November 26th 2009

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Track & field

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Stories that helped shape the city

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Nov. 26 - Dec. 2, 2009

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A controversial message Flier at INSITE conference leads to investigations DANIEL BITONTI According to INSITE organizers, it’s an image that gives people a brief experience of what it is like to be queer.

It is also an image that has sparked an internal Central Student Association review and has been passed along to the Human Rights and Equity Office.

On Nov. 14 campus police received a complaint from a student about a flier that was seen in the University Centre during the INSITE arts conference. The conference, held at the University of Guelph between Nov. 13 and 15, was intended to highlight the way art can be used as a tool to address marginalization.

The CSA Human Rights Office

(CSA HRO), Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED), and Guelph Queer Equality (GQE) put on the conference.

According to Robin Begin, director of Campus Community Police, the flier was displayed on the bulletin board at the main doors of the University Centre. The complaint was that the flier was offensive and homophobic.

The flier features a drawn image of a masked individual with a strapon dildo aggressively penetrating the eye socket of a religious figure.

Across the top of the image appear the words “Fags Hate God.” Across the bottom appears the name of the organization that produced the image, “Back Bash Guelph,” part of the larger radical queer organization that has affiliates across North America. The flier was brought to the conference by the Anarchist

Black Cross, one of groups invited to table at the conference.

“I got an incident report on Monday from campus police,” said Brenda Whiteside, vice-president, Student Affairs. “What made this one different was that when the police were talking to this person, someone from the CSA Human Rights Office came up and said ‘Oh this is art, this is a way to fight oppression.

I am from the CSA Human Rights Office and this is part of the conference and this is fine.’”

According to Whiteside, the police report said that organizers were told they could only distribute the flier to other conference organizers.

But INSITE organizers say this is not what the police told them.

“We were never told to do or not do anything with the flier, whether that was to remove or limit its distribution,” said Arden Hagedorn, the CSA Human Rights Office

coordinator. “We simply explained that it was not homophobic and we explained a bit about the conference and the organizations involved in the conference. It was all very cordial.”

Hagedorn says she told police that the flier was one way of approaching the issue of oppression, but that it wasn’t the CSA HRO’s response to fighting oppression.

Hagedorn did say, however, that event organizers did support the image being on a table put together by an organization that they had invited to the conference.

What is particularly puzzling to Hagedorn is that the initial complaint to police was that the flier was homophonic, something that the image is trying to combat.

Whiteside agrees that the image isn’t homophobic, but she says it doesn’t invalidate the complaint of the person who made it.

“It’s the same thing as a hate crime

CFS meeting Le Cyc at Dublin Street United Church brings new motions Student delegates d e l i b e r a t e o ve r motions before CF S AGM NICOLE ELSASSER

>

Olivia Brown

SEE “CFS”, PAGE 4

The Polydactal Hearts Collective are from Guelph. Riding atop of one successful graphic novel opera, the group will have another piece ready for us in April.

SEE “F LIER”, PAGE 3

the issues this week

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H1N1

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MSAC

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With the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) Annual General Meeting being held on Nov. 25-28, the student delegates being sent on behalf of the University of Guelph are preparing to determine how they will be voting on motions presented at the meeting.

The delegates attending from the University of Guelp are four of the five Central Student Association (CSA) Executives: Momina Mir, External Affairs Commissioner, Galen Fick, Local Affairs Commissioner, Nathan Lachowsky, Academic Commissioner, and Josh Gaber, Finance and HR Commissioner.

Additionally Danielle Printup, from the Aboriginal Student’s Association, will be attending as a delegate.

The upcoming CFS AGM could prove to be a significant one for the University of Guelph student population because >

like graffiti. Someone will complain and say that they find it offensive.

They don’t have to label it for it to become valid,” said Whiteside.

“And you know the reason why it’s become an issue is because I found it offensive... from my perceptive it’s offensive for two reasons. It’s a violent act against a priest and that for me is inciting violence against a priest and suggests to anyone that is Christian and believes in God, that fags hate god and fags hate Christians.”

Whiteside has sent the information to the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO) but could not say what the process involving the HREO will look like. She did say the administration is looking into the relationship the CSA HRO, GRCGED and GQE had to the flier.

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VACCINES

FUNDRAISER ATHLETIC

CENTRE GOING

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U of G history prof on the Olympics and the Canadian identity crisis CARA CAMPBELL Canada seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. As a country that was founded as a colony for France and England, four hundred years later we appear to be having a tough time trying to figure out our national personality. After World War II, some realizations seemed to emerge for Canadians: we are not American, we need to be recognized on the international stage, and sporting heroes provide a rallying point for us to do it.

Matthew Hayday, a history professor at the University of Guelph, argues just that in his podcast for the Intellectual Muscle lectures. The lectures are a series of talks given by up-and-coming intellectuals from across Canada, all discussing topics relating to the 2010 Vancouver Games. The talks were originally orchestrated with the University of British Columbia to try and include a more cultural aspect to the games.

“That’s actually been something that the Olympics have been developing as of late, having a cultural side as well as the sports side, although sports are really what gets all the attention,” said Hayday.

“It’s a way to make the rest of us less-athletically-gifted feel more included.”

According to Hayday, before the 1950s, Canada’s identity was closely entwined with Britain. However, after the United States emerged as a superpower from this era, Canadian foreign relations had more and more to do with our neighbours to the south. Canada also saw the rise of Quebec nationalism, and waves of new immigrants from all over the world.

“That’s been a very important part of Canada’s identity and cultural

politics,” said Hayday. “What I’m arguing in the podcast, though, is those elements haven’t necessarily been great for stimulating national pride or national heroes or a sense of nationalism.”

Sports heroes, however, do exactly that.

Hayday’s research led him to find that during the late 60s and 70s, there was a huge push for Canadian cultural icons to be part of the Canada Day program in Ottawa.

They wanted pop stars and sports heroes to draw big crowds, whether travelling to Ottawa to watch the show or participating from the comfort of their home.

“Sports figures, for better or for worse, have a lot of high public visibility,” said Hayday. According to Hayday, Canadians become “hyperpatriotic” when they see a fellow countryman, or woman, standing on top of the podium, and he sees this as Canada’s desire to have international recognition for our unique identity.

“Because the Olympics are such an international forum, it’s a way of showing excellence on an international scale,” said Hayday. “[It’s] almost like Canada breaking out of its little bubble of self-doubt, of constantly being in the American shadows. This is one way in which Canadians can show their pride on the international scene that we compete.”

According to Hayday, Canadians distinguishing themselves from Americans has also been a huge part of Canadian identity and is closely tied to the Olympics and international recognition.

“It’s this idea that Canada needs to be recognized internationally for its accomplishments as a unique and distinct and achieving country

Flier controversy <

CONTINUED FROM COVER

Student Affairs contributed money to the INSITE conference through special grants.

The HREO could not comment on the issue Since it was a CSA organization involved in the event, the CSA executive will do their own review to determine the CSA HRO’s relationship to the flier.

“We are not confirming this was in fact distributed by the CSA HRO,” said Gavin Armstrong, the CSAcommunicationscommissioner.

“Right now our stance is that it was not part of the CSA HRO and it was brought there by someone else.”

Both the Canadian Criminal Code and the Ontario Human Rights Code contain provisions against both hate speech and obscenity.

According to Troy Riddell, a political science professor at the University of Guelph, an ‘artistic merit’ defense in the obscenity law allows individuals charged under the law to argue that the offending material was a necessary part of an artistic expression. He also said that Section 13 of the Ontario Human Rights

Code does prohibit the display of some offensive materials but “its limits on freedom of expression are narrow,” and the display must incite or represent an intent to infringe a right under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

“I am not sure that the human rights law would apply here again, though, often these things are often a matter of interpretation,” Riddell wrote in an email.

Despite the intense scrutiny INSITE organizers face, they stand by the message of the flier.

“When you think of the context it was created in, you have radical queers that have been oppressed by the church since it’s inception.

And it’s taking back the language and recognizing the oppression that the Catholic church has caused against queer people since it’s existence,” said Amy Kline, an INSITE participant who spoke on behalf of the organizers. “And you think, ‘so there is a piece of artwork where queer people are against the Catholic Church.’ And yeah, a lot of queer people are against the Catholic Church because of what it caused.”

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Rainforest deforestation rate at an all-time low Amidst a slowed economy and rampant industrialization, there remains a sense of optimism within the Brazilian forests. The rate at which the amazon rainforest is being deforested has dropped by 45%, making it the lowest recorded rate in 21 years. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and environmental activist group Greenpeace welcomed the news as an achievement. However, both parties agreed that destruction is still too prevalent in the rainforests, and deforestation must be cut back further. The Brazilian government is striving for a 80% reduction rate by the year 2020. (BBC)

American stimulus package used to create and save jobs in fictitious places

Rashaad Bhamjee

U of G history professor Matthew Hayday gives Canadian’s food for thought about national identity with the Olympics quickly approaching on the horizon. in North America that isn’t the [United States] in some respects,” said Hayday.

The recent controversy surrounding the language of signs being posted at Olympic venues in Vancouver does little to encourage the thought that Canadians have a strong sense of unity from sea to sea.

Many affiliated with the Olympics claim that there is no need for the signs to be posted in French as well as English, despite both being official languages.

Hayday questions the implications of this decision in his podcast, especially when there are such high hopes for Quebecois to

bring home gold.

“I think you’re going to see in speed skating-almost all the short track speed skaters are Quebeckers, and Canadians go nuts,” said Hayday. “They don’t care about the language divide then, but if you try to put a bilingual sign in front of the arena where they will actually be competing, that triggers divisions among Canadians.”

Hayday hopes that the Intellectual Muscle lectures will force Canadians to ask some tough questions with respect to the Olympics, specifically about Canada’s national identity with regard to our Olympic athletes, who we support, and why.

H1N1 vaccines now available After weeks of waiting, there is finally a sufficient supply of the H1N1 vaccine for the general public NICOLE ELSASSER After much anticipation and anxiety, the H1N1 vaccine is now available to all who want it in Wellington County. Prior to this announcement, the vaccine had been made available only to those that fell into a group deemed “high risk” which included, among others, the elderly, pregnant women, children between six months and five years old, and health care workers. Many students were excluded from this “high-risk” group and the operators of the vaccination clinic on campus had to carefully consider candidates before allowing them to receive the shot.

After a rush to produce more

influenza vaccines, Dr. Nicola Mercer, Medical Officer of Health announced on Nov. 20 in a press release that the provincial government would be providing Wellington County with enough doses of the H1N1 vaccine for the general public.

“We will receive 22,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine today. With this vaccine supply we are now able to provide H1N1 flu shots to all residents who want it,” said Mercer. “I’m pleased that we can now provide all residents of [Wellington County] with protection against H1N1 flu.”

Whereas previously, the clinics at the Powell health building on campus had been forced to turn people away who did not qualify as “high risk”, they are now able to provide vaccinations to all individuals on a first-come, firstserved basis and have been doing so since Nov. 20.

The Obama administration run website, Recovery.gov, has caused quite the spectacle on Capitol Hill.

The website is reporting millions of dollars spent creating and saving jobs - the catch is that the majority of these jobs are in congressional districts that don’t exist. Recovery board officials speculated that the website numbers were due to human error by virtue of respondents incorrectly submitting information to the website. (ABC)

Chinese mine blast kills at least 42 An explosion in the state-owned Xinxing mine, located in Northern China has left dozens of coal miners trapped, with at least 42 dead. State media reports there were warnings about gas levels in the shaft at the time of the explosion. The blast blocked one of the mine entrances, caused a nearby building to crumble, and could be heard by people up to 10 kilometres away. The blast also severed the mine’s power, ventilation and communication links, worsening the situation for over 300 rescue workers. The Chinese government has been cracking down on unregulated mining operations, shutting down some 1,000 unsafe mines last year. Unregulated mining operations compromise about 80% of the country’s mines. (CBC)

Tobacco firm forced to pay $300 million Confined to a wheelchair due to emphysema, 62-year-old Cindy Naugle has just won what is thought to be the biggest individual payout against a Tobacco company out of around 8,000 cases. Tobacco giant Philip Morris has been ordered to pay $300 million in medical and punitive damages by a court in Florida. The payout is a result of a class-action lawsuit that was thrown out of court in 2006. Philip Morris has vowed to challenge the verdict, their spokesman referring to the punitive damages as “grossly excessive and a clear violation...of the law.” (CBC) Compiled by Sarah Dunstan

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NOV. 26 - DEC. 2 , 2009

NEWS

THEONTARION.CA

Students now eligible for TTC Metropass discount U of G students fought that battle long ago SARAWANAN RAVINDRAN Along with the recent news of a TTC fair hike came some good news for Toronto university students: the high school student discount will now be extended to university and college students.

Given that most university and college students in Toronto commute on the TTC, the decision was a highly celebrated one, reducing what some say is a large university related expense.

The extension of the discount was a secondary plan to the U-Pass proposed by Toronto Mayor David Miller in 2006, a plan that didn’t come to fruitation.

The U-Pass was an idea similar to the program at the University of Guelph where all students have a monthly pass included in their tuition at a markedly discounted price. The idea ultimately did not succeed because Toronto students voted against it in the U-Pass referendum. The U-Pass proposal would have seen students

paying $60 per month, instead of $89 under the new discount plan. However, the benefit of the new plan is that students are not required to pay for the TTC as part of their tuition.

Compared to the University of Guelph, where students pay $61.63 per semester for the bus pass and it is a mandatory fee included in tuition. While opposition exists from those who don’t take the bus, the mandatory fee gives Guelph Transit a constant amount of cash flow in order to calculate operating budgets and provide optimal service. The University of Guelph is not the only university that has a program with public transit; Trent University and Queen’s University both offer similar programs.

The bus pass at the University of Guelph became a student fee in 1994, following a referendum in 1986 that had failed when the CSA first started working on the bus pass program. According to Galen Fick, the CSA Local Affairs Commissioner,the implementation of the bus pass has been successful at the University of Guelph because it is a good price and most

students use public transit.

“A significant portion of Guelph Transit’s ridership are students,” said Fick. “Since 1994, service has significantly increased, as has the fee over the years.”

The University of Guelph and Guelph Transit have been able to work out arrangements that are appealing to the student body because both parties rely heavily on each other and both parties benefit. The monthly cost to students comes to about $15, which is equivalent to about six rides using cash fair, and most students use Guelph Transit more than six times a month. For the city, the stable revenue from university students allows the city to expand services while keeping within their budgets.

While the TTC’s new program does offer students a significant discount, there would have been a further discount if the U-Pass program had been introduced.

However, while it would have been beneficial to the students, it would not have made as significant an impact on the TTC as bus passes do on Guelph Transit.

Atheos: ask anything A new medium for non-believers TERRA BORODY Tuesday Nov. 24 marked the 150th anniversary of the publishing of Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species,’ now considered the basis of evolutionary biology. For the occasion, Atheos, a relatively young campus club that was founded in September, held an open forum ‘Ask Anything’ day. Group members were casually available in the University Center from 9am until 5pm to take questions, engage passing students in discussion about atheism and agnosticism as well as distribute information on Darwinian evolution.

Passers by were welcomed into conversation by the display of baked

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goods being sold to raise funds for future events and a large sign that spelled out ‘Evolution.’

Since it’s founding by Kamil Podleszanski and Vlad Zamfir in September, the club has grown to at least 15 active and enthusiastic members with some additional irregular attendees.

There are currently eight faithbased clubs on campus and now only three clubs that specifically represent secular perspectives. Podleszanski makes it clear that the group aims to promote religious tolerance at all events. He points out that the greek word Atheos “was originally used as a derogative term applied to those thought to believe in false gods, no gods, or doctrines which conflicted with established religions”.

Atheos’ first event attracted some 30 curious people.

TB: What motivated you to start up this group?

KP: Atheism and agnosticism seem to be quite reasonable academic positions; however there tends to be unnecessary stigma and misconceptions attached to these views. Furthermore, I feel that there tends to be inadequate representation of non-theists in the public sphere, especially in politics, but also on campus. The University of Guelph has a significant population of students who are atheists, agnostics and non-religious, however there was inadequate representation for these students. It was for these reasons that we founded Atheos.

TB: What would you say is the purpose of this club?

KP: The club provides a medium for inquiry into atheism, agnosticism and non-religious belief

Rashaad Bhamjee

A victory for Toronto university and college students in their battle for affordable transit gives University of Guelph students pause to consider low transit costs in Guelph.

But the new expansion of the student discount will still offer students discounts, although it

remains to be seen whether it will help the TTC’s long-standing funding issues.

CFS continued at the University of Guelph. Our main purpose is to represent those students who identify with these positions and provide an alternative to the numerous religious groups on campus, as well as to welcome anyone who is interested in discussing the presented subjects or taking part in our events.

The club is multi-faceted; we hope to dispel any misconceptions about the ethical, political and social implications of atheism, agnosticism and secularism. We hold a variety of events including movies, talks and pub nights to facilitate student involvement.

TB: How diverse would you say the group is academically?

KP: The academic background of the club is quite diverse. We have members who study engineering, science, math, psychology, philosophy, economics and music.

TB: Could you give an example of a discussion that might come up at a club meeting?

KP: Many of our discussions are friendly and foster community.

However, our more serious discussions have dealt with ethics; can an individual live an ethical life without religion?

In addition to the secularist campus clubs, Guelph has the Grand River Atheist Association (GRA), which also aims to serve the Atheist and non-religious communities of Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge area.

Atheos has not yet worked with this larger group, but shows interest in future collaborations.

<

CONTINUED FROM COVER

petitions have been filed to both CFS National and CFS Ontario requesting referendums be held on continued membership in CFS. The petitions are currently being reviewed and it will be determined at a later date if, when, and under what conditions the referendum in question can take place on the University of Guelph campus.

Of the motions being presented and discussed at the upcoming CFS AGM, one in particular has potentially significant implications for the University of Guelph. The motion, NO:06, which was put

Just because a motion has been served, that doesn’t mean that something is going to happen or that it’s not going to be changed.

Dave Molenhuis national treasurer, CFS forward by Local 78, the Carton Graduate Student Association, suggests among other things that any petition seeking a referendum be required to get the signatures of 20 per cent of its student body.

It also seeks to allow only two referendums nationwide to take place in any three-month period.

Some students at the University of Guelph have expressed concerns about certain aspects of this motion, specifically related to whether it would apply to the petition already filed by individuals at the University of Guelph. Under the current CFS bylaws, petitions are required to have only signatures of

ten percent of the student body.

Dave Molenhuis, the CFS National Treasurer, was unprepared to speculate as to the outcome of this motion at the meeting. But he said should the motion pass, it is unlikely to jeopardize the possibility of a referendum at the University of Guelph.

“I can’t presuppose what would happen as far as invalidating petitions…that wouldn’t happen if a motion [were to] pass,” said Molenhuis.

Molenhuis emphasized that the delegates are simply considering the motion proposed by the Carlton Graduate Student Association and not necessarily obligated to approve it.

“Just because a motion has been served,” said Moelenhuis, “that doesn’t mean that something is going to happen or that it’s not going to be changed so I can’t speculate at this point what discussion is going to transpire, or what students are going to decide to do with their bylaws.”

Momina Mir, the External Commissioner for the CSA, explained that in their pre-AGM meetings, the delegates have deliberated over many of the motions that have been proposed and are waiting to make final decisions until after they are at the meeting.

“We want to wait and hear other locals and what their concerns are,” said Mir. “It’s really how students are bettered from it or disadvantaged from that motion. I’d like to hear the rational from the [Carlton Graduate Student Association] themselves of why they’re even presenting this motion.”

THE ONTARION

160.11

ARTS & CULTURE

5

Le Cyc rides at Dublin Street United Church

ZACK MACRAE

“The only problem we had at Dublin Street was that rigging the screen took a long time,” joked Eihab Boraie, composer of the graphic novel bike opera, Le Cyc. “We had to get up on the balcony with our grappling ropes and large hooks.”

The screen Boraie is referring to provided the audience at the Dublin Street United Church on Friday with projected visuals of a bicycle dystopia that was seamlessly accompanied by an array of sounds made by a six-piece band with Boraie at the helm.

The Polydactal Hearts Collective, the group of seven Guelphites that wrote and perform Le Cyc give their audiences something to be interested in for the entire 70 minute performance. Although the sound inside Dublin Street was uncharacteristically flat, with some of the lyrics in the opera being lost in the mix, the 380 visuals afforded by artist Dave Willekes and the dynamics of the sound filled in the blanks.

“The style that I was creating music before Le Cyc, didn’t seem like the typical song,” said Boraie about composing music for the opera. “It usually seemed like I was doing some kind of soundtrack.” The hour long composition of Le Cyc provided a story line that you

could feel as well as hear. The jagged, sometimes avant-garde sounds that accompany the evil dictator Mis de Berm described his twisted and misguided thought in a way that could not be described through lyrics.

The idea to have a graphic novel bike opera came to Boraie and band mate Andra Zommers when Willekes was on a cross Canada bicycle trip. “It started with a few friends sitting around joking that all the pedaling they were doing could power a city,” said Boraie.

From there, the idea has blossomed into a collective that Boraie and his band mates remain humble about. Playing Dublin Street was a big deal for Boraie. “That was just monumental for me. I’d been to that church before and it’s probably my favourite venue in Guelph. I never thought I’d get to a point when we could actually get enough people there to justify renting it. To have a show there is very humbling.”

On Friday night, the performance of Le Cyc was epic. My senses were satisfied as Willekes’ images appeared behind the free jazz sounds of the collective. The story follows a man named Jean Paul who bikes his way to freedom from the rule of the oppressive dictator Mis de Berm who has won (by eliminating his

competitors) the democratic bicycle race elections 12 years running. The opera culminates in a dramatic and edge-of-yourseat bicycle race between the two opposing forces, with the music increasing the intensity and casting the audience further into the conflict.

In speaking about the themes of Le Cyc, Boraie was quick to point out that “there are a lot of things buried in Le Cyc that hint toward a certain cause or struggle. However, we purposefully made sure not to put a label on it. The overall comment we were trying to present is that no matter how good you have it, you should always question your authority.”

As the Polydactal Hearts Collective performed their last showing of Le Cyc earlier this week in London, they are excited to put the opera away for a little while and concentrate on something new: “We’ve been commissioned to premier a show at the Images festival in April. The Images festival is a crazy multimedia festival that goes on in Toronto,” said Boraie noticeably excited about the new venture.

The collective wants to explore their multimedia ideas further, this time with a shorter, more experimental piece. “We don’t want it to be a sequel to Le Cyc,” said Boraie. “It’s going

Olivia Brown

The Truscott Initiative panel discussion held at Rozanski Hall last Friday night. to be a totally different idea in both approaches. Musically its going to sound a lot different, and visually its going to look a lot different.”

Whatever it might be, I think we can expect something unique from the Polydactal Hearts

Collective come April. Boraie long-time Guelph resident ends on an appreciative note.

“Guelph is a community where Le Cyc can exist. In Guelph it’s easy to find a community of people that are willing to support your shows.”

body, I had to ask her advice in regards to how an artist goes about participating in an exhibition at a recognized instituation such as the Macdonald Stewart Art Center.

“We do quite commonly get the question, how can I go about submitting a package to the art center? A package consists generally of an artist’s statement, a covering letter, and 10 images of a succinct body of work. That would then lead to it being passed along to Judy and Judy takes a look at it and decides.” said Nasby.

When I inquired about the challenges of organizing an event as sizeable as “Beyond the Frame,” I realized how multi-faceted the process of co-ordinating and fundraising for a large event in any organization could be. “There are

many challenges along the way, the main things are with fundraising and getting corporate sponsorship, especially in a year like this one economically. That really is a huge challenge, and my part in that is to try and foster those relationships, bring them along, encourage them, so that when we do ask [corporate sponsors] to support the auction they know what we do here, they love what we do , and they’re already involved with us.”

I recommend that Guelph student’s check the center’s visiting hours, and take a detour next time they’re waiting for the bus at the bear. The Macdonald Steward Art Center is a definite resource, and possible source of rainy day escape.

I can’t wait to see what goes up for auction next year!

Gala Fundraiser event a success Macdonald Stewart Art Centre raises $67,000 REBECCA BENSON Last Saturday night, the Macdonald Stewart Art Center hosted their annual “Beyond the Frame” Art Auction, and on the night of the auction not even the co-ordinators knew how successful they would be. $67,000 in net profit later, they are thrilled with the outcome, a $12,000 increase from last year’s profit. Having been at the event myself, I can attest to the fact that there was no evidence of a recession in the auction room. It could have been the lure of a round of applause a bidder received once they raised their bid to $1000, or the obvious adoration that people felt for several artists in particular, the increase in the number of auction items, or perhaps even the auctioneer Jay Mandarino’s bowtie with attached flashing lights; either way the fundraising aspect of the auction was a definite success.

Everyone seemed happy to be at the auction, and happier to be bidding. Attendees had the chance to look at the pieces up for live auction, and to bid in the silent auction. Students from a local high school, Centennial C.I., donated cloth tapestries, contributing to

the event. Once the live auction commenced, I was surprised at how quickly the time flew. Before I knew it, the few pieces that I had been eyeing, including a charming encaustic, collage piece by Andrea Bird, were up for auction and gone to the highest bidder. Items ranged in medium, and artistic direction, from traditional oil on canvas landscape paintings like Linda O’Neil’s “Confluence,” to Elora artist John Kissick’s colourful quilt-like oil and acrylic piece entitled “I Feel Better (Than James Brown),” to a magnificent bronze sculpture of a telephone by the great Canadian artist Michael Snow. There were four artists in particular who drove prices higher than expected. Guelph’s Will Gorlitz sold “Aspen Leaves” for $6,000. The painting is an abstract piece featuring a trickling light blue brook, distinguishable from the richly hued dark background, speckled with four bright yellow autumn leaves. John Kissick’s piece sold for $4,250, while Guelph artist Cheryl Ruddock’s “Northern Flower, Yukn,” features a delicate, fragile, white bloomed flower with a butter-yellow guache background and sold for $3,250. A further two notables include Guelph artist Don Russell who sold a charcoal and wax drawing for $2,750, and Guelph

University’s own print making professor Stu Oxley’s “Untitled”, 2006, a monoprint that sold for $1,900. Other items up for auction included a distinguished list of wines, illustrated copies of books such as Margaret Atwood’s “The Door Poems,” a white pine bowl

by Doug Johnstone, and Raptors tickets. The live auction was lively and good spirited, a truly engaging event to witness.

Throughout the entire evening, the calm, cool, and very collected face of Aidan Ware, Education Coordinator for the center, did not betray the amount of work that she had put into the evening.

She revealed that planning for the event begins in the spring, culminates in the November auction, and is not truly finished until January. She stated, “It’s a year long process for me at this point. There’s everything from coordinating caterers, and getting corporate sponsorship, to asking people, and curating the show. Judy Nasby does the curating of the show, and asks artists if they’d like to donate a work to the auction. So it gives it that sort of weight that it’s an exhibition as well as being a fundraiser for the art center.”

The works for the auction were on display from Sept. 23 to Nov. 14. For the sake of the struggling artists of the Guelph student

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NOV. 26 - DEC. 2, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE

Foodstuffs has a big bowl of soup

THEONTARION.CA

Featured artist: Zach Cassidy

NICOLE ELSASSER Generally the changing of seasons brings along a change in diet. In the summer months our diets tend to reflect the wide array of options afforded by us thanks to nature’s bounty. Everything is fresh, everything is a bit lighter, and there is a heck of a lot of it. In the winter, the gears are forced to change as we become more sedentary in our lifestyles and seek comfort food as a refuge from the cold weather.

It seems that nothing is a better seasonal comfort food than a big bowl of hot homemade soup. Very little can compare with the feeling of being warmed from the inside out as you drain a bowl of soup with the help of a large spoon. The very act itself almost demands that the eater be swaddled in a large wool sweater and sitting near a window watching everyone outside deal with the cold while they are cozy and warm.

For students, preparing a pot of soup couldn’t make more logical sense. There are many recipe options out there to satisfy any taste, not to mention a pot of soup usually wields

Kyle Gillespie

A hot bowl of sweet potato and chorizo soup will cure your wintertime blues. many servings, which could mean having lunch for many days or the ability to share with friends.

When serving soup, it can be very satisfying when accompanied with a hunk of fresh bread and some cheese. If yearning for a departure from a plain bowl of soup, most recipes do well with some grated cheese or a dollop of crème fraiche on top of the finished product.

Take the opportunity that the cold weather presents, put on your woolliest sweater, and eat a bog bowl of soup.

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup (Inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients: 2 carrots (peeled and sliced roughly) 2 celery stalks (sliced roughly) 2 medium onions (peeled and roughly chopped) 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and sliced) 2 lbs sweet potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped) 200g of chorizo sausage (sliced) small punch of parsley (chopped) 7 cups of chicken broth 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large teaspoon of curry powder sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste) Directions:

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Put the broth in a saucepan and heat slowly until boiling. Put a large pot on high heat and add olive oil. Add all chopped and sliced ingredients with the curry powder and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the ingredients, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes with the lid on the pot slightly askew. This step will be over when the carrots are softened but can still hold their shape and the onion is slightly golden. Add the boiling broth to the vegetables and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sweet potato is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and let cool just slightly. Pour the soup in stages into a blender and, after making sure the lid is securely fashioned, pulse the soup until it is totally smooth. Pour the soup into large soup bowls and top with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream and some red pepper flakes. Enjoy.

Top: Zavitz Grey Bottom: The Best a Man Can Get

Within Zach Cassidy’s work there is a definite strength of intellect.

The works through there simplicity become dynamic and interesting.

Cassidy is primarily a video artist, though he works in installation (any project or work that is more than one object and each object supports an over arching theme or idea, and yes you can have painting installations, so it is not always 3-D works). What is most important is Cassidy’s interest in fucking with his audience. In both pieces The Best A Man Can Get and Zavitz Grey the viewer is subjected to mental and physical tests. In the case of The Best A Man Can Get, the viewer is transfixed on Cassidy removing a mustache one hair at a time, which is similar to a car crash, so gruesome, but you just can’t look away. In Zavitz Grey he tests the audiences intelligence by adding a new door, not a room but just a door. The door is very similar to every other door and fits so seamlessly with the building that you wouldn’t even know that is was not a door until you used it and realized you had been had, by art (art 1, you 0).

-Miles Stemp

THE ONTARION

ARTS & CULTURE

160.11

Welcome to the working week

7

What are you reading?

Anuta Skrypnychenko’s Work at Zavitz ZACK MACRAE Work. It’s something that we all have to deal with. Work sustains our habits and our well being. It can be a drag, or if you’re lucky, it can be fun and meaningful.

At the age of most students here at the university, work, whether it be summertime or fulltime employment can be a stepping stone to future endeavors.

Anuta Skrypnychenko, a student of the specialized studio practices class presents her exhibit in Zavitz this week called, Work.

Skrypnychenko installed 31 large format colour photographs of a variety of different people who live and work in and around Guelph.

Beside each photograph appears a description of each person’s current or past places of employment, handwritten and at times almost illegible.

“If you want to find out about someone you have to make an effort,” said Skrypnychenko, commenting on the penmanship of some of the faces on the walls.

As you walk into the gallery, you are surrounded by natural and honest portraits of men, women, students, teachers and plumbers.

The group of 31 were chosen by Skrypnychenko at random and represent a wide variety of the work force. “Its interesting,” said Skrypnychenko, “to see what people do to survive or to feed their passion. And to see where they spend their time when I don’t see them.”

Skrypnychenko strived to connect the viewer to the personalities on the walls by eliminating as many layers from subject to viewer as possible: the lighting is natural, the handwritten descriptions are personal and the photographs aren’t bordered in by frames. The interaction afforded

by Skrypnychenko creates an almost living discourse between the portraits, their descriptions and the viewer. From examining each, the viewer can get to know

This week, fourth year English major Andrew Townsend i n t r o d u c e s we b comics ANDREW TOWNSHEND

Rashaad Bhamjee

The closing reception Skrypnychenko’s Work is on Thursday Nov. 26th from 7 to 10pm. the person in the photograph, and find out what each person does to survive and prosper.

It’s interesting, if your walking through campus or the downtown area, it’s easy to see a person, asses who they are based on the clothes they wear or their general attitude,

all invest a large portion of our lives at a job of some sort, so why don’t we talk about it more when we are away from work.

“It’s fascinating to see what comes through in what people choose to say about their lives,” said Skrypnychenko, who for the

It’s interesting to see what people do to survive or to feed their passion.

And to see where they spend their time when I don’t see them. and then compile a false narrative of that person based on your own, often unfounded perceptions.

Here, Skrypnychenko bridges that gap for the viewer, providing the icebreaker.

The stories of the people in the portraits are personal and interesting. It seems almost fundamental, when getting to know someone that you inquire about their work. Let’s face it, we

last month has been working with a different person every day to compile her exhibit.

For her, the whole project was an opportunity to get to know people who before, may have been strangers or rare acquaintances.

It’s fun to go into the exhibit and recognize a person that you have probably seen around town and get to know what he/she does when your not around.

Sometimes … sometimes, I get word overload. This is a real problem afflicting (primarily) English majors named Andrew T. I’m serious. I get this all the time.

And when words get me down and I can’t handle things like “paragraphs” or “intricate prose,” I voraciously read comics. As a general rule, if the pictures-to-words ratio leans heavily towards images, then I am reading that comic.

Lately, I’ve been falling head over heels for two cute and hilarious webcomics. First, Bobwhitecomics. com by Magnolia Porter, follows Marlene, Ivy, and Cleo as they learn about life and art and school while attending Bobwhite University in Providence, Rhode Island. I go to University! I can relate!

On the other side of things, Nedriod.com by Anthony Clark is about best friends Reginald and Beartato and Harrison as they… do…things? It’s pretty funny, and

the main characters are a birdheaded creature, a tiny bear, and a shark-headed thing, respectively. I mean, in today’s bit Reginald and Beartato both got their heads turned into pizzas and scared Harrison!

Classic!

I have a secret theory that everybody reads at least one webcomic, at least semi-regularly.

If you don’t, then instead of proving me wrong, I recommend that you read one of these. It’s been said to death how unfunny newspaper comics are today. And while not near the spectacular work that was Calvin and Hobbes or Bloom County, Bobwhite and Nedroid are just two of the (literally) thousands of comics on the web. They are just a couple of the many sites where young, ambitious cartoonists are trying new things with comics, telling touching stories, and making me laugh so hard I shoot diet cherry soda out my nose. And I don’t even drink diet soda.

8

SPORTS & HEALTH

Exploding out of the gates MIKE TREADGOLD In honour of their late, great coach, the Guelph Gryphons track and field season is underway.

The 2nd Annual Zoltan Tenke Field Classic took place in the Gryphon Dome on Friday afternoon.

The event’s namesake honoured the Gryphons’ late track and field coach who passed away last December at age 81, just before the team hosted the inaugural event in his name.

“He was just an awesome guy and he had been here with me ever since we started building up that whole end of our program,” said head coach Dave Scott-Thomas. “Fortunately, he lived to see our first two (national championship) banners,” he added, referring to the Gryphons’ dual CIS championship titles that were won during the 2007-08 season.

“Because of the success of our distance groups in cross-country, it’s been a challenge to culturally get across that we’re really good in track and field as well,” said Scott-Thomas.

“Our women were second in the country last year and the men were third. And the year before that, we were national champions.”

The Gryphons’ season-opening meet featured only field events, due to the indoor track in the dome not meeting national qualifying standards.

As such, the Gryphon team took part in all of the jumping and throwing events, with the exception of pole vault, which did not take place.

Despite the small size of the meet, the events were a great success for the Gryphons. Two athletes, Dustin McCrank and Tim Hendry, achieved the CIS standard in weight throw and shotput, respectively, automatically qualifying them for the national championships in March.

The CIS standard accomplishment is based on the average of the top six best performances in that event from the past three years. There are usually no more than four to six athletes that achieve the standard accomplishment throughout the season.

NOV. 26 - DEC. 2, 2009

University tightens the purse strings Administration imposes one-year delay on construction of outdoor turf fields MIKE TREADGOLD

Rashaad Bhamjee

Gryphon weight thrower Dustin McCrank dominated Friday’s seasonopening meet, qualifying for the national championships in March.

“The standards are quite difficult to get and it’s highly unusual to get standards before January, because that’s when you’re peaking,” said Scott-Thomas. “Usually you don’t have your best performances until late February and early March. To come out of the gate and hit standard right off the bat is exceptional.”

High jumper Mike Lopatowski just missed achieving the standard

in his event, a level he is expected to reach later in the season.

Standard-achieving athletes, conference champions, and the silver medalists from the CanWest and OUA championships all automatically qualify for nationals.

The league intends for 12 athletes to take place in each event at nationals.

In the case of a tie, which frequently occurs in many jumping events, all tied athletes qualify for nationals, which could then see the player pool exceed 12 participants.

With an incredibly talented team, Scott-Thomas anticipates a healthy Gryphon contingent at nationals.

“With all due respect to our teams that won two national titles two years ago, these are our best teams ever,” said Scott-Thomas.

“We’re a deeper team than we were then, but we’re also younger. We’re going to be asking some 18-year-olds to be ‘high-end CIS-good.’

“We have an exceptional group of rookies. They’re exceptional in terms of talent, but I’ve also never seen a group of first-year (athletes) come in with this kind of hungry attitude, collectively.”

With a rookie group of no fewer than 30 incoming athletes, ScottThomas did not hesitate to name this year’s recruiting class the best in Gryphon history.

“We’re going to take a run at a title, and the exciting thing is that as good as we are right now, I expect we’ll be stronger next year.”

THEONTARION.CA

The troubling financial situation at the University of Guelph has claimed another victim, at least for the time being.

Last March, students at the U of G passed a referendum to increase their semesterly athletic fees from $34 to $38, with the additional $4 going towards helping to fund the renovation of the campus athletic facilities. Specifically, the student contribution would exclusively fund the construction of outdoor synthetic turf fields, complete with full lighting, as well as the renovation and reconstruction of the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre, which would no longer be a varsity facility, but instead, a health and recreation facility made available to all students on an equal basis.

The plan was ambitious, but the goal was magnificent. Finally, the Gryphons field hockey team would have a home field pitch. Finally, intramural teams wouldn’t have to compete so heavily with each other for playing time. And finally, the University of Guelph would be well on its way to upgrading its stale and deteriorating facilities to a point where it could compete with the other top schools in the province.

By a relatively slim margin, the students bought into the plan and the referendum passed.

As with any major project of the sorts, loans would have to be taken out; however, athletic director Tom Kendall had put forth a comprehensive economic plan that would see the students absorb the loan payments through their athletic fees. The project was set to get underway early in 2010, beginning with the fields.

Until the Board of Governors had the final say.

Due to the severe financial difficulties that the administration is currently facing, the field construction project has been put on hold for a minimum of one year.

“We were hoping to [start the fields] next spring, but now it looks like the earliest it will be is spring, 2011,” said Kendall. “The financial situation on this campus right now is so severe that I think that [the administration] doesn’t want to be in a situation where they have to borrow any more money.”

While the students would be absorbing the construction costs, as per the terms of the referendum, only the first installment has been received by the Athletics Department at this point. As such, the university would be forced to take out a loan for this project, with the payments, plus interest, being paid back over time by future student contributions, via athletic fees.

“Our project just came up at

the wrong time,” said Kendall. “It’s a situation where the university is not in a position where they want to borrow any more money for any project.”

And therein lies the problem.

With the university currently operating in a multimillion-dollar deficit, loans are at a premium.

Borrowing is generally discouraged.

As Kendall alluded to, however, this is not just a Guelph issue, nor is it specific to athletics.

“If we were the only people struggling, you’d wonder why, but I think everybody’s struggling right now and decisions have to be made that don’t always fit into your plans,” he said. ”You have to put this into the big picture; it has to be put into context and we’re certainly not the only department that is having these

The financial situation on this campus right now is so severe that I think that [the administration] doesn’t want to be in a situation where they have to borrow any more money.

Tom Kendall

athletic director

issues.”

“The university is pausing on any capital plan that’s not deemed critical for one year,” said VicePresident of Student Affairs, Brenda Whiteside. “I think that the Board of Governors said that it would be prudent for [the university] not to get into debt.

“With the fields, although there’s a revenue stream (from student fees), [the university] would still have to borrow money up front to build it.

So [the board] is saying to wait a year,” she added.

Despite the setback in terms of the fields, Kendall and his team are still moving forward with the second feature of the referendum – planning for the reconstruction of the Mitchell Centre.

“We are contracting an architect to do the design work on the Mitchell Centre,” he said. “We expect to have that company in place

by January. The design work will take about eight to nine months and after that, it’s a question of deciding when we’re going to start building.”

While the field delay is certainly frustrating, Kendall still managed to extract a positive from the situation.

“When we do move forward, we’ll have more cash and we’ll have to borrow less. I just don’t think it’s going to be more than a year delayed,” he said. “We will get this moving as soon as possible. Hopefully it’ll be

THE ONTARION

SPORTS & HEALTH

160.11

Natural, but beneficial?

9

Gryphons drop a close one

Weighing out the pros and cons of ‘going organic’ DANIEL O’KEEFE Nearly every supermarket and food store has a section dedicated to organic foods. But what exactly are organic foods? What qualifies something as being ‘organic’? And is organic any better?

By definition, organic refers to pertaining to or originating from living matter. So, in theory, all foods, regardless of the number of chemicals or pesticides used, are organic. However, organic has now taken on a contemporary definition. For foods to be classified as ‘organic’, they must be produced without most pesticides, synthetic or sewage-based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. As long as a product contains 95 per cent pesticide-free and chemical-free ingredients, however, it may then be classified as organic in some instances.

Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture. Buying organic is one way to reduce the chances that your food contains these pesticides.

Sir John Krebs

chair of the Food Standards Agency

Because of the numerous concerns about the methods and products used in farming, organic foods have attracted a large following. Consumers believe that some of the chemicals and pesticides may be unsafe, and that limiting personal intake of the substances in question would be in their best interests. When consumers began to follow the organic trend, there were issues with products falsely advertised as ‘organic’.

In an effort to ensure that everything advertised as ‘organic’ is actually organic, many agencies have created a definition of organic. Any producer following the preset criteria may then show the agency’s logo, and consumers can be certain that the products they purchase are, in fact, organic as advertised. The United States Department of Agriculture, QMI-SAI Global, the Food Standards Agency, and others have created their outlines for organic, and their logos may be seen on numerous organic products, ranging from produce to personal care.

Generally, for a product to be considered organic, it must

Pat Herman

include the following: it must be produced without the vast majority of chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers; it cannot be bioengineered or altered in any way; and it must be grown in a field that has not been exposed to any chemicals for at least three years.

Depending on the agency, some other criteria may be included.

James Cleeton, policy projects coordinator at the Soil Association, listed a number of features that comprise an organic diet. These features include: a reduced amount of toxic chemical ingestion, no ingestion of genetically-modified foods, a reduced intake of additives and colourings, an increased consumption of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants, and the potential to lower the risks of cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies, and hyperactivity in children.

The consumption of pesticides is of great concern. The present guidelines for produce allow the use of over 400 different chemicals.

For example, some types of apples may be sprayed with up to 36 different pesticides, no more than 16 times. Possibly the greatest issue is the ‘cocktail effect’. The effects of some pesticides on humans are known; however, it is impossible to know the effects of combinations of different types and quantities of pesticides. Some pesticides have been linked with male impotency, certain birth defects, and even Parkinson’s disease.

“Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture. Buying organic is one way to reduce the chances that your food contains these pesticides,” said Sir John Krebs, chair of the Food Standards Agency.

One definite positive of organic foods is the lack of additives and colourings, which have known links to allergies, asthma, and growth retardation.

Additionally, organic foods are never bioengineered or altered.

There have been no large-scale or in-depth studies performed on the effects that genetically modified foods (GMOs) have on humans, so very little is known about the consequences of a diet high in GMOs. Mixed results in studies about the nutritional benefits of organic food are quite common. Many studies have found organic produce to be significantly healthier, while others have found that organic produce was just as beneficial as normal produce. However, nearly every study has noted that the growing conditions, area, climate, and soil are variables that play significant roles in the nutritional quality of produce.

Organic farming carries some negatives with it as well.

Without commercial fertilizers and pesticides, organic produce is often smaller in size and yield. The quality of the soil is depleted as a decreasing number of nutrients remain in the soil. Natural manure fertilizers carry the risk of E. coli poisoning. Organic crops are easy fodder for pests because there are no highly effective chemical deterrents. Running a successful organic farm takes an incredible amount of skill, as many of technology’s most effective breakthroughs in agriculture are no longer usable. A direct effect of these limitations is a higher price tag than the same product grown with pesticides and chemicals.

Most organic foods cost twice that of their non-organic equivalent.

So, is organic food any better?

Considering the health risks posed by some chemicals and pesticides: definitely. With regards to nutritional value: maybe. Thinking about costs: not at all. The best thing to do is to become informed.

Do your research beforehand and learn about the pros and cons of going organic. From there, you can create an educated opinion and then decide if organic is for you.

Rashaad Bhamjee

Gryphon forward Jay Mott (centre) drives for a lay up amid a pair of Varsity Blues defenders in Saturday’s loss.

STORIES that helped shape the CITY by mike treadgold

photos courtesy archival collections, University of Guelph Library

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!FQHBTKSTQD #NLLTMHSX or as long as the city of Guelph has existed, there have always been markets to facilitate trade between farmers and citizens. When City Hall was constructed, it featured an adjacent market building, complete with a butcher shop and stalls for animals as well. Subsequently the area around City Hall, along Carden St between Wilson St and Wyndham St and down to Farquahar St became known as Market Square, which was where a great deal of trade and commerce took place. The current Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market building is the location where the animals were kept underground before being brought up to the original market. The animals were transported up to Market Square via an underground tunnel. This area was also used as a training ground for soldiers during World War I. Because of its aďŹ&#x192;liation with markets, Guelph was also the former host of the Ontario Provincial Winter Fair. Strategically located between Toronto and London, and north of Hamilton, the Provincial Winter Fair attracted merchants and observers from all across the province. The fair was held almost every year in the early twentieth century, despite the fact that the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto was gradually acquiring prominence.

The Guelph fair was halted in 1939 due to the beginning of World War II when the fair building was used for storage and as military barracks. The fair was not revived following the end of the war in 1945. The fair building was renovated in 1948 and was replaced by an ice arena, the Memorial Gardens, until its demolition in 2006.

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ith one of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earliest militias, the city of Guelph has always been an inherently patriotic city, sympathetic to our troops and always willing to help during desperate times.

When World War I broke out in 1914, there was an incredible sense of eagerness among Guelph men, with 115 enlisting on the ďŹ rst day. Guelphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous soldier was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, originally a militiaman, before becoming a ďŹ eld surgeon and authoring the famous poem In Flanders Fields, a poem which he wrote in 1915 following the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, while stationed in Belgium.

McCrae died of pneumonia while still at war in 1918; however, his birthplace, McCrae House, has been preserved in Guelph as a museum and a National Historic Site.

Throughout both World War I and World War II, citizens of Guelph did their part to help with the war eďŹ&#x20AC;ort. A familiar slogan was later tabbed, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;knit and do your bit,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; referring to weaving that was done at home to help soldiers overseas. There was also a remarkably successful fundraiser, led by Guelph citizens, to raise money to purchase a ďŹ eld ambulance to be sent overseas to help soldiers. The Guelph Armoury is still a signiďŹ cant (and utilized) structure in downtown Guelph, built in 1908 and used to house and train thousands of troops during World War I.

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ocietal questions surrounding equality between men and women in the postwar era were not exempt from Guelph. In the 1950s, staďŹ&#x20AC; members from the Ontarion as well as several men with a severe selfrighteous complex took it upon themselves to publish their feelings. The headline of the newspaper from Feb. 18, 1953 read, Women Here to Stay?? The ďŹ rst excerpt from below is a letter written by reader John Lee, entitled Women, Stay Home. The second is taken from an article written by Features Editor Keir Maybee.

In days of yore, man had two great advantages over women. He was physically stronger and mentally wiser.

Today, in this pushbutton world, physical strength is of no advantage, so competition between men and women narrows down to the ďŹ eld of wisdom.

In our world, everyone is seeking inďŹ&#x201A;uence and power. Men and women seek this in diďŹ&#x20AC;erent ways. Man by his wisdom, and woman by her inďŹ&#x201A;uence over man. That is why man was made wise and women made sugar, spice and everything nice.

However, a few women would like to lead their gender into a menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world where wisdom is power. They would like to become lawyers, doctors, politicians and executives in our society. They are unsuited and powerless in this competition and frustration and restlessness are the only results.

But women, you are powerful in your own world, for you have a great inďŹ&#x201A;uence over men. You can cause a man to devote his whole life to you and the building of a home. This is the most important contribution to any society. If you rock the world, then rock the cradle and be pretty, witty but not too wise.

- John Lee The other day, I heard someone complaining about womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights; I agreed with him wholeheartedly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a bit of beating.

It is my contention that practically every major disaster or crisis this world has had to face can be directly traced back to the shenanigans of a woman. ...A few fairly simple recommendations to the Union Council might help to return things to their proper order: 1.)

No women be allowed to eat in the dining hall until all men have ďŹ nished their meal.

2.)

Women shall give preference of seats, and if necessary, remain standing in buses when men are travelling.

3.)

Work parties from Mac Hall shall be organized to attend to the menial duties in the Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Residence.

- Keir Maybee

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t. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ward, more familiarly referred to as simply, The Ward, located just southeast of downtown Guelph, is now seen as a popular area of residence for many culturally-aware university students. As Guelphâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst organized suburb, it originally attracted groups of immigrants, speciďŹ cally Italians, in the early twentieth century. There were essentially three waves of Italian immigration to Guelph, the ďŹ rst occurring in the 1900s and 10s, the second in the 1920s and 30s and the third and ďŹ nal wave directly following World War II in the 1940s and 50s. At its inception, the majority of the land in The Ward was owned by local businessman and city councillor J.W. Lyon. Lyon gave away the land in the area for free to industrialists, and then subdivided the remaining area into residential lots, which were sold to the factory employees, many of which were immigrants.

During the early decades of the twentieth century, at least 80 per cent of Guelph citizens came from British ancestry. Nevertheless, the Italian community that settled in Guelph became signiďŹ cant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is still a very large Italian community in Guelph, especially in [The Ward],â&#x20AC;? said Wall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very strong and proud community in town.â&#x20AC;?

The Ward eventually contained a very distinct Italian ďŹ&#x201A;avour within the community.

Market gardens frequented residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; backyards and the European culture prevailed throughout the neighbourhoods. To this day, the Italian-Canadian Club still exists and every year, the community hosts an Italian festival. There is also an Italian vice-consulate who resides in Guelph and acts as a liaison to the community.

As the century progressed, other ethnic minority groups increasingly took up residence in The Ward and throughout Guelph. Particularly following World War II, Guelph saw an inďŹ&#x201A;ux of European immigration from France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine. Chinese, Jewish and Black communities had already been established in Guelph with landmarks such as the Beth Isaiah Synagogue on Surrey St and the British Methodist Episcopal Church on Market St serving as locations for congregation.

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uelph has always been known as a city where activism ďŹ&#x201A;ourishes, particularly student-aďŹ&#x192;liated demonstrations. Arguably, no student demonstration has garnered more attention than Gwen Jacobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s topless stroll through downtown Guelph in July 1991.

Jacob was charged and convicted with indecency, yet she claimed that a law requiring her and other women to wear a shirt in public was discriminatory.

Following her arrest, Jacob wrote for the Ontarion, telling her story and explaining her position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I cannot understand why male chests are socially acceptable and female chests are obscene,â&#x20AC;? she wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;According to section 15.1 of the Charter (of Rights and Freedoms), itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illegal to discriminate against people based on gender. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is that women are considered sexual objects,â&#x20AC;? she continued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As such, we may be dismembered by predominantly male industries and media, and our â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;partsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; used to promote things that have nothing to do with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;partsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in question.â&#x20AC;?

Letters to the editor and future columns concerning the story were exclusively in support of Jacobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activism as the progressive attitudes of the Guelph student population came to the forefront.

Upon appeal to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Jacobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conviction was overturned in 1996 and the law was changed, allowing all women to be topless in public in Ontario.

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights, gay rights and environmental awareness are but a few of the many causes that Guelph students and citizens alike have campaigned for over the years as the city continues to be a breeding ground for intellectual activism.

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he Albion Hotel has always been a popular hangout in Guelph, though it has not always been the restaurant and bar that it is today. Soon after its construction in 1856, the Albion acquired just the second liquor licence in Ontario. The Albion brewed its own beer, using water that was fed from a natural spring underneath The Church of Our Lady Immaculate. The Albion, like other hotels in Guelph, was primarily occupied by people who came to work in Guelph for relatively short periods of time. There were also other bars throughout downtown Guelph, but these establishments were heavily segregated. There was usually a room for men, separated from a room for women and their male escorts.

Women who did loiter in the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room of the bar were probably prostitutes.

As the prohibition movement gained steam in the early twentieth century, many advocates questioned whether people should be spending any time in bars at all. In an attempt to sustain the livelihoods of restaurant and bar owners, organized crime and bootlegging in Guelph became more frequent. In fact, there are rumours that Al Capone, the great American gangster had a certain level of aďŹ&#x20AC;ection for beer that was brewed in Guelph by the Sleeman family. It is rumoured that Capone sometimes visited the Albion, where he kept a mistress. According to certain stories, Caponeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mistress killed herself in the Albion and her ghost still haunts the building. These rumours, however, are just that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was more likely a Hamilton gangster by the name of Rocco Perri,â&#x20AC;? said Kathleen Wall, Assistant Curator at the Guelph Civic Museum and McCrae House. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at pictures, [Perri] actually looks similar to Al Capone and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty common knowledge that [Perri] would come up to Guelph to do business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are some people who swear to this day that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen Al Capone in Guelph, but who knows,â&#x20AC;? she continued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(But) itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very likely that it was Rocco Perri. Coming across the border wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make a lot of sense for Al Capone to do.â&#x20AC;?

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ike so many other cities that had experienced an economic boom in the ďŹ rst thirty years of the twentieth century, the Great Depression of the 1930s hit Guelph very hard. Businesses that had been instrumental to the development of the city were forced to close down and thousands of citizens were left out of work. To try and oďŹ&#x20AC;set struggles and stimulate the growth of the city, the local government enacted a number of Make Work Projects, initiatives that would provide relatively unskilled jobs for the unemployed class of workers. One particular project that still exists today is in Royal City Park, on Gordon St just south of Wellington St. The stone walls along the riverbank of Speed River were constructed by approximately 200 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; during this Make Work Project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each week, the City of Guelph would allow diďŹ&#x20AC;erent people to work on the bridge, to be paid in vouchers to cover the most basic living expenses,â&#x20AC;? said Wall.

The Great Depression also provided Guelph citizens with an opportunity to once again reach out in times of need to those who were less fortunate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There would be people going door-to-door through neighbourhoods, asking people to help out where they could,â&#x20AC;? said Wall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even if you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much, you at least tried to share because they had even less than you did. At least you had a house, whereas most of these people (going through neighbourhoods) were homeless, looking for places to stay and food to eat.â&#x20AC;?

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n the years following its founding by John Galt in 1827, the majority of buildings in downtown Guelph had a striking Victorian presence to them,complying with the grand architecture of the era. Over time, however, these buildings deteriorated and became increasingly diďŹ&#x192;cult to maintain. Joseph Wolfond was a land developer during the 1950s and 1960s who owned a great number of these buildings and he believed that downtown Guelph was in desperate need of modernization. Wolfondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s developing company, which employed hundreds of Guelph citizens, tore down numerous Victorian buildings throughout the downtown core, replacing them with larger and more eďŹ&#x192;cient modern structures. The Bank of Nova Scotia building in St. Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square is a result of one of Wolfondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constructions. With this dramatic shift towards modernization, however, also came resentment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The downtown development sparked the idea of heritage preservation,â&#x20AC;? said Wall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the demolition of a lot of these buildings, there were concerned groups, including one led by a professor at the university, Gordon Couling, who helped to start the local heritage preservation society. [The heritage groups] were concerned with the idea of tearing things down without considering their historical signiďŹ cance.â&#x20AC;?

Couling was the ďŹ rst chair of the Department of Fine Arts at the Macdonald Institute, one of the three colleges that would ultimately comprise the University of Guelph. As a lifelong artist and historical preservationist, Couling was responsible for designing many of the original stained glass windows in Guelph and other Ontario churches.

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he University of Guelph has not always been a singular body, but rather, three colleges, the Ontario Agricultural College (1874), Macdonald Institute (1903) and the Ontario Veterinary College (1922). On May 8, 1964, the Ontario Legislature amalgamated the three colleges to form the university. The amalgamation left students of the colleges wondering what sorts of change to expect. Some of their views were published in the Ontarion.

University status has ďŹ nally appeared to us as a very tangible development. True, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the evidence of a new university springing up around us, but we can at least use its name and speak of its future with some assurance. For the past few years, students of the three Colleges have used this as a favourite discussion point. Now we can see its emergence as a reality. ...Have you ever wondered what the students of the future will have to expect at the U of Guelph? ... For by 1970, some 5,000 students will be passing through these halls, and according to all reports, the ďŹ gure should reach 15,000 by 1980. ...The university is now the namesake of Guelph, and eďŹ&#x20AC;ective student-city relations are an essential factor. For 90 years, the residents of Guelph have considered the college-on-the-hill an isolated community, though the down-town (sic) businesses have reaped the beneďŹ ts over the counter. ...The future is very near and very demanding. By meeting its challenges, the students of the University of Guelph will create from the seeds of changing times, a forest of achievement and success.

- Don Winslow

12

NOV. 26 - DEC. 2, 2009

SPORTS & HEALTH

THEONTARION.CA

They may not look like cheerleaders…

On

tarion

MIKE TREADGOLD They congregate in an area of the bleachers directly behind the opponent’s bench, emblazoned in Gryphon red, toting paper cones, megaphones, pots and pans, and essentially anything else that can make the most amount of noise and cause the biggest ruckus.

For those who may not have seen, the Gryphon men’s basketball team has a new cheering section.

In a great show of support for their fellow Gryphon varsity athletes, members of the university’s football team, along with their friends, have made it their mission to make as much noise as they can at varsity basketball games, in an attempt to frustrate the opposition.

And so far, it seems to be working.

The supersized cheerleading unit made their first appearance a few weeks ago during the Gryphons basketball home opening weekend, strategically situating themselves behind the opposing Ottawa Gee-Gees team bench.

It’s incredible to see that, despite the football season being over, the opportunity to be a fan never ceases. They’ve emptied the kitchen cupboards and taken crowd noise to the next level.

When the Gee-Gees had the ball, the section hollered. When the Gee-Gees turned it over, the group howled. And when the GeeGees huddled around the bench, they erupted.

The Gee-Gees, looking frazzled, were forced to move their huddle away from their bench and underneath their own basket instead. Success! The noise was too great. Smiles crept upon the faces of other fans enjoying the

spectacle.

Effective?

A b s o l u t e l y.

Unsportsmanlike? No way.

This kind of patriotism, loyalty and dedication is what varsity sports should feature on a regular basis. It’s this kind of camaraderie that helps create a sense of school spirit, sadly often unseen on this campus, aside from Homecoming football.

But not only is the newfound cheering section effective, their methods are starting to spread and pay off. You can literally see the level of frustration on the faces of opposing players and coaches as the contingent of football players increases the decibel levels.

Similarly, you can also see the appreciation on the faces of the Gryphon players on the court and on the bench. The crowd excitement is an inspiration for good play, and vice-versa.

While the Gryphons may not be winning, they’re certainly playing an exciting brand of basketball, with three of their first four home games undecided until the final two minutes of play.

The crowd sizes are increasing and the buzz around the gym is encouraging.

Is this growing level of support unique only to Gryphons basketball, or a sign of changing times on campus? I can only hope for the latter; perhaps students are truly starting to embrace campus sports and establish that missing sense of Gryphon identity and pride for varsity athletics.

Even if you’re not a basketball, or even a sports fan, I can promise that the excitement that emerges from the gym is worth the price of admission. The Gryphons won’t be back in action on campus until after the new year. When it’s game time, come for the cheering, stay for the basketball. And don’t forget your frying pan.

Winless weekend

Rashaad Bhamjee

OUA all-star defensive tackle Grant MacDonald (front left) was among the loudest supporters in the Gryphon cheering section in Saturday’s game against the Varsity Blues.

Volleyball (M)

Volleyball (W)

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Guelph vs Laurier: 0-3

Guelph vs Waterloo: 1-3

Guelph vs U of T: 61-64

Guelph vs U of T: 60-68

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Track & Field

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Zoltan Tenke Field Classic Men’s Shot put 1. Tim Hendry (Guelph) 2. Owen Willems (Alumni) 3. Pat Szpak (Alumni)

Guelph v Ryerson: 8-2

Women’s Shot put 1. Meg Lowry (Guelph) 2. Tara Penney (Guelph) 3. Kelsi Hurlbut (Guelph) Men’s Weight Throw 1. Owen Willems (Alumni) 2. Dustin McCrank (Guelph) 3. Tim Hendry (Guelph) Women’s Weight Throw 1. Brit Herd (Guelph) 2. Meg Lowry (Guelph) 3. Katie Klodnicki (Hamilton) Men’s Long Jump 1. Guyson Kuruneri (Guelph) 2. Wray Hussey (Guelph) 3. Shawn Hind (Guelph) Women’s Long Jump 1. Tomeizel Barry (Guelph) 2. Meg Harris (Guelph) Men’s Triple Jump 1. Kevin Honig (Guelph) 2. Brandon Holden (Guelph) 3. Lawrence Adjei-Okyere (Guelph) Women’s Triple Jump 1. Tomeizel Barry (Guelph) 2. Emma Dobson (Guelph) 3. Julia Wallace (Guelph) Men’s High Jump 1. Mike Lopatowski (Guelph) Women’s High Jump 1. Julia Wallace (Guelph) 2. Emma Dobson (Guelph) 3. Jessica May (Guelph) Jasmine Douglas (right) of the Gryphons goes up for a reverse lay up in Saturday’s 6860 loss to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Douglas was a force at both ends of the Áoor for the Gryphons, scoring 17 points to go along with 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. (photo: Rashaad Bhamjee)

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The Gryphon women’s basketball team is still looking for its first win of the season, following a pair of weekend defeats at the hands of the Ryerson Rams and University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

In Friday’s game against the Rams, the Gryphons fell behind early and could never recover, losing 74-49.

Saturday’s matchup against the Blues was much closer, with the Gryphons (0-6) hanging tough right into the fourth quarter before bowing out 68-60 in defeat. In Saturday’s game, the Gryphons were led by 20 points, including six three-pointers from guard Alex Yallin. Jasmine Douglas had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in a losing cause.

Hardcourt heartbreak The Gryphon men’s basketball team dropped a pair of very close matchups over the weekend, falling to the Ryerson Rams and University of Toronto Varsity Blues. In Friday’s 79-74 loss to the Rams,the Gryphons held the lead into the fourth quarter until last year’s leading scorer in the CIS, Boris Bakovic of the Rams, caught fire, helping to lead his team to a comeback victory. Gryphon forward Jay Mott led all scorers with 31 points. In Saturday’s 6461 loss to the Blues, the Gryphons (1-5) again struggled in the fourth quarter, being outscored 19-13 in the final frame. Mott capped an outstanding weekend with 24 points for the Gryphs, leading all scorers, but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

Nail biters from the ice The Gryphon women’s hockey team came up on the losing end in a pair of weekend games, first dropping a 3-2 decision to the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday, before falling 1-0 to the Waterloo Warriors on Sunday afternoon. Gryphon goaltenders Diana Skoufranis and Chelsey Roy both played very well in defeat. Captain Dayna Kanis and rookie Jenna Lanzarotta tallied for the Gryphons (5-4-2) who will be back home for a pair of dates next weekend.

Four in a row After struggling out of the gates with a 2-5-2 start through the first nine games, the Gryphon men’s hockey team ran their win streak to four games, after a pair of weekend victories: a 3-2 overtime victory over U of T, followed by an 8-2 thrashing of Ryerson on Saturday night. The Gryphons (6-5-2) will play at home next weekend in a pair of tough matchups against the second-place Lakehead Thunderwolves.

THE ONTARION

SPORTS & HEALTH

160.11

13

Filtering fact from fiction Myths abound as questions about the H1N1 vaccine persist BRITTANY MCBRIDE Last week, I came across a hysterical woman being interviewed on television. She was advising myself, and whoever else was watching, to not allow their ‘babies’ to receive the H1N1 vaccine due to her own child’s adverse reaction to the shot. Aside from lacking ‘babies’, the air of panic in her plea was enough to make me think: how credible is this vaccine? Being the first pandemic in over 40 years, it is difficult to remain objective towards the bounty of information and public opinion turning up each day in the media, making it especially problematic when trying to sort out fact from fiction.

A common misconception is the notion that receiving the vaccine will cause you to develop an H1N1 infection.

Influenza vaccines are cultured in chicken eggs, providing an ideal environment that is both sterile and easily controlled by scientists. Within the egg, dead, viral particles are then added and grown to develop a non-virulent agent that will illicit an immune response, but is unable to cause harm in the body. Thus, it is essentially impossible to contract influenza from such an injection.

However, many people who have already received the vaccine are claiming to have indeed fallen ill to H1N1 as a result. These effects can be accounted for by

2

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considering the timeline of the regular flu season (the release of the H1N1 vaccine coincides).

Also, some side effects of the shot are often interpreted as infection itself. Featured in a Fox News interview this past week, Dr. Amy Ray, an infectious disease specialist out of Cleveland, Ohio attempted to dispel this

misunderstanding.

“Following vaccination, some people experience side effects like fever, which are not symptoms of the flu. Rather, they are evidence of your immune system responding as it should,” Ray said.

A lack in public confidence regarding the quickly developed vaccine and its lower-than-

proposed availability is also a sore spot for many, especially those who question whether or not it has been sufficiently tested in clinical trials.

“Clinical trials have been conducted by the national institutes of health and have been shown to be both effective and safe,” said Assistant US Surgeon

General Dr. Anne Schuchat. “The H1N1 vaccine has been produced in exactly the same manner as the seasonal flu shot, which people receive willingly each year without a second thought. This is simply a new virus strain, and a very specific vaccine composition.”

“I was very impressed with how quickly they were able to develop the vaccine,” said Dr. Peter Krell, a professor of Virology here at U of G. When asked about its particulars, Krell explained that every virus is different. Using H1N1 as an example, he explained that this particular strain of the virus has been found to grow much slower than seasonal influenza and also produced a lower than expected virus titer during the growing process. This helps to explain why the projected vaccine availability was much lower than what had been proposed by the government, discrediting the phishing scam notion that many seem to hold.

“You have to think back to the time when there was Polio. That was the first time that kind of vaccine was ever made and people were skeptical,” said Dr. K. Evans, putting an interesting spin on the vaccine propaganda. “Today, they have made so many vaccines that I’m not worried about the process.

They have it down pat.”

The moral of the story? Bad information is dangerous! Check out reliable websites such as the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and the World Health Organization for all your flu information needs!

COLUMN

The glories of masturbation NATALIE MALTZ One of the first ways you will begin to discover your sexuality is through masturbation.

Masturbation is a perfectly normal, healthy way to release sexual tension and, as long as it does not interfere with your dayto-day life, there’s no harm in doing it as often as you like. It is important to note, however, that you don’t HAVE to masturbate.

In some places people are still discouraged from masturbating even though this view is not as common as it was in the past.

We should not allow ourselves to be consumed by the wave of sexual liberation and force the view that masturbation is normal onto others. Like any other activity, the decision to do it is entirely up to you. Some people just will not have the desire to masturbate and that’s OK. Masturbation is a no-risk sexual activity when done alone, and a very low risk activity when done with a partner.

There is absolutely no risk of pregnancy or STI transmission with masturbation.

While masturbation is generally

considered an exercise for one, it is not uncommon to masturbate with a partner, or in groups.

There is no “wrong” way to masturbate. If it makes you feel good, and doesn’t physically harm your body, then whatever you choose to use to help you get yourself off is perfectly fine.

Masturbation is a great way to become acquainted with your body and what makes you feel good sexually. You can experiment with different speeds, pressures, or sensations on different parts of your body to gain a more intimate knowledge of your body.

Masturbation can be helpful if you choose to engage in sexual activity with your partner(s).

From your knowledge of your sexual likes and dislikes, you can communicate more effectively to your partner(s) those things that make your toes curl. Of course, it can also be thrilling to discover your body in a new way with your partner(s), knowing that you are exploring unknown territory together.

Some people prefer to masturbate with toys; there are a wide variety of toys available

that can be used to pleasure different areas of your body.

Feel free to explore your bodies with a dildo, vibrator, cockring, or some anal beads. One major benefit of masturbating with toys is that they can hit different spots than you yourself could not – heck, they could hit hot-spots you didn’t even know you had!

Use some lube to intensify your experience, with or without a toy and don’t forget, your mind is your greatest sex toy! Fantasizing about what makes you hot and bothered is a surefire way to heat up any solo-sex session. But don’t forget, if you are sharing sex toys to masturbate, use a condom (different condoms for different partners) and/or wash your toy between partners. You can grab some free condoms from the Wellness Centre on campus or ask any sex toy store about toy cleansers and maintenance.

Masturbation is a perfectly healthy exercise, and helps you discover your own body. It also serves as a risk-free way to relieve sexual tension, so long as you’re doing it safely and in private. Don’t forget:

masturbation can be used as a tool for self-exploration, the goal of masturbation need not be to achieve orgasm, although it can

help discover the best way for you to do so. Until next time, enjoy exploring!

OPINION

14

NOV. 26 - DEC. 2, 2009

THEONTARION.CA

Organic agricultre: is it going to stay?

POLINA BAM & ANNA MANCUSO Last spring, the organic agriculture major was among a number of “low-enrolment” majors facing elimination due to budget cuts affecting many departments at the University of Guelph. Of these, the organic major was the only one to escape cancellation due to the determination of students and supporters of the major. It was granted a one-year reprieve, but will come up for review in April 2010. The Board of Undergraduate Studies, a subcommittee of the Senate, will reconsider the elimination of the major based on a plan for the satisfaction of the following requirements: the provision of evidence that the major will attract sufficient students to leave the ‘low-enrolment majors and programs’ category; practical plans for teaching the courses after the retirement of Dr. Ann Clark; and commitments of short-term industry funding to bolster teaching resources while the program grows.

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, students concerned about the future of the Organic Agriculture major held a town hall discussion in order to gain a clear understanding

from the OAC administration of specifically what they need to see in terms of meeting the three requirements, since the wording of the resolution leaves it open to interpretation. Over 60 people crammed into a room in the Crop Science Building intended to fit 40.

Erin Carlson, a third year student in Organic Agriculture, began the meeting with a history of the Organic program at Guelph.

Carlson reminded those in attendance that Guelph’s organic courses and major were created in response to demand from the student body. She stressed that though the program is still young, it has shown significant and steady growth since its inception.

In January of 2009, five students were enrolled in the organic agriculture major, 16 are now enrolled, while a number of other students are in the process of enrolling, or intend to enrol in the near future. OAGR courses, too, have seen significant increases in enrolment in the last few years. The introductory course, OAGR*2050, had nine students enrolled in 2007/08, 16 in 2008/09, and now there are 31 students enrolled this year. The program now receives

weekly inquiries from prospective students from around the world.

Despite this trend, three of the six core courses of the major were recently de-listed from the 2010 course calendar. Some students were concerned that the program was not being given a fair chance to increase enrolment in the major and core courses, and others expressed concerns that the university has not done enough to promote the Organic major and courses to current or prospective students. Furthermore, they said, many students are unaware of the existence of the organic courses, let alone of their availability to students not enrolled in the major.

The organizers and those attending the meeting wanted to hear what specific enrolment numbers are needed to safeguard the major, how the problem of de-listed courses could be solved, and how funding obstacles might be overcome. Though the administration did not have specific answers to any of the questions surrounding these issues, they were open to hearing from others who had suggestions or opinions about what could be done.

Of the administration present,

Jonathan Schmidt, Associate Dean of OAC, was the first to address the students’ questions. He was careful to point out the difficult financial situation being faced by all departments in the OAC.The OAC is struggling with the problem of a 40 per cent cut to their budget, and the imminent retirement of faculty.

This is combined with a six year hiring freeze affecting the whole university. For the OAC, solving the deficit problem will depend in large part on faculty attrition. Plant Agriculture alone is obliged to lose nine faculty in the next few years, with just two being replaced.

A point made by several students at the meeting is the near absence of organic principles from any OAC course, apart from the core organic courses. Erin Harris, a third-year Organic Agriculture major, stated that other than in the organic agriculture core courses, she has barely heard mention of organic methods in her other classes.

As Carlson remarked during the discussion, consumer demand for organics has been growing steadily despite the recession, helping to make it the only growth sector in Canadian agriculture.

In 2004, the University of

Guelph was the first North American institution to offer a major in organic agriculture.

Though others have followed its lead, U of G remains the only institution in Canada to offer such a program. Through the town hall meeting, students aimed to convey the message that the organic agriculture major is an important part of the school’s curriculum that offer students the unique opportunity to integrate theory and practice in preparation for careers in a thriving new sector.

Though Schmidt expressed his respect for the opinions of the concerned students, the administrators present did not offer a position on whether or not the organic agriculture major should be cut. Professor Ann Clark, the director of the organic agriculture program, has been working on plans to address the specific need of the organic major for funding and qualified teachers. However, the onus is on students who want to ensure that the university continues to be a leader in agricultural education to convince the OAC and senate that it is worthwhile for the university to preserve the major.

The times have changed But it’s not too late to make a change ROB NELSON

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICINGACTAERESERS FOR REWARD

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

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I am a child of the 80s, a decade known for horrible hair, metal music and I would argue the last generation of kids to play outside. Like most Canadian kids of my era, I grew up in suburbia. The development we moved to when I was five was new and right on the edge of town, offering countless places to build forts, partially built houses to crawl through and fields to run in. Kids from around the neighbourhood gathered outside and we would amuse ourselves for hours. We were

Between 1997 and 2003 there was a 50 per cent decline in kids who spent time hiking, walking, fishing and generally entertaining themselves in the great outdoors in charge of ourselves and we did pretty much whatever we wanted until the street lights came on or mom yelled from down the street that dinner was ready.

Today’s kids grow up in an increasingly structured environment with more electrical outlets, less face-to-face interaction and a general illiteracy of the natural world around them. More time is

spent playing video games, watching TV and on the Internet than ever before. Between 1997 and 2003 there was a 50 per cent decline in kids who spent time hiking, walking, fishing and generally entertaining themselves in the great outdoors. It’s as if a gap has formed between the world in which nature exists and the bubble in which society lives. Failure to recognize the amazing complexity and value in nature results in a disconnect and separation from it.

This can be seen in a generation of kids unable to identify the species of tree in their front yard. What is worse is that they don’t even care.

To them it is not special, not unique and not valued.

Unstructured outdoor play is essential in the development of children. As scientists delve into this area of study it increasingly appears that our need for interaction with nature is hard wired into our brains, possibly a remnant of our evolutionary past. The benefits are far reaching from helping with attention deficit disorders to surgery recovery and immune system strength. Spending time in nature allows us to escape and rejuvenate.

Unstructured time outside allows kids to discover and explore, build social skills and intimately get to know the world in which they live.

This builds a knowledge base that will only benefit these kids and us as they grow and begin to shape society.

Some will cite safety as a concern to keep their children indoors. Initially this may seem valid but of the 194 amber alerts issued last year in the United States, only four percent of the missing children

were last reported outside. The urban legend yhat kidnapping by strangers accounts for over 80 per cent of amber alert is simply false; in reality statistics show a child is four times more likely to be abducted by someone they know than a stranger.

The great outdoors isn’t as scary as we think.

There is no catch all solution to remedy the nature deficit amongst today’s youth. However, there are ways we can help get them back on track, limited only by our creativity.

Outdoor education programs are a good introduction and should be used as a stepping-stone to encourage further unstructured time outdoors. Begin by showing our children and their friends what joys there are to be had outside whether it be damming a stream with some rocks, building a tree fort, an igloo or going on a hike. Get them started, stand back and watch them take over.

Education is the key and it begins in childhood. By failing to allow kids to get to know and respect their world we are depriving them of some of the basic understanding of how it works. Without time for selfdiscovery and exploration nature is a foreign place where misconceptions and assumptions will reign. Without knowing and valuing the world around us we will fail to properly manage it as we continually pressure it in new ways. Unstructured, outdoor play is a key component in human development. Its benefits are vast and may even help us save this planet. So get those kids off the couch and outside, and don’t let them in until the streetlights come on.

THE ONTARION

160.11

POLITICS

PETE

WITH

OPINION

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Missing the point on torture testimony Canada, Afghanistan and tor ture PETE NORTON A very troubling story has developed in Ottawa since last week. Apparently our military has been an accessory to the torture of Afghan detainees by Afghan officials. Upon the disclosure of that information the issue immediately blew up into a political firestorm, with the credibility of the testimony dominating the government’s response.

And just like that, the story has spun wildly out of control.

Richard Colvin, a former Canadian diplomat presently serving in the intelligence office of the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C.,gave an explosive testimony before the House of Commons special committee on Afghanistan last Wednesday.

He presented an account of his experience as a diplomat in Afghanistan for 18 months in 2006 and 2007, and told the committee that, in his opinion, all of the Afghan detainees the Canadian military transferred to Afghan authorities were subsequently tortured. Furthermore, all of his attempts to notify civilian and military leadership of the fact were ignored and he was eventually told to be quiet.

Those statements, however, lack credibility, according to Minister of

Defence Peter MacKay. MacKay claims that the statements are based on hearsay from second or third hand sources, or straight from the Taliban. He also claims he was never notified of Mr. Colvin’s concerns, even though he spent time with Mr. Colvin while visiting Afghanistan in 2007.

Those are indeed strange things to consider. What I find

in acceptance of those grim realities as being too bitter to deal with, the debate has become whether or not we should believe any of it.

Mr. MacKay has been deflecting questions on the testimony with the skill of an experienced attorney (Mr. MacKay is an experienced crown prosecutor), apparently thinking that the government’s position is somehow comparable to

We’re talking about a volatile subject here and the government has failed to demonstrate the capacity to investigate it independently and objectively. The government has in fact been actively blocking the investigation into our record of detainee treatment. even stranger is how Mr. Colvin ever got promoted to a senior intelligence post in Washington if his credibility was so deficient.

Amazingly, the problem here is not the implications of Mr. Colvin’s statement, but rather the fact that he has stated it. These are serious, troubling allegations. As much as it dismays me to say so, if they are true, they represent a major black spot on our international credibility. They undermine the hard fought and costly successes of our efforts in Afghanistan. On the whole, those allegations cast a shadow of doubt on our national reputation and cut to the core of Canadian values. However, almost

a defendant’s right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. He hasn’t even stated that Mr. Colvin’s testimony was blatantly untrue, but just keeps repeating that it lacks credibility. At the time the Ontarion went to press, Prime Minister Stephen Harper had yet to answer any questions and we are still awaiting for more substantial comments from our top generals.

Nor have we heard from David Mulroney, another diplomat who Mr. Colvin identified as one of the officials who tried to contain him. They will be speaking this week and offering the other side of the story. I don’t know what to expect, but I have to hope that

they will have a better rebuttal than plausible deniability.

Mr. MacKay has also suggested that Mr. Colvin’s testimony and the controversy around it amounts to a smear of the Canadian military.

I think that is completely unfair.

That is an exploitation of the sensitivities Canadians feel with regards to the war in general. No one has blamed the soldiers in the field or questioned their integrity, nor would any informed person deny that efforts were made to mitigate those prisoner abuses. It is an attempt to stifle any further inquisition by framing the issue as a matter of supporting or not supporting our military, to make Canadians leave the whole matter behind like it never happened, out of fear of being dubbed unpatriotic. Wanting to know the whole truth of what has happened in Afghanistan is not unpatriotic, and neither is giving a scathing testimony of your experience there, as Mr. Colvin has.

In the meantime, the federal opposition parties are calling for a public inquiry into the matter.

It’s a pretty costly and serious proposal, but in this case, it seems warranted. We’re talking about a volatile subject here and the government has failed to demonstrate the capacity to investigate it independently and objectively. The government has, in fact, been actively blocking the investigation into our record of detainee treatment. A government

investigation by the Military Police Complaint Commission has already been obstructed and discontinued.

Why has the government gone to such lengths of secrecy? If we have made errors in our detainee program, we need to openly acknowledge them; denial will not make us look any better. And if Mr. Colvin’s allegations are not credible, why hide from them?

Sadly, there seems to be enough truth behind those allegations to warrant what is looking more and more like a government cover-up and that doesn’t leave much choice.

At this point, we will probably need a public inquiry to get to the bottom of it.

What about the torture? The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, (who we once funded and trusted to monitor our detainees) has confirmed cases of torture, though not the specific allegation of Mr. Colvin that every one of our detainees was tortured.

But somehow this story has diverged from the seriousness of the allegations and what it means to Canada’s identity, and turned into a he-said-she-said-credibilitybashing-cover-up-decrying mess.

Most Canadians have probably already tuned out, thanks to the distastefully partisan portrayals.

But that is to miss the point.

We apparently need to be reconsidering our sense of moral superiority. Who takes the blame now is a secondary issue.

L OOSE CANNON

Returning to the scene of the (war) crime GREG BENETEAU Allegations by a senior diplomat alleging that Afghan prisoners handed over by Canadian soldiers faced widespread torture should not come as a surprise. Rather, they’re the culmination of a number of warnings that should have been acted upon long ago. Even thecannon has bones in its closet, rattling loudly.

In testimony under oath last week before a House of Commons special committee on the mission in Afghanistan, Richard Colvin said Canadian Forces in 2006 and early 2007 turned over hundreds of detainees to Afghan authorities.

Most of the detainees were innocent civilians, Colvin claimed, and all were likely tortured while in Afghan custody.

The former No. 2 diplomat in Afghanistan, who now works in Washington, also alleged that senior political and military leadership ignored his repeated warnings and even directed diplomats not to mention prisoner abuse allegations in writing.

He cited former Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier, who helped negotiate the 2005 prisoner transfer agreement between the Canadian Forces and Afghanistan, as one of the officials who failed to

act, despite evidence of widespread abuse by Afghan jailers.

Hillier has denied seeing Colvin’s reports, and at publication time, was scheduled to appear before the committee Wednesday to refute the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Conservative government has been working overtime to undermine Colvin’s credibility, painting him as a rogue diplomat and claiming there was no solid evidence that prisoners handed over by Canadian soldiers were abused. The government even blocked Colvin from appearing at a private inquiry for the Military Complaints Commission, which ironically led to his appearance before a much more public Committee hearing.

It defies belief that the Canadian government could have been blindsided by allegations of torture in Afghan jails when so many others plainly knew what was happening.

Michael Semple, former deputy head of the European Union’s mission in Afghanistan, has been doing the interview circuit in Canada, calling his former colleague’s testimony “entire credible.”

Numerous reports in Canada and abroad concluded that torture and abuse was routine in Afghan

jails, including warnings from the U.S. State Department, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and the United Nations.

Further, the original prisoner transfer agreement was heavily criticized for not giving Canadian officials the ability to track prisoners handed over to the Afghans or inspect jails, making the government’s claim of ignorance an example of hear no evil, see no evil.

Since the agreement was revised in 2007 to allow such follow ups, prisoner transfers were halted at least three times over torture fears – not exactly a rousing endorsement of the Afghan prison system.

The political fallout is proving difficult for the Conservatives to contain. There’s also the unsettling reality that, under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, officials who sent Afghans to be tortured could be persecuted, even if they were unaware of specific allegations.

On a side note, this must seem like déjà vu all over again to Scott Gilbert, a former editor of thecannon who has been furiously sending out emails to the University of Guelph administration and media since last week.

Last January, Gilbert was at the centre of a controversy for language he used in an opinion piece criticizing the university’s decision to honour General Hillier with its Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leader Award.

It defies belief that the Canada could have been blindsided by allegations of torture in Afghan jails when so many others plainly knew what was happening.

In addition to calling Hillier a war criminal, Gilbert wrote that having U of G honour Canada’s top solider was akin to “giving an award to Paul Bernardo for his exceptional work with youth.” The piece was later edited to remove the most inflammatory remarks, but the original version lives on in discussion boards and blogs.

Now, Gilbert is claiming a certain vindication. One email, titled “UoG honours war criminal

– epilogue” contained links to recent articles about Colvin’s allegations.

In another, he demanded to know whether the university would rescind Hillier’s award if he’s found to be “complicit in the torture of civilians.”

“Grab a copy of the Toronto Star today to see the words ‘War Crimes’ in huge letters. Was my use of the term months ago so unjustified and purely opinion?” he asked.

Individuals and groups have alleged for some time that Canada committed war crimes in Afghanistan. It still doesn’t make Hillier a war criminal, nor does it confirm the veracity of Colvin’s allegations. Such a determination can only be made by individuals with far more expertise than most journalists.

That being said, a full public inquiry into the allegations of an Afghan torture cover up is likely the only way to determine what happened and who is responsible.

Then we take the necessary steps to prosecute any guilty parties according to Canadian law and international law.

And to answer Scott’s question: if Hillier is ever found guilty of war crimes, I think the university should absolutely revoke his award.

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NOV. 26 - DEC. 2, 2009

OPINION

THEONTARION.CA

My interview with a grassroots storyteller LEAH GERBER Gladson Makowa, winner of the 2009 George Atkins Communications Award, has spent the last ten years entertaining, documenting, changing the minds, filling the bellies and spreading the knowledge of Malawians, as well as Africans everywhere. He’s not a journalist; he’s a Development Communicator, and I had the chance to speak with him last Thursday.

Makowa presented to a group of donors and students, and spoke about his experiences in Malawi while working with Farm Radio International and the Story Workshop. He played a recorded performance of his award winning script, “Manure the Magic Worker” for his audience, and together we listened and laughed as we learned that using composted manure produces better results during a dry season brought on by climate change, than expensive synthetic fertilizer.

This is an applicable, viable solution to a problem faced by many farmers all over Africa; and the main point taken away from the presentation was that the research was conducted

by the farmers themselves. This is grassroots taking root, and it’s quite empowering.

Says Guelph professor and Farm Radio board member, Helen Hambly, “Radio is not old technology; there is a renaissance of radio that is making a big difference in development work.”

After the presentation, I spoke with Makowa to hear about the heart of the matter, as well as his own involvement with education and entertainment.

“I just happened to come up with a good story telling program which makes many people laugh in Malawi,” he said.

The first thing to know about communicating to farmers is that they need reality and evidence, and Makowa knows the best way to give it to them.

“You can tell them how to plant maize, or any crop, but the only way to show whether it’s working or not is to give them a case study, the story of a farmer who tried that technology, and how it worked for that farmer,” he said. “It needs to be interesting too, so that farmers become interested… this way they can have pictures in

their heads- so they are ready to try.”

The programs have instant effects. Once, Makowa gave his cell phone number over the radio for feedback. Within half an hour he had over a hundred calls. Villages will continue to send feedback to the Story Workshop by mail whether they want it or not. The program’s radius includes millions of people, and obviously, they are listening.

Although the research of the small-scale farmers is not fully documented, Makowa is confident about the long term impact.

“I tell you, it’s unanimous” he says, “there are so many unexpected impacts, and many innovations which the farmers have come up with.”

For example, the woman who devised the foundation for “Manure the Magic Worker” got the idea from the radio in the first place. She was forced to come up with a way to make manure work when she lost her coupon for subsidized fertilizer.

Being a widow, she couldn’t afford to buy fertilizer at full price. Upon hearing about liquid manure on Makowa’s show, she researched the idea herself, and perfected the ratio

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But now apparently they’re heartthrobs.

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of the four-part Twilight series currently breaking records at box offices around the world, now is as good a time as any (maybe not as good as three years ago, actually) to ask ourselves, what the hell happened?

Twilight is the VIP of a seemingly unstoppable all-star team of brooding, effete bloodsuckers tearing through almost every conceivable media: along with The Vampire Diaries, True Blood and The Vampire’s Assistant, books, television and cinema are all pretty roundly spoken for, to say nothing of the amount of magazine covers the stars get. And in the grandstands, an army of teenage girls, fanfiction in hand, screaming for more.

But they’re not drawn to a righteous battle of good over evil as in the vampire books of old; it isn’t a desire to deconstruct different ideas of morality; it isn’t even to make themselves scared of the dark.

It’s because they’re in love with vampires.

Despite the fact that almost every vampire on Twilight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood is, for lack of a better word, a total babe, there is something inherently flawed in writing something which seeks to romanticize one of literature’s greatest monsters (slightly ahead of Frankenstein’s monster, but still way behind Ayn Rand) because, in order to do so, almost everything that made the vampire mythos so interesting and enduring must essentially be dismissed, or, at the very least, repackaged as interesting and sexy. A man wants to kill you and eat you. How debonair! How mysterious! It must be love!

At times it feels like Stephanie Meyer is writing the worst ever

In the next few years, as Malawi continues to develop, and farming continues to grow, perhaps more Malawians will have access to a T.V. with which watch the development programs. For now, radio is the best way.

“Take the example of myself: when I feel that a farmer somewhere is helped with what I broadcast, I am very happy. I feel I have fulfilled what I was created for. So my appeal is to fellow students who have some change of money. Two Canadian dollars can buy a chicken. That chicken can help that farmer to have manure, or eggs. I’m not saying donate to me, I’m saying, donate to the farmers in the villages. If you want to donate to communications, you can donate to Farm Radio or Story Workshop.”

Development is an ever changing field, and Gladson Makowa is one of the many at the head of this change.

“The major thing which the Story Workshop has done” he says, “is taught farmers self reliance. To make them think- I can do it, I can do anything, I can try this innovation; it is possible.”

A much needed wakeup call

A bad romance Or how I learned to stop thinking and love a vampire.

of water to manure in order to make it better.

This is also an example of how communication development does more than simply help farmers improve crop yields. Organizations like the Story Workshop and Farm Radio International change the minds of Africans by stimulating debate about ingrained social ideas like gender issues.

“All those things are part of the project” says Makowa. “It’s beyond agriculture. It addresses the farmer as a whole, all things that affect food security- HIV, gender, sanitation…”

So what is in the future for Gladson Makowa and the Story Workshop? The next phase of the Story Workshop is creating video to supplement the radio program.

The listeners would like to see the information, as well as hear it. This is a difficult task to complete since few people in Malawi have television sets. Aside from one television project about HIV, Makowa will mostly be working on a mobile video van to show their videos and reach many communities. They will also be working to expand radio access.

GRACEN JOHNSON & YVONNE SUE

you said you’re a vampire, right? sure.

guidance counselor pamphlet: So You’re Settling for an Emotionally Abusive Relationship. Because that’s all any of this is. At least Pride & Prejudice & Zombies had enough self-awareness to present itself as a joke.

In both Vampire Diaries and Twilight, it’s a female protagonist and a male vampire. Even with the wanton disregard for tradition and archetype (and wit and style and depth), there’s an inescapable power structure in place. The man belongs to a world that the woman is separate from, and the story is so thrust forward by the denial of the woman’s inclusion, but also her willingness to either sacrifice everything—to the very core of what makes her human—or even simply putting her life in jeopardy for the sole reasoning of being closer to a man.

It’s the kind of loathsome relationship dynamic that would normally be prefaced with something along the lines of “this is what it was like before women were allowed to be literate/vote/wear pants.” But served in the guise of fantasy, it goes down like a pill.

Once upon a time, a Canadian MP brought a climate bill to the table in the House of Commons.

Bill C311 would have Canada commit to science-based GHG reductions targets - the very minimum targets recommended by the International Panel on Climate Change to prevent runaway global warming and whatever craziness ensues.

However, rather than passing this Climate Change Accountability Act and committing to reductions of 25 per cent below 1990 emissions levels by 2020, Canada’s government has delayed the Bill and stuck to targets of 20 per cent below 2006 by 2020. Furthermore, there is no real climate action plan to even meet these modest targets.

Bill C311 is currently sitting in committee, simmering uselessly as the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen rapidly approaches.

At this conference 193 countries will be coming together to negotiate a new global climate action plan. Our government has publicly said that they will not be “pushed around” in Copenhagen to make any commitments. They are bracing Canadians for a train wreck and a storm of international criticism.

This is not necessary. A recent report widely publicized in the Globe and Mail revealed that Canada can meet the C311 targets.

What’s more, our economy would still grow, albeit slightly less than would be the case under the business as usual model. Most importantly, the costs of not taking action on climate change are far harder to swallow. The

report projected employment and economic growth in Ontario and Quebec under the ambitious target plan. Alternatively, our federal government has suggested that it will not allow the oil sands industry to receive the short end of the stick should climate action become a reality. Instead they said that other provinces would have to pay the price of meeting targets while the oil industry experiences unbridled growth.

Countries around the world are showing much more leadership, leaving Canada behind. Japan has committed to the targets outlined in C311 and Norway is even going for 40 per cent cuts by 2020.

Sweden’s economy is gaining from their aggressive climate policies and Denmark’s wind turbine industry has become its greatest export.

These are also northern countries.

There is no excuse for Canada not to be signing on to an ambitious reduction target at Copenhagen.

Ideally, it would be one that is science-based, fair and binding.

Canada has continued to be obstructionist at pre-negotiation summits earning it much international scorn. As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Stephen Harper went to an opening of a Tim Horton’s factory in Hamilton as opposed to going to a historical UN Climate Summit in New York. He will also not be in seen Copenhagen.

We need to be informed so we can engage in the critical decision making process that is going to shape our nation and our world.

Please take the news to heart and vote with your dollars and common sense. This is history in the making and you can be part of the solution.

THE ONTARION

OPINION

160.11

EDITORIAL

LETTERS

Don’t subscribe

Re: “RIP FEMINISM”? Really?

A picture says a thousand words, so we are going to try and let this one speak for itself…as much as we can.

As the Ontarion reported this week, the image you see next to this editorial appeared at the INSITE arts conference, an event held at the University of Guelph and put on by the Central Student Association Human Rights Office along with the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity and Guelph Queer Equality.

It remains to be seen if organizers will face any consequences from either the Human Rights and Equity Office or the CSA. The Ontarion will also wait and see the outcome of the investigations and faithfully report on it. We are not pointing any fingers.

But one thing we as a staff feel that we can comment on right now was the defense of the image.

What we found was an extremely problematic argument as to why there wasn’t an issue with that image making its way onto campus. It is becoming increasingly clear that individuals on this campus, not only INSITE organizers, are subscribing to the view that in the name of social justice and in the cause to combat oppression, the use of oppressive and sensationalist tactics is somehow okay.

It might be okay to them. It’s not to us.

Don’t simply subscribe because it’s a good cause.

Now lets take a moment and imagine that an image depicting the reverse had made it’s way onto campus. Imagine it was the Church in the position of what appears to be a lesbian wearing a dildo, and the lesbian was in the position of the Church. There would have been a public outcry.

By the INSITE organizers own line of argument, the only reason why this image is different is because queers have been traditionally oppressed by the Church for centuries. People need to be challenged, they say. And if slandering the Church along the way is the result, then so be it.

That’s a line of argument no one should ever subscribe to. As juvenile and simplistic as one staff member put it, two wrongs don’t make a right. Certainly they are right that people’s views should always be challenged; people should be pushed. But fighting oppression with oppression discredits the very idea they are trying to get across.

Don’t simply subscribe because it’s a good cause The reason why we are so constantly perplexed here at the Ontarion is because we support every single one of the issues we have talked about in our past three editorials; we support women’s studies as a discipline, we support the idea of affordable education and we certainly support the ending of any oppression against the queer community.

The tactics are another story. We

Courtesy

This image was featured at the INSITE arts conference Nov. 1315 at the University of Guelph. A complaint was filed with campus police. Information has been handed over to the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO). can’t help but feel that sensationalist tactics like “Fags Hate God” isn’t all that much different than a tombstone at the recent Women’s studies funeral that read “RIP Feminism.” What we see is an increasing “left” perspective on this campus that has become overtly self-righteous, sensationalized and, as we saw this week, regressive.

Don’t simply subscribe because it’s a good cause.

We can’t help but feel that an email we received this week by a concerned student saying that cutting WMST “basically discredits everything that has been accomplished in the women’s movement, as well as the gay and lesbian rights movements of contemporary society,” is part of this scary trend. It’s very probable that this campus helped foster this idea.

Don’t simply subscribe because it’s a good cause.

And what’s truly scary is that this line of thinking might very well be influencing some of society’s most impressionable minds. On Nov. 5 during the drop fees protest, a local high school student stood up and told her classmates that there was no debate on the issue of the need to drop fees. While we here at the Ontarion certainly believe that there is a need to increase access to higher education, what’s troubling is that a high school student could say in a public forum that a debate on an issue doesn’t exist. There is always a debate.

Don’t simply subscribe because it’s a good cause.

It seems the student who emailed us earlier this week got the email address wrong. If there was any discrediting to the gay and lesbian movement it was by INSITE organizers for defending that image.

As the individual behind the tombstone that gave the Ontarion pause, allow me to clarify the so-called sensationalist “RIP Feminism. Apparently, we don’t need you anymore.”

The message was not suggesting that without Women’s Studies (WMST), feminism no longer exists on campus. The intended message of the tombstone was taking issue with the very suggestion the Ontarion made -- that there is sufficient feminist content in other disciplines on campus that the loss of WMST is small beans. By suggesting that other disciplines adequately address the issues that WMST did, we’re being told, essentially, that we exist on a post-feminist campus.

So, a poll taken among your staff indicated that all other disciplines have discussed issues of feminism. Now that you mention it, I do remember when studying Mansfield Park in ENGL*2080 how we segued into discussion about how over fifty per cent of women will be affected by sexual violence, and the gender constructs that make that sad fact a reality.

Or not.

The once-a-semester discussion in other disciplines is not sufficient to replace a major.

To my knowledge, your editor-in-chief is a History major. Personally, I feel that all of the other disciplines I’ve taken have adequately touched on the subject of history, so by the staff ’s logic, history can go. Not to mention we use english in most of our courses, so that’s out as a major too. You play this game of reduction, and eventually all you’re left with is physics. The mention of feminism in other courses does not come close to replacing the critical analysis of oppression of ALL marginalized groups (not just women, not even close) in WMST. Now, if you’d taken Women’s Studies, instead of your other disciplines which touched on feminism “at some point”, you’d know that.

Veronica Majewski

When reading the editorial last week, I couldn’t help but feel like the Ontarion is stuck in a rut; even after a change of editors, it’s still obsessively criticizing the defenders of Women’s Studies. Oh, and it’s still getting its facts wrong.

The loss of WMST was not about the budget. The administration initially claimed that cutting the program was about money, but after the numbers were crunched and a slimmed-down budget proposed, the administration changed its tune. Suddenly the cut of the program was based on academic merit and the program’s refusal to become less political.

Another interesting assumption made by you, the anonymous author of the editorial

17

The Ontarion Inc. (my name’s Hannah, by the way), is that the WMST funeral was meant to change the minds of the administration. That’d be really nice, but we’re not delusional.

WMST students understand power dynamics, thanks. We also know how to write wellreasoned arguments and how to use the internet—we’ve already sent numerous letters to the administration but they didn’t work. Did it cross your mind that the funeral had multiple purposes?

For example, to show that we haven’t forgotten about the loss of this program, to let people walking past the cannon know that the program was cut, to create a space where anger and sadness can be felt and expressed, to experiment with different methods of getting our message out, etc.

What I found ironic about the editorial was that Mr./Ms. Anonymous isn’t against WMST or feminism per se--they’re just highly critical of those who fight for it. I have a suggestion: instead of wasting paper attacking a bunch of people with whom you’re ideologically in line, why not write editorials about some of the less well-known injustices caused by a patriarchal society? Now that would be useful.

Hannah Peck

Hey, friends.

I offer merely a short analogy for the “RIP Feminism” editorial that ran last week and why I believe saying “RIP Feminism” to be a valid statement that aptly gets our point across to those open to fun, alternative modes of activist expression. If, for instance, the quality of journalism in The Ontarion plummeted, and someone held a mock funeral and wrote on a gravestone “RIP Journalism” those looking at it would know that just because the Ontarion had become little more than a gossip rag extolling the virtues of the status quo, it wasn’t the end of journalism. Indeed, even if The Ontarion had become nothing more than a sounding board for the establishment in our hypothetical scenario, that journalism itself had not died, but a significant blow to journalism on campus had been dealt.

If one thinks highly enough of their funeral goers to understand that the funeral is a MOCK funeral, then it wouldn’t be unreasonable to deploy a little hyperbole. Just sayin’.

Anastasia Zavarella

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 Polina Barm Greg Beneteau Rebecca Benson Cara Campbell Kyle Gillespie Gracen Johnson Natalie Maltz Anna Manusco Brittany McBride Rob Nelson Pete Norton Daniel O’Keefe Terra Borody Sarawanan Ravindran Miles Stemp Yvonne Su Andrew Townsend

Guelph Queer Equality Events Coordinator Guelph NDP Youth Interim Treasurer

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.

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ACROSS 1. Openly declare 5. Like Bert and Ernie 9. Criticize harshly 13. Cleave 14. Take to the streets 15. Rubberneck 16. Where the sailors are 17. Bones (Lt.) 18. Canvas shelters 19. Ontarian endangered species (2 wds.)

21. Ontarian species of concern (2 wds.)

23. Entreaty 25. Zone or table 26. Graduate project 30. “____ it”, Jackson hit 32. Manicurist’s locale 35. Plant excretion 36. AA members 37. Love action?

38. Ontarian threatened species (3 wds.)

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THEONTARION.CA

41. Barley malts 42. Successful songs 43. The Lady, or the ____ 44. Canadian trading org.

45. Place 46. Salmon side 47. Quarterback Marino 48. Where to get bresaola 50. Ontarian threatened species (2 wds.)

54. Ontarian species of concern 59. Eagle’s nest 60. Id counterparts 62. Nucleus 63. Rotates 64. Memo 65. Fencer’s sword 66. Arcade classic 67. Lemon drinks 68. Act

1. Muscat native 2. Popular card 3. Done 4. Put on the bottle 5. Lurks 6. Church feature 7. ____ Alamos 8. Strike with 65 across 9. Trigger or Traveller 10. Kristin Kreuk role 11. Crafts’ partner 12. Hick hat 15. Daring display 26. What Andy Rooney does 22. Slightest 24. Gave up 26. Take out 27. Fixes, medically 28. English county 29. Plays musical chairs 31. Greek vowels 32. Fake 33. Flush game 34. Copycats 36. Irksome mood 37. Use scissors 39. Horned beast, for short 40. Spill red wine 45. Vaults 46. Shuts 47. Extremely anxious 49. Ham it up 50. Desperate breath 51. Take back: (abbr.)

52. DJ Davis 53. Lucy Lawless role 55. Performed well 56. Lariat 57. Native Manitobans 58. Give attention 61. The big guy

THE

WEEK IN QUOTES

It’s the same thing as a hate crime like graffiti.

Someone will complain and say that I find it offensive. They don’t have to label for it to become valid and you know the reason why it’s become an issue is because I found it offensive.

Brenda Whiteside associate vice-president (student affairs) on offensive posters

When I was in Egypt I’d have to bribe a few people to get me into this room on the American University campus that had a piano, and I’d pay this guy to stand on guard because I wasn’t actually a student there.

Eihab Boraie Le Cyc on composing music

Usually you don’t have your best performances until late February and early March. To come out of the gate and hit standarad right off the bat is exceptional.

Dave Scott-Thomas track and field head coach on the early successes of his team

LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD Whoops! The Ontarion made a mistake last week, and the clues for the crossword didn’t match up with the game board! We’ve put in the same crossword this week with the right clues. We apologize for the error.

The winner for the previous week is

Mark Sholdice!

Please stop by the Ontarion office to pick up your

2 Free Bobs Dogs!

Crossword by Krystian Imgrund

And bring in your complete crosswords for your chance to win!

THE ARCHIVES ...

“Then” from the Ontarion archives (1995); “Now” pi

THE ONTARION

CROSSWORD, CLASSIFIED & COMMUNITY LISTINGS

160.11

CLASSIFIED

19

COMMUNITY LISTINGS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES LEARN to BARTEND in one weekend on December 5th.

SmartServe Included â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Get certiďŹ ed and entertain families and friends over the holiday season!

Discounts available. Visit: www. happyhoursbartending.com or call toll-free 1-866-494-0979.

SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE! CAMP WAYNE FOR GIRLS â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep-away camp, Northeast Pennsylvania (6/198/15/10). If you love children and want a caring, fun environment we need Counselors and Program Directors for: Tennis, Swimming, Golf, Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Drama, High & Low Ropes, Camping/Nature, Team Sports, Waterskiing, Sailing, Painting/ Drawing, Ceramics, Silkscreen, Printmaking, Batik, Jewelry, Calligraphy, Photography, Sculpture, Guitar, Aerobics, SelfDefense, Video, Piano. Other staďŹ&#x20AC;: Administrative, CDL Driver (21+), Nurses (RNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Nursing Students), Bookkeeper, Nanny. On campus Interviews January 27th. Select The Camp That Selects The Best StaďŹ&#x20AC;!

Call 1.215.944.3069 or apply online at www.campwaynegirls.com New to Canada? Looking for work? Free 3-day JOB SEARCH WORKSHOP FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA. RĂŠsumĂŠs, cover letters, interviews, workplace culture and more! Contact Lutherwood at 1-866-321-4141 or jsw_info@lutherwood.ca

COMMUNITY EVENTS U ofG DANCE Club: Gala Night!

Performances, guest instructors, dance lesson and social (Salsa, Swing, and Argentine Tango). TUESDAY Dec 1st in Peter Clark Hall. 8pm. $5. www.uoguelph.ca/~dance or guelphdance@gmail.com .

Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLIFF) takes place at 2pm at Ed Video, 40 Baker Street. Join us for a selection of short ďŹ lms from Canada and around the world about the world of work and those who do it. Discussion to follow. Admission is Free! www.labourďŹ lms.ca/guelph

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MISCELLANEOUS EGYPT - FEB reading week10 days,$3300 from Toronto, ďŹ&#x201A;ight, visa, hotels, breakfasts, daily transportation, entry fees (TEL) 416-727-1040 www. egyptgrouptours.com

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26 Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council of CUPE 3913 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bathtub Project,â&#x20AC;? a campus toiletry drive for womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shelters.Drop oďŹ&#x20AC; donations of toiletry items for women and their children at the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council table, 9:30am4:30pm., UC courtyard Thursday & Friday. Information: e-mail cupe3913@uoguelph.ca.

Engineers Without Borders BeneďŹ t Concert â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music to Inspire Change,â&#x20AC;? to support short- and long-term volunteers overseas. 7pm (doors open at 6:30) at War Memorial Hall.

Tickets: $12 ($8/students) available at CSA oďŹ&#x192;ce or e-mail, klyle@ uoguelph.ca. Info: visit www.ewb.ca.

UofG DANCE Club: Gala Night!

Performances, guest instructors, dance lesson and social (Salsa, Swing, and Argentine Tango). TUESDAY Dec 1st in Peter Clark Hall. 8pm. $5. www.uoguelph.ca/~dance or guelphdance@gmail.com .

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28 Falun Dafa free qigong instruction.

Soothe the mind, heal the body. All ages welcome, no experience needed.

All ages welcome, no experience needed. 2-4pm. UC #004. Info: Mai 519-823-2422.

Barber Gallery - Forty visual artists and dancers pay homage to â&#x20AC;&#x153;la Convivenciaâ&#x20AC;? and the Olympic spirit with visual art, and dance. Show runs until - Jan 2010. Free opening reception & live entertainment.

2-4pm. 167 SuďŹ&#x20AC;olk St. W. (519) 824-0821.

The New Horizons Band Guelph will perform in the 2009 Fantasy Production of Christmas on Broadway at the Evergreen Centre.

Show times: November 26 & 27, 1:30pm, November 28th, 7:30pm.

Tickets/info: 519-823-1291 or visit www.gwsa-guelph.ca

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27 SOFAM concert: University of Guelph Contemporary Music Ensemble with conductor Joe Sorbara. 7pm. at Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, 358 Gordon Street.

Admission $5 at the door.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 1 The Munk Debates: Topic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Climate change mankindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deďŹ ning crisis requiring a commensurate response.

Speakers include: Elizabeth May, George Monbiot, Bjorn Omborg, Lord Nigel Lawson.

OVC learning Centre, Room 1714. $7 - purchase tickets: ONLINE@www.munkdebates.com.

ONCAMPUS@J.Scarrow x52661.

Astra Lecture Series Presents: Dr. Niles Eldredge â&#x20AC;&#x153;Darwin: Discovering the Tree of lifeâ&#x20AC;?. 7:30pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Science Complex Atrium, U of G. Free â&#x20AC;&#x201C;all welcome.

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

School of Fine Art and Music Concert: University of Guelph Jazz Band. Conductor Andrew Scott.

Manhattans Pizza Bistro and Jazz Club, 8pm. 951 Gordon Street 519 767-2440. $2 Cover.

United Way Disco Night 7:30pm at the Brass Taps. Dance to disco hits courtesy of DJ PK, win prizes

Saturday November 28th The Guelph presentation of the 1st annual

for the best disco outďŹ t. Tickets:$15 or $25/couple available in the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OďŹ&#x192;ce, UC Level 4 or call: Ext. 53868.

Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.

Exhibit: Michael Davey: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Overly Charmedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Runs until Dec 20.

358 Gordon St. at College Ave. Admission by donation. Tel: 519837-0010,info@msac.ca,www.msac. ca. Hours: Tues-Sun, noon-5pm.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29 Book Launch at McCrae House featuring Linda GranďŹ eld, author of Remembering John McCrae.

2-4pm. Free admission. 108 Water St. Information: (519) 836-1221 guelph.ca/museum Guelph Hiking Trail Club - Meet 1pm to hike Speed River Trail Section 3, Lake Road To Hespeler Dam. Contact: 519-836-5567, eve.

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 (Dec-June) Sun - Fri, 1-5pm.

Summer Hours ( July-Nov) Daily 1-5pm.

Diverse Students & Student of Colour Support Groups. Mondays: Drop-In 10am-2pm, Discussion 3-5pm. Tuesdays: Drop In 10am2pm, Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Discussion 2-3pm.

Wed: Drop-In, 10am-2pm.

Discussion 5-7pm. ConďŹ dentiality ensured. Munford Centre, Rm 54.

Contact: rmcleod@uoguleph.ca or x53244.

Visit www.sundaycinema.ca for more info on these Central Student Association events 9:00 pm door

8:00 pm show

8:00 pm

all day

csa book fair

CKS

BA PER

PA

99¢ - $6.99

Books for everyone: cookbooks, coffee table books, health books, how-to books, craft & gardening books, kids books & much much more!

Stock up for the holidays! live music Thurs Nov 26

live music Sat Nov 28

sunday cinema Sun Nov 29

e-bar | 41 Quebec | $12 | $10 with food item

dublin street united church

war memorial hall

Co-presented with KYEO. Tickets at the CSA OfďŹ ce.

Intelligent rhymes infused with hope, fun and gravitas.

68 Suffolk West | $18 UoG stu | $20 gen adv Tickets available at the CSA OfďŹ ce

$3 UoG stu | $5 general Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

courtyard sale

Mon Nov 30 to Thurs Dec 3 uc courtyard | free Mon to Wed 8 am to 11 pm | Thurs 8 am to 5 pm

8:00 pm show

Spyboof!Qpuwjo /<2 B63 5==2 :=D3:73A

live music Fri Dec 11 dublin street united church 68 Suffolk West | $14 UoG stu | $16 gen adv Tickets available at the CSA OfďŹ ce