The Ontarion Issue # 174 2

Thursday May 22, 2014

Issue No. 174.2

Simply Authentic: Behind the scenes with our local foodie

See Centre

David J. Knight page 3

MSAC: Spring Exhibits page 5

Guelph Royals Home Opener page 7

NEWS 3 • ARTS & CULTURE 5 • SPORTS & HEALTH 7 • LIFE 11 • OPINION 12 • EDITORIAL 13 • FUN PAGE 14

Issue 174.2 • Thursday, May 22, 2014

NEWS

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Under the Radar

MATTHEW AZEVEDO/THE ONTARION

Last week David Knight met for an interview to talk about his life, John Galt, and The Omen.

In conversation with David J. Knight The Omen by John Galt & the City of Guelph SAMEER CHHABRA Maintaining a career that spans three decades, David J. Knight has dedicated his life to the idea of heritage. His commitment to the City of Guelph has transcended the borders of geography and time.

The writer and archaeologist began his secondary school education in 1979 at John F. Ross CVI in Guelph. During the summer of 1982, Knight found himself employed at the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in Kent, England.

His love for archaeology was nurtured during his subsequent summers in Kent, eventually leading to his decision to major in archaeology at the University of Guelph. It wasn’t until he discovered that the archaeology department had been eliminated that Knight decided to change his academic plans.

“I returned [from Kent] just before [enrolling] at the University of Guelph,” explained Knight. “As I was queuing to register, [while still jet-lagged from my flight] I learned that the Archaeology department had been scrapped. I stood there and thought, ‘Well, I’ve always been drawing and painting,’ so I went into Fine Art.” Knight spent three years studying fine art at the University of

Guelph, focusing on studio drawing. In 1985, Knight went to London, England for a semester exchange program, where he lived in the former Guelph House on Albert Street in Camden Town.

“I returned to Guelph for the summer semester and immediately engaged in music through performance and the band A Single Voice,” said Knight.

“I have become increasingly involved in how Guelph is developing” Knight’s interest in music would feed his literary and academic career. His thesis for his master’s in Philosophy, completed in 2010, would be on the Archaeoacoustics of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy.

Following a small period of time working as a preparator at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, while also contributing to the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in the 1980s, Knight eventually immigrated to Great Britain, where he remained until his return to Guelph in 2011.

During his time in Britain, Knight worked at various archaeological trusts, while also finding time to publish his first book.

King Lucius of Britain earned

Knight the honour of being a celebrated Campus Author of the University of Guelph in 2008.

Knight’s return to Guelph in 2011 would begin his quest to maintain the heritage and nurture the legacy of his birth-city.

Beyond heritage, however, the city kindled Knight’s fascination in Guelph’s development.

“Upon my return to Guelph in 2011, I was shocked at how a [structure] like the Petrie Building [downtown] still appeared to be neglected,” explained Knight. “[By] starting the Facebook group ‘Save the Petrie Building,’ I have become increasingly involved in how Guelph is developing.”

Knight’s return to Guelph would also reawaken an interest in Guelph-founder John Galt, a Scottish novelist, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator.

“My interest in John Galt began many years ago when I learned he had been a [traveling companion] of Lord Byron,” said Knight.

“The more I read about Galt, [the more] I began to understand him as a [trans-media] artist.”

The connection between Galt and Lord Byron, the devotion that Byron showed towards Dante Alighieri’s work, and the fact that the White Guelph faction of Italy sheltered Dante all fueled Knight’s fascination with Galt.

“I discovered that while I had [been in Britain], the Italian city of Treviso requested that Guelph be made its sister city,” explained Knight. “Treviso has old history with the Guelph factions of the 15 th century…I hope

to develop some cross-cultural exchanges with that lovely city.

This Guelph-Dante-Byron-Galt linkage fascinates me.”

According to work published

by Galt, the name Guelph is dedicated to King George IV, whose family name was Gwelf.

The Guelph name, however, is derived from the Florentine Guelphs, who supported the pope against the Holy Roman Emperor. During his exile, Dante gained protection from the White Guelphs in Ravenna.

Knight’s intense fascination with Galt eventually led the Canadian author to republish Galt’s novel, The Omen, in November of 2013. Knight believes that the gothic novel embodies Galt’s vision of the future when he set out for Canada.

“It’s the gothic novel upon which rests an echo of what [Galt] intended for his new settlement,” said Knight. “The choice of the name ‘Guelph’ has, I believe, as much to do with the obvious connection to the then British royal family as to the more Romantic association with Dante and Byron.”

Beyond his work preserving Guelph’s heritage and history, Knight’s love for archaeology has enabled him to view a side of life that few would consider. Ultimately, Knight’s most important legacy will be his commitment to the defence of heritage.

“I [have] to remember that Canada is still a very young country,” said Knight. “[Canada] is only now beginning to work out how to save, preserve, and invest in its heritage.”

Students call for “trigger warnings” Students across the United States have submitted several requests for “trigger warnings” on specific material assigned in class, warning that the content could be upsetting or cause post-traumatic stress in victims of violent crime and assault.

Bailey Loverin, a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, was inspired to fight for campus-wide trigger warnings after a professor showed a graphic film depicting rape. Herself a victim of sexual abuse, she approached the professor to suggest that students should have been warned. Several academics are challenging the requests, arguing that professors should be trusted to set their own curriculums. Many believe that these trigger warnings would simply slap warning labels on famous literary works. Some examples of books that would make the short list for trigger warnings are Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” which contains anti-Semitism, and Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” which addresses suicide.

Marc Blecher, a professor of politics and East Asian studies at Oberlin College, and a major critic of trigger warnings, believes these policies could have a chilling effect on faculty members, particularly those newer to the field.

“Any student who felt triggered by something that happened in class could file a complaint with the various procedures and judicial boards, and create a very tortuous process for anyone,” concluded Belcher.

Switzerland rejects world’s highest minimum wage Swiss voters recently rejected a proposal for what would have been the highest minimum wage in the world.Under the proposal, minimum wage would have raised to 22 Swiss francs – about $25 an hour.

Supporters saw the move as necessary for a decent life, but critics of the plan saw raised production costs and increased unemployment.

The trade union-backed proposal would have ensured that annual salary remained above $53,600 per year.

Unions argued that the wage was necessary due to high living costs in Switzerland – one of the richest countries in the world – which does not have a minimum pay level, while lessaffluent countries, like Germany and France, do.

However, business leaders and government officials argued that low unemployment rates and high standards of living for the majority population showed no need for change.The proposal – was rejected by 76 per cent of voters.

-Compiled by Alyssa Ottema

54 NEWS

Green Party left out of debate Party leader looks to garner public support in search of an invite ANN WESTBERE On Tuesday, June 3rd, provincial party leaders Andrea Horwath (NDP), Tim Hudak (PC), and Kathleen Wynne (Liberal) will square-off in the only announced debate for the current election process. However, Green Party leader and City of Guelph candidate, Mike Schreiner, will not be participating. This is not due to scheduling conflicts, but rather to an issue of rules and regulations that plague both provincial and federal politics.

The Green Party of Ontario has had

candidates running at the provincial level since 1985. Growing in numbers and support over the years, the party grew to have candidates running in each riding by 2007. In the past three elections, the Green Party have received between 5 and 10 per cent of the popular vote. Unfortunately, in the electoral system of First-Past-the-Post (FPTP), this has yet to result in an actual elected seat.

In order for a party to participate in the leaders’ debate, they must have an elected representative in the legislature.

However, this rule can be by-passed if enough support is garnered, as was seen at the federal level in 2008. An exception was made in the 2008 leaders’ debate to allow federal Green Party leader, Elizabeth May, to participate.

Despite public support, however, she was not invited back to the 2011 debate. This did not seem to affect her popularity, as it was in this election that May won her seat in the House of

Commons, becoming the first Green Party MP in Canada. This means that in the 2015 election she will be guaranteed a spot in the leaders’ debate.

Schreiner is the second leader of the Ontario Green Party, succeeding Frank De Jong. He has been a member of the party since 2004 and became leader in 2009. The City of Guelph has had a Green Party candidate run in the last three elections.

Previous candidates include Ben Polley (2003, 2007) and Steve Dyck (2011). Schreiner officially became Guelph’s candidate in 2012.

While the stage is set for only three leaders to participate in the debate, the Green Party hopes that enough public support will help to by-pass this rule and land Schreiner an invite. As Guelph’s candidate, Schreiner will be participating in the local leaders’ debate, taking place at the Cutten Fields on June 2nd at 7 p.m.

MATTHEW AZEVEDO/THE ONTARION

Taken at the May 2 Rally for Democracy, held at The Red Chevron on Elizabeth Street. Green party candidate, Mike Schreiner was left out of the provincial election leader’s debate.

The effect of this election on education Progressive Conservative Party proposes education cuts in their platform ANN WESTBERE In unveiling the Progressive Conservative platform, party leader Tim Hudak

announced that in order to curtail the growing debt in Ontario, his party would stop spending in certain areas, increase trade, and decrease taxes.

Many Ontarians will appreciate the tax cuts, but it does come at a cost. The spending cuts that garnered the most attention were the 100,000 public sector jobs that would be eliminated, as well as proposed cuts to the education sector and social services. The party said that these cuts would be take place in the first two years.

While the cutbacks to the education sector would affect pre- and

post-secondary institutions, one of the more notable cuts at the post-secondary level would be the elimination of funding to the Ontario Tuition Grant.

The Ontario Tuition Grant was put in place by the Liberal government and came into effect in 2012. It provides a 30 per cent deduction off full-time tuition that does not need to be paid back to the government. Students in a post-secondary institution, who have graduated high school within the last four years and are within a certain income bracket, can qualify for the grant. Students who receive OSAP are

automatically eligible for the grant.

The individuals who stand to be most affected by this cut include students and their parents or guardians, who may be helping out with tuition.

Within the PC platform, there is also mention of policies that would expand Ontario colleges and make it easier for international students to work in Ontario after graduating. However, there is not much detail provided for this area.

The proposed cuts to the education sector have several student and faculty groups concerned about how students

will be able to attend post-secondary institutions. The Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), and the College Student Alliance (CSA) are concerned about the overall future of post-secondary education in Ontario. The student groups have launched websites to help provide election information to youth voters, as well as several resources and information on the current electoral issues.

U of G developed vaccine approved for human trials Dr. Mario Monteiro and team celebrate huge leap forward for study ALYSSA OTTEMA Dr. Mario Monteiro, of the University of Guelph’s Department of Chemistry, has recently been approved for human clinical trial for his potential vaccine that would protect against Campylobacter jejuni, a bacteria that causes gastric disorders.

Monteiro, who studies polysaccharides (or complex sugars) and their reactions on bacterial surfaces,

is one of the world’s only researchers working on these unique sugarbased vaccines. Monteiro’s research aims to protect both humans and animals from serious gastric disorders and other diseases.

The potential drug, which was invented at the university, is the first U of G technology to reach this testing phase. Monteiro and his team discovered a carbohydratebased antigen which caused mice to develop antibodies against a bacterium linked to gastric cancer. The vaccine itself is a conjugate, containing polysaccharides from C. jejuni.

Monteiro is also known for his work on carbohydrate-based vaccines – specifically for Clostridium difficile – and he has previously collaborated with Master’s student Brittany Pequegnat on such a vaccine against Clostridium bolteae , a gut bug which is most common

in autistic children.

Monteiro began collaborating on the vaccine with the United States Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) just after joining U of G nearly a decade ago. After years of hard work, Monteiro and his team reached their first success, when in a 2009 peer-reviewed study, the proposed vaccine proved to be 100-per cent effective against diarrheal disease in monkeys.

“It’s very rare that you have a discovery go this far,” said Monteiro in an interview.

C. jejuni is one of the leading bacterial causes of food-borne illness in the world, resulting in 1.3 million cases a year in North America and occurring at much higher rates in some developing countries. The bacteria also cause “traveller’s diarrhea,” which is a common problem for Canadians visiting developing

countries. No vaccines currently exist for C. jejuni, and as such, Monteiro’s discovery is particularly exciting – especially for Canadians who love to country hop.

On Thursday, May 8th, Dalton Pharma Services – a privately owned pharmaceutical service provider – announced the approval of the United States Federal Drug Agency (FDA) for Phase I of human clinical trials. The vaccine was produced in lyophilized vial form by Dalton Pharma, funded by a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grant awarded to Dr. Patricia Guerry – a microbiologist with the NMRC – and under contract with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine.

“We at Dalton are very proud to have played an important role in the achievement of this milestone,” said

Peter Pekos, the President and CEO of the company. “We look forward to providing continued support for the work of the NMRC and University of Guelph in the research and development of novel vaccines.”

Approval for the trial was received in February, and Phase I began on April 21st. Phase 1 of the human trials for the C. jejuni vaccine is expected to continue until early 2015, after which several other phases will take place. Human clinical trials often run for several years before they are complete.

“It’s cool – that’s the word I use with my kids in the lab – that something you made, other people want to take it, use it and test it to help people,” concluded Monteiro.

“It’s very satisfying that what you do with your hands, with chemistry, can have a positive impact for global health.”

Issue 174.2 • Thursday, May 22, 2014

ARTS & CULTURE

A selection of paintings on display at MSAC by University of Guelph MFA students Rachel Crummey and Laura Findlay

STACEY ASPINALL/THE ONTARION

Promised lands, abstract forms, and shipwrecks Macdonald Stewart Art Centre showcases spring shows STACEY ASPINALL Macdonald Stewart Art Centre is currently showcasing three exhibits, on display from May 3 to July 13th.

Toronto-based artist Robert Hengeveld’s exhibit, “promised lands,” occupies the entire main floor of the gallery.

Hengeveld, who was the artist in residence at the University of Guelph’s School of Environmental

Sciences from 2011 to 2014, incorporates technology in his arts practice, highlighting connections between art and science. “promised lands” features largescale kinetic sculptures; upon entering, viewers are confronted with a large green roller-coaster. A plastic coyote loops around the track, endlessly chasing a stuffed rabbit, forming a whimsical representation of the natural order of predator and prey. Hengeveld’s landscapes are recreated with movement and mechanical elements; in “unbridled rein,” a patch of turf is sustained with artificial lighting, and an automatic mower moves over the grass to keep it trimmed and tidy.

Inspired by the urban urge to create natural sanctuaries, Hengeveld harnesses technology to cultivate representations of nature that retain

a degree of artificiality.

On the second floor of the gallery, away from the mechanized whir of the kinetic sculptures, are two collections of contemporary paintings by current MFA students at U of G’s School of Fine Art and Music.

Rachel Crummey’s “Pharmakon” features the blob and the grid, and explores these basic forms in perverse and inventive ways using acrylic, charcoal, graphite, sludge, and other materials.

Pharmakon is a word with roots in ancient Greece, and its complex meaning refers to a dualistic role as both remedy and poison, or a drug, recipe, charm, medicine, substance, spell, artificial colour, or paint.

The titles of the abstract images in “Pharmakon” hint at possible interpretations, but also further complicate the subject matter rather

than elucidating a fixed meaning.

For example, one work featuring swirls of orange spray paint, in the style of street art, is titled “Sore Sore Sore.”

“You Sleep on Rubber Sheets” captivates with a colourful palette, but clashing colours vie for attention and forms intersect haphazardly. These paintings, collectively, navigate the potential disconnect that can arise when communicating through form.

Laura Findlay’s “For What is Sunk will Hardly Swim,” is rooted in nautical subject matter, but also employs abstraction to explore the limitations of historical archives and the practice of recreating past events through painting. “I am interested in histories of all kinds, from moments of great significance to personal histories that slip by unnoticed,” Findlay commented.

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Findlay was inspired by archival material connected to Great Lake Shipwrecks, and was drawn to “the tradition of nautical lore” and “the imagery of shipping communities.”

“My aim is to find a balance of representation and abstraction in an image to avoid producing a pure illustration or mere likeness of my source subjects. Instead, the interruptions in the image suspend the visual information and introduce painterly gestures as an expressive element of the painting,” said Findlay.

The first painting in Findlay’s exhibit is a large-scale canvas of a turbulent sea, captured with thick and expressive gestural brushstrokes.

Continuing through the exhibit, a series of smaller paintings, focused on nautical themes, present fragments of information, leaving the viewer to piece together the narrative.

The Weekly Review: Fantastic Planet 3 Surreal-FishHeaded-Aliens out of 4 SAMEER CHHABRA I’ve never been the greatest fan of surrealism. I’ve always felt that the strange colours, odd lines, and overcomplicated themes are confusing. Surrealism has always seemed like a strange way to examine reality; looking at an apple through a kaleidoscope lens to better understand the apple and the kaleidoscope has never made sense to me.

Fantastic Planet, a 1973 FrenchCzechoslovakian animated film based on a novel by French writer Stefan Wul, is an example of a surrealist mess.

Wul’s novel, Oms en serie (Oms linked together) was published in 1957, and Laloux’s film shares much of its themes and plot with its novel inspiration.

What the film does not share with the novel is a spectacular score by Alain Goraguer, surrealist cinematography

by Boris Baromykin and Lubomir

Rejthar, and a visual style created by renowned French artist Roland Topor.

Utilizing the unique combination of cut-out drawings in tandem with stop motion animation, Laloux and his team produce a feature that entrances, entertains, and challenges its audience’s notions of film and art.

The movie is weird and it is a surrealist mess, but it works in a satisfying way.

Telling the story of humanity’s pet-like enslavement at the hands of 100-foot-tall blue humanoid aliens with flippers for ears, Fantastic Planet examines the relationship between the human Oms and the flipper-eared Draag. Calling into question the nature of intelligence, the virtue of slavery, and the safety found in ignorance, the film defies the idea that any particular group should have power over another.

Oms come in two varieties: domesticated and wild. Though the wild Oms are shown to be free from Draag control, their ignorance of the Draag home planet and their stunning refusal to learn raises the film’s most prominent question: “What’s the point of freedom if you don’t have any

knowledge to utilize it?” Wild Oms, due to their uncivilized violence, are

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considered dangerous pests in need of extermination. Domesticated Oms are considered cute pets worthy of being dressed up in funny costumes.

The Draag-Om relationship is reminiscent of humanity’s relationship with nature; whatever can’t be

controlled must be exterminated, regardless of the virtues of control.

Laloux emphasizes this connection by portraying Draag cities as pristine utopias controlled and maintained by scientific achievement. Anything beyond the realm of Draag control is relegated to strange wastelands populated by uniquely alien flora and fauna, brought to life by Topor’s distinctive art-style.

Goraguer’s psychedelic score helps set the mood and tone for much of Fantastic Planet. Trippy guitar riffs play during the especially bizarre scenes, string chords play during moments of sadness and deep reflection, and percussion takes over during scenes conveying power and loss of control.

Due to Fantastic Planet’s unique style and the lack of strong emotion emanating from Draag characters, voice actor performances are generally unreliable. It’s unfair to claim that the actors deliver weak performances – the film simply renders the vocal performances irrelevant.

Much of the film’s plot is told visually and musically, with a sparse narrator providing explanation for

particularly confusing scenes. The film’s unique art-style and distinctive musical motifs make watching Fantastic Planet akin to reading a picture book. Baromykin and Rejthar’s cinematography add to the picture book motif. Scenes feature simple movement with far greater detail paid to the creation of a fascinating universe.

Despite the film’s successes, I have notable concerns with certain plot choices and the story’s conclusion.

I recognize that my gripe with the film’s ending is a result of the evolution of animated features. Animation today is a valid form of cinema that is more than just entertainment for children. However, the film’s simplistic one-note conclusion is weak writing, nonetheless.

Regardless of how strong a particular story may be, if the conclusion is weak and abrupt, the overall flow of the plot is irrevocably shattered.

Under almost every conceivable circumstance, Fantastic Planet is a brilliant film that withstands the test of time. That its conclusion disappoints its audience instead of satisfying them is a shame.

56 ARTS & CULTURE

Album of the Week

Style of the Week: Chelsea Broad

MATTHEW AZEVEDO/THE ONTARION

Chelsea Broad, an environmental science student was spotted in the UC and chosen for style pick of the week. Broad caught our eyes with her geometric, black and white top and colourful pink scarf.

This top looks great with a pair of highwaisted, skinny jeans but would look equally as nice if paired with a pencil skirt. The black and white patterned top would contrast well with a multitude of colours.

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Coltrane’s four-part spiritual journey inspires, excites and soars.

Through “Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,” Pursuance,” and “Psalm,” Coltrane’s cast of McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (double bass), and Elvin Jones (drums), created one of the most powerful and moving works of music from this century.

Jam space: musing on sound and culture Swans – To Be Kind ADRIEN POTVIN The release of the thirteenth studio album by experimental collective Swans, titled To Be Kind, marks the group’s third full-length album since the end of their ten-year breakup. Following 2010’s My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky and 2012’s The Seer, this brand new material takes their characteristically dark sound into new territories in the painstaking, sprawling two-hour runtime of To Be Kind.

Offering even a summary of the group’s history (and their influence on contemporary rock) would require a whole article in itself, but Michael Gira’s compositional style has flourished into one of rock’s few living geniuses since the group’s roots in the 1980s “no wave” scene in New York. A jarring binary between classicism and primacy is crucial to Swans’ music, and the first two tracks of the album, “Screen Shot” and “Just a Little Boy” effectively mark the importance of this binary. By setting the tone of repetition and dark, brooding sounds against flourishes of grating guitar noise.

To Be Kind is one of the group’s most literate albums - most evident in the staggering thirty-four minute track “Bring the Sun/Toussaint L’Overture”, an ominous, morbid pseudo-tribute to the Haitian revolution of 17911804. The droning bass lines and

crushing drums that hold the movements together are marked by sharp, noisy accents that envelop the listener, almost by force, into the sheer brutality of the piece and, by extension, into the brutality of the historical context. With regards to the “literariness” of the piece, there is a historical memory at work here marked by trauma, and addressing such a concern with the honesty and viciousness that Gira confronts it with is a difficult and admirable thing.

The second part of the album begins with the seventeen minute “She Loves Us”, and harkens back to the band’s

earlier work, as does the rest of the second side as a whole. “Oxygen” is perhaps the album’s most accessible song, and the penultimate song “Nathalie Neal” is an entrancing work of minimalist bells and pianos that grows into a bass-driven, gloom-rock powerhouse track. The title track that closes the record, “To Be Kind” wraps up the last hour and fifty minutes of material with a wrenching, gothic-tinged piece that sounds almost like an Edward Gorey book put into music. Again, a sort of binary is at work here - the chaos lurking under the surface of tranquility

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breaks out with little warning, and the effect is undeniably powerful.

“...dark, brooding sound...”

Altogether, the album is not an easy listen and is a difficult one to review; no different than (more or less) the entirety of their output. The songs are long, unbearably bleak – the narrative

techniques are shocking, and the lyrical content is often obscure and difficult to digest. But for the curious and empathetic listener, Gira and co. demand attention, and the reward is at once a sensually intense, cinematic journey into the purest of darkness, a landmark musical event, and easily one of 2014’s finest albums thus far. Swans has certainly always been a “thinking person’s” band, and To Be Kind offers endless rewards to those inquisitive (and/or brave) enough to listen.

Issue 174.2 • Thursday, May 22, 2014

SPORTS & HEALTH

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW AZEVEDO/THE ONTARION

On Monday, May 19 at 1 p.m., the Guelph Royals held their home opener at Hastings Stadium in downtown Guelph. The Royals achieved a 7-6 win over the Kitchener Panthers, a strong start to the season that left fans smiling.

Science Avenue: stem cells The cells that stem and supply our cells SAMEER CHHABRA I’m a Psychology and English student, and I love science. Whether it’s physics, chemistry, or biology, I love the methodology, I love the sense of learning, and I love the feeling of discovery. The only problem is that I don’t seem to be very good at science. What I am good at, however, is writing and explaining things that I’ve learned - which is the idea behind Science Avenue.

Every issue, I’ll write about a different scientific or technological concept and attempt to answer four questions: What is X? How does X work? Why is X important? What is the future of X? My goal is to try to spread a basic understanding of how the universe fits together for anyone who’s ever looked to the stars and wondered, “How?” What are stem cells?

Complex problems are only ever complicated when one observes them from a distance. The most detailed and elaborate puzzles only ever seem confusing when you try to understand what each part does as a whole. So, what are stem cells?

They’re undifferentiated biological cells that can become specialized cells, divide to make more specialized cells, and divide to make more stem cells. A stem cell is merely a cell that has no speciality; unlike brain cells in the nervous system, or blood

cells in the circulatory system, stem cells have no purpose other than to make specialized cells and more stem cells.

How do stem cells work?

There are two “types” of stem cells, and both can create specialized daughter cells and more stem cells.

Adult stem cells are somatic (body)

more stem cell. The daughter cell is a specialized (differentiated) cell, while the stem cell is an unspecialized (undifferentiated) adult stem cell.

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) are so named because they are gathered from organisms during the embryonic stage of development. Unlike adult stem cells, ESCs are capable

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This week, Science Avenue answers questions regarding stem cells – what they are and what they do. cells that are found throughout the body, and are found in children and adults despite their name. The “adult” in adult stem cells actually refers to the cell’s ability to create specialized cells and stem cells. Typically, when an adult stem cell divides, it makes one “daughter” cell and one

of dividing into any of three kinds of somatic cells. This means that ESCs are quite literally capable of becoming any kind of cell in the entire body. An ESC’s ability to divide into any kind of cell is called pluripotency; ESCs are considered pluripotent.

Why are stem cells important?

Stem cells aid in the formation, maintenance, and regeneration of somatic cells, tissues, and organs.

The 20 000 or so stem cells that every human is born with are more than capable of dividing themselves to death, despite the fact that every adult stem cell forms another adult stem cell during cell division. Furthermore, ESCs, with their ability to become any kind of somatic cell, could lead to aiding sufferers of diabetes, severe heart conditions, and nervous system deficiencies, and even make it possible to clone organs.

If harnessed and understood, stem cells could make it possible for patients on transplant lists to receive organ donations from themselves.

Doctors would simply need to coerce stem cells to become cells that form lungs, livers, or hearts and transplant the organs.

However, controversy surrounds ESCs because they are normally only gathered from undeveloped embryos and umbilical cord blood immediately following birth. Ultimately, the chief controversy with stem cells has nothing to do with biology and everything to do with the conceptual question of “When does life begin?”

What is the future of stem cells?

In 2006, researchers Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurden began work on artificially causing regular somatic cells to differentiate into stem cells. Through a combined manipulation of genes and transcription factors (the passing down of different gene properties), Yamanaka and Gurden were able to create Induced Pluripotent

Stem Cells (IPSC).

Yamanaka and Gurden’s research earned them the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 2012, and for some time, the scientific community (and lots of members outside the scientific community) was ecstatic about the possibilities.

Pluripotent cells created in an artificial environment with absolutely no need to harvest stem cells from embryos or placentas. These are cells that we can transplant so degenerative illnesses can meet their match - a possible solution to Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

However, IPSCs, much like all stem cells transplanted in test subjects, are potentially tumorigenic.

Simply put, IPSCs have been shown to cause a special kind of somatic rejection, known in layman terms as the peculiar formation of cancerous tumours.

Researchers Chung et al. published a paper in the journal Cell Stem Cell on April 17, 2014 that described a process in which somatic cell nuclei (the nucleus is the brain of a cell) could be transplanted into oocytes (the egg released during the female reproductive cycle) and manipulated to form embryonic stem cells. The research has yet to show any meaningful results with mature human cells. However, the test subjects transplanted with stem cells have also shown no signs of tumours.

If Chung et al.’s research continues, science may soon come upon a safe method of creating stem cells that avoids the pesky cancer problem.

Simply Authentic: diary of a local foodie Behind the scenes with Emily Jones, our local foodie and editor-in-chief Article by Emily Jones with photos by Matthew Azevedo On a very cool Victoria Day long weekend, the Guelph Farmer’s Market was bustling as usual. I made my trip downtown to get ingredients for this week’s meals and found enjoyment beginning my Saturday in my very favourite way. As usual, the Farmer’s Market fuels my imagination and gives me inspiration for new and exciting recipes while also allowing me to continue making old favourites. This week, you get an inside peak of “Simply authentic: diary of a local foodie” – enjoy spending some time in my weekly adventure at the market and in my kitchen.

Mango, Avocado & Black Bean Salad This simple and delicious fresh salad is a new creation and a new-found favourite for the summer months! First, rinse a can of black beans, then chop up a ¼ of a red onion and place the ingredients in a glass bowl. Next, mince one clove of garlic, slice and cube one avocado, and peel and cube one ripe mango and add them into the bowl. Then, chop up fresh parsley and cilantro and sprinkle them onto the rest of the ingredients. Lastly, add a dash of salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Mix everything together and let the flavours come together for a half hour – serve and be ready to be satisfied.

Shopping List: •Mango •Avocado •Garlic •Red onion •Lemon •Salt and pepper •Cilantro •Parsley •Black beans

Pesto Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomatoes and Feta One of my all-time favourites – this is sure to be a crowd pleaser at summertime BBQs. First, boil pasta (I prefer farfalle or penne). Once the pasta reaches al dente, strain and rinse with the noodles with cool water to stop the cooking process. While you are waiting, it is quick to finish the rest of the prep – all you need to do is get your pesto ready, slice sundried tomatoes, slice a few leaves of fresh basil, and crumble some fresh feta cheese. Once the pasta has cooled, you are ready to mix in a large bowl the pasta, a few tablespoons of pesto, the sundried tomatoes, and the crumbled feta. I often like to add marinated artichoke hearts and kalamata olives, as well – it’s all preference. Stir together and enjoy!

Shopping List: •Pasta •Pesto •Basil •Sundried tomatoes •Feta •Artichoke hearts •Kalamata olives

10

SPORTS & HEALTH

Guelph lineman selected 22nd in CFL Draft Profiling Jeff Finley and his selection by the Montreal Alouettes Emilio Ghloum Jeff Finley, representing the Guelph Gryphons, had a spectacular season, recording 54 tackles throughout. The defensive lineman was the only Gryphon to be selected in the CFL draft this year, and Finley is the highest drafted Gryphon since Rob Maver in 2010. Leading the CIS in rushing yards allowed, Finley was a crucial component to the Gryphons’ defence this past season.

The 6-foot-3, 260lb defensive linesman was selected 4th in the third round and 22nd overall. This year’s draft heavily favoured defensive linesman, with a majority of the selections (18) being of that position, followed by 8 selections of offensive linesman. The University of Montreal and Laval University

had the most players drafted, with 6 a piece, followed by the University of Manitoba, with 5 draftees.

Finley was an integral part of the Gryphons’ defence, which ranked among the best in the CIS. The defensive Gryphons team finished second in the league, with 15 defensive interceptions, and third overall in both sacks and defensive touchdowns. These impressive stats by the defensive line were a major contributor to the Gryphons’ success this past season.

Finishing third in the East Division, the Montreal Alouettes seem to be looking fortify their defensive line with the selection of Finley. Chip Cox, an eight year veteran linebacker on the Alouettes, led the CFL with 114 tackles in 2013 and the fourth highest number of sacks with 12. Cox has enormous influence on the Montreal defensive line, and will be given the chance to mentor and help Finely with his transition into the CFL. Finley will attend the Montreal training camp within the upcoming weeks, which will determine whether or not he will make the main roster.

Training camps for rookies can be rigorous and stressful, attempting to see which players will mesh with the

team dynamic and which will falter. If the Alouettes add Finley to the main roster after training camp, he will be travelling with the team in Montreal.

However, if Finley is chosen for the practice roster, he will remain at the

University of Guelph.

The Montreal Alouettes begin their 2014 season opener with an away game on June 14th against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Alouettes are looking to surmount the Tiger-Cats,

Kyle Rodriguez

Jeff Findlay, seen in the photo above, was drafted 22nd in this years CFL draft.

Memory loss in mice linked to neurogenesis Link between post-memory neurogenesis and memory retention Sameer Chhabra A study published in the journal Science on May 9, 2014 has suggested that memory loss in mice is linked to the formation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus region of the brain. The study, whose findings claim that neurogenesis in white mice leads to reduced memory retention, was published by researchers Katherine G. Akers et al. at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Increasing neurogenesis after the formation of a memory was sufficient to induce forgetting in adult mice,” explains the study’s abstract.

“By contrast, during infancy, when hippocampal neurogenesis levels are high and freshly generated memories tend to be rapidly forgotten, decreasing neurogenesis after memory formation mitigated forgetting.”

To test the ability of white mice to retain memory, an electric shock conditioning task was utilized. Mice were placed in a box and given electric shocks to determine how long the mice showed fear behaviour. Adult mice were capable of remembering fear for over a month, whereas young mice were unable to remember fear after a day of conditioning.

Adult mice were given medication that boosted neuron proliferation like Prozac to investigate whether neurogenesis is responsible for forgetfulness in young mice. The Akers team learned that an increase in neurogenesis was responsible for an increase in forgetful behaviour during the shock test.

In mice, much like in humans, neurons are continuously replaced from birth in a process known as neurogenesis. Neurogenesis occurs in a part of the brain specialized for memory, known as the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Much like all cell growth, neurogenesis occurs at a greater rate earlier on in life.

Interesting is that young mice in whom neurogenesis was reduced showed longer lasting fear behaviour during the shock tests. These young mice were able to remember the shocks for over a week, rather than forgetting their fear within a day.

who finished above them in the 2013 season in the Eastern Division. Holding a 4-6-0 record against their division opponents, the Alouettes look to strengthen their presence in the East in the upcoming season.

The mammalian brain is comprised of two kinds of cells: neurons and glial cells. Despite having an entire scientific field (neurology) as their namesake, the brain actually contains fewer neurons compared to glial cells.

Neurons form an expansive set of electrical and chemical connections throughout the human body allowing signals and responses to be sent from every part of the body to the brain and back. Glial cells aid in the maintenance and propagation of neural connections.

The relationship between neurogenesis and memory formation remains a controversial subject. The issue is that concurrent research argues that increasing neurogenesis in white mice has shown to both improve and diminish memory retention.

Previous research demonstrated that suppressing neurogenesis in mice can impair pattern separation learning, which allows organisms to distinguish between similar but slightly different circumstances.

However, computational models created by the Akers team now reveal that increasing neurogenesis can lead to the degradation of existing memories.

“More neurons increase the capacity to learn new memories

in the future,” explained Sheena Josselyn, one of the lead researchers of the study. “But memory is based on a circuit, so if you add to this circuit, it makes sense that [more neurons] would disrupt [memory formation].”

For scientists interested in applying the Akers team’s research to

humans, the study’s results pose an explanation for infantile amnesia – the inability for humans to recall memories between the ages of two to four years of age.

The data found by the Akers team marks a continuing search for a greater understanding of the nervous system and the brain.

Jason Snyder

Study in Science investigates how memory loss in mice may be linked to the formation of new neurons.

Issue 174.2 • Thursday, May 22, 2014

SPORTS & HEALTH

11

Mental health & wellness A few things I’ve learned surviving schizophrenia Kyle Fitzsimmons Here’s the thing. That dishevelled person on the sidewalk muttering to themselves? That could easily be you a week from now. But here’s the other thing. If you’re that unfortunate person, you might be back on your feet in a year’s time, going back to school, doing volunteer work, smiling, and maybe living to see your friends and family breathe a sigh of relief even if they are still chronic worriers sometimes. To that end, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned as a survivor of schizophrenia.

1. Schizophrenia is real. I’m not clear on the science, but apparently my thinking the apocalypse was coming every night has to do with the misfiring of neurotransmitters.

It is not caused by an unwillingness to work, or any sudden need to plea away criminal charges. Nor is it the result of being a misunderstood genius who just needs the love of a good woman to set him on the right path. It is a disease, not a trope, boring stuff if not for the un-boring nature of the symptoms. Name a sense, there’s a hallucination for that, sometimes even painful. These delusions get woven together into a dream narrative that overwhelms your critical faculties. Whenever I see somebody so afflicted in public, I feel a great sense of woe for the battle they are fighting of which others may never know.

2. You are not morally responsible for the illness, only for your recovery. Schizophrenia is tricky to beat as it is an illness that, by way of paranoid delusions, prevents its host from getting treatment. When I was first admitted, they had to call a code white that found me under a pile of hospital attendants getting a needle in the butt because I refused my meds on the grounds that I didn’t want to end up like

Judy Garland or Elvis Presley. Now I know they were only trying to help, but that’s because I wriggled my way into the magical state psychiatrists call, insight. As alluringly truthful/messianic as my delusions were, I also knew from a sense of moral duty that I was not meant to suffer this way if I had a choice.

3. Medication is about all we got right now. The age-old debate between biological vs. psychological causes for this disease has taken psychiatry to some dark places on both sides of the divide. Meanwhile, the public has inured itself to Hollywood storylines of a traumatic experience unearthed by a caring doctor that brings about the patient’s miraculous recovery.

In my case, and in full possession of my faculties, I volunteered for a drug study. By doing that, I de-stigmatized the pills and made them something I would be proud to take. That should tell you something about the disease. I was interested in retaliating against it, whatever the cost. So naturally somebody else’s idea of pharmaceutical company tentacles circling

the globe is not enough of a moral argument for me to refuse medication that works. I’ve also pursued talk therapy over the years, but would never do so in absence of the drug, probably because I’d have just wandered off. Schizophrenia is a biological disease, and poking around for a theoretical trauma isn’t going to help much if you’re not treating the very non-theoretical trauma of the disease. I believe what we’re asking of the medical community is what we’re withholding in the wider community.

That is, compassion, respect, and the abstaining from moral judgement we would afford anybody struggling with a potentially killer disease and how it will be treated.

Like most decisions we make, I made mine in complete ignorance of what would happen. But it was an informed decision nonetheless, given what I had experienced. Not to say talk therapy is useless. In fact, the real problem is not everybody gets a shrink in a book-lined study. All we have is each other.

4. Don’t mention your mental illness in a job interview. Just draw

that line for yourself right there, however open you are about your psychiatric status because you rightly don’t give a damn what other people think. Even if they hire you, it’ll get around, and there’s always the chance others will project their misapprehensions about mental illness on you while you’re innocently freaking out under the stress of work exactly like everybody else! Of course that tendency isn’t confined to work.

Which leads us to…

5. Don’t not talk about it. You’re allowed to talk about it. Don’t let the over-used victim tag silence you. Surviving a mental illness may not be climbing Mt. Everest, but it nevertheless defines you. It does not restrict you, so you don’t need to surrender your life to social work either.

And finally, don’t let it go to your head. Your suffering doesn’t trump anybody else’s. There are as many broken hearts out there as broken minds, and just because others haven’t experienced the same thing as you, doesn’t mean they can understand how it feels any less.

LIFE You’ve probably seen this on Pinterest How to actually save money this summer Alyssa Ottema I don’t know about you, but at the end of the summer, I’m usually completely shocked at my lack of ability to save money. I mean, I worked that many hours for that many months and this is all I have?

What?

On one hand, it’s good to live a little while you’re young and have minimal financial obligations. On the other hand, however, rent, tuition, and food all cost money, and it would probably be good if you came out of the summer working season at least a little wealthier than you went into it. Here are a few simple, easy suggestions from Pinterest to help you save a little more this summer.

Sell your stuff By now, I’m sure you’ve heard a few million annoying commercials touting the benefits of selling your unwanted goods on Kijiji. However, if you’re less than excited to meet up with strangers in order to make a quick dollar, there are several other options available right within the city. If you have a bunch of clothes you’re not wearing, you can take them to any of the consignment shops in the city, and receive 30 to 40 per cent of the selling price back in cash.

Get a separate savings account And actually put money in it every time you get paid. For me, whenever I start to make money, I start to think I have all this extra money to spend. The smarter, more responsible, more adult thing to do in this situation would be to put at least half of all that money I’ve made into a savings account.

The even more adult thing to do would be to open a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) so that I can

earn tax-free interest on all of my hard work. If you want to take this whole adult thing to the next level, set up a direct withdrawal that will put a set amount of money into a TFSA every pay cheque. You can’t miss money you never really knew you had!

Challenge Yourself One of the most popular budgetrelated pins suggests putting away money a dollar more each week.

On week one, you put away one dollar, and you keep increasing your deposits until you reach $52 on week 52. At the end of a year, you’ll have saved an extra $1378, and you’ll have barely noticed those small weekly deposits.

Make a budget This takes a bit of work – and probably some extra guesswork, because you may not even know how many hours you’ll be getting next week, never mind whether or not you’ll have a job in September. However, if you figure out how much money you expect to spend on bills, rent,

Courtesy photo

tuition, and food in the coming months, you’ll be able to get an idea of how much money you need

to save now and how much money you have leftover for fun things.

512 OPINION

Public opinion and the right to ownership Exploring ethical tensions of the Donald Sterling controversy Emilio Ghloum The Donald Sterling controversy has undoubtedly given reason for many communities to speak out against the prevalence of racism at such a professional level. The NBA and its players have been very outspoken about the issue, and Commissioner Adam Silver acted swiftly and promptly by handing Sterling a lifetime ban from the NBA, as well as a $2.5 million fine for his racist comments. Amidst the media frenzy and awareness raised by public outcry, it is certain that the remarks made by Sterling were racist and discriminatory. However, many players and team owners in the NBA still do not feel satisfied

Courtesy photo

with Sterling’s punishment and are calling for further disciplinary action from the NBA. But what ethical implications does this public outcry reveal?

While Sterling’s comments are

ethically wrong, does this make him unfit for ownership of a team?

Commissioner Silver made his purpose clear in claiming that further actions will be made to remove Sterling as owner of the LA Clippers.

While the league feels confident in being able to get a majority of the team owners to vote against Sterling, many questions arise regarding the legal entitlement Sterling holds.

Sterling’s racist comments were recorded and widely circulated throughout the public in a media frenzy. Undoubtedly, the remarks made by Sterling are discriminatory, but does the expression of his opinions infringe upon his right to ownership? Questions of rightful ownership and the democratic process appear in an ethical tension with one another. While Sterling’s comments make him vulnerable to the scrutiny of the public, legally, the removal of Sterling as team owner becomes ethically problematic.

Can your freedom of speech be used to take away the right to ownership? The views Sterling expressed in the recorded conversation are being used as a basis for his removal as an owner, but is it ethical to forcibly seize ownership of Sterling’s team because of his unpopular personal views?

The Sterling controversy is the perfect example of how the freedom

of speech is inherently circumstantial. The reception of Sterling’s comments by the public indefinitely influenced the way the case was handled legally. With a vast majority of players and team owners wanting Sterling removed as owner, the NBA’s decision to take action is shaped around the idea that racist opinions and comments will not be tolerated at any level within the league.

The confiscation of Sterling’s ownership demonstrates the sway of public opinion in legal matters.

While it is evident that the majority of NBA team owners will vote Sterling out of ownership rights, his freedom of speech is in question. If Sterling was to be protected and hold his position as an owner, the franchise would undoubtedly suffer from scrutiny and isolation.

The controversial pursuit of NBA commissioner Silver to sell Sterling’s team remains heavily favoured by the public. Whichever way the ethical tension stretches, the contentious opinions of Sterling’s rightful treatment are intertwined with public opinion and projection.

WiFi and Camping Will we ever be able to “get away” again?

Carleigh Cathcart Close your eyes. Now, imagine.

Imagine you are surrounded by beautiful forest scenery. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and there are countless paths awaiting your exploration. You reach for a second helping of your fire cooked breakfast, and get comfy to savour the taste whilst checking your Facebook notifications. You - wait, what?

That’s right, folks. Parks Canada has made the ingenious idea to bring WiFi hot spots to some of its locations. You will no longer have to wait in psychological agony to check social media, nor will you suffer the peace of work detachment or spending time with the friends/family with whom you came. It is such a relief to know that you will be driving away from home and paying money to live the exact life you have at home anyway. Well, there may be a few more trees.

In case my slight tone of sarcasm hasn’t been detected, I think the

introduction of WiFi in any park is a sad and unfortunate idea. As a society, it frightens me to think that we often forget the purpose of so many things. Parks Canada exists to provide for us citizens what we may be unable to find in our urban homes. Their locations offer breathtaking panoramas, exposure to otherwise inaccessible nature, and a disconnect from the hustle-bustle that is our everyday lives.

Bringing in internet access may seem like an innovative move that will increase visitation and make the camping experience more enjoyable for visitors, but it will effectively strip away the appeal of a unique, disconnected vacation. Sure, you will have the ‘ease of mind’ of knowing that you can reply to any emails instantly - but that also means you are essentially expected to continually be present in the cyber-sphere. As well, many families often choose these parks to enjoy their rare time together, and every minute spent on the laptop/ smart phone is a minute not spent with the ones you love (this applies anywhere, not just campgrounds).

The other important factor is one’s presence in nature itself. It is hard enough these days to find peaceful spaces where the honking of traffic and ridiculous rush

Doug Brown // Matthew azevedo/The ontarion

of the work week are replaced by the songs of birds and the relaxation of knowing there is nowhere you must be or anything you must do. Supplying Internet may provide the assurance of never having to be bored, but just the fact that we could possibly be bored in the wonder of nature is a sad testament to our vanity as the human race.

The truth is, we have become virtually reliant on the electronic society we have created, and we experience separation anxiety whenever we feel unable to

participate in the digital daily life. But amongst all our Instagramming and YouTubing, our concern is not an inability to log on. The real disconnect lies in the vast distance we have put between ourselves and Mother Earth. We chop down forests to build cookie cutter houses and then blame their inhabitants for ‘invading’ our cities. We spend entire beautiful days inside on the computer.

We are so afraid of our children getting hurt that we would rather keep them inside than allow

exploration and active games.

Is the Internet great? Yes, it can be. It would be impossible to deny the many advantages that come with being able to contact anyone in the world with the touch of a button. But just as it was told to you years ago, when your mother sent you “outside, because it’s a beautiful day,” there is a time and place for everything. A park is not the place for Wifi - nor will there be a time when it is. There is only one tweet you should follow, and to enjoy it requires no profile settings.

Issue 174.2 • Thursday, May 22, 2014

EDITORIAL

A university degree – an ongoing debate

13

The Ontarion Inc. University Campus Room 264 University of Guelph N1G 2W1 ontarion@uoguelph.ca Phone 519-824-4120 General: x 58265 Editorial: x 58250 Advertising: x 53534 Accounts: x 53534 Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Emily Jones

Matthew Azevedo /The ontarion

For or against higher forms of education Thinking back, I remember being asked to make a project in grade eight that would explain the steps I would need to take to reach my goal of becoming my future self.

In high school I was continually asked to plan my future education – after all, education was sold to be my only way to becoming successful in life, or so I was led to believe by teachers and guidance counselors. If you had the grades to get into university it was a silly question to ponder it seemed – everyone expected that to be done – being young, it seemed effortless to follow. The big decision after all wasn’t whether or not to go to university, but choosing which one was most desirable to go to.

Over the years, my mind changed a few different times, but never did I question going to university – my grades where high enough, why would I think of doing anything else? The thing is, when you are in high school, you don’t completely understand what you want, or what university is even all about – it isn’t the next step, it’s the next step of many. The shock that is cast on many soon to be graduate faces is not disconcerting – it’s typical. Most people who enroll in

university think that they will be well-equipped and ready to jump into whatever profession they set out to when beginning their university career, but then recognize – wait, I’m not qualified. What’s next? How long is this going to take? Did I ever really want this in the first place?

“ The big decision after all wasn’t whether or not to go to university, but choosing which one was most desirable to go to. ” There is and has been a lot of debate on whether university is worth it anymore – that an undergraduate degree is the new high school diploma – and I don’t argue this. This may be a hard pill to swallow – being thousands of dollars in debt – but it’s true. Do I regret getting an undergraduate degree? No. Do I wish I had done

something else? No. Do I think I will be able to get the perfect job with my undergraduate degree alone? No. Am I ok with all of this?

Absolutely.

It is at this time, that we all need to recognize that is isn’t the degree that is going to get the job, it’s the persistence, the effort, the desire and passion to do well for ourselves, the ability to get creative and become adaptable, to take on new challenges and excel in ways we never thought possible. Having an undergraduate degree may not mean what it used to, but that doesn’t mean that isn’t of great value. The skills learned being an undergraduate student are irreplaceable. If studying and expanding your mind to look at things in a different light seems attractive to you, then you are in the right place. It alone may not qualify you for a job that you desire, but it will help shape you into the person you want to become, or reinforce who you already are.

The financial burden that comes along with an undergraduate degree is substantial – and it may set you back for longer than you had planned but that does not mean that what is gained while here is not of value. It is a different kind of value – something you can never lose. Having a substantial amount of student debt to pay back does sometimes feel overwhelming and daunting – but the amount of knowledge and

TheOntarion.com

experience gained – in work and in life – is irreplaceable.

“The financial burden that comes along with an undergraduate degree is substantial...”

Looking back, would I have made different choices here and there? Possibly, but I know each one made me who I am today. Would I have decided against university?

Never. The constant debate regarding whether or not undergraduate degrees are useful or a waste of time is tiring, it comes down to the person. If getting an undergraduate degree is something you have always wanted – I think it is necessary that you follow that desire. If you are getting a degree solely to fulfill the desires of someone else – then I think it is time to reevaluate what you are choosing to do, because those four plus years of your life (and thousands of dollars) are things you can’t get back.

The views represented in the opinion section do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ontarion nor its staff.

Production Staff Photo & Graphics Editor

Matthew Azevedo Director of Layout & Design

Carly Jenkins

Office Staff Business Manager

Lorrie Taylor Ad Manager Al Ladha Office Coordinator Vanessa Tignanelli Circulation Director Salvador Moran Board Of Directors President Heather Lutz Chairperson Patrick Sutherland Treasurer Alex Lefebvre Secretary Anthony Jehn Directors Sohrab Rahmaty

Melissa Chong Ay Yan

Bronislaw Szulc Contributors Stacey Aspinall

Carleigh Cathcart Sameer Chhabra

Kyle Fitzsimmons Emilio Ghloum Alyssa Ottema Adrien Potvin

Kyle Rodriguez Ann Westbere

Have a question, comment or complaint?

Send us a letter to the editor at ontarion@uoguelph.ca.

Deadline is Monday at 4 p.m., 300 word max.

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 of 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 2011 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 Thuroweb.

514 FUN PAGE

Across 1- Male swine 5- Chinese “way” 8- Killer whale 12- Mont Blanc, par exemple 13- Caterpillar rival 15- Enlist again 16- Willingly 17- Having auricular protuberances 18- Declines 19- Diligent 22- Extra-wide shoe size 23- Be human 24- Give a ring 26- Low bow 29- Fix, as a shoe 31- Partially opened flower 32- City in Tuscany 34- Paris divider 36- ___ Rhythm 38- Peachy!

40- Rubber overshoe 41- Claw 43- Sales pitch 45- Suffix with glob

46- Night flight 48- Black Sea port 50- Slammin’ Sammy 51- CD earnings 52- Pouch 54- Delectable 61- Bailiwick 63- Old Testament book 64- Emulates Eminem 65- Bits of thread 66- Run of bird-song 67- School orgs.

68- Cheerio!

69- China’s Sun ___-sen 70- Concordes, e.g.

Down 1- Indonesian holiday resort 2- Actor Ken 3- Imitated 4- Gas up again 5- Drop of water expelled by the eye 6- Ethereal: Prefix 7- Black-and-white cookie 8- Metal-bearing mineral 9- Defying authority 10- Raise to third power 11- Church recess

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13- Exit a railroad conveyance 14- Elicit 20- Ladies of Sp. 21- Mouth off 25- “Stay” singer Lisa 26- Sucrose 27- Youthful 28- 1980s attorney general 29- Rate 30- ___ Gay 31- Mouthpiece of a bridle 33- Forty winks 35- Hot time in Paris 37- Brouhaha 39- Like a certain complex 42- Capone foe 44- Fast time 47- Cruising vessel 49- Lines of descent 52- Preservative 53- Horne solo 55- Actor Calhoun 56- Voice of America org.

57- Dissolve 58- Cereal grain 59- ___ the crack of dawn 60- Flat sound 62- Loss leader?

Crossword Winner from 174.1 is….Michael Veltri!

Last Week’s Solution

Submit your completed crossword no later than Monday May 12th at 4pm for your chance to win TWO FREE BOB’S DOGS! COMMUNITY LISTINGS May 22nd: The Moon performs at Silence, 46 Essex Street. 8pm. $10/PWYC. Alison Wearing’s “Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter,” award-winning one-woman show! May 23 at The eBar, 7pm. Tickets still available.

Guelph Youth Singers Spring Concert, Out of the Magic Box, May 24th at the River Run Centre. 7pm. Tickets at River Run box office: 519-763-3000 or www.riverrun.ca.

6th Annual Accessibility Conference - Ca11yboration! May 27 & 28. Join colleagues and attendees from across Canada for engaging, inspiring and action-oriented sessions on document, media, teaching, web and workplace accessibility. www.AccessConf.ca 8th Annual Guelph Musicfest presents pianist Valerie Tryon, Friday May 30th, 7:30pm at Guelph Youth Music Centre Recital Hall.

Arboretum workshop “Invasive Species – Plants” with Dirk Steinke. Saturday, May 31.

9am-4pm, $75. Registration due May 23. Learn about biology, identification and control of invasive plant species.

June 1: Donovan Woods, Jon Hynes, & Sarah Felker @ eBar. 8pm, $10 adv/$12 doors.

The Big Little Run is a 5km event, taking place on Sunday, July 13 at 9:30AM. Registration available for individuals and teams. For more info, e-mail biglittlerun@ gmail.com. Don’t miss out!