Ontarion_5Nov2009

page 7

page 9

Spiral Beach

Artichokes page 15

Chocolate page 16

Green tea

160.8

Nov. 5 - 11, 2009

www.theontarion.ca

H1N1 vaccines only for some

They’re going to B.C.

U of G students re-imagine St. George’s square NICOLE ELSASSER The fountain in St George square certainly provides some character for Guelph’s downtown core, but thanks to the imaginings of many University of Guelph students, the centre square may be soon be a little more colourful.

This semester, a group of fourth-year Landscape architecture students, lead by their Professor Lise Burcher, were assigned to complete a multifaceted project aimed at influencing the city’s plans for the redevelopment of Guelph’s historical square. The decision to re-imagine the square is part of the City of Guelph’s future plans to improve the City’s downtown in general, including the building of a new downtown branch for the public library, a multi-use civic square in front of the new City Hall, and a general densification of the downtown; all of which are slotted for development in the coming years.

Burcher, who claims the course is meant to get landscape architecture students involved in the community,

The University is forced to ration flu vaccines SAM MERRIFIELD The first cases of H1N1 virus have been reported on the University of Guelph campus.

The University’s president and vice-chancellor, Alastair Summerlee, confirmed these cases on Wednesday Oct. 28 at a press conference. According to Summerlee, both students and faculty have been infected, although the actual extent of the virus’ spread is unknown because the symptoms are so similar to those of the seasonal flu.

To counter the threat of H1N1, the province had hoped to start administering a vaccine to the general public by Monday, Nov. 2. But due to a shortfall in production this has been delayed.

Instead, the distribution of the vaccine will be limited to only high-risk individuals. This high priority group includes pregnant women, children between six months and five years of age, health-care workers, caretakers of high-risk individuals unable to get the vaccine, people under 65 with chronic conditions, and residents of remote or isolated communities.

Kailey Thrower, a University of Guelph student waiting in line for the vaccine on Monday Nov. 2, had heard of lots of cases of H1N1 on campus and decided to get the vaccine because a friend had contracted the virus over the weekend.

The rationing of the vaccine has concerned some people who feel frustrated by the government’s response. “[The situation] is not good on their part,”said Thrower.“They kind of [failed in] their responsibility.”

Steve Tharme, also waiting in line at the clinic was more understanding.

“I’m concerned yeah, but [people] with chronic health conditions and the ones in the high risk groups are the ones who should be getting it first,” he said. >

SEE “H1N1”, PAGE 4

>

Rashaad Bhamjee

Brittany Sammut makes a splash, sliding over the try-line for her first of two scores on Saturday afternoon.

Women’s rugby team are repeat OUA champions preparing to travel westward MIKE TREADGOLD For the tenth time in 14 years, the Guelph Gryphons women’s rugby team is the OUA champion.

On Saturday afternoon, in front of their largest crowd of the season, the undefeated Gryphons made easy work of the Western Mustangs, defeating their London rivals 39-7 on the Guelph campus Multipurpose Field. The Gryphons will now travel to British Columbia for the national championships this weekend.

“This is unbelievable. It’s such an amazing feeling,” said second-year star Brittany Benn, who scored two tries and added a pair of converts.

“It’s a pretty big high right now.”

Jacey Murphy and Brittany Sammut scored two tries each with Caitlin Beaton adding one for the Gryphons who looked like

battle-tested warriors throughout the contest, caked in mud from head to toe, their faces virtually indistinguishable.

“They have worked so hard right since the beginning of training camp,” beamed proud head coach Colette McAuley. “They never let up and they laid it all on the line today.

The teamwork was unbelievable.”

Throughout the season, the continuity between the forwards and backs has been the calling card for the Gryphon attack, effectively using their speed to dominate the action.

“The forwards worked their butts off and the backs were all over the place, making tackles and running around people and just making sure we won as a team,” said McAuley.

“They (all) played so well today. They made very good decisions, especially given the (playing) conditions.”

The playing conditions were undoubtedly the most difficult that the Gryphons have faced this year.

Strong winds became a critical factor in both the passing and kicking

games and the wet and muddy field made footing extremely difficult, especially as the game went on and the turf became increasingly torn up.

On three occasions, the Gryphons celebrated try scores by sliding into puddles that had accumulated in the north in-goal area.

“You never know what you’re going to get in a game,” said Benn of the playing conditions. “Weather conditions are one of those uncontrollable factors. We came in just knowing we had to play hard and play our game.”

And play their game, they did.

Right from the opening kickoff, the Gryphons were clearly playing at a superior level. Quick, crisp passes and the innate ability to break multiple tackles characterized the relentless Gryphon attack, leaving the Mustangs frustrated and backed up in their own end. The Gryphons’ speed on the outside and dominance in the scrums made for an effective game plan as the Mustangs spent >

SEE “RUGBY”, PAGE 10

SEE “DOWNTOWN”, PAGE 3

the issues this week

3

TRICK OR

7

COMMUNITY

EAT

THEATRE ULTIMATE

14 FRISBEE TESTICULAR

19 HEALTH INDEX

Arts & Culture Sports & Health Opinion Editorial Crossword Classified Community listings

      

We are in the throes of a media revolution and an explosion of electronic communication is changing the written word.

Join us as we explore the impact of technology on the English language.

November 10th, 12:00 noon First floor, McLaughlin Library Brought to you by the Writing Centre and the McLauglin Library as part of its “Open Forum” series.

LIBRARY

K I T C H E N E R WAT E R L O O

TURN TO RADIO, WEB IN BAD WEATHER

Clinic

When a winter storm hits and you need to know if the University is open before setting off for school or work, the best information sources are the local media and U of G’s website. If the president decides to close the University because of bad weather or an emergency before normal working hours, every effort will be made to communicate that decision by 7 a.m. The campus switchboard will also have a recorded message.

For more information, see Guelph’s hazardous weather policy at www.uoguelph.ca/hr/hrmanual/512.htm

THE ONTARION

NEWS

160.8

Wearing costumes for a cause

Guelph researcher receives prestigious award

Trick or Eat helps keeps Guelph citizens from going hungrydespite the rain

Professor Alicia Viloria-Petit of the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph has won the Jennifer Dorrington Award from the Banting Research Foundation.

The Banting Research is Canada’s foremost medical research institute and has awarded five awards in total to distinguished Canadian researchers this year. The awards are given to those who show the most achievement in cancer or reproductive biology and a prize of $20,000 comes with the award as well. Viloria-Petit has been studying specific factors that contribute to breast cancer progression and her work could lead to the development of new treatments for that particular cancer.

ELIZABETH MCLEOD While for many Halloween conjures up images of ghouls, goblins, treats and sweets, there are many who face a much harsher reality at this time of year. For the 14,670 people in Guelph who struggle to keep food on the table, the frights of Halloween do not compare with to the frightening reality of hunger.

Trick or Eat is an annual program run by Meal Exchange, a national student-founded, registered charity, organized to address hunger in local communities by utilizing the passion and resourcefulness of students nationwide. Trick or Eat puts a unique spin on trick or treating. Students go door-todoor asking for non perishable food donations for their local food bank while raising awareness about hunger in their communities.

The University of Guelph’s Trick or Eat program has been an inspiring success story on both a community and national level. The sheer volume of food and donations collected by the many participants on campus is extraordinary and plays a huge role in battling hunger in the Guelph community. According to organizers, this year, despite the gloomy weather forecast, over 1500 trick or eaters set out across town and collected 36,371 lbs of food over the course of only three hours.

This will account for one quarter of the food provided by the Guelph food bank over the course of a year.

Charges laid by the city for tree cutting

Yvonne Su

Trick or Eat, a fundraiser through Meal Exchange, is a much-anticipated event on the campus calendar that collects one third of Guelph food bank donations for the entire year.

Guelph’s Trick or Eat is a program not only for the benefit that it brings to the one in five people in Guelph who are at risk of going hungry, but it is an enjoyable experience for those involved.

Normand Doan, a Residence Advisor and four-time Trick or Eater participated this year with his section of residence students. “[It’s] a great way for university students to get involved and give back to the community, and at the same time have all the fun of trick or treating,” said Doan.

Doan and his group of 18 students managed to fill 4 shopping

carts on Halloween night.

Not only is Guelph’s Trick or Eat program embraced in the community, but on a national level as well.

Dave Kranenburg, the executive director of Meal Exchange commended Guelph’s Trick or Eaters.

“The University of Guelph continues to set the bar extremely high with Trick or Eat,” said Kranenburg.“Nowhere else in North America do so many people come together on one night to ensure that no one in their community is going hungry.”

Yvonne Su, Coordinator of Education and Promotions for Meal Exchange at Guelph, also expressed similar sentiments of pride at the success of the program.

She expressed a strong appreciation for everyone that participated in the event including those that volunteered in the organization of the event, the community who was so receptive to the cause, and of course the trick or eaters that hit the pavement on Halloween.

“I’m truly amazed by the number of people that came out despite the persistent daunting forecast of rain,” said Su.

Downtown Guelph improvements discussed <

CONTINUED FROM COVER

worked with her students first to understand the square in the context of the past present and the future of Guelph, and then what they thought could be improved upon.

“Students thought that the square was not identifiable at all in its current form…when you go there it’s this huge swath of concrete and nothing really that pulls that together as a place that has identity or legibility,” said Burcher. “Many students talked about greening the square in some capacity so it would be more comfortable for human use and interaction.”

After considering the square’s evolving role, the students identified what the square was lacking by asking the general public, and finally liaising with various local business owners and downtown stakeholders. “ I gathered the fifty students in the class, we went downtown one afternoon in September and we set up card tables with different groups. Some set up tables right in the square and they would catch people coming by,” said Burcher.

“So the whole idea was to talk to many different people and hear

3

Rashaad Bhamjee

U of G landscape architecture students have created models to display their concepts for the future improvement of downtown Guelph’s St. George’s square. many different voices.”

As for the specific designs that were proposed by the students, some suggested redesigning the

square to resemble the downtown Guelph of the distant past, others suggested using light and green space as a way of livening the

square, while others proposed more radical changes.

“Our focus was on stretching the students’ ability to think conceptually and really imagine what the city could be,” said Burcher.“Some are very outside-ofthe box, in terms of dropping down roadways [to travel underground] and totally pedestrianinzing the square.”

After finalizing the concepts and designs for St George Square, the students displayed their ideas at Guelph City Hall and encouraged input from all in attendance.

According to Burcher, the response from those at the presentation to the City was very promising and she believes that the City is going to consider many of the purposed aspects from the students when determining their plans for the future St. George Square.

“What’s interesting about [the projects] is that the people who have seen them and been able to discuss them with the students is that they have been able to draw elements from it,” said Burcher.

“What captures people’s attention wasn’t specifically a certain design ideas, it’s more about ways to achieve those kinds of things thematically.”

According to a press release from the City of Guelph, charges have been laid on three companies in response to an incident in the southeast end of Guelph in June of 2009. The incident in question involved the cutting down of several trees at 2007 Victoria Road South, which in violation of the City’s tree by-law that states that it is unlawful to damage a tree without the appropriate permit.

The investigations into the incident were finished as of September and have concluded that 151 separate charges should be laid on the three companies involved; the charges for each offence fall anywhere between $500 and $2, 000.

Woman in jail for texting at the wheel In Oxford, England a 22 yearold woman named Phillipa Curtis has been issued a sentence of nearly two years in prison for texting at the wheel. This sentence has been delivered as a result of a motor vehicle accident Curtis was in which resulted in the death of Victoria McBryde, 24. McBryde had been waiting on the shoulder of the road for assistance after getting a flat tire and was struck by Curtis’ oncoming car. The case has been ruled ‘death by dangerous driving’ and considered akin to drinking and driving because Curtis had been sending and receiving dozens of text messages while operating her vehicle. Many who were close to the victim claim that a sentence of less than two years is too lenient given the situation.

(New York Times)

U of G history prof celebrates forgotten philanthropist To coincide with the 90th anniversary of Save the Children, University of Guelph history professor Linda Mahood published a book celebrating the life of the charity’s founder, Eglantyne Jebb.

The book, Feminism and Voluntary Action: Eglantyne Jebb and Save the Children, 1876-1928, chronicles the little-known life story of Jebb as she founded the famous child-welfare agency among other things.

4

NOV. 5 - 11 , 2009

NEWS

THEONTARION.CA

H1N1 vaccines <

CONTINUED FROM COVER

According to Public Health, the symptoms of H1N1 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, fatigue, severe headache, sore throat and lack of appetite. They recommend staying at home for 24 hours after the fever is gone. According to the World Health Organization, the majority of people who contract the virus recover without antiviral treatment or medical care.

Still they stress that H1N1 is more dangerous than the seasonal ďŹ&#x201A;u because it is a new virus that most people have little or no immunity to.

When asked when the vaccine would be available to the general population, Lynda Davenport, the Director of Student Health Services said they â&#x20AC;&#x153;really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know,â&#x20AC;? but that they â&#x20AC;&#x153;have enough until Friday for the high risk population.â&#x20AC;?

The distribution of the vaccine for high-risk people will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be located

in the Powell Building. According to Davenport, the wait has been about an hour.

Unfortunately we have had to turn people away. There has been a number of people who have come, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard the news, [but] still were not clear about whether or not they qualiďŹ ed.

Lynda Davenport Director, Student Health Services â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unfortunately we have had to turn people away,â&#x20AC;? Davenport said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There has been a number of people who have come, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard the news, [but] still were not clear about whether or not they qualiďŹ ed.â&#x20AC;?

Vaccinations will be given on a ďŹ rst-come, ďŹ rst-served basis and all an individual needs is an Ontario health card. Additional clinics are being oďŹ&#x20AC;ered during weekdays at College Avenue Public School.

Rashaad Bhamjee

Nurse Diane le Blanc gives U of G student Rachel Quehl her H1N1 ďŹ&#x201A;u shot on the ďŹ rst day the shot was made available on campus.

New developments with the Hanlon Creek Business Park I n b o x o f C i t yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manager of economic development hacked GENNA BUCK There has been yet another development in the struggle over the Hanlon Creek Business Park (HCBP). The construction site has been a point of contention in Guelph since it was purchased by the city in 1993. This past summer, construction was halted on the HCBP when the site was occupied by protesters for 19 days over late July to early August. While the protesters are no longer occupying the site, they remain actively involved in the issues surrounding the HCBP, and as recent events would suggest, are using all means necessary to make their point.

To mark the continuation of construction on the site, which is located on 675 acres in southwestern

Rashaad Bhamjee

The Hanlon Creek Business Park site continues to be a source of debate. But with the sod turning ceremony last week, construction will go ahead as planned despite eďŹ&#x20AC;orts from protesters.

Guelph, a sod-turning ceremony was held on the evening of Thursday, October 29. It was attended by Mayor Karen Farbridge, representatives from the Grand River Conservation Authority, and other stakeholders,

but not by the protestors as the event was closed to the public.

Mayor Farbridge gave a speech addressing stakeholder concerns about an email that was sent that afternoon to community members

from the address of Peter Cartwright, the City of Guelphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manager of economic development and tourism services, informing them that the sod-turning ceremony was cancelled.

The message was quickly

discovered to be a hoax that was attributed to Cartwrightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-mail account having been hacked into. A rectifying email was sent shortly after the discovery, and the sod turning ceremony continued as planned.

Peter Cartwright was unavailable for comment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healthy debate and dissent is one thing. However, when it crosses the line, there are the real repercussions when illegal activities, harassment and even the perception of intimidation attempt to undermine the democratic process,â&#x20AC;? Farbridge said to event attendees.

Marcy Goldstein, an opponent of the HCBP who was involved in this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s occupation, said that she knows nothing about the email scam. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not one uniďŹ ed group...I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what other people are doing. Everybody works on their own projects, and sometimes we work together,â&#x20AC;? Goldstein said.

Visit www.sundaycinema.ca for more info on these Central Student Association events 8:00 pm

7:00 pm

7:00 pm

8:00 pm

noon

N`ee`g\^Ă&#x2039;j :fek\dgfiXip ;XeZ\ij

a preview of the guelph contemporary dance festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off-site series

sunday cinema Sun Nov 8

lecture Tues Nov 10

docurama Wed Nov 11

sunday cinema Sun Nov 15

war memorial hall

peter clark hall | free

thornbrough 1307 | free

war memorial hall

nooner Tues Nov 17 uc courtyard

$3 UoG stu | $5 general You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be a hero to do this job. But it helps.

A Peace Week event.

A truly remarkable individual and humanitarian.

Co-presented with MacLaughlin Library Who decides about war? What about the people?

$3 UoG stu | $5 general An inglorious, uproarious thrill-ride of vengeance.

Full performance downtown at Alma Gallery at 7 pm. PWYC. Works from Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest modern dance company.

THE ONTARION

NEWS

160.8

5

A cowardly act Anonymous students continue to protest the CSA’s purchasing practices DANIEL BITONTI It was an act that the Central Student Association’s (CSA) communications commissioner, Gavin Armstrong, called “cowardly,” helping to create a “suspicious” and “closed” atmosphere that the CSA has fought long and hard to eradicate.

On Nov. 2, a display was set up outside CSA offices on the second floor of the University Centre decreeing the CSA’s purchasing of orientation week apparel from a third party company that used Gildan Athletics apparel, a company blacklisted at one time by the University for not adhering to its ethical purchasing policy. The display was of a mock clothesline with numerous fliers attached to it outlining the CSA’s failure to commit to ethical buying. The supposed failures were also written on the widows overlooking the UC courtyard.

Armstrong expressed frustration with the fact the display was put up after CSA office hours and that no one has come forward to take

responsibility for what he said is an act of vandalism.

“I think it’s cowardly,” Armstrong told the Ontarion.

“No one’s told me about this in the weeks that have gone on. I obviously want to do something about this.”

He also described the display and the vandalized cutouts that appeared on his door at the beginning of the week, as “random acts of intimidation.”

“These acts of protest are intimidating and fall under the CSA policy of harassing and oppressive behavior,” Armstrong wrote on the CSA website.

The CSA has launched an internal investigation into their purchasing practices.

The University’s ethical buying policy requires all groups on campus to ensure suppliers of apparel comply with a code of conduct. Amongst a long list of stipulations, suppliers and subcontractors must follow national and international legal standards when it comes to wages and benefits and that they respect the rights of employees in their freedom of association, including the freedom to join unions.

Gildan has been accused in the past of blacklisting employees in Honduras who have tried to unionize, as well as closing

Daniel Bitonti

A University of Guelph student reads a letter written by anonymous student activists on the second floor of the University Centre. down factories that attempted to organize such unions.

This was the second display set up by the unknown student activists, the first coming last Tuesday at Branion plaza. There students put the CSA orientation week t-shirts in question on a clothesline and wrote, “sweat shop

labour” across the front of them.

This week’s display demanded a public apology from the CSA and demanded a financial contribution be made to compensate for the “harm done in undermining people’s struggles against exploitative labour practices like those of

Gildan.” One of the fliers said that “given the $70, 000 + surplus in the CSA budget there is no excuse the student union cannot meet these demands.”

Armstrong claimed that the information regarding the CSA surplus was false. He also wouldn’t speculate on who he thought was responsible for the display.

The CSA investigation into their purchasing will entail determining whether or not the third party company they purchased apparel from, Promotional Elements, followed the University’s ethical purchasing policy.

“We didn’t ask for Gildan t-shirts. We asked for blue t-shirts with our logo on it,” said Armstrong. “With all the companies we work with we have made it clear that we have an ethical purchasing policy and that they must adhere to it.”

Armstrong said if it is determined that Promotional Elements did not follow the ethical purchasing policy choosing Gildan Athletics, a motion will be presented to the CSA Board of Directors to not purchase from the company again.

As it currently stands, Gildan is not black listed by the University.

Blowwww guelph’s first blow-dry bar around 30 dollars in about 30 minutes walk in or book an appointment

choose a style and let us blow you away fri 7pm.10pm sat 4pm.8pm 98 Wyndham St. North Downtown Guelph 519.826.0715 join us on facebook

ARTS & CULTURE

6

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

THEONTARION.CA

The genius behind the original Canadian art scene A candid conversation with Avrom Isaacs at Alma Gallery.

REBECCA BENSON It was pure circumstance that led me to downtown Guelph’s Alma Gallery last Tuesday afternoon. I was in search of an exhibit guide for their current show, Five Canadian Artists. Not only did I find a guide to the colourful show; I also had the pleasure of meeting the curator of the exhibit and her father, Avrom Isaacs; former owner of Toronto’s Isaacs Gallery and one of Canada’s most prolific art dealers to date.

Isaacs represented some of Canada’s most celebrated artists, and is notable for his genius in capitalizing on Toronto’s art scene before it was even formed. With a gift for telling stories, he granted me a quick interview, chockfull of advice pertinent to struggling artists, and aspiring curators on campus and elsewhere.

His story is one of luck, an example of what can happen if you have the skills to match being in the right place at the right time.

“I graduated in political science

and economics, and you don’t do anything with that - that’s not a skill or a trade. So another fellow and I thought of selling graduation photographs of university/college students, and we were very successful at that.”

You have to have faith in yourself to carry you along, because a great deal of the time you have very little return from it Avrom Isaacs When his friend sold the business to him, the artists started drifting in and asking questions. “I started hanging pictures on the wall, and then I opened up a gallery. The city was kindling then, the city was exploding, the war was over, and I rode with the waves … I opened my first gallery in 1946 … for years I had a large gallery on Yonge near Bloor, called The Isaacs Gallery.

Toronto was just discovering itself, a lot of things were happening there.”

Isaacs represented artists who

S S E IN S U B L A B O L G MANAGEMENT POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE One smart career choice.

So many opportunities.

The Choice The Global Business Management program prepares you for a wide range of careers.

Pursue a career in marketing, finance, advertising, international trade, retail, wholesale or supply chain management, in domestic or international businesses of any size.

The Opportunities Two years gives you the time to choose the specific path that is right for you.

Two work placements allow you to experience more than just one option before you graduate.

Apply now for January or September 2010

business.humber.ca

are considered vital to Canadian art history, including Mike Snow, Joyce Wieland, Jack Chambers, and Gordon Rayner. Mike Snow is responsible for the female silhouettes which line the second floor of the newly reopened Art

Gallery of Ontario. He was at one time married to Joyce Wieland, one of Canada’s first recognized feminist artists.

Chambers, Wieland, and Rayner have all shown work at the AGO, and are all celebrated by the Canadian arts community.

When asked about the artists he represented, Isaacs responded “there were quite a lot of good artists, they were all from my generation so we were compatible. I could understand what they were doing because it was part of my generation, and it went on from there … eventually I kept the framing business… a few years later I opened a second gallery.”

Isaacs’ galleries began to show Inuit sculpture and art, an unseen commodity in Toronto’s art scene thus far. Isaacs himself has made numerous trips to the far north to find artists and work worthy of the exposure he could provide. It should be noted that there was a retrospective at the AGO in 2005 featuring still photographs of the Isaacs gallery in the 1960s and 1970s, commemorating and celebrating the gallery, the scene, and the artists it championed.

Being an artist myself, I had to ask what advice Isaacs had for those of us wanting to become commercially successful. “Don’t do

Courtesy

The curator Avrom Isaacs (right), the artist Robert Markle (seated), and the work “Recling Women” at the Isaacs Gallery in the early 1980s. it, unless you have no choice; unless you’re so compelled by it, you just have to be an artist … Maybe you’re not that commercially successful but it can be a very rich and rewarding life, exploring your own psyche …

The first thing you have to do is apply yourself, work very hard at what you’re doing, and then find a dealer. You really have to believe in what you’re doing, if you don’t it’s a tough call. You have to have faith in yourself to carry you along, because a great deal of the time you have very little return from it. We’ve had great artists and we’ll put up a show from them, and they won’t sell anything.

It’s a tough go being an artist. I guess what keeps you going is that you believe in what you’re doing.

Get your work out there, show your

work, and perhaps a dealer will take you on ... It’s an arduous course and you have to work at it … unless you really want it, it’s a tough go.”

For those in the Guelph student body with aspirations of curating, and gallery owning, Isaacs offered the following advice, “Get a degree … all the curators I know came from some sort of minimal arts background, or grew up with art dealers as fathers. But you need an arts degree to work for a public gallery, you need minimal credentials, and then there’s luck … It’s a break sometimes.”

So stay in school, work hard, get exposure, and believe in yourself.

I have a feeling the same advice applies, regardless of what field you hope to become successful in.

THE ONTARION

ARTS & CULTURE

160.8

7

IN FOCUS

Educational Theatre Collective has something to say TERRA BORODY Guelph is bustling with creative people who are involving themselves in a variety of pursuits on a voluntary basis. However, about a year ago, Candice Barrett, Christoph Kesting and some of their peers, all equally passionate about theatre and performing arts, realized that local students seemed rather disconnected from the Guelph creative community. There is no shortage of energetic young people devoted to performing arts in Guelph. However, the challenge persisted: how to help these individuals become intimately involved in the City’s artistic scene.

The Guelph Youth Theatre Company was taken over by Kesting about four years ago, and in this time, it has been providing students and community members with affordable lessons, coaching and workshops in drama and theatre.

Kesting, a student of international development, was driven to use theatre as a tool for personal and community development. Over time, a community of volunteers has formed around a central theme - their passion for theatre as a form of art therapy; a vehicle for personal and relational growth and wellbeing. In the last year, the company has evolved into the Educational Theatre Collective (ETC).

The programs organized by ETC

Terra Borody

Practice and direction at the Educational Theatre Collective puts students and facilitators on the same level. were inspired by shared interests in performance, youth psychology and development, community building and the “theatre of the oppressed” or “popular theatre” technique. This technique or method of expression, made popular by Augusto Boal in the 1960s, aims to use theatre as an educational tool for exploring issues

that may be difficult to discuss otherwise. In the past, the ETC was inspired to base a performance on the topic of violence in the media.

I spoke with ETC’s current artistic director, Candice Barrett about popular theatre technique and its influence on her programs.

“Popular theatre technique allows a

synergy between the emotional and intellectual self,” she said. “Youth psychology is complex. There is a lot going on. We try to create a safe space where they can feel comfortable enough to be expressive. If there’s something you’re afraid to talk about, something that you feel strongly about, this is an amazing way to communicate it. It’s about learning to use your body and your voice in new ways. It’s very therapeutic, often intense, but always liberating.”

Terra Borody: Has Guelph been a supportive community to start up ETC? Candice Barrett: Yes! Very supportive. There are so many creative people and small business owners who know what it’s like to start something like this. We have even found free business advice and workshops downtown, and many of the store owners have agreed to hold our flyers or even distribute them! I don’t think you’ d find that in a big city! Guelph is just more intimate... more connected.

TB: Are your students generally receptive to the material?

CB: We are usually very successful. However, I’ve found that kids are often averse when they feel like they’re in a learning environment. I try to avoid the teacher-student model. I don’t want them to think I’m telling them what to do ... I’m actually asking them to

play with me. I call it ‘secret learning.’

They think they’re just playing silly games, but they’re often learning something about their environment or the world around them.

TB: What do students have the most difficulty with?

CB: Most often, the most difficult thing is the very reason they’re there. When I ask why they joined, they usually tell me that they want to step outside themselves and be someone else. They want to be taken out of their element for a while to be weird and silly. But then, when it comes time, this is most difficult.

People like to push themselves.

TB: What is your favourite part of all this?

CB: Sitting back on the final night and watching the results of all the hard work the kids put in. That’s where I stop facilitating and just watch and absorb.

ETC’s directors encourage any interested students to get involved.

They are excited to announce a new website which will be up and running sometime this month. The current group of ETC students will be performing a “nearly sci-fi, high-tech” play at the Guelph Youth Music Center on Friday Nov. 13 (doors open at 5:45). All proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Foundation.

Spiral Beach scare the Albion on Devil’s Night Dog Day, Green Go and Spiral Beach scare crowds at the Albion ZACK MACRAE

Courtesy

Spiral Beach are preparing for their first European tour later this month, promoting their new album The Only Really Thing.

So, Spiral Beach has been hanging around in Guelph a lot lately. A couple weeks ago, the four youngsters from Toronto were in the Royal City finishing up a tour, opening for The Danks and Two Hours Traffic.

This past Friday they came back, headlining a show with Guelph’s own Green Go and Dog Day from Halifax.

Having the concert fall so closely to Halloween, there was quite the assortment of devils, ghosts and ghouls in the audience. Green Go delivered an undead performance as a bunch of zombies who were taking a break from eating people to play music for a little while.

This was the third time I had seen Spiral Beach play in Guelph in the last couple of years, and every time I see them, I like them a little more.

The four piece, consisting of brothers Airick and Daniel Woodhead, playing guitar and drums respectively, Maddy Wilde singing and playing keyboards, and Dorian Wolfe playing bass, just released their third full length album called The Only Really Thing.

Touring for this album, the

group is warming up in Southern Ontario with their show in Guelph and a number of acoustic sets around their native Toronto, leaving for their first European tour later this month.

If you go to a Spiral Beach show, expect to “move your bones,” even if you are the shoegazing type. The energy in the

If you go to a Spiral Beach show, expect to “move your bones,” even if you are the shoe-gazing type. room is almost tangible when Wilde’s organ and vocals haunt your ear drums. The band has a rare type of chemistry that seems to have come from the laboratory of a mad scientist who really knows how to play music. The way they seamlessly blend so many different genres of music into a distorted yet entirely coherent sound is impressive considering their young age.

On Friday night, their sound was sped up and energized, with old favorites “Teddy Black” and “Made of Stone” becoming even more danceable, moving the tight knit crowd on the Albion’s second

floor.

The set was intimate and accessible to anyone who wanted to hear good music and dance and have fun. The morning after the show, I woke up to find that my neck hurt from excessive head banging and booty shaking; that’s when you know you saw a great show the night before.

If you want to hear a truly unique sound, check out the acoustic sets of Spiral Beach later this week in Toronto.

Teach English Overseas TESOL/TESL Teacher Training Certification Courses • Intensive 60-Hour Program • Classroom Management Techniques • Detailed Lesson Planning • ESL Skills Development • Comprehensive Teaching Materials • Interactive Teaching Practicum • Internationally Recognized Certificate • Teacher Placement Service • Money Back Guarantee Included • Thousands of Satisfied Students

OXFORD SEMINARS 1-800-269-6719/416-924-3240

www.oxfordseminars.ca

8

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE

What are you reading?

THEONTARION.CA

Featured Artist: Laura Simon

This week, fourth-year political science student Brodie Conley talks Vonnegut.

Kurt Vonnegut is largely considered to be “among the few grandmasters of American letters” and is believed to be “one without whom the very term American literature would mean much less than it does.” In A Man Without a Country, Vonnegut certainly lives up to his reputation and offers up the perfect final note to a career filled with classics (A Man Without a Country was published in 2005 and is the last book published before Vonneguts death in 2007).

Though classified as a book of short stories, this collection is best described as a series of roughly connected short essays in which

Vonnegut outlines his musings on life and the state of the world.

Vonnegut, using his black comedic style describes a world in need of major reworking, with very little hope for change. His trademark satirical style shines as he attacks western culture through witty prose. An unapologetic humanist, the author lampoons American ‘democracy building’ missions as ‘colonial missions’ by cleverly asserting that “the highest treason in the USA is to say Americans are not loved, no matter where they are, no matter what they are doing there.” Breaking up each short essay are single page illustrations by

Vonnegut that include his sharpest one-line ruminations and provide a humorous break from the often bleak messages presented in the essays. A Man Without a Country is an easily digestible and extremely short read, clocking in at 145 pages.

It is a must read for old Vonnegut fans and a great way for new readers to jump into their soon to be Vonnegut obsessions.

–Brodie Conley The Ontarion is asking you about what you’re reading, and why you are reading it. If you have a book that you want to share your opinions on send an email to onarts@uoguelph.ca.

wirelesswave.ca

Visit lovethephone.com for contest details.*

* For full contest rules and regulations, please visit lovethephone.com/rules_and_regulations

Top: God Has A Big White Beard #37 Bottom: God Has A Big White Beard #104

You should be interested in Laura Simon’s work because it is concerned with the big picture, the whole enchilada, but in a nonsignificant way. She approaches the subject matter by sneaking up behind it. It is within this subtle technique that she belies the inherent complexities of the proclamations she presents. You dig?

The use of text has a long and complicated history in contemporary art and there has always, and possibly will always be, a debate on whether or not text is art. This debate is sophomoric because, in the words of Bruce Nauman, “It’s art because I say it is.”

Simon understands this statement and uses it in her work. With these texts, she bridges that gap between pure text based work and drawing, a technique used by Raymond Pettibon and Ed Ruscha.

Yet Simon also uses the simply heavy statement quality of Lawrence Weiner. -Miles Stemp

THE ONTARION

ARTS & CULTURE

160.8

If you didn’t know, this is how to eat an artichoke

NICOLE ELSASSER While many are familiar with the obvious benefits of including vegetables in thier diet, there remain some veges that are altogether intimidating. While I would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know how to go about eating a carrot, there are many other vegetables that are unfamiliar to most and as a result are generally ignored.

The artichoke, a staple in

French cooking, is a vegetable that most people encounter as an occasional pizza topping or pasta accessory. The hearts of artichokes can be readily found in grocery store, but if a person were handed the vegetable in its original state, with it’s large thorns and spiky exterior, they may not know how to go about eating it in the most enjoyable way.

The truth about artichokes is that they are so much more than their hearts. There is a whole ceremonial process that goes into the final triumphant moment when one carves out the heart.

Artichokes are certainly not

the easiest vegetable to locate in Guelph, only being found consistently at Metro on Stone Rd. How to cook: 1.With kitchen scissors, cut the thorns off the end of the petals.

Slice about 3/4 of an inch off the top of the artichoke flower. Slice off any excess stem.

large pot and place a steaming basket over the water. Place the artichokes in the steaming basket and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and steam the artichokes for 25-45 minutes or until the outer petals of the artichoke can be removed easily.

How to eat:

2. Remove any small, thin petals off the base of the flower.

1. Serve the artichoke a dish of melted butter and another with mayonnaise for dipping.

3. Rinse the artichoke in cold water to remove any dirt.

2. Pull the petals off the artichoke, one at a time.

4. Put a few inches of water in a

3. Dip the whiter side in the dip

9

while tightly holding the other side of the petal.

4. Place the petal in between your teeth and drag it through to remove the soft insides. Discard empty petal. Repeat until all petals are gone.

5. With a spoon dig out and throw away the fuzzy part because it is unpleasant. Underneath the fuzzy part is the heart of the artichoke.

6. Cut the heart into bite sized pieces, dip into your sauce of choice and eat.

Kyle Gillespie

There is a right and a wrong way to prepare and eat an artichoke. When done right, an artichoke can be a delicious and satisfying treat.

Guelph Festival of Moving Media A l o c a l f e s t i va l with international implications ZACK MACRAE Did you know that Guelph has its very own moving media and film festival?

If you weren’t aware of this delightful fact, you might be even more surprised to find out that the Guelph Festival of Moving Media is happening this weekend from Nov. 6-8 at several prominent downtown cultural hubs.

The films in the festival activate and enlighten people on global issues and local solutions.

Bill Barrett “We are trying to bring content to people that they wouldn’t normally see,” said Bill Barrett, selection committee chair for the festival. “We live in a world that is absolutely saturated with media, and within that saturation there is a lot of sameness - and that’s what we are trying to change. We are

trying to bring in content that is unique and interesting.”

The festival is coming up on its eighth consecutive year, with the Guelph International Resource Centre (GIRC) taking the reigns of the project. GIRC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides education about large global issues and their local link.

This year the festival will provide the public with unique feature films, documentaries, short videos, visiting directors, panel discussions and a children’s program all weekend long.

Barrett believes that it is important for students at the university to get out to these screenings.

“Students will find that the content is interesting … Every film has somebody who is intimately linked to the content of the film, and this is one of the things that makes our festival unique,” he said.

The festival is bringing in experts on the topics presented in some of the films, including two directors.

Min Sook Lee, director of the films My Toxic Baby and Tiger Spirit, and Samir Mallal, director of the film Nollywood Babylon will both be available after the screenings of their films to answer questions and facilitate discussion.

Students will also find that the content of the festival is extremely varied, covering everything from

Girl Talk mash-ups to nuclear physics.

Murray Siple’s film Carts of Darkness features the extreme cart racing of a select few of North Vancouver’s homeless

population, men who subsist on the spoils of can and bottle collecting who race their grocery carts at speeds upwards of 50km/h down Vancouver’s steepest streets.

The festival intends to offer a global perspective and provide its viewers with a broader viewpoint on day-to-day events.

“I think times are changing,” said Barrett, “and the films in the festival activate and enlighten people on global issues and local solutions.”

Throughout the weekend, fifteen films will be shown at nine different venues around Guelph.

So pick up a schedule and take part in the Guelph Festival of Moving Media this weekend.

FEATURED F ILMS Rip: A Remix Manifesto Director: Brett Gaylor Web activist Brett Gaylor’s documentary about copyright and remix culture features musician Greg Gillis, better know as Girl Talk, whose live mash-ups of popular music create a wild and edgy dialogue between artists from all genres and eras. A probing investigation into how culture builds upon culture in the information age.

Broke Director: Rosie Dransfield David Woolfsen runs A1 Trading, a pawnshop in Edmonton’s inner city, taking part in the economy of the last resort. An excellent cinémavérité documentary that captures the relationships that this world of bargaining, insults and desperation can create.

Nollywood Babylon Directors: Ben Addelman & Samir Mallal In the low budget, wacky world of Nigeria’s explosive movie industry, Jesus and voodoo vie for equal screen time. Welcome to Nollywood, the world’s fastest-growing national cinema. Full of juicy movie clips and buoyed by a score that fuses Afropop with traditional sounds, Nollywood Babylon celebrates the chaos of Lagos’ Idumota market, where films are sold and likely stars are born.

SPORTS & HEALTH

10

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

Rashaad Bhamjee

THEONTARION.CA

Rashaad Bhamjee

Gryphon women savour the taste of victory, their second consecutive OUA Mimi Rahneva battles through a Badger tackle in the Gryphons OUA championship championship. victory.

Women repeat as OUA rugby champions <

CONTINUED FROM COVER

much of the game on their heels.

When the final whistle sounded, players, fans and coaches rushed the field to celebrate the win.

The Gryphons, tired, soiled and cold, had just enough remaining energy to enjoy the moment. The team huddled together, jumping up and down and chanting, “We’re

GRADUATE STUDIES Learn how you can help shape the future of health care through research

Want your next degree for free?

Find out how...

Graduate Studies Open House Saturday, November 14 11 am - 4 pm North Campus Building The University of Western Ontario Meet researchers and students from 11 graduate programs and learn about our ZERO TUITION incentive for eligible students.

Register online at:

www.schulich.uwo.ca/gradstudies

going to B.C.” as they relished the victory.

And during the medal ceremony, the Gryphon pride and commitment has never come through more clearly.

Despite a multitude of chattering teeth and mud-soaked bodies, the women stood tall and proud to receive their gold medals with very few players reaching for jackets and blankets.

As has been the case following every win, regardless of the margin of victory, McAuley recognized specific areas of improvement for the Gryphons. These finer details will be critical for the team as they now travel west to take on the best that Canada has to offer.

“There are still little things that we need to work on,” said McAuley.

“When you know you’re faster, you tend to try to take the corner before you have the ball, and that causes

dropped balls because you’re fading away from your pass.

“We probably dropped a dozen balls today, which is, in my opinion, unacceptable,” she said. “My expectations for the next few days as we get ready for CIs is (to work on) a lot of ball handling and making sure we run straight. In B.C., it’s going to be just like this; it’s going to be wet and mucky.”

Their work is cut out for them and nationals will not be easy, but for that one blustery Saturday afternoon, it was pure jubilation.

“It’s an unreal team. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of these girls,” said Benn. “The team effort was just so amazing.”

THE ONTARION

SPORTS & HEALTH

160.8

11

OUA champions

Courtesy

The Guelph Gryphons women’s and men’s cross-country teams celebrate their OUA championship wins. This was the sixth consecutive win for the women and fifth for the men.

The predictable gold rush Re c o rd - s e t t i n g weekend for men and women as cross-country teams continue to dominate RYAN CUNNINGHAM It has been a common trend all year: OUA cross-country meet – Guelph Gryphons succeed. The OUA championships this past weekend were no exception as both the men’s and women’s teams had record-setting performances, epitomizing what has been a year of successes.

Confusingly, the Gryphons were ranked number two behind Windsor going into the championships after being ranked first all year. This baffling statistic was seen as slightly humorous to a modest Gryphon squad.

“This is a very disciplined (and) focused group of guys so they know their strengths and their worth as athletes,” head coach Dave Scott-Thomas beamed. “They are internally motivated so we didn’t actually spend a lot of time talking about it. I came into practice and said, ‘Okay, obviously someone is monkeying around with the rankings and that’s what they want to do.’

Football

Vo l l e y b a l l ( M )

Reg. Season Final Standings Guelph vs U of T: 3-0 W

L OTL

Queen’s 7 1 0 Western 6 2 0 Laurier 6 2 0 McMaster 6 2 0 Ottawa 6 2 0 Guelph 3 5 0 Waterloo 3 5 0 Windsor 2 5 1 U of T 1 7 0 York 0 8 0 Playoffs (OUAW. Q. Final) Guelph vs Western: 18-37

Hockey (M)

West

Guelph v York: 2-3 Waterloo Laurier Lakehead Western Brock York UOIT Guelph Windsor

W

L OTL

6 5 5 5 5 3 2 1 1

1 1 2 2 3 3 5 4 5

1 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 1

McMaster Queen’s Guelph Waterloo Western Windsor Laurier Ryerson York RMC U of T

W

L

T

4 4 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0

0 0 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

“We saw it as more of a joke but not in a snotty sense. There was going to be a race on Saturday and that’s where we’re going to prove how confident we are.”

The veteran men’s team certainly proved their composure and confidence as runners Allan Brett, Kyle Boorsma, and Matt Brunsting took the top three spots, respectively. John Parrott and Nigel Wray finished fifth and sixth respectively, and Robert Koziarski and Robert Jackson came in tenth and fourteenth. As a team, Guelph had a record-setting low score of 17 points.

“We wanted the sweep. We had set the OUA record in 2000 and then Windsor had taken it back in ‘03,” explained Scott-Thomas. “We knew that this was a year we could possibly get [the OUA record] back with the strength of the team, but our main goal was to secure the win.”

Although the setting of a new OUA record was beyond expectations, securing the actual OUA championship did not come as a surprise to anyone at the meet.

“We knew we were the strongest team there,” said Scott-Thomas. “[After] two and a half kilometres, we were extremely well-positioned and looked like we would win.

I remember around that point,

Vo l l e y b a l l ( W )

a couple of coaches from other schools came by and said ‘well it’s nice to see the race is over already.’”

Hand in hand with the success of the men, the women’s team was not to be overshadowed. They had a record-setting win without their power runner, Lindsay Carson, who was injured. Again, confidence and composure were a key factor in the Gryphons’ success.

“It’s a very good women’s team, and sometimes, when you have an athlete that gets as much attention as Lindsay, it pulls away some of the focus from some of the other girls,” said Scott-Thomas. “The fact is, you have Rachel Cliff who’s a (former) CIS Rookie of the Year and a multiple all-Canadian, Jess Vanhie is an all-Canadian, Courtney Laurie is an all-Canadian, and Genevieve Lalonde was named OUA Rookie of the Year (this year).”

Still, when a key a player such as Carson is injured, the pressure can build and even the best of teams can fall apart. These women proved that they were not going to fold.

“The women reacted emotionally really very well,” ScottThomas said proudly. “The goal is to be the best you can be, it’s not just about winning, it’s about personal excellence and they covered exactly what they had to do.

“They were intelligent and

X-Country (M) X-Country

Guelph vs Lakehead: 3-0 OUA Championship Waterloo Guelph Laurier McMaster Western Brock Windsor

W

L

T

4 2 2 2 2 1 0

0 0 1 1 1 2 3

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1. Allan Brett (Guelph) 2. Kyle Boorsma (Guelph) 3. Matt Brunsting (Guelph) ------------------------5. John Parrott (Guelph) 6. Nigel Wray (Guelph) 10. Rob Koziarski (Guelph)

( Te a m )

OUA Championship Women 1. Guelph (30) 2. McMaster (67) 3. Queen’s (105) Men 1. Guelph (17) 2. Windsor (63) 3. Queen’s (120)

OUA Championship 1. Megan Brown (U of T) 2. Erin McClure (U of T) 3. Rachel Cliff (Guelph) --------------------------4. Courtney Laurie(Guelph) 5. Genevieve Lalonde (Guelph) 8. Lindsay Furtado (Guelph)

Playoffs

Field hockey

Guelph vs Western: 39-7 CIS Championships Nov 5-8

Swimming

Lacrosse (M)

McMaster Tri-meet Gold Bethany Flemington -100 free -100 back -4x50 medley relay

Playoffs Playoffs CUFLA quarter Ànals OUA Semi-Ànals Guelph vs McMaster: 8-10 Guelph vs York: 5-0

Andrew Ford -200 individual medley -100 back -4x100 medley relay

Playoffs CIS Championships OUA quarter Ànal Guelph vs McMaster: 2-3 Nov 5-8

W

L OTL

6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1

0 0 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 3

0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

Soccer (M)

The Gryphons women’s volleyball team opened their home schedule with an impressive threeset victory, sweeping the Lakehead Thunderwolves. Set scores were 25-10, 25-15 and 25-13 as the Gryphons completed a perfect weekend that also saw them defeat the University of Toronto on Friday night, three sets to one. Claire Sandor and Kaitlyn Krizmanich led the Gryphons with nine points each and the team will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to St. Catharines to meet the Brock Badgers.

Football season comes to a close In the opening round of the OUA playoffs, the Gryphons football team fell 37-18 to the Western Mustangs, ending what once looked to be a promising season. Guelph jumped out to an early 11-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, highlighted by a 20-yard touchdown run by quarterback Justin Dunk, who was playing his final game as a Gryphon.

The Mustangs dominated the second half as the Gryphons were plagued by poor field position and struggled to execute. Dunk finishes his university career as one of the most prolific passers in CIS history.

team

The Gryphons men’s lacrosse team failed in their bid to repeat as national champions, falling 10-8 to the McMaster Marauders in the CUFLA quarter-final playoff round.

The Gryphons led 7-1 at halftime, with Braden Gallant scoring three goals; however, the Marauders stormed back in the second half, taking advantage of Gryphon penalties and closing out the game with five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to take the victory.

OUA Ànal

Guelph v Brock: 1-2

A perfect start

Men’s lacrosse fails to repeat

X-Country (W) Rugby (W)

Hockey (W) Laurier Queen’s Guelph Brock Western Windsor U of T York UOIT Waterloo

stayed according to the race plan.

I couldn’t be more proud of both teams.”

Cliff, Laurie, and Lalonde captured the third, fourth and fifth places, respectively, while Lindsay Furtado and Vanhie placed eighth and tenth. These amazing scores were complemented by Laura McIvor’s 12th place finish and a 20th place finish by Karoline Hoy, helping to secure a Guelph win with 30 points, giving the women their sixth consecutive title, an OUA record for consecutive team victories.

“We are certainly in a strong era right now,” Scott-Thomas reiterated. “We are dominant due to a combination of flat-out talent and unbelievable work ethic. We don’t have anybody that just sits around and says ‘Oh I’m pretty good and can probably just win.’

All of our runners keep pushing personal excellence and I think that’s a testament to our veteran athletes; they don’t ease off the gas at all.”

OUA titles are not the end for the cross-country teams this year.

The CIS championships are in two weeks and both the men’s and women’s teams are poised to break even more records, this time at the national level.

The Gryphons field hockey team won the OUA title on Sunday afternoon, defeating the University of Toronto 1-0 in the final game.

The Varsity Blues had defeated the Gryphons in last year’s title game, and Sunday was a great opportunity for the Gryphs to exact revenge.

OUA Rookie of the Year Tegan Stairs scored the lone Gryphon goal, tipping in a shot from her sister, Brienne, less than two minutes into the game. The Gryphons are the number one seed in the country and will now travel to Victoria for the national championships beginning Thursday.

OUA Finals Guelph vs U of T: 1-0 Kyle Rodriguez

Guelph Gryphons head coach Keith Mason, right, comforts a disconsolate Francesco Luzi after the Gryphons were eliminated by the McMaster Marauders in a 3-2 shootout in OUA quarter-final action on Wednesday. Luzi, the team captain, had missed during his chance to score earlier in the shootout.

The invisible superstars

B

rittany Benn races 60 metres for her league-leading thirteenth try. Brienne Stairs scores her fourth field hockey hat trick of the season.

Tamara Bell wins the OUA scoring title in her rookie hockey campaign.

And no one is watching.

No one seems to care.

Such is life for a female athlete at the University of Guelph. Faced with the arduous task of competing for attention with their male counterparts, the accomplishments of many of Guelph’s outstanding female athletes get lost in boxscores and anecdotes. Their fan base, consisting of little more than parents and a few friends, offers encouragement, but the lack of sideline support is evident.

And yet, these women remain relentlessly committed to their crafts, even if no one is there to see it happen.

And believe me, it happens.

Unbeknownst to many, the U of G is home to some of Canada’s most prolific female athletes, whose individual and team accomplishments regularly exceed those of the men’s teams. Their level of commitment is unparalleled, their level of skill virtually peerless.

At one point from late September into early October, a Gryphon female athlete was named CIS Athlete of the Week three times in four weeks.

Consider this for a moment. At that time, a female athlete from Guelph was better than any other woman in the entire country, 75 per cent of the time. On each occasion, it was a different athlete from a different sport. Gryphon women don’t just dominate a couple of sports- they dominate many sports.

But regardless of the magnitude of their games, don’t expect to see Rogers television covering these women’s events. They’ll be off, knee deep, in a football broadcast, seeking to draw attention to a sport that already has more than its fair share of supporters. And the women play on.

“I would suggest that this is a historical problem,” said University of Guelph athletic director Tom Kendall. “Unfortunately, there are some male sports that both the media and the public are attracted to, no matter what is happening.

Football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey are examples of this.”

Women’s hockey goaltender

The Gryphons will attempt to repeat as OUA finalists with hockey season now in full swing.

Chelsey Roy agreed with Kendall’s sentiments.

“Take a student who isn’t really a sports fan and ask him/her if they’d rather watch a men’s hockey game or a women’s hockey game,” said Roy. “More often than not, they’d choose the men’s game, unfortunately.”

Media attention to women’s sports is a fickle and sensitive subject. Traditionally relegated to secondary status, few outlets have made concerted efforts to break the mould and devote their attention to covering female athletics, blatantly

go watch the men’s hockey team, you are more likely to see a huge hit, which is what people want to see. The women’s game focuses on finesse, which might not be as appealing.”

The Ontarion has spent much of this semester seeking to draw attention to female athletics on campus, including highlighting their accomplishments and quashing negative stereotypes associated with women’s sports. But after seeing the limited number of people that turned out for Saturday’s OUA women’s rugby final on the campus

Take a student wh sports fan and a o isn’t really a sk rather watch a m him/her if they’d e or a women’s ho n’s hockey game ckey game. More often than not, th e men’s game unfo y’d choose the rtunately Chelsey Roy, women’s hockey goaltender ignoring the accomplishments of these remarkable individuals.

“For women’s teams to draw a large crowd, they have to win. But that’s not always the case in men’s sports,” said Kendall. “That’s an unfortunate reality but it’s just the way it is.”

But if winning is the crowddrawing formula, where is the support, Guelphites?

“I believe students prefer to attend men’s games because of the entertainment factor,” said hockey winger Jessica Zerafa, the OUA’s leading goal-scorer last year. “If you

Multipurpose Fields, one can’t help but wonder if these messages have fallen on deaf ears.

Last weekend, three Gryphon women’s teams played in their respective OUA finals. These three teams, the cross-country, field hockey and rugby squads, all emerged victorious – a triple gold weekend for Gryphon women’s athletics. The rugby win was played in front of a relatively sparse crowd, nearly half of which were Western Mustangs supporters. The Guelph Multipurpose Fields, where the game was played, was in terrible

condition and didn’t even feature an on-field scoreboard. Can anyone see the football team putting up with a situation like this?

The field hockey team, despite having an undefeated record, was forced to travel to London for their provincial title game.These women do not even have their own campus home field. Every weekend, they traveled across Ontario for league games.

And every weekend, they continued winning.

The cross-country team only runs one home race each semester, the Vic Matthews Open in early September when one might think that school spirit should be at an all-time high. Sadly, the Guelph fan support was relatively limited. On that occasion, four Guelph women finished in the top five.

Last weekend, many Gryphon women were playing in the games of their lives, having reached the pinnacle of their sport. With two of these teams having to travel to other schools to play, this sounded like a great opportunity for the University’s governing athletic body to organize a support group to travel with the team and offer support, right?

Not so fast. Instead of rounding up fans to travel to these women’s championship events, the Department of Athletics organized a bus trip for Gryphon fans to travel to the football game in London, a game that was ultimately lost by the struggling men’s team.

“We put a lot of effort and a lot of money into promoting our [women’s] sports, and especially those that are being successful,” said Kendall. “On any campus though, it just doesn’t seem to stick.”

“Last year, the Athletics Department put a lot of effort into promoting our playoff games and we shattered attendance records – almost 900 people at one of our home games,” said Roy. “Imagine if that type of marketing continued throughout the season.”

Kendall and his staff will say that progress has been made in terms of cultivating student interest. He’s right. Kind of.

“We address this issue on a weekly basis, to be honest with you,” admitted Kendall. “We have event management meetings and at the end of every season, our marketing department meets to discuss how we can do it better.

“We’ve certainly connected much better over the last two years with our residences. That’s been a huge improvement,” he said. “This is why you see so many more kids coming out to Homecoming. We’ve made some in-roads there.”

The issue here, however, is that this new student interest has been generated to support football, already the U of G’s most well attended sport. The football Homecoming game was played on Sept. 26 at 1pm.

The Gryphon women’s volleyball team has gotten off to a flying 2-0 start to the season.

We’ve certainly connected much better over the last two years with our residences.

That is why you see so many more kids coming out to Homecoming.

Tom Kendall, athletic director

Robin Mildren and the women’s cross-country team defeated opponents from all over North America and are the nation’s top-ranked team.

2009 was a rebuilding year for the Gryphon soccer team; however, Victoria Parker’s outstanding play in goal kept the team in games.

The women’s rugby Homecoming game: Sept. 26 at 1pm.

These women never even had a chance to attract support for their sport. All the students were on the next field supporting the football team. Brilliant scheduling! While 8, 000 students cheered their inebriated faces off at Alumni Field to see the Gryphons fall 41-39 to the Western Mustangs, the women’s rugby team, in front of no more than 100 people, cruised to a 29-0 shutout victory over Brock.

I applaud the Athletic Department for recognizing that this is an issue. I applaud the student population for supporting the Gryphons football team. But come on, there’s a lot more to this school’s athletic program than just football.

Kick the ‘women’s sports are boring’ stereotype to the curb, already. Women’s sports are pretty damn exciting. And here’s a new one: They win too. By a lot.

“During the playoffs last year, several of my friends came out to watch just because I had invited them,” said Roy. “The response I got

afterwards from everyone was ‘Wow, I’ve never been to a women’s hockey game before and I actually had such a good time, it was a great game.’”

The OUA title that the women’s rugby team just won was an incredible achievement. Despite the poor field conditions, adverse weather and relative lack of sideline support, you will never see a more excited, proud and overjoyed group of women than the Gryphons championship team from Saturday.

When the final whistle blew, the jubilant Gryphons stormed the field to celebrate. It was a display of happiness that you couldn’t help but feel good watching, yet a display that few cared to see.

“It’s a cultural thing,” added Kendall, a former women’s basketball coach for 22 years. “Canadian college students are not tuned into sports, generally. They don’t see it as an interest or something that they support. Who knows why that is?”

I find myself struggling with the same question.

Millions of Canadians tune in to watch Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday evening; many of these viewers are university-aged people. If you’ll plan your evening around an NHL hockey game, why not do the same for your campus varsity women’s team, especially a winning team? Do the Leafs really need any more fans these days? A university sporting event is a far more intimate and engaging experience than a professional sporting event and don’t write off the level of talent until you see it for yourself.

These women can play.

Despite the rugby, cross-country and field hockey seasons coming to a close with national championships this weekend, there are still countless opportunities to offer support for your Gryphon teams as new seasons begin and current campaigns continue.

The women’s basketball regular season gets underway tomorrow evening at the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre on campus. The volleyball and hockey seasons are now in full swing, the swimming team still has three more local events and the track and field team will host two big events on Nov. 22 and Feb. 12, showcasing their talents.

These Gryphon athletes would appreciate your support and you’ll be amazed of their talents. Don’t let them go overlooked any longer.

by Mike Treadgold photos by Rashaad Bhamjee

Gryphon women’s rowers secured their first OUA championship gold medal in 30 years.

The top-ranked Gryphon field hockey team will travel to Victoria for the national championships this weekend.

14

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

SPORTS & HEALTH

THEONTARION.CA

IN FOCUS

Not the Frisbee you’re used to Commitment, passion and intensity define the university’s Ultimate teams.

DAN O’KEEFE Ultimate is a far cry from tossing the Frisbee around the park or beach. If one word sums up the sport, it is ‘intense’.

Two teams face off, seven on seven, and sprint all out, leaping into the air, diving to make nearimpossible catches, and colliding with other players in epic mid-air crashes- all in an attempt to get the disc into their opponents’ end. This swift-paced game sees teams race to be the first to score 15 points, or hold the lead after 90 minutes – whichever comes first.

Ultimate was once known as Ultimate Frisbee, but officially changed its name because the company, Wham-O, made the name ‘Frisbee’ a trademark. The sport is played on a 120 by 40yard field, with 25-yard endzones.

The Ultimate Players Association (UPA), calls the 175g disc, made

by Discraft, the official disc of the sport. Apart from the disc and the

field, the only other equipment needed is a pair of cleats.

Ultimate players pride themselves on their speed, endurance and dedication, but above all, sportsmanship. Gentlemanly behaviour and gracefulness have always been held in the highest regard.

Ultimate may very well be the only competitive contact sport played professionally, yet without officials. The players call all the fouls, which are defined as contact sufficient to arouse the ire of the player fouled. Only at the highest levels of competition are ‘observers’ used. Observers watch the game from the sidelines, and only make calls when a called foul is contested.

The University of Guelph has a very successful Ultimate team. As they are not a varsity team, they do not receive any funding from the University. This has not deterred the team in the least bit. Both the men’s and women’s teams are coming off of extremely successful showings in both the Canadian Eastern University Ultimate Championships and the Canadian University Ultimate Championships. In the Eastern championships, the men’s

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICGACTAERESERS FOR REWARDIN

FINANCIAL PLANNING GLOBAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MARKETING MANAGEMENT PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

business.humber.ca

team took fourth place of 17 teams, while the women took home an impressive fifth place showing among the 12 participating teams. In the nationals, Guelph finished fifth of 21 in the men’s tournament and the women took fourth place from a pool of 14 teams. Impressively, not a single non-varsity team was able to top either of the Guelph units.

The University’s Ultimate team is made up of many unique individuals.

They are students from all academic programs, including first-year undergrads to sixth or seventh-year Masters students, coming from a plethora of sports backgrounds.

Despite their differences, there is one common and definite thread that pulls the team together: players are extremely committed. The team practices four nights each week for the first six weeks of school. Many of the players are in Guelph before classes start in September, and the tryouts are completed by the second or third week of classes.

The team plays outdoors, exposed to the sun, rain, and possibly the most challenging variable: wind. Constant running, diving, and colliding takes its toll, and many of the players end up with injuries. The sheer physical demand of the game is the reason that while only seven players take the field at any given time, the Guelph men’s roster is made up of 24 players with professional teams being allowed up to 27 players in a game.

Spending so much time together, the team becomes very familiar with each other. They are very much like a big group of friends, drawn together by their commitment to the team. “[This team] is a tight community of close friends,” said team captain Paul Guerra, who has been with the team since 2002.

As has always been the case for the mainstream university sports like football and hockey, players are

Tushar Singh

Tim Martin of the men’s Ultimate team goes all out to make a defensive stop against Western.

Tushar Singh

Team captain Paul Guerra releases the disc just in time as Andrew Butler arrives in pursuit. now choosing their post-secondary schools based on the quality of the Ultimate program.

“Many of the players were playing in high school, coming to Guelph already knowing the game,” said Guerra. “As a result, the level of play has skyrocketed and now, more than ever, Ultimate has become a reason for people to go to (certain) schools.”

The City of Guelph has the third-largest Ultimate league in Ontario. If you are interested in learning a little more about this exciting and intense game, check out the tournament that the University team is hosting this weekend and speak to the players. They are always more than happy to talk about their sport and passion.

Gryphons offence stymied by Badgers

Andrew Goloida

Erin Small’s breakaway goal was the lone Gryphon marker in Friday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Brock Badgers.

THE ONTARION

SPORTS & HEALTH

160.8

15

IN FOCUS

Chocolate ain’t so bad after all I n th e sp i r i t o f H a l l owe e n, th e Ontarion l o o ks at th e h e a l th benef its of an old f avo u r i te RYAN CUNNINGHAM A big part of childhood is the reiteration of good habits: “brush your teeth twice a day,” or “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” When it comes to sweet food like chocolate, parents always tell their kids: “too much chocolate and you’ll rot your teeth,” or “too much chocolate and you’ll be sick.” These two familiar lines were surely used quite frequently after Halloween when there was an over-abundance of chocolate and candy consumption.

Although parents have good intentions when they mention these ‘household facts’ to their kids, they may not be completely accurate. Studies have shown, in fact, that chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, has several health benefits if it is consumed in moderation.

“Chocolate is really from a [cocoa bean] plant,” said Dr. Alison Duncan, a University of Guelph professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. “There are plant chemicals that offer the [cocoa] plant protection against disease and stressors, and in our bodies, it has been shown to do a similar thing primarily through their antioxidants.

“Flavanoids are quite high in dark chocolate,” she continued.

“These flavanoids have antioxidant potential and can reduce heart disease risk.”

Dark chocolate as a snack that can potentially reduce the risk of heart disease is significant departure from the traditional

the chocolate bar, which has historically been labeled as junk food. It would seem logical for chocolate bar companies to advertise that their chocolate bars can reduce the risk of heart disease, but this is not the case.

“Only certain types of chocolate contain compounds that have been demonstrated to exert these health benefits,” Duncan explained. “The majority of chocolate that we consume doesn’t have the constituents that would influence our health, so that’s likely why it isn’t advertised as much.

“On the other hand, there is a lot more marketing activity around some of the chocolate products that do have some of these compounds and health benefits.”

The main point to keep in mind when it comes to chocolate consumption is moderation.

Excessive amounts chocolate will not provide the consumer with these health benefits. Another important point to note is that the only way to acquire the optimal amount of health benefits is consuming exclusively darker chocolates.

“The thing with chocolate is that all the nutrients are sourced from the cocoa bean,” Duncan emphasized. “The further we get away from the cocoa bean, that is, processing it or selecting various cocoa beans, the further we’re going to get away from the flavanoid content. For example, white chocolate has zero flavanoids.

“I think that using the food labels as a guide is helpful,” Duncan explained with regards to monitoring the amount of chocolate consumption. “Sticking with a serving of it [chocolate], or whatever the label indicates, is very helpful.”

Dark chocolate, in moderate

Courtesy

The darker the chocolate, the more beneficial it can be for your health. amounts, can actually be a beneficial indulgence for diabetics.

Monitoring the intake of cholesterol is important, especially for diabetics, so they can rest easy if they indulge in dark chocolate as a treat, since it has properties besides flavanoids that are beneficial.

“The main fatty acid in chocolate is Stearic acid,” Duncan explained. “Stearic acid is a saturated fat which generally isn’t that great for cholesterol; however, Stearic acid is unique among all other saturated fatty acids as it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels like the others do.

“I think if a diabetic were to

consider including chocolate as an indulgence in their diet, they should include dark chocolate with the highest possible percentage of cocoa,” she continued. “It’s interesting to note that flavanol has a bitter taste, so the more bitter the taste of the chocolate bar, the higher amount of flavanol you are receiving from the bar.”

Dark chocolate is not the only healthier option for chocolate consumption. Some big chocolate companies are creating other products that have significant health benefits.

“Companies such as M&M and Mars are actually working on techniques to maximize the

flavanoid content,” Duncan pointed out. “M&M-Mars has a product out called Cocoapro, which was made with this technique, so you get a maximum amount of flavanoids.”

Chocolate can offer some healthy properties to your diet if consumed in a modest amount.

By no means is chocolate the healthiest food product in the world, but implementing dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage is a better snack than many other so-called available junk foods.

16

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

SPORTS & HEALTH SPEAK

INTO THE

MIKE

THEONTARION.CA

IN FOCUS

The fallacy of individual awards On

tarion

MIKE TREADGOLD The Gryphons women’s rugby team are moving on to the national championships in BC., fresh off an impressive win over the Western Mustangs in the OUA title game.

These undefeated Gryphons feature Brittany Benn, the OUA’s leading scorer, Jacey Murphy, perhaps the league’s most powerful player, and Colette McAuley, their head coach who has never failed to lead the team to an OUA medal in her 13 years with the club, the first ten coming as an assistant.

And yet, none of these women’s names could be found when the OUA dealt out the individual awards for Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year at the end of the regular season.

Without taking anything away from Western’s Laura Russell and Laurier’s Jennifer Armitage, who won the Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year awards, respectively, these women pale in comparison to Guelph’s finest.

Forgive me for being a homer, but I’ve got to agree with the sentiments that I overheard from onlookers following the individual ceremonies on Saturday. These awards are a farce.

Benn led the league with 13 tries and 12 converts, despite

playing on field conditions that were never particularly favourable.

Her 89 points exceeded the second-leading scorer, Andrea Wadsworth of Queen’s, by an incredible 39 points. No player

including three OUA titles in the past four years. She has constantly replenished the Gryphon talent pool via deft recruiting and her dedication to hard work has resulted in the Gryphons playing above and beyond their competition every week. And they keep getting better. I’m sure Armitage is a capable coach, but let’s face it, the Golden Hawks (1-4) finished in last place, including a 90-0 loss to McAuley’s Gryphons. I guess that instead of recognizing individual accomplishments, the OUA opted for rewarding mediocrity this year.

Farce.

In each and every game this year, the Gryphons have won as a team. If you asked them about their names being omitted from the individual awards, they’ll surely shrug it off. They play for all the right reasons: team reasons. But their accomplishments would not be what they are if it weren’t for the work of some extremely talented individuals; individuals that were not given their due respect by the OUA. The league needs to reconsider its selection strategy; it has failed its most successful individuals in the greatest way. Guelph Gryphons: OUA champions. OUA selection committee: Farce.

I guess that instead of recognizing individual accomplishments, the OUA opted for rewarding mediocrity this year. Farce. came anywhere near Benn in terms of dominating the attacking and kicking games this season, and yet her accomplishments were not enough to garner top honours? Did I mention that she did all this as just a second-year player? Farce.

Murphy is one of the most well rounded players in the league. The third-year 8-man was a constant pillar of force for the Gryphons, scoring tries, breaking tackles, passing to her teammates and holding the opposition at bay. Her eight tries placed her third beyond Benn and Wadsworth for most in the OUA. Yet no accolades? Farce.

Or consider McAuley, a Gryphon rugby alum, former member of the national team and a coach who has never failed to put her team on the podium in her 13 years as a team administrator,

Speak into the Mike is a weekly column written by Mike Treadgold, taking an in-depth look at Gryphons athletics.

:i\Xk\ X eXk`fen`[\ Zfdd\iZ`Xc ]fi ?\iYfe Xe[ pfl Zflc[ N@E 9@> N\ nXek pfl kf ^\k Zi\Xk`m\# ^\k Zfdg\k`k`m\# Xe[ ^\k _pg\[ Aljk j_ffk# lgcfX[ Xe[ j_Xi\ pfli m`[\f n`k_ ]i`\e[j kf ^\k k_\ dfjk m`\nj% Jf ^f X_\X[# ^\k pfli ?\iYfe

:_\Zb lj flk fe

?\iYfe # eXkliXccp¿k_\ 9<JK Z_f`Z\ ]fi pfli jfi\ k_ifXk Xe[ Zfl^_

! Ef GliZ_Xj\ E\Z\jjXip% =fi ]lcc ilc\j# m`j`k nnn%>\kPfli?\iYfe%ZX% <ekip G\i`f[ Zcfj\j Efm\dY\i )'# )''0% ( Gi`q\ XmX`cXYc\ kf Y\ nfe% F[[j f] Y\`e^ \c`^`Yc\ ]fi k_\ Gi`q\ n`cc [\g\e[ fe _Xm`e^ k_\ _`^_\jk KfkXc JZfi\% Dljk Y\ X i\j`[\ek f] :XeX[X Xe[ Y\ (- p\Xij f] X^\ fi fc[\i% :fii\Zk Xejn\i kf dXk_\dXk`ZXc jb`cc k\jk`e^ hl\jk`fe i\hl`i\[% C`d`k f] ( i\^`jkiXk`fe g\i g\ijfe Xe[ g\i \dX`c X[[i\jj%

Rashaad Bhamjee

The green advantage A n a l t e r n a t i ve approach to your early morning cup of Joe JUSTINE BASKEY Caffeine is seemingly the most popular way for students to maintain the pace that is expected of them during the more hectic periods of the semester. Caffeinated beverages, however, also get a bad reputation for their negative health effects that seemingly outweigh the positives.

Green tea has effectively broken that mould and offers not only a caffeine kick, but also numerous health benefits.

The Chinese have been using green tea for medicinal purposes for over 4 000 years, but specifically, what is green tea’s claim to fame? Green tea’s benefits stem from the fact that it is rich in catechin polyphenols, something that other teas cannot boast.

“Green tea has more catechin than other teas,” said Richard Lai, owner of Bon Thé Place Tea Store in downtown Guelph. “The reason for that is because green tea doesn’t have an oxidation process, which is sometimes refers to fermentation, allowing it to preserve more of the catechin.”

With the existence of more antioxidants, such as epigallocatechin, green tea is capable of protecting healthy tissue, while fighting the growth of cancer cells. Some of the other ailments it works against include impaired immune function, heart attacks, high cholesterol and basic infections. Green tea just became a fundamental purchase for anyone’s medicine cabinet.

“Studies show that [green tea] reduces four major health risks including stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes,” said Lai. “It may be because catechin is also a kind of antioxidant, which delays aging and neutralizes free radicals,” he added.

Though studies show that green

tea can be a strong force in protecting those who drink it from a variety if illnesses, there are always other variables that may affect these health benefits. First of all, the quality of teas can be affected by the region in which the tea is grown. The processing that the tea leaves go through will also have a hand in the quality of the end product.

Studies show that [green tea] reduces four major health risks including stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes.

Richard Lai owner, Bon Thé Place Tea Store “If they are fresh, hand picked leaves, as opposed to broken leaves harvested by a machine, and the tea trees are grown properly, then the chemical compounds in the tea would be stable and similar,” said Lai. Tea leaves that are broken and machine-harvested can lose the nutrients that hand picked leaves will not give up. The storage and preservation that bagged tea is subject to will also affect the nutrients that it holds.

When it comes to getting a caffeine boost, the ability of green tea to provide more than just a ‘pick me up’ puts it leagues ahead of energy drinks, coffee, or other alternatives.

What does not affect the nutritional value of green tea is the addition of other flavours. The additional herb flavours that are very common among teas today, such as jasmine, chai, or even the popular fruity flavours, should not affect the tea itself.

“Flavoured teas are just green tea blended with other herbs in most cases,” said Lai. “That shouldn’t affect the green tea health benefits unless there are conflicts between the herb and the tea.”

THE ONTARION

160.8 L OOSE CANNON

This protest was a sodding bad idea

17 OPEN CONTENT

The backchannel goes mainstream MICHAEL RIDLEY

GREG BENETEAU Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a group of young people came out to curse and threaten local dignitaries, and a protest against the Hanlon Creek Business Park broke out.

It would have been difficult for a casual observer to determine the motivation behind last Thursday’s HCBP opposition rally, staged outside a sod turning ceremony organized by the city. It started out as a clever street theatre production and “peaceful demonstration,” complete with festive Halloween costumes, music and a burial ceremony for Mother Earth. Eventually, it turned into something not even remotely representative of the environmental movement.

Participants at the invitationonly event, including business leaders, civil servants and elected officials were derided as “f*cking scum” and told they would “be sorry” for supporting the development project. As the city’s guests boarded a chartered bus behind a cordon of police officers, the demonstration devolved into a fit of screaming, F-bombs and derisive gestures. A group pounded the side of bus and spat at the windows while the clearly unnerved passengers looked on.

There was no violence and no arrests, but it certainly wasn’t peaceful.

Not all of the estimated 75 demonstrators expressed such vitriol.

But Guelph Mercury Editor Phil Andrews, who noted in his blog that it was “journalistically challenging to land a compelling photo that failed to include at least one person giving the finger.”

Before continuing, I must emphasize that there are many calm and reasonable people opposed to the development at Hanlon Creek.

A half-dozen of them attended the rally: lifelong residents of Guelph, most over the age of fifty – the kind of people who tend vote in large numbers during municipal elections.

They stood apart from the group of mostly young activists who have become the most visible presence in the ongoing debate, looking appalled. Who knows how many more simply stayed home out of fear something like this would happen.

Make no mistake; gaining public support for your cause is all about creating an image. The city’s sod turning “ceremony” – a private event, in the middle of empty field that won’t see actual digging until next spring – was an attempt by council and developers to assert control in front of the media. The anti-HCBP crowd needed to respond in kind.

But the organizers lost control of the moment. Their threatening actions gave the city good reason to implement the additional security measures and offended people who support the cause, but not the aggressive actions taken to support it.

It was a little late to turn the spectacle into a success, but some

OPINION

Greg Beneteau

Sod turning ceremony at Hanlon Creek Business Park tried anyways.

“I think the biggest criticism people will have of the protest is that we were expressing a lot of anger,” Sam Ansleis, an organizer of the Hanlon Creek Business Park Occupation group, told The Mercury in an email. “I think that, personally, that anger was justified.”

Being justifiably angry is one thing, but turning that anger into widespread support for one’s cause is another. If Ansleis’s group wants to end the Hanlon Creek project they need demonstrations that make people feel welcomed, not embarrassed. How many families would bring their children to hear foul language?

A case study on controlling political passions is currently underway in the United States, where the Republican Party is struggling to keep the reins on a small but visible minority of “Tea Party” protesters and fans of radio show pundit Rush Limbaugh.

They, too, scream a lot and taunt their ideological enemies. They come out in respectable numbers and get a lot of media attention. All the while support for the GOP among moderates has plummeted, because few voters can sustain the level of anger demanded by these hard-core activists. Most don’t even want to be associated with them.

The anti-HCBP movement is suffering from a serious image problem caused by its most ardent supporters, though I fear it’s not recognized.

A written account of the protest on the Hanlon Creek Business Park Occupation website recalls only “great volumes of laughter, singing and dancing to drums and tambourine, head-shaking scorn, brilliant and spontaneous street theater [sic], and a strengthened commitment to keep moving forward.”

“It was loads of fun.”

Depends who you ask.

Greg Beneteau is Editor-in-Chief of thecannon.ca

The backchannel (Twitter, live blogging) + a poor presentation = the great keynote meltdown of 2009.

David Galper is now famous, or rather infamous. He did something you simply can’t get away with anymore: deliver a poor talk and presentation to a savvy audience (a ubiquitously connected, always online audience). His story is a wakeup call for us all.

Galper was one of two keynote presenters at the widely admired and well attended HighEdWeb conference held recently in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Big event.

Techie audience. Lots of them live blogging, providing Twitter updates, and commenting on Facebook.

He started off with a PowerPoint slide that was hard to see and confusing – the online rumblings began. As his talk progressed and he used outdated references, poor analogies, and even more slides of dubious quality or value, the online chat moved from a trickle to a deluge. It went viral. As he was delivering his speech he was being vilified online.

Many people in the audience had given up on the talk and were now fully occupied with the online discussion of the very presentation they were attending. Many people

not at the conference had also joined the online discussion. The audience was the event.

The use of live blogging, Twitter, SMS, etc. (the backchannel) to provide real-time commentary on events is not new. But the experience at Higher Ed Web moved it to the mainstream. I do feel for Galper.

We’ve all given poor presentations; few of those have become a global cause célèbre.

Was all this rude and cruel? Did he deserve it? I don’t know; I didn’t see the presentation, haven’t watched the streamed video, but I did read a few of the blogs and the tweets.

Perhaps the backchannel is just gratuitous chatter; largely irrelevant noise. Perhaps it is something more valuable – something we can learn from.

It is becoming common at conferences I attend (and make presentations at – shudder) that half of the audience is online. Some are just following up on references made by speakers, some are bored and doing other stuff, and some are providing live commentary for whomever is interested. All this is telling us something.

Lesson? Simple: don’t diss the audience. They have power and voice now. They can even compete with you for the attention of the rest of

the audience. The old adage “know your audience” is no longer enough.

Engage your audience; assume their participation in your presentation (at least the online analogue of it).

So what about our classrooms?

What about the presentations (lectures) made by faculty?

What’s the backchannel saying at Guelph?

Like so many things, the response to all this should not be to shut it down (as CIO I was once asked (and refused) to block wireless access in classrooms so students would pay attention to the lecturers).

The backchannel isn’t going away.

As speakers (faculty) and members of the audience (class) we need to learn how to use it effectively.

So maybe it wasn’t really a meltdown, it is the emergence of a new order; and I think it is a good thing. As the backchannel moves to the foreground, the audience becomes part of the presentation.

The speaker respects and engages the audience. We really do move from the sage on the stage to the dialogue in the community.

Michael Ridley is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Librarian at the University of Guelph. Contact him at mridley@uoguelph.ca or www. uoguelph.ca/cio.

GET ON BOARD WITH OUR NEW BUS SERVICE NEW GO BUS SERVICE BETWEEN WATERLOO AND MISSISSAUGA STARTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2009 You wanted more ways to get on the GO – now you have it!

Our brand new 25-Waterloo bus route will serve the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, Kitchener Bus Terminal at Charles & Ontario, SmartCentres Cambridge at Hespeler Rd. & Hwy. 401, Aberfoyle GO Park & Ride, Milton Park & Ride/Carpool Lot at R.R. 25 & Hwy. 401, and the Square One GO Bus Terminal, seven days a week.

Guelph students and staff can get to the University of Waterloo or Wilfrid Laurier University by connecting with the 29-University of Guelph GO Bus service at Square One or Aberfoyle GO Park & Ride, or with 46-Hwy. 407 West GO Bus service at the Aberfoyle GO Park & Ride.

SAVE WITH A GO STUDENT ID Full-time students save on 10-ride tickets and monthly passes with a GO Student ID. GET OUT OF YOUR CAR AND GET ON THE GO. FOR MORE INFO VISIT GOTRANSIT.COM OR GIVE US A CALL. SIGN UP FOR E-NEWS AND RECEIVE CUSTOMIZED INFO.

416 869 3200

1 888 GET ON GO (438 6646)

TTY 1 800 387 3652

Pour plus de renseignements, veuillez visiter le site gotransit.com ou composer un des numéros ci-dessus.

An agency of the Government of Ontario

20

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

OPINION

THEONTARION.CA

Still room for improvement Despite high ranking U of G still needs to rethink some areas in education JAMES HAWKINS Much has been said about U of G’s high standings in the recent Globe & Mail university report.

And for good reason: receiving national bests in areas such as campus atmosphere, student services, and overall quality of education is something that should make us all proud to attend such a fine institution.

But the discussion about where U of G fell short, and what can be done to address these issues, has been sparse of yet.

The Globe did a special feature entitled “Quiet Campus Revolution” in which it discusses this University’s challenge at maintaining a high quality undergrad education in the face of financial troubles that are forcing administrators to cut back.

President Alastair Summerlee asks a simple question in the article: “The question is, how we make this an opportunity to do the kinds of changes in the undergraduate curriculum that are really vital?”

Well what are the most important features of an undergrad

degree, and what things can we afford to cut without affecting the quality of our education?

I believe the most important feature of an undergrad degree is what could be thought of as a “community within the classroom.”

In other words, the relationship that one develops from observing and interacting with Profs and fellow students. This is based on the idea that the way that we learn is not by reading everything in academic journals or doing rigorous practice problems, but rather from cooperative effort. It is through socialization that we gain a framework of comprehension and insight. So fostering these communities should be the primary goal of the undergrad curriculum.

And frankly, the University is not at the same level the report said it was: student faculty interaction and class size were graded as B+ and B respectively.

As an example of what great quality professorship is like, take another professor featured in the Globe’s report: University of New Brunswick Kinesiology professor David Scott. Scott is an ace at student engagement. On the first day back from summer break, he asks students “what did you do over the summer” to every student in the class, and then takes notes.

Throughout the term he will refer back to the initial conversation, and add to it, therefore creating an ongoing personal relationship with every student in the class. It is this engaging attitude that will stimulate students’ minds and allow them to

However, if the goal is to “mass produce” those kinds of learning environments, more economical systems must be developed. One of Guelph’s strengths is the quality of its profs: according to the Globe’s report, it was voted a top university

I believe the most important feature of an undergrad degree is what could be thought of as a “community within the classroom.” be interactive. “There seems to be a belief that such institutions should simply be producing graduates for the workplace. I think we are preparing people [...] by making them think about things, getting them to ask questions, to be more understanding,” Scott said. This kind of mindset does not come out of perusing academic journals or doing practice problems, it can only come out of meaningful social interaction.

Guelph’s first year seminar courses have been tremendously successful because they’re modelled with this principle in mind.

for its professors. We can build on this strength. With a bit of tweaking of university policy, such as built in incentives for professors to improve student-teacher interaction, as well as education on proper classroom deportment, our professors raw talent could be transformed into high quality learning environments; each one would be an expert at cultivating student curiosity and fostering their interaction.

The teaching assistant system, whereby graduate students hold labs or seminars to reinforce lessons taught in lectures, is a valuable part

Vinyl w e N in now k! stoc

of the undergrad curriculum. It allows students time to converse more freely with a student who is only a few years more advanced than them. Getting to know a graduate student who has very recently taken the classes that undergraduates will be taking is valuable because they can mould their intellectual framework according to the example that the T.A. sets. So this system should be maintained and perhaps even expanded by assigning more course weight to participation in the labs/seminars.

From a student’s point of view, if the personal initiative to attain a great education is present, then it’s in their best interest to engage his/her professors and fellow students and to cultivate an intellectual curiosity. This will happen despite the structure of the university. Where the university becomes really helpful is when it accommodates and encourages this kind behaviour. So, if the most basic condition for a student’s learning is being a member of a community of thought provoking and mentally challenging role models, than two areas the University should definitely focus on are well designed labs/seminars, and professors who are experts at developing communities within the classroom.

THE ONTARION

OPINION

160.8 S EXPOSURE: 2

GIRLS ,

1 (SEX)

COLUMN

The niqab debate

Ball out Even at a young age men need to be conscious of their testicular health AISLINN WYATT With Halloween gone, November is upon us, known in some circles as Movember.

What’s this all about?

Movember is a fund and awareness raising effort for male health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer, wherein participants are sponsored and don’t shave to grow a moustache for the month of November (for more information check out www.movember.com) This idea may sound a little silly, but the issue is a serious one. Testicular cancer is the number one most common cancer among men ages 15-35.

Although the exact causes aren’t known, there are some factors which can increase your chances of developing testicular cancer. These included being born with undescended testicles, having congenital abnormalities of the testicles or penis, or a hernia in the groin area where the thigh and abdomen meet. Also a family history of testicular cancer puts you at a higher risk, and having developed testicular cancer in one testicle puts you at a higher risk of developing cancer in the other testicle.

But even if these conditions are not present, men should be on the lookout. I know all you young, healthy, virile men on the Guelph campus feel like you’re all way too young to be worrying about cancer, but it’s never too early to start checking your balls out just to be sure. Just like women who are all doing their monthly breast cancer selfexaminations (right ladies?) men should get into the habit of performing monthly testicular self-examinations, or TSEs. By performing self-checks frequently you get nice and familiar with all the wonderful, individual nooks and crannies of your testicles; you will get better at detecting abnormalities.

So how does one perform a TSE? It’s best to check out your nuts either during or right after a nice hot bath or shower, since your scrotum will be more relaxed, making it easier to examine the testicles themselves. Using both hands, check your balls one at a time by placing your thumbs over the top of them and with your

19

index and middle fingers of each hand behind the testicle, using slight pressure to gently roll each testicle.

Feel around for any hard lumps or bumps, which can be as small as a grain of rice. You’ll be able to feel the epididymis, the spermcarrying tube, on the top-back of each testicle. One testicle might be a bit bigger than the other, but this is normal. If you notice any lumps or other swelling or changes in colour or size of your balls, or if there’s any pain in the groin area, go see a doctor right away to have it checked out.

And there are many great, sexy reasons to ensure your balls are in good working order. All too often these lovely centers of pleasure are overlooked in favour of the more stand out (and stand up!) penis. But you and your partner(s) shouldn’t ignore the testicles… they should embrace them!

The best advice for engaging in ball-play: easy does it, at least to start! If you’re new to the ballgame, start slow and gentle to figure out what type and intensity of stimulation you like. The testicles can be fondled, stroked, rolled, sucked, licked or anything else your little heart desires, to great effect.

If you like things a little rougher, you can try having your balls tiedup, constricted or lightly slapped.

Another way to have fun with your balls is by using a cockring. These are rings made of rubber, leather or metal which are placed at either the base of the penis or behind the penis and scrotum. A little lube can help you to get the ring on or off. These rings help to keep an erection up longer and harder by preventing blood flow out of the penis back into the body, and the extra pressure around the testicles can be highly pleasurable.

It is important to remember that blood needs to leave the penis eventually for cellular health reasons, so you shouldn’t wear a cockring for hours and hours, especially never overnight. It is a good idea to give your junk a break after around 20 minutes (10 if you’re new to wearing a cockring), to make sure you don’t damage capillaries and bruise the penis or testicles, which will leave you sore and out of commission for a few days.

With all these possibilities for ball-time fun, you fellows shouldn’t need my encouragement to make sure they stay healthy! Remember to do your TSEs and have a happy Movember!

AZHER SIDDIQUI In reviewing the debate over the niqab in Canada, it seems to me that the essential arguments against the acceptance of this dress involve the issue of public safety and security as it relates to the problem of identifying individuals wearing the niqab, and the broader issue of the limits of multiculturalism in this country.

For obvious reasons given the secular nature of our popular discourses, the issue of safety is often exclusively thought about from a physical safety perspective.

Conceivably, this argument would deserve more serious consideration with a noticeable increase in the number of crimes being committed in this country by people wearing the niqab. Until then, it seems to be based on premature fears, and therefore largely unfounded in my opinion. But I believe there is a more valid argument to be made about safety in relation to the niqab. The argument is one about spiritual safety, namely that the person who wears niqab may well be seen as someone who is protecting others from the lusts of their own soul or addiction.

Today, the pornography industry is increasingly booming, primarily in Western nations, because hundreds of thousands of men are literally addicted to watching images of women in degrading and dehumanizing positions.

Apparently, these addictions can begin relatively innocently, with a glance upon a beautiful face in a magazine, but then quickly spiral out of control, causing the one who suffers from the addiction to experience significant levels of dysfunction in their private and social life. Eventually, for people who become addicted, faces, and by extension, flesh, is all that matters in life, as opposed to the substance of one’s character. The addict in this sense is not too dissimilar from the narcissist who obsesses over his or her own physical appearance.

Refreshingly, however, the woman in niqab forces herself and others to consider that the essence of her being, her humanity, is not necessarily tied to the appearance of one’s face. Thus, one might say

that the woman in niqab represents a reality without a face, whereas the woman in the magazines represents a face with no reality.

Regardless of course, the primary responsibility to ‘lower one’s gaze’ must always rest on the one being tempted by lust so as to remove any tendency towards victim blaming. The niqab, and similarly the hijab and/or burka, only compliment and facilitate this responsibility. As the old adage goes: out of sight, out of mind.

I would also argue that no images, fewer sexual addictions, less suffering, equal a better, safer world. The prophet of Islam said “Help your brother whether he is being oppressed or whether he is an oppressor.” When he was asked by those who heard this as to how one could help an oppressor, he responded, “Prevent him from oppressing.” There are many ways to address social wrongs. From the Islamic spiritual worldview, dress is one of them. Although the religious dress of Muslim women are often misunderstood as being oppressive (and when they are forced on women, just as when they are forced off of women, one can accurately suggest that oppression truly is taking place) in many ways the woman who chooses to wear a veil not only protects herself from being seen as a plain sexual object,

thereby ensuring her freedom from oppression, but she is also protecting, at least symbolically, many men from the oppression of their own selves. This helps men to experience a sense of spiritual security and well being.

Regrettably, while the veil in its various forms may protect Muslim women from being thought of in undignified ways, it often makes them more vulnerable to the abuse of people filled with hatred and intolerance for difference.

The question of the niqab in relation to multiculturalism in Canada seems much less complicated. Among other things, it has been, and will continue to be, the institutionalization of values such as tolerance and respect for diversity that makes Canada such a great country to live in.

Thus, in applying our standards consistently and fairly regarding the issue of dress for fear that we might discriminate and therefore oppress a minority group (i.e.

Muslim women who have chosen to wear a veil), the niqab cannot be considered any more or less Canadian than the turban, cross, sari, mini skirt, or even the uniform of men and women serving this country. The only thing left is for us to accept this reality, or move to a country where it isn’t allowed to exist.

20

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

OPINION

THEONTARION.CA

Still room for improvement Despite high ranking U of G still needs to rethink some areas in education JAMES HAWKINS Much has been said about U of G’s high standings in the recent Globe & Mail university report.

And for good reason: receiving national bests in areas such as campus atmosphere, student services, and overall quality of education is something that should make us all proud to attend such a fine institution.

But the discussion about where U of G fell short, and what can be done to address these issues, has been sparse of yet.

The Globe did a special feature entitled “Quiet Campus Revolution” in which it discusses this University’s challenge at maintaining a high quality undergrad education in the face of financial troubles that are forcing administrators to cut back.

President Alastair Summerlee asks a simple question in the article: “The question is, how we make this an opportunity to do the kinds of changes in the undergraduate curriculum that are really vital?”

Well what are the most important features of an undergrad

degree, and what things can we afford to cut without affecting the quality of our education?

I believe the most important feature of an undergrad degree is what could be thought of as a “community within the classroom.”

In other words, the relationship that one develops from observing and interacting with Profs and fellow students. This is based on the idea that the way that we learn is not by reading everything in academic journals or doing rigorous practice problems, but rather from cooperative effort. It is through socialization that we gain a framework of comprehension and insight. So fostering these communities should be the primary goal of the undergrad curriculum.

And frankly, the University is not at the same level the report said it was: student faculty interaction and class size were graded as B+ and B respectively.

As an example of what great quality professorship is like, take another professor featured in the Globe’s report: University of New Brunswick Kinesiology professor David Scott. Scott is an ace at student engagement. On the first day back from summer break, he asks students “what did you do over the summer” to every student in the class, and then takes notes.

Throughout the term he will refer back to the initial conversation, and add to it, therefore creating an ongoing personal relationship with every student in the class. It is this engaging attitude that will stimulate students’ minds and allow them to

However, if the goal is to “mass produce” those kinds of learning environments, more economical systems must be developed. One of Guelph’s strengths is the quality of its profs: according to the Globe’s report, it was voted a top university

I believe the most important feature of an undergrad degree is what could be thought of as a “community within the classroom.” be interactive. “There seems to be a belief that such institutions should simply be producing graduates for the workplace. I think we are preparing people [...] by making them think about things, getting them to ask questions, to be more understanding,” Scott said. This kind of mindset does not come out of perusing academic journals or doing practice problems, it can only come out of meaningful social interaction.

Guelph’s first year seminar courses have been tremendously successful because they’re modelled with this principle in mind.

for its professors. We can build on this strength. With a bit of tweaking of university policy, such as built in incentives for professors to improve student-teacher interaction, as well as education on proper classroom deportment, our professors raw talent could be transformed into high quality learning environments; each one would be an expert at cultivating student curiosity and fostering their interaction.

The teaching assistant system, whereby graduate students hold labs or seminars to reinforce lessons taught in lectures, is a valuable part

Vinyl w e N in now k! stoc

of the undergrad curriculum. It allows students time to converse more freely with a student who is only a few years more advanced than them. Getting to know a graduate student who has very recently taken the classes that undergraduates will be taking is valuable because they can mould their intellectual framework according to the example that the T.A. sets. So this system should be maintained and perhaps even expanded by assigning more course weight to participation in the labs/seminars.

From a student’s point of view, if the personal initiative to attain a great education is present, then it’s in their best interest to engage his/her professors and fellow students and to cultivate an intellectual curiosity. This will happen despite the structure of the university. Where the university becomes really helpful is when it accommodates and encourages this kind behaviour. So, if the most basic condition for a student’s learning is being a member of a community of thought provoking and mentally challenging role models, than two areas the University should definitely focus on are well designed labs/seminars, and professors who are experts at developing communities within the classroom.

THE ONTARION

EDITOR’S PAGE

160.8

EDITORIAL

LETTERS

H1N1 Pandemic: Putting it into perspective The word “pandemic” is being thrown around a lot lately. The word holds many connotations; of course we all remember the bubonic plague and Black Death of the 14th century, right? In any case, when the word becomes an everyday topic of conversation, it is probably a good idea to get informed and ask questions. Are you with me? I hope so.

The H1N1 pandemic has been over-saturating the media. And for good reason, I mean, millions of people could potentially be affected by this new strain of influenza.

We have known about the possibility of this flu season having a devastating death toll for months, and we have been predictably nonchalant about the whole deal until recently. For the vast majority of Ontarians, it took the death of a 13-year-old boy from Etobicoke for the seriousness of the matter to really hit home. Up until the death of Evan Frustaglio about a week ago, the amount of Ontarians wanting the H1N1 vaccine was low and getting lower – with many believing that there was no real threat.

Now, the tragedy in Etobicoke has incited a sense of hysteria in and around the area. In some cases, crowds of frustrated people are lining up around the block to receive the vaccine.

But the problem now is that the vaccine is not available in such a demanding quantity.

Many are frustrated, scared and looking for someone higher up to blame. So, naturally, we blame the government – but is the government, in responding to previously low demand for the vaccine, really doing anything wrong?

Instead of playing the blame game, making government and Health Canada officials the

scapegoats of the vaccine shortage, maybe we should sit down, take a breath and re-evaluate the situation.

Our government is by no means perfect, but they are still giving out the vaccination to all citizens for free - it might just take a little longer now. So in the mean time shake fewer hands and use more Purell.

In a situation such as this, our elected officials realize that time is of the essence. One temporary solution to the shortage that some provinces are adopting is priority vaccinations. Where before, health officials were insisting that everyone get the vaccination, now they are asking people who may not be at high risk to be patient.

Remember that about a week ago you probably weren’t even planning on getting the shot at all.

It comes down to having compassion and empathy for others. We need to step back in the vaccination line and realize that others may be in greater need of the shot than ourselves. If you are a person who is not at high risk of contracting the H1N1 virus, step aside and help that pregnant woman, who is at high risk to stay healthy.

With a situation as complex as H1N1, that affects such a large number of people, we should expect some setbacks. This doesn’t mean that we should all run around like chickens with our heads cut off, causing a contagious hysteria that is by and large unfounded.

Instead, we should get informed about the specifics of the situation and realize, even if we are waiting in line for long hours, that we are privileged to even be waiting in that line.

The Ontarion Inc.

Re: Only happy thoughts for CFS

Fair trade t-shirts

I was displeased with Greg Beneteau’s article last week, “Only happy thoughts for CFS.” I will not speak to Momina’s role, but I can speak to an incident that I personally witnessed.

I was present in the library during their signature collection. The person explicitly stated that the intention of the petition was to demand a public discussion with representatives of CFS, to understand where student money is being spent. I agree that that is a very fair demand. In order validate his demand further, he mentioned that CFS has spoken critically of both the Conservatives and Liberals. During our discussion, he did not say the petition was to defederate from CFS, only to bring up a public discussion.

Further, he claimed that each student pays several hundred dollars a year to CFS. I looked into the student tuition breakdown: For this semester, undergraduate students paid $3.97 to CFS and $3.30 to CFS-Ontario. It seemed ludicrous to me that students would be so hard pressed and mobilize so efficiently, across numerous campuses to save $7.27 each.

I do not trust the students organizing around this petition. I agree with the right to demand for transparency, but I disagree with undisclosed ulterior motives. I would like to demand more research into Curtis Batuszkin’s motives in defederating from CFS. Past events both on our campus and across the nation have demonstrated efforts by conservative members in Canada to induce a collapse in organizations with opposing views. Last year, the Ontarion successfully reported on the OPIRG fiasco: several members of the student Conservative Club were running a slate for the OPIRG elections with evidence of premeditated strategies against leftist organizations.

Beneteau’s article is rude; if Beneteau is so intent on keeping “students informed,” as he mentioned, he should prod further into both sides of the story.

Silvie Fojtik

21

I appreciated the introduction to the issue of fair purchasing on this campus that was given in “Fair trade. Fair game?” I am surprised that the Central Student Association chose to purchase its shirts from a different supplier this year. Last year the CSA’s shirts were produced by The Madres Solteras of El Salvador (The Cooperative of Single Mothers of El Salvador).

This collective of single mothers run their own shirt making company that provides them and their children with a higher standard of living and more educational opportunities. These shirts could have been purchased through www.justshirts.ca or through the CFS bulk purchasing program. On the tag of the CSA shirt I received during Orientation Week last year it reads “This Fairly-Traded Garment was made in a sweatshop free Environment”. I hope that before purchasing future materials with student money the CSA looks into supporting organizations like The Madres Solteras, thereby setting an example for other on-campus groups and the University of Guelph.

Molly McManus

Thank You Just want to say thank you to Allie Delmonte and Steph Hughes for their support of the military and for wearing a poppy on Nov. 11. The war vets need to know their sacrifice was not in vain. Last November I wore not only a poppy but also my Legion uniform at the service in War Memorial Hall.

Thank you to all for coming. We as Canadians should be proud of the soldiers who laid down their lives for us. War is not the answer but when the call to duty comes, Canada has answered and has never missed a U.N. mission after World War ll. We should feel so blessed that our country is not war torn like other countries, so please when you see a war vet, say thank you!

Nothing means more to them and once again thank you.

Howie Hall

FROM

THE ARCHIVES  years ago this week...

University Centre Room  University of Guelph NG W ontarion@uoguelph.ca Phone: -- General: x Editorial: x Advertising: x Accounts: x Fax: -- Editorial staff Editor-in-chief Daniel Bitonti Arts & culture editor Zack MacRae News editor Nicole Elsasser Sports editor Mike Treadgold Associate editor Iris Hodgson Copy editor Terra Borody Web editor Sarawanan Ravindran Production staff Photo & graphics editor Rashaad Bhamjee Ad designer Anne Tabata Layout director Duncan Day-Myron Office staff Business manager Lorrie Taylor Office manager Monique Vischschraper Ad manager Chris Hamelin Board of directors President David Evans Chairperson Timothy McBride Treasurer Curtis Van Laecke Secretary Justine Baskey Members Matthew French Andrew Goloida Aaron Jacklin Rachel Jones Marshal McLernon Joanna Sulzycki Contributors

Justine Baskey Greg Beneteau Rebecca Benson Terra Borody Genna Buck Ryan Cunningham James Hawkins Kyle Gillespie Andrew Goloida Dan O’Keefe Sam Merrifield Elizabeth McLeod Pete Norton Kyle Rodriguez Azher Siddiqui Tushar Singh Miles Stemp Yvonne Su Aislinn Wyatt

From The Ontarion vol. 11 issue 15, Oct. 21, 1959

The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. Since the Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontarion Board of Directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2009 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. The Ontarion retains the right of first publication on all material. In the event that an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify the Ontarion within four working days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement.

The Ontarion is printed by the Guelph Mercury.

22

NOV. 5 - 11, 2009

FUN & GAMES

THEONTARION.CA

CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

10

11

12

14

15

16

17

18

24

26

29 37

22

27

30

28

31

32

38

40

33

50

54

35

59

60

42

44

51

34

39

41 43

49

13

21

25

36

9

19

20 23

8

45

46

52

47

48

53

55

56

57

58

61

62

63

64

65

66

68

69

67

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Owns 4. Capture 7. Siesta 10. Faded 11. Void 12. Broad biter 14. ____ & Wine, musical group 15. Atop 16. Oblong 17. Leaf stalks 19. Enclosed 20. Haul 21. Car gr.

22. Lennon lady 23. Met 27. Hurts 29. Boy 30. Charter 32. Pop or religious 36. Disregard 38. Parade 39. Block 40. Hors d’oeuvre favourite 41. Taj Mahal site 42. Line 43. Including 45. Contradicts 49. La Brea feature 52. Geologic span 53. Mythical bird 54. Joy Kagawa novel 56. Mensa, for ex.

61. Sleek 62. Sorrowful saying 63. Poise 64. A.A. 12 65. Challenge 66. Couple 67. Curve type 68. Three Dog Night hit 69. Cur

1. Aesop animal 2. Considerable (2 wds.)

3. Age afflicted 4. Neck feature 5. Cupid 6. Late Show number 7. PBS series 8. Mexican conquest 9. Eucharist dish 10. Card marker 11. Protrusion 12. Axiom 13. Make new 18. Box designation 19. Trust 21. French dance 23. Porridge, to Twist perhaps 24. Hindu idol 25. Censor 26. Beowulf foe 28. Canine command 31. Blunder 33. Brusque 34. Clarinet’s kin 35. Precedes paper or week 37. Indian export 38. Bricklayer 44. Slants 46. Remove 47. Idol 48. Vinegar’s acid 49. Lob 50. Allay 51. Tempos 55. Drinks cognac 56. Actor Thicke 57. Diligence 58. ____ Hari 59. Killed, to the Corleones 60. Tech. teller 62. Bother Crossword by Krystian Imgrund

SUDOKU

Submit your answers to UC 264 by Monday at 4:00 for a chance to win

2 Bob’s Dogs!

7

Congratulations to last week’s winner...

Jim Morrison & Anna Neustaeter

8

Come by the Ontarion office to pick up your prize.

LSAT MCAT GMAT GRE Preparation Seminars

7 I

T

E

M

D

U

N

E

D

U

F

F

M

O

R

E

O

N

U

S

A

N

A

L

P

O

E

T

L

O

B

S

N

I

C

E

S

A

L

U

T

E

D

Y

O

B

S

E

C

T

R

I

M

E

D

O

P

E

P

E

S

• Complete 30-Hour Seminars

M

A

C

O

W

• Comprehensive Study Materials

A

L

A

• Simulated Practice Exams

P

E

R

S

E

• Convenient Weekend Schedule • Proven Test-Taking Strategies • Experienced Course Instructors

• Limited Class Size • Free Repeat Policy • Personal Tutoring Available • Thousands of Satisfied Students

E

W

R

E B

W

E

A

N

E

W

O

R

D

E

D

G

E

E

O

N

M

I

A

R

E

E

N

T

T

S

S P

I

A

M

2

9 3 5 4

6

5 3

1

5

6 1

9 1 6

3 7

2

9

8

7 9

4

Sudoku instructions:

F

U

L

G

OXFORD SEMINARS

O

P

E

N

T

O

T

E

A

F

A

R

1-800-269-6719 416-924-3240 www.oxfordseminars.ca

L

O

N

E

E

R

O

S

G

A

V

E

K

N

O

T

R

E

N

T

E

X

A

M

Fill out the grid so that each row, column and each marked 3x3 square contains each number from 1 to 9 with no number repeating.

THE ONTARION

CLASSIFIED & COMMUNITY LISTINGS

160.8

CLASSIFIED

COMMUNITY LISTINGS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

SERVICES

T HURSDAY NOVEMBER 5

Part time help wanted. Wait staff needed at Heaven on 7 Bistro & Pub in Rockwood. Apply in person or phone. 519-856-2693.

Is walking around campus giving you sore, tired feet? Feeling the need to relax and pamper yourself? Relaxing foot massage – student special $20. For more information or appointments contact: massage4u@bell.net

Harshman Lecture - a free public talk “Help in Times of Distress: What Children and Families Need.” featuring Robbie Gilligan, professor of social work and social policy. 7pm at the Best Western Royal Brock Hotel & Conference Centre

New to Canada? Looking for work? Free 3-day JOB SEARCH WORKSHOP FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA. Résumés, cover letters, interviews, workplace culture and more!

Contact Lutherwood at 1-866-321-4141 or jsw_info@ lutherwood.ca

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6 Cinema & Social Justice The Guelph Festival of Moving Media features films and videos in downtown Guelph venues, November 6 - 8. Visit: www. guelphfestivalofmovingmedia.ca for details.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7 CAVES - Community And Volunteer Educational Series: A day of FREE training workshops, 9am-3pm. Evergreen Senior’s Centre, 683 Woolwich St. Register at Volunteer Centre of GuelphWellington: 519-822-0912 or www.volunteerguelphwellington. on.ca for workshop topics and to reserve your spot.

COMMUNITY EVENTS UofG DANCE Club: Argentine Tango lesson and social dance (Salsa, Swing, and Tango). TUESDAY November 10th at 9pm in AC302. $5. No partner or experience required. www.uoguelph.ca/~dance or guelphdance@gmail.com David Thompson and the Route of the Voyageurs, is presented by the Guelph Field Naturalists at the Arboretum, Uof G on Thurs., Nov. 12th at 7:30 p.m. Goodwill donations appreciated.

HOUSING Fully furnished 1 room in townhouse shared with UoG female students. Walk to stores, direct bus (10 minutes) to UoG. $450+util, include Internet. More info & photos on Facebook “MrsCelina Guelph”. Call 519763-8444

23

Writer’s block? Professional essay help available for all subjects and levels. Masters and PhD graduates specializing in editing and research. Toll free: 1-888345-8295. Email: customessay@ bellnet.ca Visit us: www. customessay.com

MISCELLANEOUS EGYPT - FEB reading week10 days,$3300 from Toronto, flight, visa, hotels, breakfasts, daily transportation, entry fees (TEL) 416-727-1040 www. egyptgrouptours.com

Guelph Hiking Trail Club: Meet 2pm to hike at Arkell Side Trail + Starkey Hill. Contact 519836-6570.

Falun Dafa free qigong instruction. Soothe the mind, heal the body. All ages welcome, no experience needed. 2-4pm, UC004. Info: Mai 823-2422.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8 Peace Week Movie Screening - “The Hurtlocker” 8 pm, War Memorial Hall. Tickets: $3 UofG students; $5 general admission.

Brought to you by the Central Student Association

MONDAY NOVEMBER 9 Fuerza/Puwersa presents *El Viajecito de un Sueño* (‘The little trip of a dream’) at: 1) 5:30pmMackinnon 312. 2) 8:30pmEd Video, 40 Baker Street. Jen Lawhorne will speak about her film. *Presentation about the struggles of migration to Canada.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10 Falun Dafa free qigong instruction. Soothe the mind, heal the body. All ages welcome, no experience needed. 6:30pm8:30pm. UC 005. Info: Mai 519823-2422.

Frank

&

Steins

IS LOOKING FOR

PROMOTERS

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre annual “Beyond the Frame” party and auction of donated artworks. Doors open at 5:30pm. Live auction 7 p.m.

Tickets: $60, available at MSAC and the Framing and Art Centre. www.msac.ca

EARN $500 PER NIGHT CALL DARIO AT

519-763-8666 Café Philosophique, a lecture series hosted by the College of Arts, presents chief information officer and chief librarian Michael Ridley discussing “Beyond Literacy: Are Reading and Writing Doomed?” 7pm at the Bookshelf eBar. Barber Gallery presents “Pictures Talk” free opening reception for a Canadian Red Cross touring exhibit – a collection of 26 photographs taken by Indonesian children.

11am at 167 Suffolk St. W. Exhibit runs until Nov 20th.

519-824-0821.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11 Guelph Guild of Storytellers presents: ‘Simply Spam’ with Vince Wall at The Boathouse, 116 Gordon St. S. 8pm. Free -Donations appreciated. Info: www.guelpharts.ca/storytellers, storytellers@guelpharts.ca, 519767-0017.

Remembrance Week November 2 - 11, 1:00 -5:00pm.

McCrae House, 108 Water Street.

Visit McCrae House as Guelph Amateur Radio Operators send messages of peace around the world. Open 10am - 5 pm. (519) 836-1221 Regular Admission.

ONGOING: Guelph Civic Museum exibit: Arresting Images: Mug Shots from the OPP Museum. Exhibit runs until December 20. 6 Dublin St. S. Open daily 1-5 pm. (519) 836-1221 ext. 2774, guelph.ca/ museum Macdonald Stewart Art Centre. Exhibit: Michael Davey: ‘Overly Charmed’. Runs from Sept 23-Dec 20. 358 Gordon St. at College Ave. Admission by donation. Tel: 519-837-0010, info@msac.ca, www.msac.ca.

Hours: Tues-Sun, noon-5pm.

Treasures from the Collection: Until April 25, 2010, McCrae House, 108 Water St. (519) 836-1221, guelph.ca/museum.

Artifacts, photographs, archival material of the McCrae House collection. Winter Hours (DecJune) Sun - Fri, 1-5pm. Suvmmer Hours ( July-Nov) Daily 1-5pm.

A UNIQUE INDOOR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HILLSIDE-STYLE!

ANI DIFRANCO

FINAL FANTASY BASIA BULAT DELHI 2 DUBLIN HAWKSLEY WORKMAN BAHAMAS MARTIN SEXTON WOODHANDS HER ONLY ONTARIO APPEARANCE

HIS ONLY ONTARIO APPEARANCE + MORE TBA

U OF G TICKET SPECIAL: ONLY $70

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

FIRST 400 U OF G STUDENTS RECEIVE DISCOUNTED PRICE · MON NOV 9 AT CSA OFFICE, UC LEVEL 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ROOM 274

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6 2010

SLEEMAN CENTRE DOWNTOWN GUELPH 2 ALTERNATING STAGES

TICKETS ON SALE SAT NOV 7 · 10 AM $75 KIDS/SENIORS $55

RESERVED SEATING FLOOR ACCESS IN/OUT PRIVILEGES

hillsidefestival.ca · ticketpro.ca · 1.866.598.4455 CHECK WEB SITE FOR ADDITIONAL TICKET OUTLETS