. Simple.

It was unnecessary, but I think that the AUS needs to adopt the NHL rules for goalies and keep them out of the corners. Parks could have stood there and protected the puck and Ben Wright had no way to get to it because he’s not supposed to touch Parks. Either keep him from getting to the corners or allow some contact.

The level of contact Wright had with Parks was a little over the top, but if you don’t want to get hit, don’t go in the corner.

Wright was out of line to check Parks.

Check any other player on the ice but the goalie, and that’s just courtesy. I get why it happened- it was a good game that had tensions running high and the history between the two teams said there were going to be pushing and shoving- but I’m not convinced it should have happened. In the end: don’t hit the goalie.

Sports Editor

that’s a bad reflection of our team and he shouldn’t have done it.”

MacPherson says his team was fired up in the third, the most fired up they’ve been in this series, he says, due to the outcome in the third.

“We got sick of guys getting run from behind and guys started taking it personal and this is the way the series is going to be from here on out.”

UNB’s Josh Kidd scored the fifth and final goal at 6:22 in the third as the Reds secured two wins in the AUS semifinal.

The Reds will take on the Panthers tonight at UPEI for game three.

EIC

Sports Writer

Nick Murray Sports Writer

It’s like Kyle Bailey said after the game, “That was not the right play to make.” At that point, UPEI looked demoralized and after Parks got run over they got fired up. Maybe accidental, but nonetheless unnecessary play that late in the game. But, after the hit, UPEI had two 10-minute misconducts (goaltender interference and hit to the head) so maybe we’ll see an undisciplined UPEI squad on Wednesday.

14 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

brunswickansports

Women’s basketball miss playoffs after loss to Dalhousie Sean O’Neill The Brunswickan Unlike their male counterparts, UNB’s women’s basketball team had a chance to make the AUS playoffs at StFX this weekend. This would have happened if they beat Dalhousie twice on the road and by more than the 25 combined points the Tigers handed the Reds two weeks ago.

After the first game of the weekend doubleheader, the team’s chances dramatically improved. UNB beat Dalhousie 72-63, fueled by Claire Colborne’s 24 points on 50 per cent shooting, and graduating players Megan Corby and Emma Russell both had 13 points a piece.

The Reds needed a win of 17 points or more to gain its ticket to the playoffs in Antigonish. Instead, they were trounced by 16 and the Tigers will head to StFX instead, losing 85-69.

Keisha Brown exploded for Dalhousie with 27 points on a smoking 10-16 shooting. Colborne paced the Reds with 18, put on 5-17 from the field.

“I think we’re too good a team to miss the playoffs,” head coach Jeff Speedy said after the weekend. “I guess that’s a poor reflection on me as a coach.”

“The taste is pretty bitter in our mouths.”

Last season the Reds finished second in the league, with MVP Amanda Sharpe, rookie of the year in Colborne, and lost by five to Cape Breton in the AUS final.

It was hard to expect more of the same after Sharpe, and starting point guard Leah Corby, graduated.

Speedy says they weren’t replaced with players at the level of the ones he lost and the team plummeted in the standings.

Speedy believes the team needs to improve defensively, on the glass and “depth all the way around.” Only one of his players ranked in the AUS’s top 15 in scoring and rebounding.

The team scored 68.2 points a game while giving up over 75. UNB loses Russell, Corby and Jordanne Holstein from their roster. Holstein missed the last four games of the year with an Achilles injury.

When asked what he could have done this year to make the results better, he responded, “I needed to hold people more accountable.”

Will that start next year?

“Next year? It will start next week.”

The AUS playoffs take place this weekend at the Oland Centre in Antigonish.

Dalhousie plays Saint Mary’s and the host StFX takes on Memorial in the quarterfinals. Acadia and Cape Breton wait in the semis.

After a season filled with ups and downs, the women’s Varsity Red basketball team won’t be making the AUS playoffs. Omar Bawhab / The Dalhousie Gazette

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brunswickansports

Feb. 15, 2012 • Issue 21 • Volume 145 • 15

John Richard’s time at UNB Bronté James The Brunswickan Ending his coaching career after 17 years, former UNB women’s volleyball head coach John Richard is stepping down from coaching and stepping up to bat as athletic director.

“I quickly considered going after the position back in 2005 when I was acting director for that year, but decided against it,” Richard says.

“This time it felt right. I was humbled and encouraged by the support I had internally and I felt I could provide value, passion, structure, and leadership to the position.”

In 1995 Richard became assistant coach of the UNB women’s volleyball team, and three years later, in 1998, he became head coach until retiring this season.

As athletic director, Richard hopes to transfer his mentality and passion into his new position.

Leadership, energy and direction being key aspects of his coaching, Richard is looking for a new volleyball coach, as well as a new soccer coach, with the same mindset.

“We’re looking for someone who is passionate and who’ll make a difference in the lives of our studentathletes and the program and university,” Richard says.

“A new coach with new ideas and energy will go a long way.”

Hosting CIS Nationals two years in a row, Richard recalls it being his favourite memory as head coach.

In 2008 and 2009 Richard led the women’s volleyball team to consecutive championship titles.

“The championships hadn’t been to Atlantic Canada for over 20 plus years, so bringing that level of women’s volleyball to UNB, Fredericton, and to the New Brunswick region was very special.”

Joe Crossland has been acting as interim coach for UNB women’s soccer. Richard says Crossland has done a tremendous job as interim coach, and has been working very hard within recruiting, indoor program-

Dr. T. Wayne Lenehan Dr. M. Michele Leger

F P

Wikipedia tells us, “intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.”

Intuition, by its definition, seems to go against much of what we are taught in our culture and society, where we thrive on a scientific backdrop, and where everything must have reason and scientific proof.

However, intuition is a power we all have and can all harness. You may be able to relate to that feeling of knowing what to do but ignoring it, or if you are lucky, you may have experienced knowing what to do, listening to it, and things working out well.

Since intuition is not something you can give a clear-cut scientific explanation for, many people dismiss it. But, intuition is, as described by the famous psychologist Carl Jung, “perception via the unconscious”.

So how do you differentiate between intuition and mind games?

Or how do you begin to trust your intuitive inclinations?

Just like anything in life, practice is key. The next time you get that feeling inside that something is about to happen, or that there is something you must do – get in touch with that feeling, that intuition. This way, when it arises in the future you will know just what that “gut feeling” is.

L P E D

2 3 4

E D F C Z P

6

T O Z John Richard sole focus now is as Athletics Director for unb.

Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan ming and all the other off-season responsibilities.

With positive publicity around women’s soccer, such as the BMO partnership, the facility, quality student-athletes like Heather Ambery, and Right to Play, Richard says he is excited to see where their new coach can take that program.

“We hope to advertise in March and then begin the formal process of narrowing the list, interviews, etc.,” Richard says.

“Our hope is to have two new coaches on campus sometime in May.” Richard says the women’s volleyball team is made up of a lot of pieces.

Bringing all those pieces together to make one bonded team is vital.

“You look at the fact that last season when we won the Atlantic Championship, 3-0 in the final, well we have three of those starters from that team back next year,” Richard says.

“You add in people like Vanja Mitrovic, who is one of the best rookies in the country, and Katarina Legutky, who had an excellent rookie year first term before tearing her ACL … we have lot of pieces already there.”

Richard had a farewell video montage and was honoured with a framed volleyball jersey during one of the team’s final games of the season. The montage consisted of his time spent with the team and was shown on the video screen at the Currie Center.

“When you do something for over 15 years, it takes on a big part of who you are,” he says.

Having been a part of the university volleyball coaching staff for 17 years, Richard says he still has to adjust to no longer having control of the court but looks forward to helping teams in a different way.

“To have just given that up still seems surreal at times, but I’m sure it will get easier as time passes.”

Intuition – The key to our lives?

Tova Payne The Brunswickan

sports@thebruns.ca feel the power.

Then you can also test it out. If you have a “gut feeling,” see what happens when you follow it. Often people get intuitions about something, yet they fail to follow through with it. Often it is fear or dismissal of intuition, with a thought like ‘I would be ridiculous to follow some feeling.’

However, what we feel on an emotional level is as powerful as what we feel on a physical level. We are complete, whole beings, and it’s important to credit our emotional body and mind as much as our physical body and mind.

Moreover, often intuition is clear, gentle and won’t go away until we act on it. It’s not impulsive, nor is it our only chance to practice it.

For example, if we get the “gut feeling” to go to Paris tomorrow, that might be a little impulsive to just leave our schoolwork and jobs and take off. But, if you continue to get an intuitive feeling to go to Paris, and the feeling is clear and persists, you may want to start looking into student-study or work-abroad programs in Paris.

For those of you reading this, who have no idea what I’m talking about or feel they have very little intuitive capabilities, you should recognize that you could actually harness and cultivate your ability to be intuitive.

Often our busy hectic lives take away from the intuitive moments

and deep knowing telling us which direction to go.

When we practice taking a ‘timeout’ and spending some time in silence, stillness and ref lection, often these times of quieting down our minds opens the opportunity for clarity and intuitive knowings to flow in.

The simplest way to start quieting down your mind is setting a timer for five or 10 minutes. Sit or lay down quietly in a quiet place.

If there are any thoughts or feeling of boredom or frustration, practice breathing through it until the timer goes off. With practice, you will not only feel calmer, but you may find instead of feeling bored and anxious, you actually start to get in touch with your intuition and silent knowings.

Intuition can be an adjunct to making decisions in your life.

For example, if you have a choice between taking a job offer in Moncton or Halifax and you are really struggling with the decision, once all scientific reasoning has said they are equally great offers, this is an example of when you may want to get in touch with your intuitive knowing to help you make a better decision.

Once you decide to practice and harness the power of intuition and experiment with it in your own life, you may find it is one of the best counsellors you will ever need.

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16 • Feb. 29, 2012 • Issue 23 • Volume 145

Breaking down UNB men’s volleyball season Heather Uhl An Opinion Last year, the V-Reds men’s volleyball team went into the AUS playoffs in first place. The team faced off against Dal and won, coming out of playoffs with the AUS banner and then proceeding to nationals.

This year was of a different nature - a particularly baffling one. The men went into playoffs in second place, playing against Dal. Only this year they lost both matches - one, a home game.

This was more than a little surprising considering the matches between UNB and Dal usually go point-forpoint, the teams reasonably matched in skill.

At the beginning of the season, during the first two games against Dal, the V-Reds spilt the matches.

Dal took the first at 3-0, while UNB stole the second with 3-1.

Though the Varsity Reds had trouble at the very beginning in K ingston, Ontario, they pulled themselves together for the three Interlocks with the RSEQ division of the CIS. The Interlocks saw the V-Reds consistently win against Sherbrooke and Montreal, and being trounced

by Laval, to no one’s surprise.

As the season went on, the team seemed ready to defend the AUS title they won last year. Memorial never gave the V-Reds any real trouble until they became so confident it made them lazy.

The Sea-Hawks - though they never won against UNB - took that chance to remind the Varsity Reds to pay attention. That was probably a good thing for the Reds because the Sea-Hawks might be a bit of trouble next season.

UNB didn’t get another crack at

UNB misses chance to regain their AUS championship title after losing to Dalhousie. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Dal until after the third Interlock, an Interlock that proved the Varsity Reds had trouble finding their groove in the first set of each match.

Of course, once the team found its zone, they were playing well, but every point beforehand showed stumbling and minor mistakes, which could have been avoided.

At the AUS level, opponents can take a weakness like that and run with it - like Laval did in that particular Interlock, taking the first set 25-12. Fortunately, there was only one Laval team to deal with this season.

The team peeked during the

middle of its season. Matt Sweet and Marc White recovered from their injuries mid-season and came back as strong as ever.

Julio Fernandez found his place as a strong left-side attacker, and other notable players like Logan Keoughan, John Sheenan, Andrew Costa, John Tower, and Kyle Blanchard strengthened the team as a whole.

Then the Varsity Reds stumbled at the finish line.

Despite having a strong team, which won just as many games in the regular season as it did last year, a pattern began to emerge as playoffs

drew near. Head coach Dan McMorran aptly described it as the team ‘riding a wave.’ They would win a set and then lose the next, instead of playing consistently.

Whatever momentum the team managed to build evaporated like steam between sets, adding to the problem of getting their feet on the ground in the first set of a match.

By the time the team found their momentum again, it was too late to recover, whatever match it was playing.

Of course, to give credit to the Varsity Reds, they won the exact same amount of matches as they did

last year - 11 wins, six losses - and last year they came out with the crown.

Only last year, Dal probably wasn’t looking for blood against the team that broke its 23-year win streak.

This year, the Tigers wanted their title back with a passion and the VReds stumbled at the wrong time.

In short, the Varsity Reds had the potential to take the title again this year. But a combination of small weaknesses, a few errors on the court and an inability to maintain momentum versus a team that didn’t falter into playoffs is what lost the V-Reds their title.

Better luck next year.

Men’s basketball miss playoffs again Sean O’Neill The Brunswickan

Playoff hopes slip away for the Reds. Paul Balite / The Dalhousie Gazette

One loss. One basket. One point.

No playoffs.

That’s the razor-thin difference between a trip to Halifax for the AUS final six and a basketball-free weekend in Fredericton. But that’s the realization for UNB’s men’s basketball team.

After last weekend’s 87-86 loss at home to Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie’s overtime victory against Cape Breton, the Reds were relegated to outside of the six-team tournament for the fifth time in six years.

If Jerome Smith didn’t grab an offensive rebound in a scuffle and lay the ball in, the Huskies would be watching while the Reds traveled to the Metro Centre. But those are the breaks.

“Those are the games you have to take care of,” said head coach Brent Baker. “And we did not win the game.”

The team certainly improved in the second half of the season when Will McFee rejoined the team and Dan Quirion returned from injury, going 4-5 after Jan. 27 after starting the year 3-8.

But UNB still f inished last in

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scoring offense in the AUS with 72.9 points a game; last in field goal and three-point percentage shooting with 39 and 30 per cent, respectively; last in assists per game; and second last in both offensive and defensive rebounds.

“We didn’t have a chance to build any continuity defensively,” Baker said, explaining that with six new players and with McFee and Quirion sidelined, a monkey wrench was continually thrown into his plans.

“We’re a little more grizzled now and I think that’ll make the difference.”

The team’s weekend doubleheader at Dalhousie was a moot point. The Tigers could improve its playoff position with victories, and the Reds were playing for nothing but musclememory and pride.

UNB split the weekend set with Dalhousie. The first game ended 68-57 in the Reds favour. Alex DesRoches had 16 points and seven rebounds and Michael Fosu registered 14 points and eight boards.

In the second game, UNB had a chance to win the game on an inbound play with three seconds left but couldn’t tie the game and Dalhousie won 78-75. Baker rued a

dead-ball foul, which gave the other team two free throws and possession after, for the loss.

William Yengue dropped 23 with eight rebounds, Casey Fox had 21 points and Stephen Lopez scored 17 points. McFee led the Reds with 17 points and Fosu had 14 points and seven boards.

Baker expects to lose only graduating forward DesRoches - who played the final half of the season with turf toe and is going to Australia to play semi-pro ball in May - from his lineup and will need to replace his 15.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.

One of the players Baker admits he’s recruiting is former Cape Breton guard Tremaine Fraser, who has one year of eligibility left.

“People can be critical and they have every right to be,” Baker said on his team’s performance. “It’s like what Bill Parcells says, ‘you are what your record says you are.’”

Baker’s AUS record in four years at UNB is 21-59.

The AUS final six starts this weekend at the Metro Centre in Halifax.

The quarterfinals have UPEI playing Saint Mary’s and Cape Breton facing Dalhousie. StFX and Acadia await the winners in the semifinals.

VOTE