charlatan_mar25_2010 by The Campus Network

charlatan the

Vol 39•Issue 28 • March 25-31, 2010

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

Dethroned

Smart’s army no longer national champs p. 16

cover by

Adam Dietrich

INSIDE: Ann Coulter cancelled at U of O p. 6 • ONLINE: Stories and photos from CIS basketball nationals see charlatan.ca

News

March 25-31, 2010 News Editors: Jeanne Armstrong and Joel Eastwood • news@charlatan.ca

CASG election rolls out with new rules by Matt Blenkarn The Carleton Academic Student Government (CASG) executive elections begin March 25, but the student body won’t be voting this year. Instead, members of the CASG council will elect the executive, according to Matt Dick, vicepresident (operations) and a member of the CASG electoral board. Dick said the move made sense because the president doesn’t have any extra power over council that would warrant an external vote. “There’s no veto, there’s no spending clause, there’s nothing like that,” he said. “It made sense for that person to be elected by council, and the councillors themselves are, of course, elected by students every September.” Dick said a focus on putting power back into the hands of other representatives and past problems with the electoral system were

responsible for the change. He said by keeping the election limited to elected representatives of the CASG, the government will be more accountable to students. Although the nomination period for the elections didn’t end until March 24, two presidential candidates were already hot on the campaign trail last week. Heather Page and Brandon Wallingford both created Facebook groups outlining their prior experience and what they hoped to achieve should they be elected. Page, a CASG councillor and chair of the CASG Governance Review committee, said if elected she would focus mainly on raising the student government’s profile at Carleton by working closely with students and faculty at the grassroots level. “Some departments don’t have reps, some departments don’t even know that they can have

representatives,” she said. “So I think really promoting who the reps are and making that connection between students’ programs . . . would do a lot for building support for the CASG,” she said. Wallingford, meanwhile, has worked with the student government for the past three years and has served before as vice-president (finance and administration) and vice-president (academic). Wallingford said this experience has allowed him to see how the organization works, and he promises to deliver strong leadership and direction, which he said is lacking in the current executive. “This year, we had people miss sending out meeting reminders . . . miss talking to reps about certain things they were required to . . . and we can’t allow it to happen again,” he said. q

Race car nears finish line

Vice-president terminated for breach of contract

Former CASG vice-president (finance and administration) Brandon Wallingford. || photo by Lauren Blackburn

The contract of Brandon Wallingford, former vicepresident (finance and administration) for the Carleton Academic Student Government (CASG), has been terminated,

according to current president James Splinter, who announced this in an e-mail sent to CASG councillors March 19. The e-mail said Wallingford violated 13 sections of his contract. The violations include misusing his office for “personal activities and politically motivated activities.” Wallingford responded by saying he believes the letter was a “personal attack” on his character. “I did a good job in this position,” Wallingford said. Wallingford said he thinks Splinter is trying to shift the blame for his own lack of leadership and that this reflects worse on the CASG than on himself.

— Layla Cameron

For the full story, see www.charlatan.ca

Can’t hear the love tonight Cunnington set up “frog traps” made of plastic containers, waterproof speakers and recording devices, along with other sets of speakers to blast road noise. Cunnington discovered that the same three species of frogs had to change their mating calls to counteract road noise if they wanted to attract the same number of females as they did with silence. “At least [with] current levels of

by Jill Simmonds

by Chris Herhalt

According to its Facebook group, Carleton’s Ravens Racing team is just a group of sexy people building a sexy car, but with the unveiling of its latest project, the team is hoping to come in first at the world’s largest collegiate competition. Twenty-two fourth-year Carleton engineering students will unveil the RR10, the latest in a string of cars designed by Carleton students to be entered into the Formula SAE competition, before they head off to the race in May. Project manager Stefano Ranalli, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, said he has been involved with Formula SAE since his first year. This year will be his first year actually participating in the competition. The basic premise of the competition is that students have to design and manufacture a car that they will then race on the Michigan International Speedway. The majority of the work is done in-house, according to Ranalli. “Manufacturing takes hours upon hours on top of just designing the car,” he added. The project goes beyond just building a car that will be able to go fast enough to win the race. The idea is that students have to design and manufacture a prototype of a car that would hypothetically be sold to “non-professional weekend autocross racers,” according to the formula SAE website. The project also involves marketing the prototype and management of finances. “Building the seat by hand has taken about 100 hours,” Ranalli

Frequent noise from passing cars forces frogs to change the ways they attract mates, according to research conducted by Carleton PhD candidate Glenn Cunnington. Speaking at the Wild Oat Cafe in the Glebe March 24, Cunnington said some species of frogs “alter their [mating] calls in response to traffic noise.” In a report entitled “Finding a Mate Amongst the Noise,” Cunnington detailed how he sat alongside various country roads and the 401 highway to record noise levels and count the number of times male frogs courted females with their calls. He said he often found himself lying in ditches and swamps at odd hours of the night. He said the book One Square Inch of Silence by Gordon Hempton A Carleton researcher says human noise is affecting and John Grossmann the way animals mate. || graphic by Talbert Johnson inspired him to conduct the research at dozens of spots noise, animals are able to deal with across eastern Ontario. In the book, it,” Cunnington said. the pair set out on road trip across Cunnington spoke as a part America in search of swathes of of the third annual Science Cafe nature untouched by manmade speakers’ series, organized by noise. Carleton’s Faculty of Science. In most cases, three of the “It’s literally and figuratively a four species of frogs Cunnington sexy topic,” Root Gorelick, one of followed would call for mates less Science Cafe’s organizers, said of often, call less loudly and call in a Cunnington’s research. higher pitch when confronted with Gorelick said the idea for a loud, constant traffic noise. He cafe speaking series comes from said the fourth species of frog, the foreign universities: “The French American toad, “kept going about did [it with] wine, the British did their day,” regardless of how loud it with beer, and of course we do it things got. with vegan food.” q

The finished race car will be unveiled in the Atrium March 29. ||

said. “I spent most of reading week making the mold alone.” Eric Ghoukasian, the aerodynamics and bodywork expert of the project and a fourthyear aerospace engineering student, has also been involved with Formula SAE for several years now. “With regards to competition, we’re aiming for the best, our hopes are high,” Ghoukasian said. “We’re building a pretty good car.” Ghoukasian said he and the team have been especially busy this year, due to budget cuts and fewer members of the team. They have also designed a second hybrid vehicle in hopes that they can enter it in next year’s competition. “We’re one of the few universities that is doing that,” he said. “We want to try to stay ahead of the game. We want to be the most innovative.” Ranalli said he hopes to see the Ravens Racing Team place at least within the top 15 of the 120 schools that compete.

photo by

Lasia Kretzel

Students will be working over the weekend to ensure the car is finished for its unveiling at noon March 29, though at this point, they said they’re almost done. “There are few projects where you actually get to design something and build something in one year, and see it come to fruition,” Ranalli said. “It proves our technical abilities.” q

The Education of Charlie For more coverage . . . Banks

The results are in Melissa Novacaska covers Cameron McKenzie’s Board of Governors seat election win.

Iranian New Year Rosanna Haroutounian reports on a Carleton club’s traditional Persian celebration.

charlatan.ca

charlatannews

March 25-31, 2010

CU to host powwow Ski design sits above the rest by Yael Gang

by Ebony Griffin

Due to growing popularity and a need for a larger venue, Carleton’s Ravens’ Nest will host the 13th annual Ottawa Children and Youth Traditional Pow Wow this year from March 26-28, according to Carleton Equity Services. “The powwow has been so successful over the past few years that it has outgrown the space it has used,” said Linda Capperauld, Carleton’s director of Equity Services. “One of the first ideas that came about was to see whether or not we could hold it on Carleton’s campus where there is a bigger venue.” The event, which has attracted more than 500 people in past years, will celebrate aboriginal culture through performances of Native drumming, throat singing, dancing and more. Carleton has invited hundreds of children from Ottawa-area schools to attend the event and participate in workshops about aboriginal culture, Capperauld said. “The children’s powwow is really good because it introduces children to dancing and that is an important process of learning and just living,” said Sheila Grantham, an aboriginal cultural liaison officer. “What is a community without our children anyways?” Grantham asked. Carleton has been working closely with the Ottawa-based Odawa Native Friendship Centre

For his final school project, a fourth-year industrial design Carleton student has designed a new adjustable seat for alpine sit-skiing that will enable more athletes with disabilities to get involved in the winter sport. Every fourth-year student in the program was required to complete a design project. Michael Defazio, designer of the innovative seat, described this assignment as a thesis project involving in-depth research, prototyping and testing. “We had to find a problem area that we could design a product for,” Defazio said. When choosing his project last August, Defazio said he based his — concept art provided decision to improve alpine sitski equipment on his interest in winter sports and the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. His research involved volunteering for the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing (CADS). CADS is a national organization created to support skiers with disabilities. Defazio said he volunteered for the CADS program at Edelweiss, a ski hill near Wakefield, Que. “There’s not a whole lot of money involved in designing

Drummers performed at Aboriginal Awareness Week in January. || file

(ONFC), an organization that celebrates aboriginal culture and provides support for members of the aboriginal community, to make sure facilities are ready, parking is available and food is prepared, Capperauld said. “Providing space and understanding the cultural significance that the powwow has in the lives of the local aboriginal community is a fantastic opportunity for Carleton to show it cares,” said Irvin Hill, one of Carleton’s aboriginal cultural liaison officers. Capperauld said she thinks hosting the powwow at Carleton is symbolic of the university’s support of Ottawa’s aboriginal population. “Our commitment to ensuring that Carleton is a very welcoming place for everyone, including Aboriginal Peoples, is going to be pretty obvious in having the festival here,” she said. q

products for people that are disabled,” Defazio said. Because there are not very many affordable sit-skis on the market, people end up constructing sit-skis in their garage. “They’re very Frankensteinish,” Defazio said. Chris Holden, the head coach for Edelweiss’s A l p i n e Sit-Skiing

Program, has been involved in the sport for more than 20 years. When Defazio first contacted Holden, the head coach said he was wary of helping him. Holden said he was not interested in helping create a flashy product that would get Defazio a passing grade but have no realworld effect. Holden agreed to help Defazio only after he had sat

Get a start

down and talked with the design student. “He didn’t want to just make something for a school project; he wanted to create something that would effect change,” Holden said. The boot of a sit-ski is usually created in one-size-fits-all, Holden explained, unless you can afford to get it custom built, which costs upwards of $1,500 for the seat alone. Holden said it costs another $3,000-4,000 for the sit-ski frame. Defazio had found his problem area. His solution was an affordable and adjustable seat with special foam pads to be added or removed to accommodate different sizes of riders. Holden said CADS tries to provide an environment where athletes can be independent. He described Defazio’s new seat as “one more tool in our vast arsenal.” “It’s all about ability, looking at someone’s capabilities and not putting artificial glass ceilings on somebody’s desire to participate . . . in any aspect of life,” Holden said. Defazio’s project will be showcased at Carleton University Art Gallery April 16-20. q

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charlatannews

March 25-31, 2010

Carleton professor hungry for research by Mitch Vandenborn It’s almost 11 p.m., and the tub of triplechocolate brownie ice cream sitting in the freezer is singing a siren song, beckoning you to indulge. We all know what it feels like to crave something, but one Carleton professor has been trying to discover why we do — and he may have found an answer. Professor Alfonso Abizaid studies the relationship between food intake, the digestive system and the brain, and how all three combine to make us yearn for food that may not always be the healthiest choice. Abizaid’s research is being featured as part of Carleton Research Days, a monthlong event showcasing various research

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projects undertaken by Carleton faculty. “I’ve always been doing research with food intake, and this area has a lot to with diabetes and obesity,” he said. “We’re interested in finding out how a stomach hormone called ghrelin can affect how our bodies accumulate fat.” Abizaid said ghrelin makes our bodies hungry, which then stimulates brain cells called dopamine that control our bodies’ memory and ”reward systems.” The more ghrelin is released, the more dopamine cells are stimulated, and the stronger the feeling to satisfy our urges becomes. Abizaid said his research applies to more than just food, as dopamine also affects other addictions such as alcohol, drug and sex. “What’s interesting about the dopamine cells is that other sources, such as drugs, massively stimulate them,” he said. “We’re looking to see whether blocking the dopamine receptors will work to curb usage and addiction.” Some of Abizaid’s research involves testing mice that have had ghrelin receptors in their brains genetically modified, and seeing how they are affected by hunger. “The mice are trained to work for food, such as pressing a bar to release a food pellet,” he said. “The mice without receptors won’t work as hard because they are not as hungry.” Rim Khazall is a graduate student in the neuroscience program who began working with Abizaid three and a half years ago as an undergraduate. She said she enjoys the research because it is something many people outside the science world can relate to. “I think what [Abizaid] is contributing

Research Days are here

Professor Alfonso Abizaid is trying to find out why we crave food, alcohol and drugs. || photo by Christopher S. King

[is] allowing his students to be a part of something that is applicable for everybody,” she said. “Everybody can relate to eating.” She said the spotlight put on the project by Research Days is good for both the neuroscience institute and Abizaid as a professor. “He is the kind of professor who likes to make you do everything, and understand the project from beginning to end,” she said. “We’re honoured to be his students.” q

The first annual Research Days at Carleton began March 18. Research Days is a 33-day event aimed at showcasing Carleton’s academic talent and research through lectures, films and conferences from a variety of faculties and departments. Carleton vice-president (research and international) Kim Matheson, who described research as “the act of creation,” said this event is about making research more accessible to Carleton students so they can see first-hand the work being done here. She said when the research is presented in plain language and in a fun and interesting way, students and people outside of the university will be enthusiastic about what Carleton has to offer. “When you have very active researchers, people outside the university see what you do — it’s about your reputation,” Matheson said. At the same time, she said, students are more excited to work with professors who do not simply read what others have written, but who also contribute to their field of study. A wide range of topics will be covered, from Stephen Lewis on how the population can participate in the fight against cancer, to a student conference on the limits of the law and a screening of films by experimental artist Michael Snow. The event ends April 19 with former senator Michael Kirby speaking about mental health.

— Yamina Tsalamlal

www.oxfordseminars.ca

The minimum wage is going up. If you're an employer, here's what you need to know. General Minimum Wage

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National

6 March 25-31, 2010 National Editor: Andrea Hill• national@charlatan.ca

Ann Coulter’s Ottawa talk cancelled by Lucas Kittmer Organizers at the University of Ottawa cancelled a scheduled speech by American conservative pundit Ann Coulter March 23 amid fears of violence breaking out at the event. “There was a risk there could be physical violence,” said Canadian conservative activist Ezra Levant, who was set to open for Coulter. Protesters could be heard yelling “No more hate speech on our campus,” and police assigned to keep the peace were visibly having a difficult time trying to control the rowdy crowd as the start time drew closer, prompting authorities to make the last-minute judgment call to cancel. Hundreds of people had shown up for the speech, and people flooded out into the streets from the jammed lobby at Marion Hall building at U of O where the speech was supposed to take place. Just before the 7:30 p.m. scheduled start time, the fire alarm went off, forcing a slow and hesitant evacuation of the building. “People weren’t even letting the fire truck by,” said one spectator. Several students in the crowd, some of whom had been waiting for over an hour, began chanting “Let us in!” and “More fire alarm, less hate speech!” as the doors to

Students waited outside Marion Hall where Ann Coulter was scheduled to speak March 23. ||

the hall were shut and police began trying to usher people out of the building and get the crowds to disperse. Shortly after announcing the cancellation, Levant took the opportunity to use the situation to highlight what he considered “shortcoming in Canadian free speech.” He went on to say the conduct of the demonstrators at the event “proved the point of the whole tour.” Coulter’s speech at U of O

was supposed to be the second in a three-stop tour of Canadian universities, beginning with the University of Western Ontario on March 22, and ending with the University of Calgary on March 25. The International Free Press Society, a free speech advocacy group, together with the U.S.-based Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute, which encourages conservatism among young women, paid a total of $10,000 for the tour, during which Coulter planned to push her newest book.

photo by

Rebecca Phillips

However, Coulter has been taking flak over the past several days for her hardline right-wing views. In a letter sent to Coulter on March 19, before she had even set foot in Canada, François Houle, vice-president (academic) and provost of U of O warned her that “promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges.” Houle also felt the need to stress

Coulter should “weigh [her] words with respect and civility in mind.” The letter, which was immediately leaked to numerous media outlets, prompted Coulter to claim U of O was “threatening to criminally prosecute me for my speech,” according to a Globe and Mail article. The warning to Coulter was presumably made in reference to various controversial claims she has made about various ethnic, religious and political groups over the past several years. In 2004, Coulter appeared on FOX news and said Canadians “better hope the United States doesn’t roll over one night and crush them,” adding, “They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent.” “I guess she has the right to have an opinion,” said U of O student Adrienne Lolic. “I just don’t particularly feel like she should be so loud about it.” Others feel the spectacle is what far-right speeches and demonstrations are all about. “I just wanted to go to see the shit show,” said one disappointed student as police continued to push back the crowd. “[Coulter] feeds off stuff like this.” Neither the university administration nor event organizers could be reached for comment. There have been no reports of injuries or arrests. q

Scarborough campus votes ‘yes’ to Pan Am pool by Veronica Tang A 62.2 per cent majority in a student referendum pushed the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus (UTSC) one step closer to being a host site for the 2015 Pan American Games. From March 17-19, 2,337 students voted in the referendum on raising tuition fees to fund the construction of a $140 million athletics centre, comprising two Olympic-sized pools and a diving tank. The students’ contribution is expected to cover $22 million. Although only 23 per cent of the campus’ population voted, the Scarborough College Students’ Union (SCSU) said the turnout broke the Canadian record for the largest student participation in a

referendum. The Scarborough Campus Athletics Association (SCAA) president, John Kapageridis, called the result a “profound majority” with 1,454 voting yes and 748 voting no. “There’s a buzz on campus right now,” he said. “You can sense the excitement that students really, really are glad that this vote went through.” For Kapageridis, UTSC’s newest addition would “finally” give Scarborough the recognition it deserved. Not everyone was thrilled with the referendum’s outcome. The SCAA and the Scarborough College Students’ Union faced a small but determined group of “no” campaigners, consisting

largely of part-time not pass. students. The team of 50 “Students believed activists had difficulty they were voting on a new reaching UTSC’s 10,000 athletics facility,” said students. McKergow. “They were “The environment the not. They were voting on a [UTSC] administration levy.” created was one where Kapageridis said in if people knew you reality, UTSC needed were voting ‘no,’ you to update its sports weren’t well-liked,” said facilities regardless of the Richard McKergow, an referendum. outreach worker from the If “the opportunity Association of Part-Time Construction of two Olympic-sized pools will begin at UTSC were to leave, we would Undergraduate Students. next year. || graphic by Stacey Poapst still be asking students for McKergow said the the same 30 million bucks levy forces full-time students to campaigners’ for circulating because we still need to build an pay an extra $40 per semester misleading propaganda. He said athletics facility,” he said. until 2014. The cost will then jump he SCSU slogan, “Vote No and The levy awaits ratification by to $140 per semester for the next We’ll Lose It All,” implied UTSC the Board of Governors March 25. 21 years. would not have a new athletics Kapageridis said construction McKergow criticized the “yes” centre at all if the referendum did will begin next year. q

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charlatannational

March 25-31, 2010

Post-secondary funding reform proposed Report suggests creating savings accounts for Aboriginals by Jane Gerster Public funding for postsecondary Aboriginal students is in big need of reform, said a report released March 15 by an Ottawabased think-tank. The report, Free to Learn, is the first from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. It criticizes the current Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) and promotes an Aboriginal Post-Secondary Savings Account (APSSA). Under the PSSSP, $314 million in tax dollars is transferred to native bands who then distribute the funds among students. The report states funds are currently being misused, with students subjected to favouritism. “There are virtually no accountability mechanisms,” said Dave Snow, co-author of Free to Learn, via e-mail. “Money is given straight from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and given to individual bands, who then spend the money as they see fit.” This means the effectiveness of a band at distributing funds depends largely on the chief and the council, Snow said. “When people in power have the authority to offer patronage to

their friends and family some will inevitably take advantage of that situation. To fix it, we need to bring in a system where authority for funding is taken out of the hands of chief and council, and into the hands of those from whom the money is intended,” Snow said. The report recommends the PSSSP be phased out and replaced. Under APSSA, aboriginal students would receive $3,000 at birth and an additional $4,000 for the completion of each of grades six through 12, plus interest. Snow said he believes this will help Aboriginals currently being denied access to funding. It would also ensure money is spent solely on post-secondary education, he said. Strict controls will be put in place to ensure money is only being given to Aboriginals attending postsecondary schools and that money will not be given if the student drops out, Snow said. Aboriginal post-secondary education is also part of larger issues. The study says Canada is facing a “demographic crisis” due to the impending retirement of the baby boomers and the shrinkage of the labour force. Snow said the Aboriginal population can fill the gap, since it has a much younger

population and a high birthrate. The report also addresses aboriginal issues overall. “The main case to be made is not economic, it’s moral: the standard of living for Aboriginals across the country is abysmal by any metric, and it is largely the result of generations of failed government policies,” Snow said. Brian Lee Crowley, managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said via e-mail the lack of progress in improving aboriginal economic and social success is something Canadians want addressed. “Since education is the closest thing we have to a magic bullet to improve things, we thought we’d put the focus there,” Crowley said. Crowley said he is pleased with the results of the study so far. “We think that there is a real chance that our work will result in better policy in Ottawa. In the thinktank world it doesn’t get any better than that.” Snow said the 2010 federal budget stated INAC is seeking alternative methods of delivering federal funding. “Now is an excellent time for the government to show leadership on this issue,” he said. q

UQAM student mistaken for suicide bomber by Ruby Pratka An Algerian-born graduate student at Université du Québec à Montréal said he was severely roughed up March 16 by Montreal police investigating a suspected suicide bomber. Slimane Zahaf said in a statement that he was “targeted because of colour and origin” by UQAM campus security and Montreal police. However, the police’s version of events is quite different. Zahaf was stopped by UQAM security guards in the afternoon of March 16, said Anie Lemieux, Montreal Police Service spokesperson. The guards were acting on a tip that “a man seemed to have explosives on him,” and

For Durst more Fred

coverage . . .

Tackling racism David Meffe gets the scoop on a new report put together by a Canadian Federation of Students task force. — graphic by Stacey Poapst

U-Pass rolls in

Seon Park looks at plans for a provincewide U-Pass in B.C.

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originally thought Zahaf fit the description, Lemieux said. Zahaf “was released right away when they found out he was the wrong person,” Lemieux said. “It actually went relatively well.” However, in a French statement posted on the Montreal Gazette website and translated by a Charlatan reporter and a Carleton University French professor, Zahaf said he was pushed down a flight of stairs by four Montreal police officers. The officers “jumped on me, bringing me to the ground with their knees on my face, knees or feet on my back, even though I was saying, ‘Be careful, I’ve had an operation on my back.’”

India-bound

Marie-Danielle Smith reports on opportunities for Canadian universities to build campuses in India.

charlatan.ca

Features

8 March 25-31, 2010 Features Editor: Brittany Mahaney • features@charlatan.ca

charlatanfeatures

March 25-31, 2010

Around the world in a semester

It’s all relative in India

Capturing the castle

Instead of studying in Ottawa, Carleton students on exchange woke up to the sun rising over the Himalayas, strolled through English gardens and munched on traditional Danish food. They share the sights and sounds Name Katherine Dunn Country Denmark

Top ten signs you’re in Denmark

Nicole Ward takes time to reflect during her exchange. ||

Name Nicole Ward Country India

ince being in India my whole concept of normalcy, as I know it, has been tossed right out onto the middle of the highway during rush hour traffic and completely crushed by a giant Mack truck, and then crushed again by a million others. I have to readjust everything in my mind and body to conform, if even a little, to the ways of the East. Everything is different, from waking up in the morning to going to sleep at night. What I am used to is waking up and looking out the window to see a line of fences that keep all the suburban dogs and children from wandering too far from the safety net of their cookie cutter houses. Now I wake up to see a calendar with Lord Krishna on it and look out the window to see the sun rising over the Himalayas. One is not necessarily better than the other, it’s just very different and this takes some getting used to. I am slowly getting used to seeing women carry bushels of grass on their heads, driving on the opposite side of the road, eating with my hands, seeing children as young as three and four walking down the street

photo provided

alone, and seeing goats and cows walking around on the streets as if they were pedestrians. To be immersed in a culture is shocking, wonderful and tantalizing all at once. I am trying to be open and absorb as much as possible without comparing these ways to what I am used to. This can take a toll. I was a little sick for the past few days and I am convinced it was part of the adjustment process. It is stressful to both the mind and body being on the other side of the world. I think I just have to recognize this and allow the process to happen without trying to fight it. With blonde hair and green eyes, at home I am very average looking. Here, people look at me with puzzlement and curiosity, especially children. Some of them have never seen foreigners; the word minority does not even do me justice here. I was walking alone to a nearby village yesterday to meet some of the other volunteers (don’t worry it is very safe here mom). People were looking at me like I had just landed from the moon. Everything really is relative to where you are, who you are, what culture you associate yourself with and the people you surround yourself with. I think it’s important to keep an open mind when you meet someone who is different because that person might be looking at you thinking the exact same thing. q

■ ■ ■

you must have the date wrong – there are Danish flags on the tables, stuck to the wall and all over the cake. You’re not really sure what the Danish flag has to do with birthdays, and they don’t seem to know either. It’s just tradition!

2. You feel like a snack. You step away from the baggage carousel to a stand selling hot dogs. You order one wrapped in bacon, covered in a thick yellowy sauce and possibly pickles. It goes down well with a bottle of chocolate milk.

8. As soon as someone turns on the Danish version of X-Factor, the party really gets started. You can’t understand the judges, but the contestants are singing Justin Timberlake!

You look around. Everyone is blond, attractive and wearing a scarf. There are old ladies in scarves, tiny Katherine Dunn gets the eagle-eye view in Denmark. babies in scarves and 14-year-old Education of Charlie Banks boys — in scarves. When you ask for The For Durst more coverage . . . Fred directions, their English is better than yours.

you pick up groceries. You buy æbles (apples), brød (bread) and småkagers (cookies), but the peanut butter is nowhere in sight.

5.a The next morning, you’re feeling little thirsty, so you have a beer.

It’s only 10, but your roommates yell “skål!” (cheers) anyways.

You’ve made some Danish friends. They invite you over for a birthday party but you need a way to get there. The only option? A bike. You stick your beer in the basket and ride away.

7. But when you arrive at the door, you think

You arrive at the airport. The lighting fixtures look like bubbles and the chairs are shaped like stingrays and eggs. You’ve just had your first encounter with Scandinavian design.

4. On your way to your new place,

photo provided

Some sensitivity please?

Nicole Ward sat in on a gender sensitivity course and to learn about the differences between sexes in Sierra Leone.

charlatan.ca

One of your friends is cycling home and asks where you’re headed. You try to say “up Nørrebrogade.” He asks you to repeat. You pronounce that ‘d’ like an ‘l’ and make a gagging noise. And again? Nope, those noises just won’t come out of an English mouth.

10. It’s time to leave. You put on your scarf, yell “hej hej!” and cycle off into the

night – wobbling only slightly. Yup, you’re definitely in Denmark.

(If in doubt, look for beer, hot dogs and bikes)

Carleton students took over Herstmonceux castle in England. The city was their textbook.

by Laura Tucker

t was the opportunity of a lifetime. From the first day in the Atrium when I saw pictures of Herstmonceux Castle, to the last day when I took the long plane ride home, I couldn’t believe I could be so lucky. I had no preconceived notions of the castle experience. I was an open book to the experience and allowed each day to write its own synopsis in my memory. The utter beauty of Herstmonceux Castle filled my senses. I took the opportunity on the first day to explore the 350-acre grounds and its historic buildings and eerie graveyard. I even saw the resident male peacock come out of hiding from the Shakespearean rose garden. I walked until I fell into bed, exhausted. The most profound of my memories is sitting in the castle library turret, reading a magazine or newspaper. I often kicked my shoes off in the late afternoon sunshine, which beamed through the open windows. Looking at the castle through the eyes of a 10-yearold, or through my eyes — a mature student — one can only exclaim, what an adventure of a lifetime, what luck indeed! q

photo provided

by Charlene Kwiatkowski

y first experience in London, England was listening to a tour guide explicitly describe the murders of several prostitutes. The women were killed by Jack the Ripper in London’s Whitechapel district during the 1880s. Being easily frightened, this was not my preferred introduction to the city. It was a field trip with my literature class to Herstmonceux Castle, so it did have a purpose, and a good one too. Many times as a tourist, you stick to typical destinations that give you a taste of the city, but are often disconnected from local culture. My professor wanted us to experience London at street level by walking where the murders occurred and not just learning about it through a camera or reading about it in books. Although some of the murder locations are in sketchy areas, the district is largely financial. I couldn’t help but wonder what the men and women in smart business suits were thinking as they walked by and heard about throats being cut and organs removed from bodies. Fortunately for me, the tour was during the day. Regardless, it still had a shock effect that placed it out of the ordinary. Then again, studying at the Castle is not really an “ordinary” experience either, so I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised. q

charlatanop/ed

March 18-24, 2010

Practical alcohol policy part of Carleton’s approach RE: “Focus on responsible drinking,” March 18-24, 2010 I read with interest Josh Frappier’s article on responsible drinking. I was pleased to see this subject and his thoughts on the matter featured prominently in your paper; however, I did feel it necessary to write in a response in order to clarify some of the points put forward. Perhaps the most important

issue to clarify is that Carleton University has had a multi-faceted and evidence-based alcohol strategy for a number of years, and fundamental to this strategy is the concept of responsible drinking. Having worked in the addictions field for a number of years, I can attest firsthand to the fact that prohibition and toughon-crime policies are highly counterproductive. An effective prevention

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strategy recognizes that alcohol does play a role in our lives, and enacts a range of measures to encourage individuals to consider the consequences of irresponsible drinking and to modify behaviour accordingly. Carleton’s safe-drinking policies at Oliver’s and Mike’s Place, our online self assessment tool, eChug, alternative programming and social norms campaigns in residence, extensive training given to student leaders and various treatment options in Health and Counselling create an environment

where students can easily access information that can result in positive choices being made where alcohol is being used. Additionally, Carleton also has the Student Rights and Responsibilities policy. Far from being heavy handed, it is perhaps the most important resource in the university’s policy toolbox to promote responsible drinking. Over the year, I have met with students who have had too good of a time on campus as a result of their alcohol use. Rather than employing punitive measures, a

Overheard at Carleton Professor: [Upon rolling down projection screen to reveal “FUCK YOU” written in graffiti] You’d think they’d be a little more witty. OOO History student: Well, I’m glad you’re passionate about journalism . . . Journalism student: Yeah, and I’m glad you’re passionate about dead people in books. OOO

Girl: If your dick was as big as your ego you’d be awesome. OOO Guy 1: What are they exhibiting at the National Gallery? We get in free now, right? Guy 2: We do. They’re showing a selection of Salvador Dali’s art. Guy 1: Who’s he? Guy 2: He’s not my favourite. Guy 1: So his work is good? [Guy 3 bursts through the door] Guy 3: I just had SEX. [Awkward pause] With a man.

Awesome. Send more overheard conversations to: oped@charlatan.ca

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CASH BOOKS Buyback Location & Hours Entrance of the Bookstore Thursday, April 1 - Friday, April 30 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 3, 10, 17, 24 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 936_SBB10

conversation takes place about alcohol, its effects, and responsible drinking options that students can employ moving forward. This conversation is possible due to the Student Rights and Responsibilities policy. In summary, Carleton University fully appreciates the concept of responsible drinking and has a vigorous strategy in place to ensure its practical application within our community. — Ryan Flannagan, director of student affairs

The Education of Charlie For more thoughts and opinion . . . Banks

Letters online Students respond to Ann Coulter’s cancelled speech.

CHARLABLOG:

CU in . . . Kathryn Burnham wraps up her travel blog series with a post on dealing with reverse culture shock.

Politick Talk New blog series: Zombies on Bandwagons. Yael Gang rips into the Earth Hour campaign.

charlatan.ca

Opinions/Editorial

11 March 18-24, 2010 Op/Ed Editor: Marlee Wasser • oped@charlatan.ca

Cancelled Coulter speech no reason to cheer

When a raucous crowd sparked a last-minute decision to cancel a speech from right-wing American pundit Ann Coulter at the University of Ottawa on March 23, many Canadians celebrated this obstruction to her freedom of speech as a victory. Even with Coulter’s reputation for hate speech, this was not a victory for tolerance — it was a black eye for open discourse at U of O. In her career as a columnist and political commentator Coulter has said things that are rude, inflammatory and downright offensive. At the University of Western Ontario earlier this week, she told a Muslim student to “take a camel” instead of flying. So it’s no surprise she was greeted by hundreds of placard-bearing protesters at her Ottawa engagement. The protesters had every right to be there. But Coulter had every right to speak. Freedom of speech does not mean only tolerating views you want to hear. Holders of all opinions have a right to speak publicly, and members of the public have the right to decide whether they want to listen. Society grows not just by promoting good ideas, but by considering and rejecting bad ones. By attempting to bar Coulter from campus and threatening violence, the protesters are just as intolerant as they accuse Coulter of being. q

Invest directly in aboriginals A think-tank recently issued a report stating that federal funding for post-secondary education is failing to reach many aboriginal youth. The MacDonald-Laurier Institute has asserted that band councils, which receive government money to distribute to their members, sometimes use favouritism when allocating education funds. The institute’s report proposed the following solution: the federal government can deposit funds directly into registered education savings plans for each newborn aboriginal. This is a fair and practical alternative to the current system, which is simply too vulnerable to manipulation. While a number of aboriginals have taken offence to the report, it should not be viewed as an insult to First Nations, as it addresses legitimate concerns regarding how post-secondary funding is distributed within aboriginal communities based on a flawed system. Band councils are certainly capable of distributing funding fairly and many have been doing so. But the fact is the current system is open to abuse. Direct deposit would simply eliminate this possibility. Moreover, First Nations, especially those with scarce resources, stand to benefit from this proposed alternative, as it would erase an unnecessary level of bureaucracy. Ultimately, the government doles out this money intending for each and every aboriginal citizen to have the chance to attend a post-secondary institution and, by extension, dictate their own future. By depositing this money directly into individual savings plans, the federal government would not be taking control away from First Nations — quite the contrary. The government would be empowering Aboriginals from birth to have access to necessary resources for shaping their destinies. q

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March 25-31, 2010 Volume 39, Issue 28 Room 531 Unicentre 1125 Colonel By Drive Carleton University Ottawa, ON — K1S 5B6 General: 613-520-6680 Advertising: 613-520-3580

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Ann Coulter had to walk away from U of O event due to protestors — p. 6

The method to the Madness season, when the two would not even pass to each other, fuelling Shaq’s 2008 nightclub rap, “Tell me how my ass tastes, Kobe.” March Madness makes players check their egos at the Heather Wallace is a fourth-year journalism door, or at least in the locker room. Every game forces players student who says March Madness is the to play for their lives. There are no best-of-seven series that most captivating sporting event ever created. see star players slog through the motions for games one and two — it’s a one-shot deal and it’s win or go home. The do-or-die playoff approach of the Road to the Final Four brings an excitement the NBA is sorely lacking. It This time of year is always the same. I don’t eat or sleep; means favoured teams can’t have an off night, and schools I forget about class and school work. I fake illness to avoid previously not on the map can come out with guns blazing going out with my friends and sit in my room, hovelled up. and upset the number-one-seeded powerhouse whose roster It’s complete madness — March Madness. is jam-packed with next year’s NBA all-rookie team. The NCAA’s Road to the Final Four has become a staple With March Madness, nothing is a sure bet. Every year in any sports junkie’s year. We all know the rules — don’t thousands of dollars are won and lost, brackets are torn up, book anything important for those three weeks, print out and minds are boggled because of the sheer unpredictability your bracket early, and get to the gym so that your heart of every game. doesn’t give out midway through triple overtime, where the Hell, a couple years ago my mom won the family pool 15th seed is about to overthrow number two, your personal after picking teams solely by the prettiness of their uniforms. pick to win the whole thing, in the first round. It’s also a great chance to jump band wagons. I bleed March Madness, for those of you unfortunate enough Michigan State University Spartans green, but with 64 other not to know, is a basketball fan’s mecca. It takes the top teams in the hunt, I can pick teams I love or hate on a daily 65 college and university basketball teams from across the basis, and unless they’re up against MSU, you can bet your United States and puts their players in the most intense bottom dollar I will scream myself blue for the underdog. tournament of their lives. And as we watch and yell For some, it’s a chance to put a at the TV, we see athletes play . . . it’s a one-shot deal and few extra $100,000 on a contract when in the fiercest competition it’s win or go home. they head to the NBA; for most, it’s of their lives. For most of a chance to prove themselves on the the players on the court, big stage before they fall back into this is the pinnacle of their obscurity. basketball career. For fans like me, March Madness The buzzer sounds and offers competition at its purest, better than anything the hearts are broken, you see 6’11’’, 250-pound men break bigwigs of professional sports can produce despite their fat down and cry on the court on national television. You see bank accounts. fans swarm the court, players embrace after a big win, and The NCAA’s recipe for success is unbeatable primarily beer-bellied coaches hoisted into the air by men twice their because the players care. Sure, every year we watch the height. NBA finals and hear about how LeBron James is such a During March Madness, players epitomize leaving it all competitor or no one is as hungry for the title as Dwayne on the floor. Wade, but season after season we watch big name players When was the last time you saw that kind of emotional blow their team’s chances because they can’t see beyond investment in an NHL or NBA game? their own success. Hoop fans cringe when remembering Anyways, half time is over and I have some serious the Kobe Bryant/Shaquille O’Neal feud during the 2002-03 basketball watching to get back to. q by Heather Wallace

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

Daniel Link

Larissa Robyn Johnston

Sports Editor

Lasia Kretzel

Talbert Johnson

Web Co-ordinator William Hearn

Photo Assistant Adam Dietrich

Copy Editor Ruby Pratka

Contributors:

Juanita Bawagon, Gloria Bell, Lauren Blackburn, Matt Blenkarn, Heather Burgess, Kathryn Burnham, Layla Cameron, Farhan Devji, Cayley Dobie, Sarah Houssein Douha, Katherine Dunn, Yael Gang, Jane Gerster, Julia Green, Ebony Griffin, Rosanna Haroutounian, Colin Harris, Chris Herhalt, Christopher S. King, Lucas Kittmer, Clare Levin, Daniel Link, Greg Mason, David Meffe, Andrew Nguyen, Melissa Novacaska, Grant Oyston, Seon Park, Rebecca Phillips, Stacey Poapst, Grace Protopapas, Allison Render, Jill Simmonds, Marie-Danielle Smith, Alexandra Stang, Caitlin Teed, Veronica Tong, Laura Tucker, Yasmina Tsalamlal, Mitch Vandenborn, Nicole Ward, Rizwaan Zahid

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 silverware is SPOONS. 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.

Perspectives

12 March 25-31, 2010 Perspectives Editor: Daniel Link • perspectives@charlatan.ca

Stretched, deep-fried goodness The Charlatan’s Caitlin Teed takes a bite out of the BeaverTail.

Customers line up outside the ByWard Market BeaverTail shack. || photos by Lauren Blackburn

An unmistakable aroma fills your body with that warm feeling of winter time bliss. You can’t help but pull aside as you skate your way around the Rideau Canal and take a moment to get in line and buy yourself a scrumptious BeaverTail. The BeaverTail has steadily become an Ottawa tradition to enjoy around downtown and while skating along the canal in the wintertime. It is hard to describe this Canadian delicacy without trying one yourself: a crisp exterior followed by a soft, warm interior — the best part of the BeaverTail. Even simply dressed with sugar and cinnamon, this treat is hard to pass up. But how exactly did this delectable Canadian indulgence made its way from to worldwide success? The delicious and heart-warming dessert was first marketed and made public by the Hooker family in 1978. Grant Hooker and his wife Pam built the first BeaverTail shop right in Ottawa’s own ByWard Market. The BeaverTail gets its name from its striking similarity to the tail of one of our most iconic national animals, the beaver. BeaverTails are hand stretched to resemble the tail of a beaver and then fried in canola oil. Following the deepfrying process, they are dressed with butter and made ready for a delicious arrangement of toppings. In 1981, growing with success, the BeaverTail made the

move to the Rideau Canal for winter skaters to enjoy the treat. Benjamin Hildebrand is a Carleton university student who worked three consecutive seasons with BeaverTails during Winterlude. “Working there was a great experience, a really social environment where it’s easy to make friends,” says Hildebrand. “It was an awesome experience as a high school job, especially for the third year when my friend became a manager and some nights we would actually have just me and my friends running the whole place.” BeaverTail employee Fiona Miller has worked two winter seasons on the canal and is now working at the BeaverTail location in the ByWard Market. She says working with BeaverTails is “really different from most jobs. It has more of a team environment. All the staff hang out with each other outside of work and it is a really fast-paced place to work.” Her favourite thing about working with BeaverTails is the people. “People are always really happy to come here. People only get BeaverTails if they are in a good mood,” Miller says. Miller says the most popular BeaverTail is “definitely the cinnamon sugar one. It is the topping that everyone associates a BeaverTail with.” BeaverTails now come with a variety of toppings including chocolate hazelnut, maple butter, apple cinnamon, banana chocolate and many more. The BeaverTail has been enjoyed by the millions,

”

Delicious, tasty, unhealthy deep fried dough. When you see a BeaverTail you think of winter.

— Meg LaPlante, Customer

including U.S. President Barack Obama, who took tasted this traditional Canadian treat when he made his first visit to Ottawa. During Obama’s presidential campaign south of the border there was even a BeaverTail named after him called the ObamaTail. Carleton University Students’ Association vicepresident (student issues) Nick Bergamini says his favourite thing about BeaverTails is “that sweet taste after a long cold skate on the Rideau Canal. It is a great reward for bearing

BeaverTales

• BeaverTails use 21.1. tons of chocolate hazelnut

spread per year — equivalent to the weight of five elephants and 12 beavers

• There are 80 BeaverTail franchises across Canada, with two locations in Saudi Arabia and two in Colorado’s ski country.

• Since 1981, more than 80,000 young Canadians have worked for the BeaverTail operations in Ottawa alone.

• Since the BeaverTail’s debut in 1978, enough have

been sold to make a straight line of tails, end-toend, from the store on the boardwalk in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island to the two Whistler Ski Resort stores in British Columbia.

— source: Grant Hooker, BeaverTails co-founder

Ottawa’s frigid winters.” Julie Voorthuyzen, a first-year University of Ottawa student says she is a devotee of the stretched, deep-fried dough. “[I love] all of the different kinds that they have, it’s fun trying a new one every time.” First-year Carleton student Meg LaPlante, who has lived in Ottawa all her life, says BeaverTails are a winter staple. “Delicious, tasty, unhealthy deep fried dough. When you see a BeaverTail you think of winter.” The BeaverTail love has spread across Ottawa and has made its way to other parts of Canada such as the Halifax Waterfront, Whistler, Mont Tremblant and Old Quebec. This Canadian tail has a happy ending. q

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Arts

13 March 25-31, 2010 Arts Editor: Larissa Robyn Johnston • arts@charlatan.ca

Bright Starr on A Different Day by Cayley Dobie For Canadian musician Kinnie Starr, love is more than just a romantic feeling. It is an underlying force behind all interactions, even ones as simple as helping someone onto a bus. “It’s kind of like veering away from what it’s looked at traditionally. People say, ‘Oh I love you, I don’t know what that is but I know I love you,’ ” Starr said. Starr’s fifth album, A Different Day, was released this month. This album is a move away from hip-hop and rap, Starr’s usual gnres. “As an artist you always want to be growing and changing and challenging yourself, so I chose to do something different,” Starr said. In this album Starr examines love, its different types and what it means for different people. “We don’t spend a lot of time discussing amongst each other what love is. . . . Everybody assumes that each other shares the same definition of love,” she said. But this definition comes mainly from the mass media, Starr said. “We are encouraged to think that love is just one thing,” Starr said. “It is almost like a catchphrase to describe poor behaviour.” This confusion and contradiction concerning the meaning of love is why Starr said she believes society must discuss love and what it means beyond the assumptions. “I was interested in writing an album about love so that I could discuss love with the press,” Starr said. While love and sex are constantly linked in society, these can be understood as assumptions as well. There is a widespread belief that if a couple is having sex they must be in love, Starr said. “I don’t think it’s as simple as I’m

Musician Kinnie Starr takes a strong stance on love in her new album A Different Day. || provided

attracted to you therefore I must love you,” Starr said. She may believe that sex and love have more complicated meanings but that does not mean Starr has never experienced romantic love. She currently lives in Toronto with her husband with whom she shares an open relationship, she said. But she said they are not swingers actively seeking sexual partners. Instead she and her husband are determined to be close friends first and ultimately stay together. “It is the concept of carving your own path. . . . I don’t want to feel jealous and possessive and to have those emotions sanctioned by the people around me,” Starr said. She defined their relationship based on the principle of love where you extend yourself for the betterment of another human being. This means going beyond jealousy to a place where her husband can feel free and

confident with other women, Starr said. Sex in the media is another important issue to Starr, who has been working on a project responding to the way the pornography industry and present-day media culture have merged. “A lot of hip-hop is just all about sex from a man’s perspective, what a man wants, and a lot of it is derogatory and it’s just bullshit and it makes for bad sex,” Starr said. Especially prominent in today’s Internet society, both hip-hop and porn encourage women to dress like prostitutes and men to treat women badly, she said. The main concern in these videos is male pleasure and female pleasure is not a concern, Starr said. Club culture is another industry that presents these images of male and female relations, she said. Playing in clubs Starr sees many women desperate to be looked at and by the end of the night they go home with some guy, both completely intoxicated, and have really bad sex, she said. “In the morning they are going to feel worse about themselves, and so if you amplify that outwards my fear is that all these people are just feeling shitty about themselves,” Starr said. She encourages men to talk amongst themselves respectfully about women instead of relying on women to educate them. “Learn how to make your woman cum. Learn how to treat her properly. Learn how to see her beauty without [her] having to dress in skin-tight clothes and four-inch heels,” Starr said. Starr said she hopes to address this fairly new idea of sex in her next hip-hop project but until then A Different Day is there to help educate this generation about the core principle of love, something Starr said can be practiced all day long. q

charlatan

Safe in the Steep Cliffs Emancipator 1320 Records

Trip-hop is one of those genres based on a feeling more than anything else, and if there was one word to describe that feeling, it would be chill. Generally this attitude in production, sampling and execution gives rise to an intense but slow electronic groove. Emancipator’s new album Safe in the Steep Cliffs does all this while still sounding fresh. For that it is so far one of the best releases of the year. What really stands out on this vocal-less album is the rich diversity of instrumentation. From jazzy horns to piano flourishes and banjo melodies, each track has a different scope of sounds. This makes listening to the whole album very enjoyable. Doug Appling avoids the pitfall of many producers — creating a completely homogenous electronic record. While the disc is cohesive, it manages to find that middle ground to keep listeners interested. A standout track is “Old Devil,” driven by fantastic drum sampling, strings and that aforementioned banjo. Another highlight, “Nevergreen,” contrasts the song beautifully with its down-tempo groove that features a fuzzy guitar solo. This record accomplishes everything it sets out to do. With its perfect blend of organic and electronic samples, any fan of the genre will love this. Anyone new to electronic music should take a listen.You’ll be surprised how much soul this stuff has. — Colin Harris

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

charlatanarts

March 25-31, 2010

Fantasy at CUAG

Carol Wainio’s exhibit at CUAG gets inspiration from fairytales. || photo by Lasia Kretzel

by Juanita Bawagan The Book was inspired by fairytale illustrations, but instead of glass slippers and enchanted forests, audiences will see plastic Crocs and barren fields in Carol Wainio’s paintings. Her Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) exhibit focuses heavily on scarcity, the Ottawa artist said. “Long ago, a clever cat dressed a peasant as a prince. Far away, in a field of cheap shoes, magic seeds multiply crops and destroy soil,” Wainio said in her artist statement, which resembles the makings of an industrial fairytale. These symbols are most evident in “Puss in the Subcontinent” where piles of books frame images of Puss tricking farmers into thinking

he owns their land, an Indian farmer with a scythe and a desolate landscape. Wainio said that piece was inspired by a news photo that showed a single plastic sandal in front of a dry field. It accompanied a story about mass suicides of Indian farmers when their fields would no longer produce crops because of genetically modified Monsanto seeds. “She relates social ideas of different periods to social conditions in which people live today,” said CUAG director Diana Nemiroff. Wainio said her paintings take stories set in scarcity and reset them in excess to emphasize rampant western consumerism, with the symbols of plastic bags and mass-produced shoes omnipresent in her work. One of the social ideas of the past that Wainio presents in her work is the motivation of copyists. “Puss in Boots Copies” show illustrations of a story from different time periods. Wainio said this copying reflects the historical and material scarcity. “There were very few objects so things were to be modeled and emulated,” the artist said. This copying reflects the history of printing. While there is a scarcity of objects shown in her paintings there is no lacking of history and content in the exhibit. “What distinguishes her work as an artist is that it is based on research,” Nemiroff said. Wainio’s paintings include influences from editorial cartoons, versions of fairytales from different time periods and her trip to Frankfurt, Germany, where she visited illustration collections. q

Urinetown: The Musical Kalaish Mital Theatre March 20, 2010

Urinetown: The Musical is not a happy musical. In fact, it has all the makings of a good old-fashioned tragedy — star-crossed lovers, poverty, murder, rebellion. No, Urinetown is definitely not a happy musical, but it will definitely make you laugh. As the opening strains of the overture sound, Officer Lockstock, who doubles as the narrator, strolls onto the stage and welcomes the audience to Urinetown — not the place, the musical. He’s joined by Little Sally, and together, they provide us with some very important background information. According to Lockstock and Sally, a 20year drought has caused a water shortage, and private toilets have become a thing of the past. To control water consumption, people have to pay a pretty penny to do their business in public toilets operated by the Urine Good Company. To make life even more difficult, laws have been created to prevent people from relieving themselves in alleys or bushes. Anyone who gets caught doing such a thing is sent to Urinetown — the place, not the musical. This makes life a trifle difficult for the poor, who can barely scrape together enough coins to take a pee in a public toilet. To make

Sock ’n’ Buskin is dropping a load of comedy and music with Urinetown. || photo by Lauren Blackburn

things worse, the Urine Good Company is planning on hiking fees. It’s a classic tale of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. At least, that’s what it seems like. Urinetown is an insightful commentary on society’s attempts to deal with prominent social and environmental problems. It pokes fun at both capitalism and socialism, and the pros and cons of each. And although the subject matter is often grim, it’s enjoyable for two reasons. First, the musical numbers flow seamlessly out of the dialogue. The music itself is fun and the band is consistent throughout the performance. Don’t be surprised if you start tapping your feet in time with the beat. Second, the script has been brought to life by an incredibly animated cast. The characters are like caricatures of people in society, from the downtrodden poor people to the corrupt corporate bigwigs. The cast has great chemistry and everyone plays their part, big or small, very convincingly. Of course, the music and the cast probably wouldn’t stand out if it weren’t for the excellent script and the detailed set. If you decide to go see Urinetown, which runs until March 27, sit back, relax and be prepared to laugh so hard, well, you just might pee yourself. Just make sure Officer Lockstock doesn’t catch you . . . or else.

— Alexandra Stang

The Education of Charlie Banks

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March 25-31, 2010

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Graduating veteran hopes to stay on the court Ravens’ season but also the Carleton basketball career of team captain Kevin McCleery. “He stepped into the role of leader and he was our best player on the floor,” said Raven co-captain and McCleery’s longtime teammate, Mike Kenny. “We’re going to miss him a lot.” McCleery, who is graduating this year after five seasons as a Raven, helped lead the Ravens to another very successful season, with 24 wins and only three losses. “He’s a great guy on and off the court,” said second-year teammate Kyle Smendziuk. “And he had a great season.” McCleery led the team in both points and rebounds this season, averaging 18 points and seven rebounds per game. At 6’8”, he was a huge force under the basket. After stepping up as team leader this year, fifth-year Kevin McCleery McCleery started basketball looks to play basketball overseas. || photo by Adam Dietrich at age six, but stopped for a couple of years to play By Grace Protopapas hockey. He didn’t return to the sport until high school, when he started playing on a When the University of Saskatchewan summer team for Carleton head coach Dave Huskies trumped Carleton 86-82 in the Can- Smart. adian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) semifinal “When he asked me to be a part of that I match March 20, they not only ended the thought maybe I could play in university,”

McCleery said. He said even in university, basketball wasn’t something he took seriously until his last three years, and now he regrets it. “You get out what you put in and I didn’t put as much effort into it in the first two years,” he said. However, he stepped into the leadership role for Carleton this year and was named to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) first all-star team, as well as the second AllCanadian team at the CIS awards. He was also named a tournament all-star at the CIS championships. “I was a part of three national championship teams,” he said. “That’s pretty cool.” After graduation, McCleery said he will look to play basketball in Europe. “I’m not totally sure where yet, but I’m

pretty sure I’ll be playing in September,” he said. McCleery continued to say what he’ll take away most from his time at Carleton are the lessons he learned from basketball and what it’s like to be a part of a team atmosphere. “I don’t know if I’ll always play basketball,” he said. “I’m more passionate about people and being a part of a team. I don’t think I would be who I am today without being a part of sports.” So after wearing number 45 as a Raven for the last time, McCleery said he’ll never really leave Carleton basketball. “I’m going to miss it tons,” he said. “But I’ll always be a part of it. That’s one of the things I like about Carleton. Guys who graduate stay involved, they still care and I’m going to do the exact same thing.” q

Sports

March 25-31, 2010 Sports Editor: Erin Walkinshaw • sports@charlatan.ca

Ravens eliminated in CIS semifinals by Farhan Devji All year long, Carleton head coach Dave Smart said his team shouldn’t be considered the favourite to once again capture the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national basketball title. As it turns out, he wasn’t kidding. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies proved to be too much for the Ravens, upsetting the home team 86-82 in the semifinals March 20 at Scotiabank Place. Although Smart was pleased with his team’s effort, he said their execution was lacking throughout the night. “You have to play well to be a great basketball team,” Smart said in the postgame media scrum. “We played hard and we fought, but we didn’t play well.” Smart cited his team’s dismal three-point percentage as the main reason for their defeat. This can be partially attributed to the fact that Saskatchewan decided to defend forward Kevin McCleery straight up, rather than double-teaming him. “They basically played him one-on-one and that made it tough for us to get the easy looks from three that we’re used to,” Smart said. McCleery put up 20 points in his final CIS game, but could have easily dropped 30 with all the chances he had. “I’m extremely proud of what he’s accomplished in his five years here,” said Smart of the fifth-year centre. “He’s had some great highlights throughout the national championships and the dominance he’s had all this year. He’s a better kid than he is a basketball player. What’s there to say?” Elliot Thompson and Cole Hobin, who will both be key components of the Ravens’ success next year, recorded 23 and 20 points respectively.

The Ravens fought hard but came up short March 20 when they lost by four points to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the CIS semi-finals. || photo by Grant Oyston

Mike Kenny, who brought the crowd to its feet with by nailing a deep three-pointer at the final buzzer, also chipped in with 12 points. Midway through the third quarter, Carleton seemed to be coming on strong when Hobin used a quick pump fake to step around his defender and drain a mid-range jumper. But less than five seconds later,

Saskatchewan’s Michael Linklater returned the favour with a nice jumper of his own. The Ravens came out firing on all cylinders in the fourth quarter, looking to eradicate the 12-point deficit they faced at the end of the third. However, with five minutes left in the game, Thompson’s one-handed floater was promptly answered by Showron Glover,

Huskies take home first championship title By Rizwaan Zahid Saskatchewan and basketball don’t normally go together like salt and pepper, but the University of Saskatchewan Huskies made headlines March 21 when they became this year’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national basketball champions. A team composed primarily of Saskatchewan natives allowed the Huskies to come away with a 91-81 win over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Saskatchewan previously beat UBC in the Canada West Final Four and they managed to do it again in a game that had even more at stake. Both teams were defence-minded in the early going, aiming to stop the opposition from getting open shots. UBC jumped to an early 12-4 lead thanks in large part to a balance of scoring, including Kamar Burke, who hit three field goals in the opening quarter. Josh Whyte wasn’t able to hit his shots as easily for UBC and struggled a bit early on. Saskatchewan was a one-man team at that point, with Showron Glover having all four points, two of which came on a field goal. A key 11-0 run by the Huskies allowed the team to take the lead and finish the

quarter ahead, 20-16. In the second, the Huskies began to dominate, especially with Glover getting to the free-throw line. He finished the half with 15 points, six of which came from the charity stripe. UBC wasn’t able to select their shots and many were forced. They were outscored 2515 in the second quarter and entered the half with no momentum, down 45-31. The second half continued the same way with the Huskies limiting turnovers, while using solid defence to force the UBC players out of rhythm. However, the game was far from over as UBC’s Whyte, CIS player of the year, made a quick few baskets to keep the Thunderbirds within 10 points at the end of the third. But turnovers piled up at pivotal times for the Thunderbirds. UBC was down by only six with a few minutes left in the game, yet as soon as they brought the ball up the floor, it was stripped by Glover, who went in for the easy deuce. A few possessions later, Troy Gottselig made a similar steal and threw it down with authority. That extended the lead from six to eight and sealed the Huskies’ victory. Despite letting the lead slip in each game, Husky head coach Greg Jockims said he believed it was the quality of the opposition that let the lead dwindle.

“When you’re playing good teams they’re really going to push hard at the late part of the games,” said the former Huskies player-turned-coach. “The other team is going to go on a bit of a run with reckless aggressiveness.” Jockims said he thinks the win was huge for Saskatchewan, a province where hockey and football come first. Glover, the Huskies’ MVP for the game, agreed. “This is big. It means a lot. I’m coming from California, and I’m bringing this California game to Saskatchewan and it’s spreading. As a team we learn together, and that’s the way you have to learn, together.” Some of the players on the team have personal challenges which factor into their basketball schedule. For example, Michael Linklater has four kids, which plays a major role in his playmaking dedication. The team is also composed of a lot of locals, some of which come from a line of Huskies. The Unsworth brothers, or the twin towers as they are locally known, were raised by their father, a former Husky himself. This year’s CIS championship is an amazing story that will affect the players, their families, the fans and the entire province. Basketball is alive and well in Saskatchewan. q

who put up a nice floater of his own from inside the paint. Every time Carleton came on, the Huskies responded. Saskatchewan’s head coach Greg Jockims compared the semifinal matchup to a heavy weight boxing tilt. “We took a swing at them, they swung back and we were going back and forth all game,” he said. “We just had the last punch.” Even though Smart insisted throughout the year that the Ravens were not the team to beat, he admitted losing to the Huskies was still a tough pill to swallow. “It’s a huge disappointment,” he said, without hesitation. “Our goal was to win everything. Do I think we underachieved? No, I don’t think we underachieved. I thought we had a great year. I couldn’t be prouder of this team.” Smart was also quick to point out that one of his proudest moments this season came almost immediately after the post-game handshakes. “I turn around and there’s 13 guys picking up all the cups and putting them in the garbage at our bench,” he said. “Their season just ended and they took the time to do that. Maybe that’s part of my problem. Maybe I need to recruit a few more pricks.” Looking ahead to next season, with the loss of 6’8” McCleery, Smart said the Ravens will likely become more of a perimeter team, like they have been in past years. “We’ve got a great recruiting class coming in but we’ve also got nine guys coming back,” he said. “We’ve got lots of weapons and I would hope we’ve got lots of motivation.” If the disappointment evident on the Ravens’ faces was any indication, motivation to succeed next year won’t be much of a concern. q

UQAM’s coach leads the way By Rizwaan Zahid Carleton may have beaten the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins in the quarterfinals, but there was a bigger story on the sideline. Citadin head coach Olga Hrycak is the only female coach for a men’s basketball team in North America. One would assume an elderly lady would have trouble earning respect from players in their late teens and early twenties. Yet the Montreal native said she has never had problems gaining respect from her players — she shouts and yells at them just like other coaches in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The challenges and prejudice she’s faced have been from those on the sidelines. “I haven’t experienced prejudice everywhere. Certainly not in Quebec and not really in Canada. I’ve definitely received it in the States though . . . Coaches haven’t shaken my hand, and I’ve heard things like ‘how could you lose to that bitch?’ It doesn’t bother me though. I have confidence in what I do. I think I’m good at it.” q To see the full version of this story, and extensive CIS coverage, visit