charlatan_2010-04-07

charlatan the

Vol 39•Issue 29 • April 1-7, 2010

carleton’s independent independent weekly weekly -- since since 1945 1945 carleton’s

Girl Talk remixes Pandamonium p. 13

cover by

Matt Lee

INSIDE: U of R profs protest Project Hero p. 7 • ONLINE: Welcome to Canada: the immigrant struggle see charlatan.ca

All of us at CUSA would like to wish you GOOD LUCK on your exams, & congratulations to the 2010 graduates.

News

3 April 1-7, 2010 News Editors: Jeanne Armstrong and Joel Eastwood • news@charlatan.ca

Stephen Lewis at CU

by Andrew Nguyen “We have the apparatus to make the control of cancer real, and the mobilization of community to do it,” said Stephen Lewis, during The People vs. Cancer tour talk at the Minto Centre March 25.

Lewis, a professor of global health at McMaster University, has worked extensively as the UN secretary general’s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

He discussed the importance of cancer control and prevention and awareness of non-communicable diseases.

“As Canada ages, the incidence of cancer will rise because older people are more susceptible to it,” said Lewis.

Currently, one in three people in Canada are diagnosed with cancer, and this number is expected to increase to one in two within the next 10 years.

“The traditional stories of eat healthy, stay active, don’t smoke, get screened, aren’t having the impact they could,” said Pat Kelly, organizer of the Campaign to Control Cancer.

The main message of Lewis’ talk is that cancer can be prevented and there can be a 40 per cent reduction in the number of cases, affecting millions of people.

Over the course of one generation, if cancer rates were reduced, “there would be 1.2 million fewer cancer cases in Canada over the course of 25 to 30 years, 400,000 fewer deaths, and there would be $39 billion saved in

by David Meffe

Activist Stephen Lewis spoke at Carleton March 25. ||

health costs,” Lewis said.

Canada has the potential to be a good influence, Kelly said, as the country has publicly funded healthcare, a remarkable research capacity and expertise in the area.

Typically, cancer awareness programs are about raising money or encouraging people to participate in screening programs, but what makes Lewis’s The People vs. Cancer tour different is its focus on getting students engaged and concerned about the issues surrounding cancer.

“With the older generation there is a bit of hesitancy to say, this is how I think, this is how I feel and get emotionally committed

photo by

Ashley Metzger

to a cause,” said Relay for Life organizer Heather Page.

Relay for Life organizer Komal Minhas, who opened the talks, said it’s important to bring community dialogue to Carleton.

During his talk Lewis reminded students about the impact of pressuring the government to get cancer control and non-communicable diseases on the agenda of the G8/G20 talks in June and the UN world leaders summit in September.

“It would be a turning point within Canada,” Lewis said. “But what really is required is that a younger generation understands what may be in store.” q

NEWS BRIEFS

CUSA vice-president (finance) Meera Chander (left) at the University of Guelph. || provided

successfully petitioned to hold a referendum asking students if they wish to defederate from the CFS. Tester, the organizer for the anti-CFS movement Move On Carleton, started a petition earlier this year to propose a similar referendum question to Carleton students.

Chander, Skvirsky and CUSA president Erik Halliwell could not be reached for comment.

— Veronica Tang

VPs visit Guelph Carleton student Dean Tester has accused two Carleton University Students’ Association executives, one current and the other incoming, of campaigning for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) at the University of Guelph this week.

Photographs taken this week show CUSA vice-president (finance) Meera Chander and incoming vice-president (student issues) Dina Skvirsky on the U of G campus speaking to students.

According to a campus bulletin from U of G, the school

VP speaks without CUSA approval

Body found near campus The body of 73-year-old Lorraine Inch was found near Carleton campus March 29, according to the Ottawa Police Service. She was first reported missing March 25.

She had no connection to the Carleton community, according to the director of the department of university safety Len Boudreault.

Police refused to release any further information.

Carleton’s top earners More than 500 Carleton employees earned more than $100,000 last year, according to the Ontario government’s annual public sector salary disclosure.

The 516 people on the “sunshine list” of public sector employees is up almost 11 per cent from 2008’s 465. The province-wide report was released March 31.

Samy Mahmoud was the highest-paid faculty member at Carleton for the second year in a row, with a 2009 salary of $346,410.

He made a similar salary in 2008 as Carleton’s acting president.

President Roseann Runte made $358,468 last year, with another $43,240 in taxable benefits, such as travel costs. Dave Smart, coach of the men’s varsity basketball team, made $133,093.

The biggest earner at Carleton was Feridun Hamdullahpur, vice-president (research and international) until he left for the University of Waterloo last July.

He was paid $503,247 last year.

— Chris Herhalt

— Chris Hannay

Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA) president Erik Halliwell said he was unaware of a press release distributed by fellow CUSA executive Nick Bergamini taking a stance on Israeli Apartheid Week.

On March 26, CUSA vicepresident (student issues) Bergamini released a statement condemning a fake e-mail claiming to be from Liberal Ottawa-Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi apologizing for his party’s vote opposing Israeli Apartheid Week.

Halliwell said Bergamini's press release, entitled “Students' Association Condemns MPP's Support of Hate Speech,” was not sent on behalf of CUSA, and none of the other executives were made aware of its release.

“We currently have no official position on the subject of Israeli Apartheid Week,” Halliwell said.

In February, Ontario MPPs unanimously passed a motion condemning IAW, an event which took place on campuses across the country.

Thirty MPPs in the 107-seat legislature were present for the vote. Naqvi was not one of them, and declined to say which way he would have voted.

The Ontario MPPs stated the week-long event was a monologue,

not a discussion, and denounced both the name and the ideas implied as promoting hatred.

In the press release, Bergamini openly condemns Naqvi and his apology, and speaks on behalf of Carleton students, stating that “students are disappointed that Naqvi is reopening old wounds” by bringing up the issue.

After the fake e-mail was distributed, Bergamini called on Naqvi to apologize for his statement.

Naqvi «completely fails to understand the intimidation and hate Israeli and Jewish students face on campus,“ Bergamini said in the release.

Bergamini said he wrote the release, and that it was his own opinion exclusively. He refused to comment on the case, as it constitutes an ongoing investigation with regards to Naqvi’s identity theft.

However, shortly after the e-mail was sent out, Naqvi claimed someone sent it impersonating him.

On March 26, an e-mail sent from a free Google account using Naqvi’s name apologized for the decision, and defended the characterization of Israel as an apartheid state. Soon after the statement was released, Naqvi’s e-mail was revealed to be a fraud.

In a statement made after the event, the MPP said he felt violated and disturbed by the events of the identity theft. q

Grads support U-Pass and Leveller levy

by Joel Eastwood and Cassandra Federbusz Graduate students voted to pass all three referendum questions in the recent Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) elections.

Almost three-quarters of graduate student voters were in favour of a mandatory universal bus pass (U-Pass) beginning in September, which Carleton’s undergraduate students approved last month.

Voters narrowly voted to support funding The Leveller, with 53.6 per cent of voters in favour of giving the paper $1.50 per semester for each student.

Sixty-one per cent of voters approved an increase in the Ontario Public Interest Research Group’s levy by another $1 per term.

A plebiscite question gauging voter opinion on a plan for the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research to reduce internal funding for graduate students who receive large external scholarships had mixed responses.

About half the voters supported reductions if the funding would be

transferred to underfunded students.

Another third said they did not support the reductions under any circumstances.

Current GSA president Kimalee Phillip has reclaimed her position for the 2010-11 academic year.

In a run-off between Nick Falvo and Kourosh Khosravi Faramini, Falvo emerged as vice-president (finance). Falvo said he hopes to achieve more equity in funding for all graduate departments as well as ensuring transparency in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research budget.

Kelly Black was acclaimed vicepresident (operations) and Austin Miller became graduate student representative on the board of governors.

Miller said he will work towards redirecting the board’s focus on environmental sustainability.

Elizabeth Whyte, a current GSA councillor, has been elected into Falvo’s previous position as vicepresident (academic), beating out Shermin Hedayat.

Whyte said she wants to achieve her goal in supporting students to obtain graduate funding. q

4

charlatannews

New award for leaders

by Daniel King March 26 was a day to remember for four Carleton students who walked away from the school’s first-ever Leadership Ceremony with awards.

The award winners were among a total of nine nominees chosen to attend the ceremony for aiding the community on and off campus.

“The main goal of the ceremony was to make sure students that were doing outstanding things were being recognized,” said Joe Lipsett, co-ordinator of the event.

“The awards were designed for those trying to do things that affected more than just themselves, such as their peers, the faculty and the community at large.”

Amanda Emmanuel, a fourthyear interactive multimedia and design student, was named undergraduate leader in leadership development at the ceremony.

Emmanuel created a blog on interactive multimedia and design which she said would “establish a name for the program and the

students that are in it.”

Cameron McKenzie, a fourthyear social work undergraduate and vice-president (internal) of Carleton University Students' Association, received the diversity appreciation award for his many extracurricular contributions to the on- and off-campus community.

The other two award recipients were Crystal Kuhn, a fourth-year women’s studies major, who claimed the social responsibility award, and Luke Rusell, a fourthyear biomedical and electrical engineering major, who received the award for collaboration.

McKenzie said the event was off to a great start.

“I encourage more students to get up there, get involved and apply for the award,” McKenzie said.

Emmanuel, on the other hand, said she was somewhat disappointed by the lack of publicity for the event. Lipsett said he hopes to solve this issue for next year’s ceremony by expanding the event and offering additional awards. q

Jibtest finds new home

The Carleton ski and snowboard club hosted its 5th annual Jibtest March 26.

The event was held in Parking Lot 2 in front of the Unicentre. After four years of hosting it behind the Unicentre the club had to find a new location because of the construction of the new Canal Building. || photo by Justin Poirier

April 1-7, 2010

TEDx spreads worthy ideas

by Colin Sutherland One hundred of Ottawa’s most innovative individuals gathered at the Gladstone Theatre March 30 to attend TEDxCarletonU, a conference showcasing new ideas driving innovation at Carleton.

“Ideas are the building blocks of innovation,” said Luc Lalande, TEDxCarletonU organizer.

TED is a non-profit organization that looks at “ideas worth spreading,” and broadcasts them to the world through the Internet and through independently run TEDx events like the one at the Gladstone.

The conference showcased the work of five Carleton professors.

“I was looking for researchers who were pushing the boundaries of research and coming up with interesting ideas,” Lalande said. “I was also looking for people who wanted to take those ideas and do something with them.”

“Every TED event has a theme associated with it,” explained fourth-year Carleton computer science student Nicholas Osborne, the event’s social media volunteer.

“In our case, it’s change makers.”

Each presentation lasted 15 minutes, with topics ranging from architecture inspired by nature to how nanotechnology could be used to create smarter and more efficient fertilizers.

“In the world today there are people with good ideas all over the place,” said Jim Davies, one of

Jim Davies spoke about the scientific study of imagination. ||

the TEDx speakers and the director of the Science of Imagination Laboratory at Carleton.

Davies spoke about how he studies imagination scientifically.

“It seems like one of the most impenetrable parts of the world,” Davies said, but explained by using psychological tests and computer imagination software it is possible.

“Often lecture series are directed towards a certain audience. TED is more for the lay person and in a language that everyone can understand,” Davies said.

Another crowd favourite was a presentation by music composition professor Jesse Stewart, which included the use of the podium as a musical instrument.

photo by

Lasia Kretzel

“My main message was that creativity belongs to everyone and we can find opportunities to think and act creatively in our daily lives in the ways that we engage with the things around us,” Stewart said.

“I think it is important for people to take opportunities to expand their worldview and TEDx events, in my experience anyways, offer that opportunity,” Stewart said.

The audience was restricted to 100 attendees who were nominated or selected based on applications.

“These are people who are in the community actively doing things to support innovation,” Lalande said. “They could be entrepreneurs or people doing creative work in a variety of ways.” q

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April 1-7, 2010

5

UN society takes NYC Animals through the lens

by Candice So Students might be playing the part of world leaders this week at the United Nations, but the issues on the agenda will be very real.

Sixteen students from Carleton’s United Nations Society are in New York City this week debating terrorism, economic development and other global issues at one of the world’s biggest model UN conferences.

Hosted by Harvard University, the conference is taking place in the UN building, drawing in about 3,000 other participants from 36 countries.

Carleton UN Society president Sayan Basu Ray described the week so far as both “exhausting and rewarding.”

“Debating in New York City with people from all parts of the world has been an amazing experience,” he said. “One thing we’re really looking forward to is debating in the actual UN building tomorrow, where we’ll be seated in Jamaica’s chair in the General Assembly as well as the United States seat in the Security Council.”

Ray said the team is happy with its performance so far, even though the team won’t get award results until tomorrow, the last day of the conference.

Though the competition in New York is high, the team has had a good showing. The UN society won eight awards at the Queen’s University conference in November.

They took another three awards at McGill

University, two at Harvard and two more at York.

Lauren Callighen, who is on the society’s executive, said team members owe their success to all the hard work they do before each conference. Before they even get to the podium, speakers prepare notes as though they were prepping to write an essay, she said.

The Carleton team went to the Jamaican High Commission for help putting together their debate position.

And on top of the research, team members meet once a week to practice public speaking, share tips on how to sway people to agree with their arguments, and learn how to present themselves.

“You do as much as you need to do to stand up there confidently, but the first time you speak is always really nerve-wracking,” Callighen said.

Still, the conferences aren’t just about arguing a point in a debate. Callighen said she enjoys conferences because she has met so many new people. Callighen still keeps in touch with students in Geneva and the Netherlands, and she said she has grown close with some of the debaters at other Canadian universities.

“You meet so many interesting characters,” Callighen said. “A lot of people are from the best schools and are really educated, so [for this conference] we just want more schools to recognize us as a good competitor and just do as well as we can.” q

Join your local city councillor for

Coffee with Clive

by Jill Simmonds Over the past two years, Marc Furstenau has studied the way in which cameras have been used to “anthropomorphize,” or give human characteristics, to animals.

In real life, it is very uncommon to see a wild animal, let alone up close, Furstenau explained.

He said with the invention of the camera, we can now get up close to these animals without putting ourselves in any danger.

Furstenau, an associate professor in the film department, is part of a group of researchers at Carleton whose work is being highlighted during this year’s Research Days.

He explained we are given a sense that we know these animals, and that it is completely normal to interact with them, despite the obvious danger of approaching a wild animal.

“We have had no end in seeing these animals, and we can see them in ways that we can’t see them in the natural world,” he said.

“Once a cameraman gets that image, we get the sense that we can look into a bear’s eyes.”

This, he said, “transforms our experience of the wild, and of wild animals.”

Furstenau’s theory extends beyond human interaction with animals. He said cameras also set us up with unrealistic views of the world.

“When we produce images, even the most realistic, they are still only opportunities to imagine our place in the world,” he said.

“That’s not to say those images are imaginary, it’s not fictional,” he added.

“Cameras provide us with a means of creating images of the world, which then allows us to imagine our position in the world,” he said.

He provided images we see of Iraq as an example to explain his theory.

Carleton professor Marc Furstenau studies how people’s perception of wild animals is changed by their depiction in films. || photo by Portia Baladad

“Because you can’t see everything all at once it’s a real relationship, but it’s at a distance,” he said.

Furstenau said he hopes his study will inspire students to think about their own relationship in the world.

“If we understand animals — or if we think we do — it will structure how we behave, what we do when we go out in the wild, and how we think when we develop land,” he said.

Furstenau said he also hopes his study will help students consider the “larger ethical questions about how human beings act in the world.”

“How we use technologies like camera and television and cinema to produce representations of the world helps us to understand the world,” he said. q

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the

carleton’s independent newspaper since 1945

CHARLATAN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Charlatan will be holding its annual general meeting on April 8th from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm in Residence Commons room 214.

All students are welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting. The board of directors will review key information regarding the current fiscal year, as well as answer questions and take suggestions from the student body.

Refreshments will be provided.

The Charlatan is also looking for students who are interested in joining the board of directors for the 2010-2011 year.

Positions include: Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Staff Representative, as well as several Student Director positions.

All interested students should contact Nick at: board@charlatan.ca

National

6 April 1-7, 2010 National Editor: Andrea Hill• national@charlatan.ca

CFS faces falling membership The Concordia Student Union (CSU) is the latest group to enter the boxing ring against the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) following a resounding vote to de-federate.

The vote took place March 23-25, with 72 per cent of participating students voting “no” to the referendum question “Are you in favour of continued membership in the Canadian Federation of Students?”

The CSU is the second student union to vote to leave the federation this year, following the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association, which concluded voting March 24.

However, both of these referendums contravened the CFS Motion 6, which was passed in November 2009 and states that only two student unions may hold a referendum in a three-month period and 20 per cent of student union members must sign the petition.

The Post-Graduate Student Society of McGill University and the Alberta College of Art and Design Students’ Association were the two groups recognized by the CFS as being allowed to hold a referendum this spring.

CSU president Amine Dabchy said the vote should be held to the old rules because its petition was submitted prior to the change in regulations surrounding de-federation referendums.

“We know that it’s bullshit,” he said. “We respected every single line of the by-laws.”

This included inviting the CFS to oversee the vote, he said, although no representatives showed up.

Voting at McGill and the Alberta College of Art and Design takes place the last week of March.

The CSU petition was submitted Oct. 19 with 16.7 per cent of undergraduate students having signed it, according to the Concordian, Concordia’s student paper.

The CFS also claims the CSU owes them more than $1 million, the Concordian reported.

The CSU said it expects the situation will end up in court. q — by Kathryn Burnham

Ryerson student files class action suit Ryerson University student Chris Avenir is suing Ryerson in a $10-million class action lawsuit for not allowing him to be represented by a lawyer at a hearing he was called to for sharing work online.

In 2008, Avenir was accused of academic dishonesty for organizing and using a Facebook study group called Dungeons/ Mastering Chemistry Solution that allowed students to post answers to homework problems.

“If this kind of help is cheating, then so is tutoring and all the mentoring programs the university runs and the discussions we do in tutorials,” Avenir told the Toronto Star.

According to the Star, Avenir was not allowed to have a lawyer with him during his hearing — only a student union advocate.

“Since this case is now before the courts I am not in a position to comment on the specifics of it,” said Julia Hanisberg, Ryerson’s general counsel.

“What I can tell you is that we are confident in Ryerson’s academic integrity policies and procedures and we know that they are fair.

Ryerson will vigorously defend the suit.”

Avenir is now asking for $10 million and $250,000 in punitive damages.

— by Melissa Novacaska

First Nations students protest funding cuts

by Laura Jakobschuk Students at the First Nations University of Canada have been staging a live-in on the campus since March 23 to protest the decision of the federal and provincial governments to cut funding to the institution.

“We’re demanding the money flow back into the institution,” said Cadmus Delorme, the FNUC student association vice-president. “By participating in this live-in, we want to tell everybody that we are like a family and this is our home.”

In February, the Canadian and Saskatchewan governments cited financial mismanagement and poor governance of the university as the reasons for suspending funding.

Since the live-in began, the Saskatchewan government has agreed to reinstate $5.2 million in funding after the University of Regina agreed to handle the FNUC’s finances.

Students are still waiting for the $7 million federal grant to be reinstated.

According to Delorme, provincial funding has been reinstated because the university complied with the requests of the provincial government by dismissing

its old board of governors and firing the former vice-president and president of the university.

The university has not had as much luck with reacquiring federal funding.

“The federal government is not communicating with us at all,” Delorme said. “We’ve been using the media to get our point across.”

About 15 students have moved in, and about 30 others come and go.

“Some of us have been sleeping in teepees outside, but it’s been pretty cold. Last night it was -16 C,” Delmore said.

“We’re not disrupting the administrative hours of the institution, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. We do activities in the evening,” Delorme said.

The live-in has a strict conduct code that makes sure students attend classes and enforces a bedtime at midnight.

“Every evening we do activities, such as singing powwow songs, beading or drumming,” Delmore said. “The other night we played charades in native languages.”

Delmore said people from the community come out to participate in the activities every night.

“It’s great to see non-native people supporting us, and trying to keep up with the drumming during the powwow. It’s all about sharing our culture. That’s what this university does,” Delorme said.

“The support from everyone has been amazing. We’ve received numerous donations of food and money,” Delorme said.

According to the FNUC’s website, the university provides “post-secondary education in a culturally supportive First Nations environment.” The university has about 800 students enrolled in its main campus in Regina and its satellite facilities in Saskatoon and Prince Albert, Sask.

The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees that combine “First Nationoriented and standard areas of studies.”

“Keeping the university open is important, because graduating from postsecondary education helps Aboriginals participate in the economy,” Delorme said.

“Growing up on a First Nations Reserve and moving into an urban area is a huge culture shock and many find it difficult to succeed,” Delmore said. “We need to keep this university going so Aboriginal people can continue to contribute to the economy.” q — graphic by Katelyn Beaudette

Quebec bill may target niqabs

by Ruby Pratka Quebec’s provincial government has ignited a row over reasonable accommodation with a proposed law requiring people to uncover their faces when giving or receiving any public service, including giving or receiving health services and teaching and learning at publicly funded schools and universities.

The proposal has been seen as a prohibition of the niqab, a veil worn by some Muslim women that leaves only the eyes exposed.

Alia Hogben, president of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, cautioned that “the bill is not about niqabs.”

“It’s just about covering and uncovering your face,” she said.

She said her group will need to learn more about the bill before openly opposing it.

“If it is aimed at Muslims, it could be racist and discriminatory,” Hogben said.

According to the text of the proposed law, the government hopes to “apply the general practice that any government administrative personnel and anyone to whom services are provided should have the face uncovered during the provision of services.”

“An accommodation,” it continues, “can only be accorded if it is reasonable.”

Salam Elmenyawi, a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Montreal, said the bill is too vague.

“The bill was not clear in the way it is applied,” he said.

“It could end up depriving someone of religious symbols.”

The text of the law refers to “the equality of men and women” as an objective to which all “reasonable accommodation” should be

subordinated.

Elmenyawi said banning the niqab is no way to promote gender equality.

“Women who wear the niqab say, ‘When we wear the niqab we are free to be ourselves and we don’t have to enlarge our lips or fix our cheekbones to be effective and beautiful,’ ” he said.

25 women in niqabs.”

The media furor over the bill has had other consequences, according to Elmenyawi.

“People are openly now insulting Muslim women in blogs and talk shows,” he said.

“I’ve gotten hate mail that says the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. The bigotry and intolerance has taken root and used this

”

I know a woman who has completed her bachelor’s degree, but if this law passes she may not go back and do her master’s.

— Salam Elmenyawi, spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Montreal “In the niqab, men listen to [women] for [their] ideals.”

He said restrictions on the niqab may in fact prevent wearers from integrating into Quebec society.

“I know a woman who has completed her bachelor’s degree, but if this law passes she may not go back and do her master’s” he said.

Elmenyawi said the bill shows misplaced priorities.

“The niqab is an easy target in the hands of ardent secularists,” he said.

Elmenyawi estimated that less than 30 Quebec women wear the niqab.

Out of 140,000 complaints received by provincial health authorities in the past year, Elmenyawi said only 10 involved the niqab.

Elmenyawi said the government should focus on other priorities.

“We have the most educated taxi drivers in the world in Montreal,” Elmenyawi said.

“And the government chooses to worry about

bill to manifest itself, so the only veil removed is the veil against hate,” Elmenyawi said.

“By a strong legislative gesture, we’re responding to a need for clarity, and we’re drawing a line between what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable concerning accommodation,” said Quebec premier Jean Charest in a French-language statement.

“We’re clearly indicating the lines that can’t be crossed: respect the equality of men and women and the religious neutrality of the state,” Charest said.

“This proposed law defines the notion of accommodation and subordinates all accommodation to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” reads the text.

Hogben said the rights being violated may in fact be those of the niqab wearers.

“I’m hoping the Quebec government has looked into seeing if this is against the Charter,” she said. “It is not up to the state to tell women how to dress.” q

April 1-7, 2010

charlatannational

Profs oppose Project Hero

by Iris Hug Sixteen professors at the University of Regina have signed a letter asking the institution to withdraw from Project Hero, a scholarship fund for the children of fallen soldiers.

According to the letter sent to U of R president Vianne Timmons, the professors feel the project “represents a dangerous cultural turn” by “associat[ing] ‘heroism’ with the act of military intervention.”

Political science professor Joyce Green, who signed the letter, said she and the other professors disagree with the university’s alignment with this project for several reasons.

“First, it duplicates an existing program [Children of Deceased Veterans Education Assistance Act C-28]. It glorifies militarism and heroism, making it more difficult to discuss as public policy. And it’s not a good idea to introduce special programs at a time when we have students paying higher tuition and an important university [First Nations University of Canada] forced into bankruptcy,” Green said.

Project Hero was launched in September 2009 by honourary Lt.-Col. Kevin Reed and

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retired general Rick Hillier to provide support to the children of deceased Canadian soldiers.

It waives tuition fees for the duration of a four-year undergraduate period, as well as providing an additional $1,000 for books.

To be eligible for the scholarship a student must be a descendant of a member of the Canadian Forces who lost their life in active duty, be under the age of 26 and maintain a 75 per cent average.

Since its launch in 2009, dozens of universities and colleges across Canada have adopted the project, including Carleton University.

U of R’s executive only recently decided to participate in the program, and the program is scheduled to come into effect at the university in September 2010.

According to the government website, the Children of Deceased Veterans Education Assistance Act C-28 is an existing program that helps the children of deceased soldiers pay for their education and provides them with a monthly allowance.

“We think this is appropriate because it is public money used for a public purpose by the relevant department,” Green said. “Project Hero is a program that each university can choose to sign on to and then effectively subsidizes, so it essentially comes out of our existing revenue.”

Barbara Pollock, a spokeswoman for the university, said U of R encourages debate and diverse opinions and the administration appreciates the professors’ perspectives.

However, Pollock said the university is continuing with the program as it is.

Along with their request for the university’s immediate withdrawal from the program, the professors call for greater pressure on the government for scholarship and bursary funding for all students, and they request the university hold a public forum to discuss Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan.

Pollock said the university already lobbies the government for more funding, both through the annual budget as well as through their government relations program. Pollock also said it was well within the purview of the professors to organize their own public forum, but the university would not be organizing any discussion on the issue. q

7

Coulter welcome in Calgary

by Adam Kveton The crowd at the University of Calgary erupted in applause when Ann Coulter said she’d like to make Calgary, and everything west of it, the United States’ 51st state, reported The Canadian Press.

It seems Ottawa didn’t make the cut.

“We wanted to test Canada’s tolerance for differing viewpoints, and I have to say, unfortunately, Ottawa failed where London and, it seems, Calgary did not,” said Canadian activist Mary Lou Ambrogio, a head organizer for Coulter’s Canadian tour.

The right-wing American pundit gave a 30-minute talk to a crowd of more than 900 at the U of C March 25, two days after her planned University of Ottawa appearance was cancelled on the recommendation of Ottawa police.

Coulter announced to the Calgary crowd that she plans on filing a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission over the i n c i d e n t , including U of O’s provost’s controversial letter warning her about the differences between hate speech law in Canada and the United States.

This too was met with applause, reports The Canadian Press.

According to Ambrogio, organizers made a last-minute venue change in Calgary to double the amount of seating space the day before the event to accommodate a sudden burst in interest.

Still, Ambrogio said there were 500 more prospective attendees that had to be turned away.

Before the Calgary speech, Ambrogio

said organizers didn’t expect protests to cause any security concerns this time around, but noted organizers would remain cautious.

Before the event James Stevenson, senior communications manager for U of C, said the Calgary campus’ response to the event was “all over the map.”

“There is widespread feeling about this on both sides of the coin,” he said.

In response to Coulter’s planned visit, U of C’s Muslim Students’ Association issued a press release, saying it does “not consider Ann Coulter to be someone who speaks on an intellectual level that warrants consideration.”

However, the association said it would not organize a protest.

But other groups did.

A few dozen protesters were present, holding signs, banging doors and heckling spectators, writes The Canadian Press, but nothing compared to the hundreds of protesters at the U of O. One sign, held by a young child, said “I don’t have a camel or a flying carpet, can you lend me your broomstick?” referring to a remark Coulter made at the University of Western Ontario March 22, saying all Muslims should make use of flying carpets or camels for international travel, rather than planes.

“The whole point is that you open your mind to a differing viewpoint. That’s what we want to do,” Ambrogio said.

Admission to Coulter’s speech about political correctness, media bias and freedom of speech was $10 and free for any student with a valid student ID. q — graphic by Talbert Johnson

Apply for OSAP

by June 15 The Awards Office administers the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) which is designed to help Ontario students cover the cost of their post-secondary education.

Returning students must apply for OSAP by filling out and submitting a new OSAP application for full-time students each year. To ensure the Awards Office has enough time to fully process your application before September, it’s vital that you apply early! Here’s how: Step 1: Complete the online OSAP application at osap.gov.on.ca.

It will be available the end of May. Step 2: Print, sign and submit the Consent, Declarations and Signatures section of your OSAP application to the Awards Office.

You must complete both steps before we can begin processing your application. To ensure your funding is in place by September, submit your application by June 15.

To find out more about OSAP, and other forms of financial aid available to you, visit the Awards Office website at carleton.ca/awards.

Mail consent forms and supporting documentation, to: Awards Office 202 Robertson Hall 1125 Colonel By Drive Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6

Office of the Associate Vice-President (Student Support Services) carleton.ca/studentsupport

Perspectives

8

April 1-7, 2010

charlatanperspectives

April 1-7, 2010 Perspectives Editor: Wyatt Danowski • perspectives@charlatan.ca

9

Inside The Ottawa Mission u

The Charlatan’s Adam Dietrich ventures into The Ottawa Mission and documents the relationship between the volunteers of the Mission and the people they serve on a daily basis. Here are his photos and observations.

“People are scared to walk by” — Patrick Weldon, Ottawa Mission volunteer

F Patrick Weldon, a third-year environmental studies student at the University of Ottawa, decided to volunteer because his society and ethics class required a placement. He said he was drawn to the idea of working with the Mission because “people are scared to walk by.” When asked whether that fear is justified, he says, “People are people wanting to eat.”

Patrick Weldon chops peas at 8 a.m. for The Ottawa Mission. The Mission serves about 1,100 meals a day, says Meghan Bartolo, the Mission’s manager of volunteer services. p

t

The Mission has a diverse volunteer base, approximately one-third of which are students. Church groups contribute a lot of volunteers Bartolo says. H

For a different perspective. . .

No Canadian experience Averie Macdonald files an in-depth report on new immigrants in Canada and their struggles with avoiding the pitfall into low-paying jobs for which they are overqualified.

J Some homeless Ottawa residents enjoy a meal made by volunteers. The Ottawa Mission has about 230 beds, most of which are full every night. The Mission offers food, shelter and addiction counselling to its members.

YMCA-YWCA is one of many different organizations that provide well paying jobs for new immigrants. || photo by Lauren Blackburn

F The Ottawa Mission is a Christian mission. However, according to its media relations person, Shirley Roy, “the Mission is a Christian/multi-faith facility. Although we offer chapel services and our addiction treatment is faith-based.”

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charlatanop/ed

Overheard at Carleton Girl 1: It looks nice outside but it really isn’t.

Girl 2: I know, it’s like an optical illusion.

That’s what you get when you live in Canada.

Girl 1: It’s like a woman on her period.

OOO Girl: Don’t know what I’m going to do with my life anymore . . .

Guy: How come?

Girl: I’m just not as flexible as I used to be.

OOO Girl: There is just too much damn work to do.

Guy: Well, at least if we fail out of school, we will still have each other.

Girl: And non-stop summer vacation!

OOO That’s the spirit!

Overheard any other uplifting convos lately?

E-mail: oped@charlatan.ca

April 1-7, 2010

All events deserve equal support RE: “Demystifying Islam,” March 18-24, 2010.

This year’s Islam Awareness Week (IAW), which took place March 15-19, stood out as one of the best I have seen yet, or at least much improved from last year. Over 70 volunteers participated and all of them had undergone training and educated themselves better on their faith to prepare for the event. All this effort in the hopes of simply raising awareness about Islam and, in turn, eradicating stereotypes and misconceptions by answering people’s questions. I applaud the amazing feedback from Carleton students.

Although I do not wish to undermine its success, I think there could have been a lot more support from our university.

The administration’s unrelenting takeover of Atrium space has hurt many clubs and societies who have to resort to the space between Rooster’s and the wall, which I like to think of as the Carleton University Students’ Association alleyway. Therefore, it was difficult to persuade people to come in whereas before they could have seen everything by just passing through.

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Moreover, I think the Charlatan could have covered the story more. It was a major week-long event this year that was impeccably organized and the small picture it had in the March 18-24 issue, directing you to the website for more coverage, did not do it justice.

The school paper is a vital medium in raising awareness for the event, which embarked on a humble mission of identity and understanding. An event in this respect is actually quite similar to others, such as Day of Pink, which had an article printed in the paper in the same issue and yet IAW did not, even though it was four days longer and rented most of the atrium space. Now I’m not suggesting Day of Pink should not get its due, it should! But to be fair so should IAW! As a proud student of Carleton, I take comfort in being treated equally no matter my beliefs or affiliations. That is why I demand better from my school and school paper. If this gets published it will rekindle my love for the Charlatan because truly if we cannot rely on it, then what can we rely on?

— Ruba Khan, Muslim Student Association member

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Manifesto for a warmer world Climate comrades be not fooled! Winter’s despotism though waning shall wax again!

So take up arms in high energy consumption by compulsively charging your iPhone and keeping your fridge open.

There’s a spectre haunting the Earth’s seasonal shifts — the spectre of global warming. All the powers of the globalized world have flailed into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre . . . or at least pass a declaration targeting it.

Global warming is naught but capitalism’s natural fate. Only capitalism knows the scourge of overproduction and by extension the overproduction of carbon dioxide emissions. And who has the most to lose but they who have capitalized the most?

For the loss of winter means a loss for profit and exploitation for the capitalist.

Sub-zero temperatures rob precious capital from the worker. Every step outside, every moment of warmth, every small act of recreation and fun itself is subjugated to necessary winter accessories. Hats, scarves, gloves, coats, boots — these are the new chains for the proletariat. They steal from the worker their hard-earned wages. The bourgeois can drive to work in warmth and comfort, while the proletariat endures the bitter wind while trudging down the unplowed sidewalk. The bourgeois can escape to the ski hill for diversion while the proletariat huddles round the stove to keep warm. The bourgeois child can don his skates, pads and stick to enjoy a game of hockey with his friends while the proletariat child waits for the recreational skate with her second-hand blades — as dull as her enjoyment of the season.

“But wait!” you protest, “Surely there can be no price on the simple pleasure of making a snowman in freshly fallen snow!”

What about the price of waterproof mittens to keep those precious fingers warm or the cost of fuel for a fire to warm chilled bones?

To read Alexander Kovalchuk and Katrina Riley’s full manifesto check out www.charlatan.ca

Opinions/Editorial

11 April 1-7, 2010 Op/Ed Editor:Marlee Wasser • oped@charlatan.ca

Not in our name Nick Bergamini, vice-president (student issues) of Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA), fired off a press release March 26 tangling students in a political controversy that many likely had no interest in joining.

The release slammed Ottawa-Centre Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi for an e-mail he had apparently sent earlier that day apologizing for his party’s support for a motion condemning Israeli Apartheid Week.

Naqvi told media soon after that an imposter had sent the message from a fake account. The MPP was not present for the Ontario legislature’s Feb. 25 vote on the motion and has neither publicly supported nor opposed the annual event.

Regardless of Naqvi’s true opinion, Bergamini stepped out of line when he weighed in on the issue.

The release implied that Carleton’s undergraduate student union collectively opposed the MPP’s apology when in fact Bergamini wasn’t speaking on behalf of CUSA. Worse, he used his title to make it appear as if the whole student union stood behind him, when in reality, he was speaking only for himself.

Knowing the diverse viewpoints that exist on campus about this event criticizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, there is no way Bergamini could have assumed to represent all students on this issue. His actions were inappropriate and unprofessional. They reflect badly on him, his organization and Carleton students in general.

Those holding elected positions need to separate their own views from those of their constituents. And even if they don’t personally agree, they must respect the wishes of those who elected them and those who sit across the table. q

Rehash Project Hero Sixteen professors at the University of Regina recently sent a letter to the school’s president protesting the institution’s participation in Project Hero — a scholarship program initiated last year by retired Canadian General Rick Hillier that offers free tuition to the children of fallen soldiers.

This is the first time the public has caught wind of any uneasiness towards the program, but it will likely not be the last. With post-secondary institutions being home to a plethora of viewpoints, similar concern might be brewing among professors and students at the more than 25 other schools, including Carleton, that also offer the scholarship.

Discourse around this topic has been largely black and white, with many Project Hero supporters painting the professors who have protested the program as unpatriotic. But the fact is, academic thought has always involved many interpretations of what it means to be Canadian. A discomfort with equating militarism to heroism is nothing new on Canadian campuses.

A program like Project Hero would be better coming from the Canadian Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs, institutions that are expected to venerate those killed in the line of duty and support their families. The federal government already administers scholarships to other groups in need of special assistance; Project Hero could easily mirror these programs.

This would also make the scholarship universal — right now schools participate in the program voluntarily. If a government department were to provide the funding structure it could set up a national grant system, one that would allow soldiers’ children to study at any university, college or trade program. This would lead to a more effective financial support system while removing cause for friction at schools that see the merit to this scholarship. q

charlatan poll the

Do you have a bucket list?

Vote online at www.charlatan.ca Last issue: Do you get the munchies?

the

charlatan

Yes: 88 per cent

No: 4 per cent

April 1-7, 2010 Volume 39, Issue 29 Room 531 Unicentre 1125 Colonel By Drive Carleton University Ottawa, ON — K1S 5B6 General: 613-520-6680 Advertising: 613-520-3580

www.charlatan.ca charlatan@charlatan.ca

Circulation: 10,000

Maybe: 8 per cent

Editor-in-Chief

Julia Johnson editor@charlatan.ca

Production Assistant

Not all fictional games should be adapted to real life like Quidditch. — p. 16

Stop politicizing climate science end, the politicians usually bow to their parties’ stance, which is decided on by who wins elections and how issues play in opinion polls. These debates are settled by persuasive arguments and the will of the electorate. There is no “correct” Chris Hannay is a fourth-year answer, in an objective sense. That’s not how science works. journalism student who says Science is about finding the objective truth, whether or politicians have no place debating not it is popular. Science is about forming hypotheses about whether global warming is happening. the world around us and testing those ideas with real data.

Science is about facts, and not opinions.

There are other forces at play, to be sure. Academia is There is one Canadian prime minister praised as the full of its own obstacles, such as the difficulty in finding greenest leader we have ever had. It was under his watch grant money to pursue non-practical research or studying that Canada became the first industrialized nation to ratify a topic no one else is exploring. There are office politics in the United Nations convention on biodiversity (and one universities and labs, like there are everywhere else. on climate change), and he created new national parks and And there may be cases, like the so-called “Climate-gate,” pushed for more pollutant regulation. He’s even endorsed where lone research institutes could have fudged some data.

by Elizabeth May, current leader of the Green Party.

But there are probably thousands of climate researchers in That prime minister? Brian Mulroney. the world, and I’m willing to believe most are ethical.

In the United States, there was one president who formed Politicians often frame the climate debate as one of equal the Environmental Protection Agency, imposed strict limits sides, but the general scientific consensus is that there is on air pollution and kicked off the “Environmental Decade.” definitely some kind of warming going on, and it’s probably That president? Richard Nixon. caused by humans. There is still some uncertainty, especially Yes, a Conservative and a in figuring out how much the Republican are two of the most Earth could be warmed and In political discussion, two environmentally friendly leaders what effects that warming will sides are usually given equal cause. we’ve had in North America.

But that was years ago now. Since However, those points, and weight, and neither may be then, their successors on the right doubts about warming, can objectively correct. wing of the political spectrum have only be cleared up in the lab abandoned most climate issues. and in the field. We will not Some even outright scorn the find out for sure merely by possibility that humankind is debating it in Parliament. influencing climate change or that global warming is So politicians should act on the best information we have happening at all. The current political debate puts right now, and that should lead Canadians to believe we environmental issues squarely in the domain of the left wing. need to change our lifestyles and policies if we want to avoid But climate science is not a “left” or “right” issue. a potentially unpleasant future.

In political discussion, two sides are usually given equal There’s still plenty of room for politicizing and weight, and neither may be objectively correct. For example, partisanship, if you like. Debating the merits of a carbon tax there are the crime bills now going through Parliament. would seem like a classic left/right fight: big versus small Conservatives (the “right”) want tougher punishment for government. There are other ideas to examine, such as “cap criminals, while Liberals and the NDP (the “left”) usually and trade” or which energy sources to invest in. favour a stronger focus on rehabilitation. Both have their But politicians need to focus less on whether our climate advantages and disadvantages. is changing, and instead on what we should do if it is.

Who is right? Data on crime is hard to quantify. In the Let’s leave science to the scientists, shall we? q

by Chris Hannay

Features Editor

Photo Editor

Op/Ed Editor

Graphics Editor

Brittany Mahaney Marlee Wasser

Heather Wallace

Perspectives Editor

Jeanne Armstrong and Joel Eastwood

Arts Editor

Andrea Hill

Erin Walkinshaw

News Editors

National Editor

Wyatt Danowski

Larissa Robyn Johnston

Sports Editor

Adam Dietrich

Talbert Johnson

Web Co-ordinator William Hearn

Photo Assistant Ashley Metzger

Copy Editor

Contributors:

Jordan Adler, Dylon Albon, Juanita Bagawan, Portia Baladad, Katelyn Beaudette, Lauren Blackburn, Kathryn Burnham, Kayla Calder, Cassandra Federbusz, Andrew Foote, Jane Gerster, Chris Hannay, Colin Harris, Alyshah Hasham, Chris Herhalt, Iris Hug, Jessica Huynh, Laura Jakobschuk, Daniel King, Lasia Kretzel, Adam Kveton, Matt Lee, Arik Ligeti, Avery Macdonald, Greg Mason, David Meffe, Ashley Metzger, Elise A. Milbradt, Andrew Nguyen, Melissa Novacaska, Grant Oyston, Justin Poirier, Jill Simmonds, Candice So, Colin Sutherland, Raquel Teibert, Melissa Toso

Ruby Pratka

The Charlatan’s photos are produced exclusively by the photo editor, the photo assistant and volunteer members, unless otherwise noted as a provided photograph. The Charlatan is Carleton University’s independent student newspaper. It is an editorially and financially autonomous journal published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. Charlatan Publications Incorporated, Ottawa, Ontario, is a non-profit corporation registered under the Canada Corporations Act and is the publisher of the Charlatan. Editorial content is the sole responsibility of editorial staff members, but may not reflect the beliefs of all members. The Charlatan reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. The Charlatan’s official plea is for student bodies at our AGM. Contents are copyright 2010. No article or photograph or other content may be duplicated or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the editor-in-chief. All rights reserved. ISSN 0315-1859. National advertising for the Charlatan is handled through the Campus Network, 145 Berkeley Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 2X1: (416) 922-9392.

Features

12 April 1-7, 2010 Features Editor: Brittany Mahaney • features@charlatan.ca

Living like there’s no tomorrow Four guys on MTV’s hit show, The Buried Life, have 100 goals and one life-changing question: “What do you want to do before you die?”

by Jessica Huynh

I

magine you’re in your final moments and your life flashes before your eyes. What do you see?

Do you see an image of yourself conquering life and achieving your hopes, dreams and aspirations?

Or is it a vision of regret? Are you disheartened that somewhere along the road you lost your drive, put your dreams on hold and now it’s too late to turn back, too late for a second chance?

Flashback to the present. What if that day was tomorrow? If you only had one day left to live, what would you want to do before you die?

This simple yet powerful question has captivated audiences worldwide since the premiere of MTV’s reality show The Buried Life.

The show documents the adventures of Victoria, B.C. natives Duncan Penn, Jonnie Penn, Dave Lingwood and Ben Nemtin as they attempt to cross various items off their list of 100 things they hope to do before they die. The show is reminiscent of the movie blockbuster The Bucket List.

For every item they cross off their list, they pay it forward by helping a stranger tick off something on their bucket list.

As a result, they have been able to open the 6 p.m. news, sing the national anthem to a packed stadium, deliver a baby and make a toast at a stranger’s wedding, just to name a few.

They also managed to provide a truck for a man caring for the homeless, take children with cancer on a shopping spree at Toys “R” Us, just so they could forget about their illnesses for a day, and make enough money street performing to buy a disadvantaged class of elementary school students a new computer.

What began as an idea that emerged from a conversation between Nemtin and Duncan one evening at a bar has since become “a way of living,” Duncan said.

“We were graduating high school,” he

|| graphic by Talbert Johnson

explained. “We didn’t really know what we wanted to do with our lives. We came up with the question: ‘What do you want to do before you die?’ Because it cut through the bullshit — death is our common denominator.”

He said they created a bucket list to awaken themselves from the stupor of the “everyday influences, fear, stress and responsibilities that often bury your true life.”

Such lists “give people goals to work toward,” explained Carleton psychology professor Kim O’Neil.

“A sense of purpose is vitally important for mental health. If you have something to look forward to, something to work towards, it helps some people give their life meaning and

Take five with MTV’s Duncan Penn

by Jessica Huynh

The Charlatan (TC): What do you say to people who think you can’t do what you’re doing?

Duncan Penn (DP): I would say don’t do what we are doing. Do something bigger. There will always be doubts, we constantly doubt ourselves. The trick is to keep going. It was the advice we consistently received from successful and happy people.

TC: What has your experience with The Buried Life taught you? How has it changed your outlook on life?

DP: We’ve been able to talk to a lot of amazing people on our trips and we’ve always tried to ask a lot of questions. The journey has taught us a lot about life and what’s important. It’s definitely changed how we approach life.

TC: What is the most rewarding thing about this entire experience?

DP: The people we meet along the way. In Dallas we watched a man reconnect with his son after 17 years. We’ve since followed [up and] they became friends and now real family. These are the stories that have stuck with us because they’re real.

To see the full interview, head online to www.charlatan.ca

purpose,” O’Neil said.

First-year architecture student Aaron Chow cited motivation and drive as the primary reasons for the creation of his bucket list.

“It helps me see what my goals are in life,” Chow said.

Before he dies Chow said he would like to cross number five off his list: design and build a home for an underprivileged family.

What’s beneficial about these types of lists is that they aren’t limited to long-term goals. In fact, many university students are finding bucket lists helpful in motivating them to achieve certain goals before graduation.

Third-year law student Nakita Kelsey said

before she gets her degree she would like to overcome her fear of heights.

“I’m actually in the process of completing that now,” she said. “I started with little things like climbing a ladder to the top of my roof, rockclimbing, and then I went on the Behemoth at Wonderland. Eventually I would like to go zip lining and ultimately I want to skydive.”

She said she created a bucket list to avoid having any regrets.

“I don’t want to feel like I missed out on life because I was afraid,” Kelsey said.

Chow said The Buried Life inspires him because it’s “documented proof that you don’t need to be famous to make a difference.”

He said he hopes to break a world record before graduation.

“Recently my roommates and I read that the world record for the largest dodgeball game was 600 versus 600 with 400 balls. We are currently planning to beat the record with the help of Carleton staff and students,” Chow said.

Pursuing your goals might appear overwhelming next to the university workload.

According to an Ottawa business leadership coach, Pauline Fleming, “the key is to get reconnected to our core values.”

She suggested everyone should come up with a list of 50 strengths they value in themselves and make choices based on those strengths.

“There will always be doubts,” Duncan asserted. “We constantly doubt ourselves. The trick is to keep going. It was advice we constantly received from successful and happy people.”

Now think back to the question from the beginning. Quickly, what’s one thing you want to do before you die? Write it down. What are you going to do to make it happen? Don’t delay.

“This is it. It’s not a dress rehearsal,” Duncan said. “So ask that girl or boy on a date, go on that trip, go get the job you want and if you don’t get it, don’t sweat it, just keep going.” q

What’s on your bucket list?

Everyone thinks about it, some talk about it, few actually accomplish it. Whether it involves skydiving or travelling, everyone should have some form of bucket list — things to do before their time is up. The Charlatan’s Kayla Calder took to the Carleton campus to find out what goals other students have planned for the rest of their lives. Among the jumpers, divers and Clarke Griswolds, she found a trend emerging — the hope of creating literary gold.

Nathan Whelan, a first-year history major, wants to travel the world, but first and foremost wants to publish a novel.

“Ever since I was seven, I wanted to be an author,” he said.

Kaisha Thompson, a second-year political science and Canadian studies student, wants to attain her pilot’s licence and live in Paris. She also wants to explore new territory and “sail through the Mediterranean.”

Ummni Khan, an assistant professor of law, wants to put her scuba skills to the test in Australia by diving with sharks. This life goal is surpassed only by her ambition to submit her already written novel to publishers, under a tight deadline.

“By the end of the summer,” she said.

Hashem Hamdy, a third-year political science major, hopes to travel to Asia and Israel before his time is up, but he really hopes to rent a modest cabin somewhere in Bavaria to “live and write.”

Brian Johnson, an associate professor in the English department, would like to write a popular fiction novel, but would truly love to take a cross-Canada road trip with his family.

“My dad always talked about how it was kind of required that people take a trip across Canada,” he explained.

Claudia Arase, a third-year law student, wants to scuba dive and bungee jump, but this does not outweigh her number one life goal.

“I want to see all the seven wonders of the world,” she said. ||

photos by

Kayla Calder

Arts

13 April 1-7, 2010 Arts Editor: Larissa Robyn Johnston • arts@charlatan.ca

Mash-ups highlight of annual bash Arik Ligeti reports on the onstage party, from the crowd at Pandamonium Mash-up artist Girl Talk performed to more than 2,000 Carleton, University of Ottawa and Algonquin students at the Ottawa Civic Centre March 31 as part of Pandamonium, an annual end-of-year concert celebration.

The event, which in the past has played host to more mainstream acts such as Sam Roberts and Metric, decided to host a more unconventional artist this time.

“The VPs at Ottawa U and [Carleton] kicked around some ideas and brought them back to the executives,” said Carleton University Students’ Association vicepresident (student life) Alex Sirois about planning the show.

And while there were some standard — but impressive — opening bands in Ottawa’s own Tympanic and the Junonominated Arkells, there was no mistaking who students had paid $15 to see.

“Who’s excited for Girl Talk!” exclaimed Sirois to an apparently intoxicated crowd.

As soon as the show began, fans cwere already dancing up on stage as Girl Talk spun the audience into a sweat-drenched frenzy.

Gregg Gillis, or stage name, Girl Talk, gained popularity with his 2008 breakthrough album, Feed The Animals, which showcased his unique style of mashing up various recordings spanning all genres.

One popular song mixes rapper Ludacris’ “Move Bitch” with 1970s heavy metal hit “War Pigs.”

Excitement for Girl Talk was evident, as the packed venue saw students bopping

Pandamonium headliner Girl Talk performed live mixes of his popular mash-ups for Ottawa students March 31. || photo by Matt Lee Hamilton, Ont. rockers The Arkells, lead by front man Max Kerman, helped warm up the audience. || photo by Greg Mason

along to every mash-up, and there was no shortage of eager crowd surfers.

Whenever Gillis was not behind the turntables — he recreates all his mixes live — he was prompting the audience to dance or clap along.

And as if the crowd needed any encouragement, assistants on stage could be seen shooting rolls of toilet paper and confetti onto the floor.

Opening band The Arkells also received a very positive reception from the crowd. It also didn’t hurt that the Hamilton natives were just as excited to be opening for Girl Talk as they were for the opportunity to see him perform.

“We’ve played with a lot of our favourite rock bands, but we never got to play for our favourite DJ,” said front man Max Kerman.

And although Gillis does not consider himself a DJ, fans could nevertheless agree that whatever he does, he does it well.

“I’ve never heard Girl Talk live before, but being there in that crowd, made for one hell of a night,” said first-year Carleton student Macy Laporte. q

Protest the Hero musicians ‘go dark’

by Colin Harris Protest the Hero is one of those bands that lives up to its hype.

The band’s debut Kezia was released when the members were in their teens, but the disc made them one of Canada’s most promising metal acts with its combination of technical playing, intelligent lyrics and the versatile voice of singer Rody Walker.

Guitarist Tim Millar said he plans on continuing the technical playing, but he always strives for a musical balance of aggression and passivity.

“I’ve kind of gotten over playing as fast as possible,” Millar said before taking a pre-show shower. “You look to all the fast players and you want to have that influence, but I don’t want to be the fastest player, with the most notes per second.”

The band’s second full-length album, Fortress, expanded on Protest’s array of harsh and melodic sounds, and new songs from the group will maintain that balance.

“I now listen to the guys that play clean guitar and very tasteful melodies, but obviously you can’t forget your roots. I always want to sweep arpeggios and tap, but right now we’re trying to mature as musicians as well,” he said.

The five Whitby, Ont. natives have been growing together musically since they were just 14 and have become road warriors along the way.

The Whitby, Ont. natives hit up Mavericks March 24 as part of the Snocore tour. ||

Stopping by Mavericks in Ottawa March 24 as part of the Snocore tour adds to the several stops they’ve made here in the last few years. This tour is a nice change from the several months they’ve had off, Millar said.

“It’s a vacation for us. We’ve been home writing, so it’s nice to come out [east] for a trip,” he said.

provided

“We’ve passed the two-year mark [since the release of Fortress]. It’s one of those things where you keep getting offers and it’s really hard to shut down. I guess the industry term is ‘go dark,’” Millar explained. “We’re just taking our time doing it. . . . We want to have more time to develop the songs and really let things sink in, let everything fit

properly.”

“I look at the writing and recording process as like a child in the three trimesters,” he continued. “We’re just starting the second, which is like mold and fit everything together and in our case put lyrics over it, and then the third trimester is recording, and then you get a little baby.”

The band is also known for its left-ofcentre music videos, and its latest follows this trend.

“Limb From Limb” is a remake of The Village People’s “In the Navy” video and features the band members in costume, reproducing the original dance choreography.

“You have to have a visual to go with the music, and if it’s something like OK Go that had the video for ‘Here it Goes Again’ that got them national success. It’s not something that necessarily is going to make a lot of money and you have to find ways to make videos that aren’t $500,000 to $1-million budget videos, because it’s probably not worth that,” he explained.

Something Protest the Hero keeps constant is their contagious sense of fun, whether conveyed through music videos or wearing a mini skirt while performing, like Millar did at Mavericks.

“People ask, ‘Why did Protest the Hero do a video like that?’ We wanted to have fun being idiots. And [when shooting a video] you can be a cowboy, you can be a soldier, or a flying monkey and enjoy doing it.” q

14

charlatanarts

My Hands are on Fire and Other Love Songs Old Man Luedecke Black Hen Records

It’s no accident that Chris Luedecke evokes “spring fever” in the opening track of his latest album, My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs.

There’s something about the banjo, his instrument of choice, which makes his music vibrant and organic, much like that first whiff of earth after a long, snowy winter.

Luedecke eschews electric instruments for the most part for this follow-up to his 2008 Juno-winning Proof of Love which makes it seem like he could politely invite himself into your home at any time and break into an impromptu set in your kitchen or around your campfire.

As the title suggests, love is a key theme to this record, with simple but witty lyrics about its many different aspects.

Opener “Lass Vicious” explores themes of escape and a bright new romance, while penultimate track “Down the Road” is about a romance hanging by a proverbial thread, with the great line “Is our genius just the meanest words that each of us could find?”

Luedecke sings about sex in tunes such

as “My Love Comes Stepping Up the Stairs” and “Foreign Tongue,” the latter of which makes a shy virgin professing his love to a girl from Surrey, B.C. over the Internet seem charming and genuine.

He also deals with what comes after, with “The Palace is Golden” as a tale of a frustrated couple who just can’t conceive.

“Mountain Plain” lets the native of Chester, N.S., show his bluegrass side, a frantic track evoking the style of folk singer Stan Rogers but vocally a few octaves higher.

On the flip side, more mellow numbers like closer “Inchworm” and “Machu Picchu” have him sounding a bit like Joel Plaskett with his unconventional phrasing and falsetto.

One song that may seem out of place is “Woe Betide the Doer of the Deed,” a tongue-lashing to financial fraudsters like Bernie Madoff, who is the subject of a clever pun in the first verse.

It’s a classic folk protest, one of the first wave of songs about last year’s financial meltdown.

Luedecke does not knock any of these songs out of the park in a way that will make him an international superstar, but there are no duds on this album either.

You get the feeling that this not-so-old man is content to share his words and music with you during 11 tracks to both chill you out and get your foot stomping as he pours out his simple soul.

Old Man Luedecke will perform at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Que. April 11.

— Andrew Foote

April 1-7, 2010

Artsparks’ flame may go out after NGC layoffs

by Juanita Bawagan The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) saw live performances, silk-screening and guided tours all in one night with Artsparks, an event held March 25 through a partnership with Guerilla Magazine.

However, if another Artspark doesn’t get ignited in May, this may be the final one, said David Monkhouse, the education coordinator of the NGC. He said the events encourage young people to explore the gallery.

“It’s a group that’s reluctant to go on their own,” said Monkhouse, who has been organizing Artsparks since 2006.

He said designing events that are linked but not limited to the exhibitions makes the gallery more inviting to 20-40 year olds.

With fewer visitors, less revenue and an uncertain federal budget, the gallery is cutting 27 positions, many of which are in the education department that Artsparks falls under.

Tony Martins, editor and creative director of Guerilla, said as a population begins to age, the gallery needs more visitors from a younger demographic.

“Just like the gallery needs us, we need them,” Martins said.

He said this relationship helps the magazine take its event to a new level and bring “youthful, motivated, cultural consumers” to the gallery from its readership.

Artsparks featured arts and crafts seminars, musical performances and much more. || photo

by Grant Oyston

Each event is based on the current exhibitions but has been changed to appeal to audiences through collaborations and workshops, Martins said.

“They evolved based on the scenes they are related to,” he said.

Artsparks has partnered with Spins and Needles, and event series which combines crafting with live DJs and, most recently, with Guerilla to attract the organization’s clientele.

Megan Jerome, a jazz pianist who performed at Artsparks, said the event is inspiring.

“You have no idea what kind of impact it has on [the young audiences],” said Jerome, a graduate of Carleton’s music program.

Events like this are not only important for educating youth about art but also engaging them in the gallery setting that is often intimidating, she added.

“If we feel like we know something, we don’t feel stupid, we feel a lot less defensive.”

Jerome said. “We feel more like we belong.”

But now the gallery will no longer offer guided tours.

Jerome recalled her first tour.

A tour of the contemporary exhibit from a professional guide when she was in Grade 7 changed her life, she said. Instead of just looking at something, she could understand it and try to figure out what message an artist was trying to send with that piece. q

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15

Conquering cricket basics Nihal Kambli, vice-captain of the Ravens cricket team, sat down with the Charlatan’s Alysha Hasham to break down the rules of this international sport The Charlatan (TC): So for people who don’t know about cricket, can you break down the game for us?

The Ravens Cricket Club won its league’s finals March 28. || photo by Ashley Metzger

Nihal Kambli (NK): The simplest comparison is to baseball — there is a bat and a ball. But instead of running between four bases, there are two lines, opposite each other, with one batsman at each end.

To score, the batsmen cross back and forth when the ball is hit, with the aim of getting as many runs as possible. Each time both batsmen touch the opposite line it is one run. If the ball goes over a boundary — like a home run — that is six runs. If the ball rolls over the boundary it is four runs.

And instead of strikes we have wickets ­—these are the three sticks behind the batsmen. Each team has 11 batsmen. The main aim of the bowler, the guy who throws the ball, is to get 10 of the batters out.

TC: How does a batter get out?

NK: There are 10 ways to get a batter out and the most common are “bowled,” when the bowler throws the ball and hits the wicket behind the batter; “caught,” when a fielder catches the ball after it’s been hit, “run out,” when a fielder hits the wicket with the ball while the batsmen are running, and “leg before wicket” or “LBW,” which happens when a ball that would have hit the wicket is blocked by the batter’s leg.

TC: And how long is a game?

NK: For the winter league each side gets seven overs. An over is six thrown balls and it takes about one hour and 15 minutes for one game.

TC: Can you try out a practice if you’ve never played before?

NK: We practice every Friday from 9 p.m. to

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11 p.m. and now we have volunteers from proper clubs in Ottawa coming out to help train us. Most people who come have played cricket in clubs before but we welcome new players as well.

For the full version, visit www.charlatan.ca

Ravens Cricket Club wins finals The Ravens Cricket Club won the Ottawa Valley Cricket Council winter league championship against the Reverse Swingers March 28 in Norm Fenn Gym. Bowling second, Carleton needed to beat a score of 71 runs for four wickets in 15 overs. The team was able to do it with a final score of 77 for two wickets in 12 and a half overs.

Captain Salman Arshad proved his leadership role on the newly formed Carleton team by scoring 31 runs and taking one wicket.

The team left the tournament with a $500 cash prize, a trophy and a new reputation.

After this weekend’s win, the Carleton team members are looking towards building the team at the university.

“We would like to see a varsity team in the next two and half years,” said team vice-captain Nihal Kambli.

To make this possible, the team will need to host two intramural tournaments, raise $7,000 and receive approval from Canadian Interuniversity Sport, explained Kambli.

“We urge people to start getting into the sport, see what all the fuss is about and find out why it is the second-fastestgrowing sport in the world,” Kambli said. q

— by Colin Sutherland

Sports

16 April 1-7, 2010 Sports Editor: Erin Walkinshaw • sports@charlatan.ca

No longer fiction: Raven muggles embrace Quidditch The basics of muggle Quidditch

Created in the fictitious world of Harry Potter, Quidditch has been adapted to suit muggle capabilities. Carleton’s team, featured above, was formed in January and played its first match March 27 against McGill University. || photo by Melissa Toso

Carleton’s newly formed Quidditch team travelled to Montreal March 27 to play an Editor’s Note: Andrea Hill, founder of exhibition game against McGill University Carleton’s Quidditch team, is a member of in what was the first Quidditch match ever the Charlatan’s editorial staff. While we played between two Canadian teams. acknowledge the conflict of interest, we felt a Quidditch is a wizard sport made famous new Carleton team would be of interest to the in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Schools student body. across North America have developed what was once a fictional game into a competitive sport.

The milestone match, organized by Carleton manager and coach Andrea Hill, was also the team’s first match since its creation in January. Hill created the team after attending the third annual College Quidditch Cup at Middlebury College in Vermont last October.

Despite practicing for only three months, Carleton played well against the experienced McGill team, winning the first match of the day 40-30.

Carleton seeker Riley Morris snatched the golden snitch before McGill’s seeker, winning the game for the Ravens. Morris, who admitted he is not the best long-distance runner, said the win felt “really good, but really tiring.”

With time and energy permitting, the teams decided to play two more games. The Ravens made a strong effort in both matches, Carleton chaser Kristy Wright takes down a McGill chaser in a battle for the but fell short on the quaffle March 27 in Montreal. || photo by Ruby Pratka scoreboard, losing 40-10

by Melissa Toso

in the second match and 110-50 in the third.

But the scores did not matter for the Ravens.

“Our goal was just to play as well as we could, try to meet some new people and learn some new rules of the game,” said Kristy Wright, a Carleton chaser. “We just wanted to put out a good showing. The score was kind of irrelevant.”

Karen Kumaki, manager of McGill’s team, said she was astonished by the Ravens’ physical game.

“Most American teams, when they first start playing, they’re very hesitant to tackle,” she said. “Carleton caught on pretty quickly about the tackling part, which is really good actually.”

The team’s grit may be a result of having to overcome obstacles from the beginning.

The first challenge was finding players: the team recruited in the Atrium back in January.

Mike Wark, a first-year political science student with a focus in African studies, said he was instantly attracted by the setup and has been with the team ever since.

“I thought at first it was just going to be some nerdy Dungeons & Dragons convention-type thing,” he said. “But instead we ended up with a bunch of completely awesome, intense people, just like me.”

The team’s second obstacle was funding.

Since the team is not yet officially recognized by the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA), members had to cover their own expenses.

The team plans on exploring the CUSA option in the future, as well as other fundraising ideas.

“I’ve heard tales of Harry Potter bake sales,” Wark said.

Although the end of the semester also marks the end of this year’s trial season, Wark said the team hopes to have a huge promotional campaign during Frosh Week to expand membership.

This coming September will mark the beginning of Carleton’s quest for the College Quidditch Cup. q

•

Teams are made up of seven to 20 players. Only seven of those players are on the field at any time.

•

Out of the seven players, there are three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and one seeker.

•

All players must have a broom or broom-like object between their legs at all times.

•

Chasers score points by putting the quaffle through the opposing team’s hoop goals. Ten points are awarded each time a chaser scores.

•

Beaters use bludgers to hit opposing players.

•

Keepers defend the hoop goals.

•

Matches begin when the snitch is released and end when the snitch is caught by one of the seekers.

•

The team whose seeker makes the catch receives an additional 30 points.

•

The snitch is a non-partisan person, generally a fast runner, who doesn’t have to stay on the field and can run all over campus.

—source: Intercollegiate Quidditch Rules and Guideboo compiled by Melissa Toso

Coach retires the job but not the skis

by Raquel Teibert After years dedication, Carleton will say goodbye to one of its most notable coaches, John Langstone.

Langstone has chosen to step down as head coach of Carleton’s Nordic Ski team after one of the team’s most successful seasons.

“I’m getting a little older and crosscountry ski coaching is a physical thing,” Langstone said. “When you have a national championship team skiing eight-kilometre practices it gets difficult to keep up. Eventually you have to make decisions based on what you can do instead of what you want to do.

I’m turning 65. I’m just not a kid anymore.”

This season marked Langstone’s 10th year with the Carleton ski program. He coached the team to numerous provincial and national championship titles.

Fifth-year skier Chris Mamen said Langstone saved Carleton’s ski program.

He “created an image for the team that has given us the highest reputation: one of respect for athletes and coaches alike, and confidence in ourselves as athletes,” Mamen said.

So what’s next for Langstone as he moves into retirement?

“I want to be involved still, so I’m not necessarily out of the sport. I plan to ski a bit myself and I guess I’ll do a little travelling. I take a lot of enjoyment out of coaching: the outdoors, the sport, the people. I just got enjoyment and that’s what I’ll miss.” q