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T uesday, J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 0
Speaker of the House steps down
Collecting History
Milliken not running for re-election By Katherine Fernandez-Blance Assistant News Editor Peter Milliken, Artsci ’68, Speaker of the House of Commons and Kingston and the Islands Member of Parliament for the Liberals, announced on June 26th that he will not be seeking re-election in the next federal election. The announcement was made after his annual summer barbeque for his supporters in an unprecedented press conference at his home just outside Kingston. Milliken is the longest-serving Speaker in Canada’s history, having been elected the 34th Speaker in January of 2001 and subsequently being re-elected three times and acclaiming the position once. He is also the longest-serving Member of Parliament in Kingston’s history. He has served Kingston and the Islands as an MP for more than 22 years. Milliken thanked his supporters for their help over the years, stating that he was privileged and honoured to serve in his position as Member of Parliament to the Kingston and the Islands community. “I’m not resigning, I will serve until the end of term and I am happy to continue so as an MP and as the Speaker,” Milliken said. Milliken mentioned the demanding hours of work as the most challenging reality of his job. “I’m tired of the position’s constant demand of time. Getting a day off has always been relatively difficult,” Milliken said, adding that breaking tie votes and finding support in minority Parliaments are two of the hardest but most interesting aspects of his position as Speaker. “To the next Speaker of the House, have a good time! To the next MP of Kingston, you have to
INDEX
Volume 138, Issue 2 www.queensjournal.ca News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Postscript . . . . . . . . . . 16
Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A&E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
learn to work with, and deal with everybody. It’s been a pleasure and an honour for me to be able to do so,” Milliken said. Once his term ends, Milliken said that he is looking forward to sitting on more volunteer boards and getting more involved with community activities. He also plans to increase his involvement with Queen’s, which he has been actively supporting since he graduated in 1968. Milliken’s involvement in the Queen’s community has been especially important to Queen’s Model Parliament (QMP). He has helped QMP transition smoothly to the House of Commons every January since the early 1990s. Milliken’s retirement coincides Please see Local on page 6
Photo by Christine Blais
Associate University Librarian Barbara Teatero shows pieces from the personal collection of Robertson Davies.
Canadian classics come to Queen’s Famed author Robertson Davies’ collection set to be displayed in library By Labiba Haque Assistant News Editor Queen’s library has expanded its specialty holdings by acquiring the personal collection of Canadian writer, critic and journalist, the late Robertson Davies. Davies, an Ontario native, studied at Queen’s University in Honours English as a special student because he failed the math portion of the entrance exam. While at Queen’s he was an active writer for the Queen’s Journal where he authored a column called “The Book Shelf.” He wrote a number of Canadian classics, including the renowned Salterton Trilogy based in a university town inspired by Kingston. “I first heard of Kingston as a child reading Leaven of Malice,” Principal Daniel Woolf told the Journal via e-mail, referring to the second book in the Trilogy. “I’m thrilled Robertson Davies’ library is coming home to the place he called Waverly University.” Associate University Librarian Barbara Teatero said the collection
includes books that Davies himself had written, as well as books that he collected over time. “Many of the books are annotated in his own hand and a number are presentation copies to Davies from notable authors,” Teatero said, adding that many of the items Davies acquired were from his stays in Britain. She said the collection will appeal to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as researchers. “I have had the pleasure of showing some items from the gift portion of the collection to several faculty members in the English department who are very excited about the collection and say that it will be a tremendous resource for their students,” she said. The collection is relevant to so many different people because it is so broad. It includes books on theater, history, plays, music, literature, criticism and drama. The collection is not limited to books either, Teatero said. There are programs and posters, as well as other pieces that either stand alone or complement the collection. Teatero said the collection
became available a year ago when antiquarian and Davies’ personal friend Hugh Anson-Cartwright contacted Jane Philips, the collection development co-coordinator. Teatero said Anson-Cartwright had sold Davies many of the books in his collection over the years and felt it important to keep the
collection together rather than selling the pieces individually. “Mr. Anson-Cartwright knew that Queen’s has a strong Canadiana collection and contacted us to see if we would be interested in acquiring Davies’ library” she said, adding that the next step was to receive a Please see Collection on page 6
Martin receives honorary degree
Tradition criticized as publicity ploy By Jake Edmiston Features Editor Many academics worry the tradition of awarding honorary degrees has become warped in recent years. But according to administration, Queen’s has safe guards to maintain the tradition’s credibility. The university handed out ten honorary doctorates during last month’s convocation ceremonies. The Right Honourable Paul Martin
was among the recipients. The tradition sparks debate over the purpose and currency of the doctorates. In an article titled Bogus Degree Alert, Dr. Ric Walston, President of the Columbia Evangelical seminary, said he’s concerned that honorary degrees are often misconstrued as legitimate qualifications for jobs. Walston claimed an honorary degree is different from an earned Please see Queen’s on page 3
News
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Budget cuts create new options
Five new interdisciplinary degrees announced in the Faculty of Arts and Science
which is especially important given the recent budgeting situation, Pierce said. “The fine arts is critical to the This September the Faculty of Arts creative arts offerings at Queen’s and Science will introduce five new and linguistics is a growing interest for students,” he said. “Budget cuts interdisciplinary degree options. The new degree options are a BA are a new financial reality, and minor in world language studies, a until this levels off, these revised revised BAH major in linguistics, programs will be a good alternative and a BFA major ARTF or a BFA in the mean time.” While revisions to the linguistics major/minor or major general and fine arts departments aim at option for fine arts students. The changes are in response to improving efficiency and meeting both the recent budget cuts and student demand, a BA minor in increased student demand for more world language studies is an entirely flexible programs in the Faculty new degree option at Queen’s. Pierce said that there was a of Arts and Science, John Pierce, associate dean of studies in Arts and strong demand among students to diversify language options, and the Science said. new world language studies minor “After we did a three will be a step beyond the preexisting year review of programs, International Studies Certificate. Jill Scott, the undergraduate some departments chair of linguistics, said that the realized they wouldn’t minor option arose because of be able to sustain conversations about the potential themselves over the long amalgamation of language units term, and this really which the German, linguistics, motivated the change.” Japanese and Chinese department has agreed to pursue with the — John Pierce, Associate Dean Spanish and Italian department. of Studies in Arts and Science “There’s no doubt that students who are interested in languages will “After we did a three year review love this new option, it’s definitely of programs, some departments the direction that students want to realized they wouldn’t be able to go in,” Scott said. “Some students sustain themselves over the long want to have a grasp of several term, and this really motivated the change,” he said, adding that the major/minor degree option is now the most popular one in the Faculty. Since the revised linguistics and fine arts programs are a move away from the Special By Jessica Fishbein Field Concentration that required Assistant News Editor students to take 14 or more credits, more students will now be able to One in three Canadians will be take on a minor. diagnosed with cancer during With the new programs, the fine their lifetime. As the world races arts and linguistics departments are for a cure, Queen’s professors able to offer less courses because are leading the way with of the decreased requirements in three major grants. the major/minor option. This will Each year Cancer Care Ontario help reduce unnecessary costs, (CCO), a government advisory body that directs over $700 million in public health care dollars, selects around six researchers as chairs. This year, three out of the six positions were filled by Queen’s professors; Gabor
By Katherine Fernandez-Blance Assistant News Editor
Supplied
Jill Scott, Undergraduate Chair of Linguistics said that the world language studies minor is the direction students want to go in. languages because we live in a global world, and having exposure to multiple languages is important.” Language courses that previously only counted as electives and couldn’t be combined towards a language degree now can go towards the world language studies minor. These include Japanese,
Chinese and Arabic, Scott said, adding that the creation of the World Language Studies minor is a sign that collaboration and cooperation really can yield great results. There is of course, she said, the possibility that similar interdisciplinary projects might occur in the future.
“For the administration it’s an interdisciplinary program without any additional resources, which allows us to sustain the resources we have,” he said. “The university as a whole supports this, and students are increasingly interested in interdisciplinary and flexible programs.”
Cancer researchers recognized
Three Queen’s professors receive grants from Cancer Care Ontario Fichtinger, Penelope Bradbury and Michael Brundage. “The chair is a funding champion,” Fichtinger, a professor at the Queen’s School of Computing and Kingston General Hospital, said, adding that $1 million in chair funding will allow him to help bring image-guided surgery and cancer intervention technology go to trial without the usual five-year wait period.
“With this money, the research process is accelerated and the wheels are put into motion for finding new cures.” — Dr. Gabor Fichtinger, professsor of Queen’s Computing “Being named a Cancer Care Ontario Research Chair will allow the research to go to clinical trials in
a faster and more efficient manner,” Fichtinger said. “With this money, the research process is accelerated and the wheels are put into motion for finding new cures.” Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs are divided into level one or two. Level one chairs are considered senior and level two chairs junior. Level one research chairs receive $1 million over five years, twice as much as level two and have different mandates meaning they are expected to have their normal teaching loads reduced and devote more time to research. Since it is an open competition, many of the most talented and hardworking doctors were eligible to be named Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs, Fichtinger said. The Queen’s professors received chair grants for their research in fields ranging from oncology to computing. “Queen’s can be very proud … but never underestimate the
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power of luck.” Dr. Fichtinger, Dr. Bradbury and Dr. Brundage received a total of $2.5 million. The CCO program receives funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Brundage, a professor in Oncology, said that being appointed a level one CCO research chair and receiving the research funding will give him more time to devote to research endeavors.
“My research … concerns how quality of life is evaluated in clinical trials of cancer treatments.” — Dr. Michael Brundage professor of oncology “This money does not increase my salary but reduces my clinical time and allows me more research time,” he said, adding that he is currently researching care quality in partnership with the Provincial Program in Radiation Oncology. “My research … concerns how quality of life is evaluated in clinical trials of cancer treatments,” he said, adding that he is also funded by CIHR to evaluate quality measures and patterns of care for prostate cancer radiotherapy across Canada. “I was pleasantly surprised to be named a chair, as these are competitive and there are many deserving researchers in the province.”
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Feature
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Queen’s has it covered in degree debate Continued from page 1
degree!”, Stuart Jeffries describes the tradition as a publicity ploy. “So the media ... is to blame for this benighted trend,” Jefferies wrote after quoting a St. Andrews University official saying the current cult of celebrity made the names of musicians and actors the only honorary degree recipients that got any notability. Jefferies said the state of the tradition is worrisome considering figures like Kermit the Frog are receiving honorary degrees. The Muppet was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Studies from the University of Long Island’s Southampton College. “Anybody who knows “Why bother going to college, studying hard and getting into debt anything about academic credentials can for the sake of some letters after name? All you need to do with no problem make your is get famous and they’ll throw the distinction between doctorates at you,” the article’s the honorary degree and tagline says. Honorary doctorates awarded the earned degree.” by Queen’s are in law, science Geogina Moore and divinity, depending on the Queen’s University Secretary individual’s contribution to society. Martin received an honorary University of Virginia chairman, Doctor of Laws degree at the William Barton Rogers, reaffirmed convocation for MBA students on the policy in 1845 to reassure their May 28. University Secretary Georgina Master of Arts degree was not Moore said Queen’s language awarded as an honorary degree. “The legislators of the regarding honorary degrees is University ... disdaining such literary deliberately clear. “The honorary degree is almsgiving, have firmly barred the door against the demands of recognizing the outstanding spurious merit and noisy contribution of a person in popularity,” Rogers said in a many ways,” she said. “It’s got report to the Virginia Legislature’s nothing to do particularly with an Committee of Schools academic qualification.” A Queen’s Honorary and Colleges. In a Guardian article titled “I’m Doctorate does not come with a a celebrity, get me an honorary PhD designation. An honorary doctorate of Laws is labelled LL.D. A honourary doctorate of Science is DSc and Honourary Doctorate of Divinity is DD. Moore said a Queen’s honorary degree wouldn’t be mistaken for an earned one. “Anybody who knows anything about academic credentials can with no problem make the Activists distinction between the honorary Eleanor Roosevelt (1948) degree and the earned degree.” David Suzuki (1987) Moore said the point of honorary degrees isn’t to award Actors a well established individual with Donald Sutherland (1995) another qualification. “It’s a long standing tradition Authors of academic institutions to confer Robertson Davies (1962) these honours on outstanding Northrop Frye (1962) people,” she said. “We’re looking Margaret Atwood (1974) for people whose values Joy Kogawa (2003) are consistent with the values the University Business aspires to. Alexander G. Bell (1909) “It reflects well on Galen Weston (2008) the University.” Musicians Recipients become part of Oscar Peterson (1976) Queen’s alumni community and remain in contact with the Photographers university, Moore said. Edward Burtynsky (2007) “They are invited into the Queen’s alumni family,” she said. Politicians “We would embrace them as Sir John A. MacDonald (1863) we would any graduate of the Sir Wilfred Laurier (1898) Queen’s community.” Lyon Mackenzie King (1919) There’s a slight distinction Franklin D. Roosevelt (1938) between an alumnus with an earned Lester B. Peason (1965) degree and an alumnus with an Pierre Trudeau (1968) honorary degree. Tommy Douglas (1972) “It would probably say LLD Prince Charles (1991) which would be the signal that this Michael Ignatieff (2001) is honorary degree not an earned degree,” Moore said.
degree in theory. But it isn’t always recognized as different. He said there have been cases where honorary degrees have been used to get professor jobs. “It makes a mockery out of real education and teaching,” Walston told the Journal via e-mail. Several academic institutions, including Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institution of Technology and the University of Virginia abstain from the practice. Founder of the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, began the Institution’s policy against honorary degrees in 1819.
Some Queen’s honorary alumni
Photos by Harrison Smith
The Right Honourable Paul Martin was one of 10 graduates to receive an honourary degree from Queen’s during last month’s convocation ceremonies. Canada’s 21st Prime Minister received a Doctor of Laws and gave a speech at the MBA convocation on May 28. Nominations for honorary doctorate candidates for the spring Chowdhury was present at the degrees are reviewed by the Senate and fall ceremonies. This year MBA convocation because MBA Committee on Honorary Degrees the spring ceremony included ten students fall under the AMS. and can be put forward by various recipients and the fall ceremony She said Martin’s presence at people both internal and external will include four. the ceremony was a welcomed to the university. Moore said Queen’s honours by graduates. Moore is the sectretary of the individuals whose values are aligned “When it came to giving senate comittee. with those of the university. inspiration or providing a range of “It’s a very broad spectrum of The former Prime Minister opportunities or ideas, I think his the community,” she said. said he was honoured because the speech was really effective to that The Senate Committee is degree was from Queen’s. graduating class,” said Chowdhury, composed of representatives from “Queen’s is one of the great who will sit on the senate committee each of the Queen’s faculties and universities, not only one of the for next year’s selections. schools, the alumni association, great Canadian universities but “He kind of spoke about the the AMS and SGPS president, the one of the North American great importance of having people with rector and the chancellor. The universities,” he said. a business background be involved principle acts as the senate’s chair. Martin addressed students in public service.” The committee uses guidelines graduating with MBA (full-time), set out by the university to review MBA (accelerated) and MM degrees —with files from Rachel Kuper the pool of nominees and choose from the school of business. and Clare Clancy approximately 12 honorary AMS President Safiah
4 •queensjournal.ca
News
Kathryn McAlindon honoured by Queen’s
Engineering masters student dies unexpectedly
By: Katherine Fernandez-Blance Assistant News Editor Kathryn McAlindon died suddenly on May 23 in Oakville having just returned from a two-week trip to Ireland and Scotland with her family. A funeral service was held for her on May 29 in Oakville. McAlindon, the beloved daughter of Hugh and Cynthia McAlindon and sister of Erin McAlindon, is described by her father as a very loving, outgoing and warmhearted person who was a lot of fun to be around. He said she loved all kinds of music, everything from the big band era to modern music to classical. She was also very into sports and had recently taken up racquetball and weight training.
“Although Kate was not aware of it at the time, she did know someone affected with Huntington’s Disease and there was a mutual respect for this person.” — Hugh McAlindon, father of Kathryn McAlindon “Katie was an avid reader and had recently taken up knitting,” her father said. “Playing the violin, French horn and piano were her musical attributes.” After graduating from Oakville Trafalgar High School, McAlindon attended Queen’s where she received her Bsc (Hon), majoring in biology and minoring in math.
She spent a month studying at the University of Wisconsin in 2009. At the time of her death, she had been pursuing her M. Eng in chemical engineering at Queen’s. In recognition of her hard work, she was awarded an honorary degree. “We are very honoured that Queen’s has awarded Ms. Kathryn McAlindon her Masters of Science Degree posthumously for the Fall 2010 convocation,” her father said, adding that he believes Kate would have wanted others to work hard and enjoy life. Her parents have arranged a fund for donations to be made to the Huntington’s Society of Canada. “Although Kate was not aware of it at the time, she did know someone affected with Huntington’s Disease and there was a mutual respect for this person,” McAlindon’s father said. “We believe Huntington’s is an under recognized and under funded charity, and Kate would want to make changes which would bring a spotlight onto this disease to encourage donations which will bring us closer to a cure.” The Society is arranging to put a star on their Shining Star recognition page. To date, contributions received total $4,400, all of which will go towards the Huntington’s Society of Canada. For those who wish, memorial contributions can be made to the Huntington’s Society of Canada. Email condolences may be made to the McAlindon family through www.koprivataylor.com.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
News in Brief New Campus Parking Options
give them the full university experience. In addition to participating in the month long program, participants may be given the opportunity to participate in a summer Above and ground lots are available for internship with a Shad Valley sponsor. parking for this upcoming year. The shuttle — Labiba Hacque bus and carpool options are alternatives to regular permit parking. Over the past two years 348 underground Campus Feels Earthquake parking spaces have become available through Tindall Field and the addition of the Queen’s Centre. Queen’s campus did not miss the earthquake People who carpool have the advantage last Wednesday afternoon. of discounted parking on all parking lots on No one was injured at Queen’s and there campus. If one parking pass is turned in for was no evidence of any damage on campus. two people, the driver gets 25% off on their The 5.5 magnitude earthquake was felt parking permit. If two passes are turned in in Toronto and certain U.S. states and was for three people, the driver gets 25% off and believed to have been centred north of a parking spot in any parking lot. There are Ottawa in Quebec. spots on West Campus for students, staff and — Jessica Fishbein visitors to Duncan McArthur Hall. Shuttle Associate Vice-Principal buses also go from Richardson Stadium to Watkins Hall, Walter Light Building, Ban heads to San Jose Righ Hall, and MacDonald Hall. The new Harmonized Sales Tax is now Associate Vice-Principal and Dean of Student being put on parking rates for 2010/2011. Affairs Jason Laker announced on June 14th that he will be accepting an offer to become — Jessica Fishbein Vice-President of Student Affairs at San Jose State University in California and will be leaving his positions at Queen’s. Queen’s Welcomes Shad Laker has been part of Queen’s for the Valley past four years, arriving in 2006 from Saint John’s University in Minnesota. At Queen’s High school students are coming to Queen’s he taught in the Department of Gender for a month-long introduction to university Studies as well as the new graduate level life. The Shad Valley program, which runs Cultural Studies department in the Faculty of from June 27th to July 23rd gives participants Arts and Science. the opportunity to live in residence, attend During his time at Queen’s, he helped lectures, meet professors and participate in Student Affairs develop new programs and workshops to help them transition from high- services. The department has also received school to post-secondary. a significant amount of awards during his There are ten Shad Valley host tenure. Laker helped increase revenues campuses across the country for the that supported students and academics current 2010 session. In the span of four at Queen’s. Academic Vice-Principal Bob Silverman weeks, participants are able to reside in each of the ten host campuses and experience said that Laker had an extremely positive university life. Students from across Canada, effect on the structure and organization of as well as Saudi Arabia and the United States Student Affairs at Queen’s. An interim Associate Vice-Principal and are attending this year. Besides participating in academic work, Dean of Student Affairs will be named soon, participants will be able to attend weekly while the search for Laker’s successor will excursions and other leisurely activities to begin shortly. — Katherine Fernandez-Blance
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
News
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News
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Local community outreach important Continued from page 1
with Stephen Harper naming a successor to Michaël Jean as Governor General of Canada. Many speculate that Harper may announce Milliken as the new Governor General when the Queen visits from June 28th to July 6th. When asked about this, Milliken seemed ambivalent about the prospect. “I haven’t yet been approached by Harper, but I’m not sure if it’s something I’d like doing. I’m not sure I’d enjoy all the formalities,” Milliken said. “Once my term is over, I guess you could say that this is the end of Peter Milliken the politician.” Attendees at the press conference included many of Milliken’s potential successors. Bill Flanagan, Dean of Law at Queen’s has long been thought off as a likely candidate to succeed Milliken. Keeping in mind the theme of the day, Flanagan was unwilling to confirm any rumours about his potential nomination. “This is really Peter’s day to celebrate. Many people have approached me regarding this position, but I’m taking some time to reflect, and I will be making a decision in the near future,” Flanagan said, adding that he admires and respects Milliken’s 22 years of service, especially his recent decision on the Afghan documents which outlined the transfer of Afghan detainees. Flanagan said Milliken’s ruling that Parliament had a right to ask for uncensored documents has set a new precedent.
Ron Hartling, the President of the Liberal Kingston and the Islands Riding Association, has worked directly under Milliken for several years.
“I haven’t yet been approached by Harper, but I’m not sure if it’s something I’d like doing. I’m not sure I’d enjoy all the formalities” — Peter Milliken, Artsci ’68, Speaker of the House of Commons and MP of Kingston and the Islands “Peter has been a wonderful person to work with. He’s very calm and unassuming,” he said. “He’s just a really nice human being, someone who you can respect and who respects you back.” Hartling will be remaining in his position after Milliken retires. He said that the next step is to open a fair and amenable campaign. “Our next step is to launch a search committee and then our members will nominate who they see fit. The nomination process begins immediately,” Hartling said. As a close friend and colleague to Peter Milliken, Hartling offered nothing but friendly remarks about Milliken’s time in office. “I think it’s a wise person in politics who can retire on his own terms. A lot of politicians don’t have that wisdom.”
Campus Calendar Thursday, July 1
Saturday, July 10
Canada Day Celebrations City Hall and Confederation Park. 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Queen’s Observatory Open House Ellis Hall, 4th floor. 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday July 2 to Sunday July 4
Thursday, July 15
FanFayre Arts and Crafts Show Confederation Park. Times vary, see cityofkingston.ca for more information.
Movies in the Square: Neverending Story Springer Market Square Show begins at dusk.
Wednesday, July 7
Thursday, July 22
Summer Alfies Alfies Nighclub in the JDUC. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Movies in the Square: The Natural Springer Market Square Show begins at dusk.
Thursday, July 8
Saturday, July 24
QUIC English Conversation Group International Centre in the JDUC 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Runs every Thursday until July 24th.
Dragon Boat Festival Douglas R. Fluhrer Park, 377 Wellington Street. See dragonboats.org for more information.
Thursday, July 8 to Sunday, July 11
Photo By Christine Blais
MP of Kingston and the Islands and Speaker of the House Peter Milliken says that he is not resigning, and that he will serve until the end of his term.
Collection builds reputation Continued from page 1
list of items in the collection to look for duplications. Teatero said that the list contained over 6,000 items and was compiled by Jennifer Surridge, Davies’ middle daughter. “While we knew that Davies’ copies would be very special in their own right, I was surprised and delighted to see that many of the items on the list were not already represented in the Library’s collections,” Teatero said, adding that the collection was funded by the Chancellor Richardson Memorial Fund. “When the opportunity arose to acquire Davies’ personal library, we applied for and were grateful to receive support from the Fund,” Teatero said, adding that a portion of the collection was a gift from
Anson-Cartwright, which includes a number of unique items that can currently be viewed in QCAT. Nonetheless, the whole collection is not online yet. “The cataloguing for QCAT is a time-intensive and costly process, so it will be quite some time before it is complete,” she said. “Over the summer we will be unpacking more than 350 cartons of books, and will be shelving the collection in the order of the original list compiled by Jennifer Surridge, which represents the room order in which Davies’ kept the collection in his home.” There are currently plans to launch an official event in the fall to thank Mr. Anson-Cartwright and the Richardson family for their generosity, she said. Professor Brian Osborne, Chair of the Chancellor Richardson
Memorial Fund Committee said the addition of the collection to Queen’s Library is a great opportunity for the university. “Simply put, the collection is the working library of one of Canada’s top intellectuals and cultural figures” he said. Davies was the first Canadian to become an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He was also the founding Master of Massey College, a residential college for postgraduate students of University of Toronto. “It is a rich and valuable collection and a major addition to the several other authors’ collections held by Queen’s Archives and Special Collections,” Osborne said.
Digging In
The
Busker’s Rendezvous Downtown Kingston Times vary See downtownkingston.ca for more information. Photo by Christine blais
Principal Woolf (centre) hold a shovel at the ground breaking ceremony of the new School of Business on May 29th in front of Goodes Hall.
Tuesday, june 29, 2010
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Editorials
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Q u ee n ’ s
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
University
the journal since
1873
Fence defence offensive T
he security measures in place to protect the delegates at the G20 summit are substantial. While many criticize these security measures as excessive—the six-kilometre fence alone cost more than five million dollars—the most unsettling defence deployed for the summit is one which has received far less public attention. Individuals who breach a five-metre zone around the security fence may be asked to provide identification and explain the intent of their visit to police. Those who fail to comply can be searched without a warrant, fined five hundred dollars and spend up to two months in jail. These powers are granted to police by the Public Works Act, a piece of provincial legislation passed June 2 by Queen’s Park. The Act also states that testimony given in court by security personnel will be treated as “conclusive evidence.” While many fear that their right to peaceful protest is trampled, the violent history of previous G20 summits makes the erection of the fence a valid safety measure; security staff must err on the side of excessive protection. Some of the G20 security measures are harder to defend. Though the new police powers only apply for the duration of the G20 summit, the speed and subtlety with which they were enacted sets a troublesome precedent. What prevents the authorities
from enacting these restrictions for lesser events, or even to shut down entire cities? Furthermore, the secrecy with which the regulations were enacted has put the public in harm’s way. The rules aren’t clearly indicated around the G20 site; some individuals who were unaware of the Act have been arrested after attempting to invoke their rights. Police statements already carry more weight than public testimony in the legal system. Making the word of a security officer de facto evidence makes it nearly impossible for an accused individual to mount a defence in court. The Public Works Act allows on the spot conviction of the public by police and security officials. Though the conclusion of the G20 summit will dictate which security measures were necessary, the evidence will likely condone their application in either case. As this paper goes to press, rioters have already broken the windows of banks and stores, and set two police cars ablaze. Security forces will be quick to use these events as evidence that the existing protective measures were justified. Even if the summit protests had remained peaceful, many would have claimed that this was due to the new security measures. In either case, it seems likely that protective measures like those enacted in Toronto will become more common, not less.
Finding XXX on the WWW A
lmost anything can be found on the Internet. This has long been the Internet’s greatest strength, but is also its greatest weakness. Since anything can be found online, it is often difficult to find specific content. This has never been a problem with pornography. Finding pornography on the Internet is like finding clouds in the sky; despite your best efforts, you will see some. One company wants to make the easy task of finding pornography online a little easier. ICM Registry has submitted an application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to register the domain name “.xxx.” Websites registered under this domain would end in .xxx, as opposed to .com, .ca or other common suffixes. ICM’s goal is to provide an easy way for websites to indicate the pornographic content that they provide. After initially approving the .xxx domain in 2005, ICANN came under fire from religious and special interest groups opposing the application. ICANN subsequently denied ICM permission in 2007. It took ICM three years to get the decision overturned. Fighting the creation of a adult-specific domain is counterintuitive even if one opposes this content. Providing a direct
means of indicating explicit material hardly makes a substantial change in the simplicity of locating pornography, as the Internet is already saturated with adult-only content. By providing a domain which could be blocked entirely by child protection software, ICM’s plan would make the Internet slightly safer for young users—though websites are not obliged to register, less accessible adult content must be considered as an advantage. ICM has shown a laudable commitment to protecting young Internet users, pledging to donate $10 from each website’s annual registration fees to various initiatives that report and combat child pornography. If ICM’s plan is successful, registering as an .xxx could become a standard move for pornographic websites, allowing them to be accessed more easily by adult contentseekers and quickly categorized by parental controls. Ideally, this registration would become mandatory, effectively addressing the concerns of both parents and religious groups alike. However, this would mean creating a universal definition of what constitutes pornographic content, something that is far from established. While the .xxx domain may not revolutionize Internet pornography, it is certainly a step in the right direction.
Journalism 2.0 Tyler Ball
I
n journalism, speed is everything. Big stories need to be reported on before they turn stale, or someone else gets the scoop. As citizen journalism and blogging mature and become competing forces for readership, newspapers are racing to be first to report. These competitors have the motivation to report the story with little compensation and the ability to report with low-cost. All you need is a mobile phone, free or cheap web hosting and a Twitter account. Google has put everyone on a level playing field. A search is just as likely to return a blog post as a newspaper article. A search for a topic on Twitter will get you anybody’s opinion. To avoid missing the opportunity to catch those eyeballs and sell more advertising, newspapers have adopted the live-blog, Twitter and the RSS feed to get information out to their readers as quickly as possible, who seem to lap it right up. The problem with being first is that first can also be wrong, or at least wrong by omission. Look no further than the mass of G20 reporting from last weekend. The Toronto Star’s Twitter page and live-blogs are wastelands of lazy copy editing and vague information. It’s clear that reporters were posting directly to the site from the chaotic streets without an editor’s second glance. But what really bothered me was the lack of a clear perspective. For all the TwitPics of busted windows and black-clad protestors, there were no accounts of how many windows were really broken and how
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010• Issue 2 • Volume 138 The Queen’s Journal is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University, Kingston. Editorial opinions expressed in the Journal are the sole responsibility of the Queen’s Journal Editorial Board, and are not necessarily those of the University, the AMS or their officers. Contents © 2010 by the Queen’s Journal; all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the Journal. The Queen’s Journal is printed on a Goss Community press by Performance Group of Companies in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Contributions from all members of the Queen’s and Kingston community are welcome. The Journal reserves the right to edit all submissions. Subscriptions are available for $120.00 per year (plus GST). Please address complaints and grievances to the Editors in Chief. Please inquire about further grievance policies if you are not satisfied with the response. Please direct editorial, advertising and circulation enquiries to: 190 University Avenue, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3P4 Telephone : 613-533-2800 (editorial) 613-533-6711 (advertising) Fax: 613-533-6728 Email: journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca The Journal Online: www.queensjournal.ca Circulation 9,000 Issue 3 of Volume 139 will be published onTuesday, July 27, 2010
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many protestors were throwing bricks. There is too much reporting on the ‘what’, and not enough of the ‘why’, ‘who’ and ‘how’. The last bastion of solid, in-depth reporting is news magazines like Maclean’s, the Walrus, and the New Yorker. Their production schedules force them to go deep, and play to that strength, since there’s no way they can be first. When I’m feeling like reading some good journalism, the articles that get bookmarked or put into the genius Instapaper iPhone app (it strips away all the ads and saves articles and blog posts in a readable format to read later) are tending to be longer and longer. Nothing compares to an article by a reporter who has had months to research its subject. The downside of this kind of writing is that it’s expensive. The cost of sending a writer to remote locations to interview important people can be prohibitive, but the payoff can be huge. For example, Rolling Stone gained lots of readership for their feature on General Stanley McChrystal. The article resulted in President Obama relieving him of his command of American forces in Afghanistan. Newspapers are allotting a huge proportion of their resources to live-blogs and Twitter but are fighting a losing battle--other people are doing it for free. If newspapers were to stick to what they’re good at, the outcome might be a higher quality product and a more engaged readership.
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Our democratic discontent and how we can fix it While radical solutions are being debated, restoring Canada to its foundations may be the best course of action
By Edward Woolley. ArtSci ‘13 Many have lamented the current state of Canadian democracy. The recent debacle over detainee documents has brought into light the struggle between executive power and Parliamentary supremacy. Many changes to the Canadian structure have been proposed, but it is my firm belief that the best way to fix the problems in our democracy is merely to restore the system as it was originally intended. In light of Queen Elizabeth’s present Canadian tour, we must remember that at its heart, the position of the Governor General is only a representative of our Head of State, the Queen. Canada is a Monarchy; a Constitutional one of course, but a Monarchy nonetheless. As the Sovereign’s representative, the Governor General has all of the powers and status of the Queen in her stead. As our current Governor General, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean’s term comes to a close, the media punditry has resorted to the classic guessing game of who will succeed her. While admittedly amusing, this next appointment should be more than a query about Captain Kirk. There are many qualified candidates to succeed her, perhaps none more so than the MP for Kingston (and therefore Queen’s University), the soon-to-retire Speaker of the House, the Honourable Peter Milliken. From statesmen such as Preston Manning and Senator Hugh Segal to retired General John de Chastelain, there is an abundance of qualified candidates to represent the Queen. This is a rare set of circumstances, with her personal visit, and perhaps a personal announcement of her representative in the Capital on Canada Day, and we should take
advantage of the circumstances to re-examine the role of the ViceRegal in our system. While originally designed to have real power and make executive decisions, the power of the Governor General has been curtailed since Confederation to the point that it is nothing more than a figurehead. Canadians have often expressed discontent that this ceremonial role should cost so much, and often question its necessity while simultaneously lamenting the concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office. In the quest to limit the powers of an unelected official, we have turned over Executive power to the Prime Minister, who was not directly elected to his position, either. Canadians often attribute these problems to too few democratic positions when, in fact, they stem from a distortion of the balance of power. Initially, Canada had a system of checks in balances in government: an elected House of Commons for the people, an appointed Senate for the educated and elite, the Prime Minister and Cabinet to set forth a legislative agenda, and a Governor General to give authority to bills, maintain democracy and appoint the Prime Minister and Senators. This system ensured that no one body could dominate the other, and that balance kept all segments of society represented. As democracy became a key issue of human rights in the 20th Century, more and more power was devolved from the unelected bodies to the House of Commons. But executive power cannot be dispersed so broadly and over time the executive authority once exercised by the Governor General came to centralise in the Cabinet. By Pierre Trudeau’s administration, this power had further centralised in the Prime Minister’s Office, and today some bureaucrats in the Prime Minister’s Office hold more power than most Senators and MPs. Thus we arrive today at a system where Senators are appointed based on gimmickry or partisan hackwork, and where Parliament can be suspended at the will of the
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... around campus Photos By Labiba Haque
Who are you rooting for in the World Cup?
“England, because I’m English!.” Matt Hulse, PHE ‘10
“Ghana, because they’re the only African country that made it!” Heidi Shallow, MSc ‘11
Suuplied
Governor General Michaëlle Jean’s term ends in September. Prime Minister. Canada in many ways is an elected dictatorship. To fix this, we should take powers not intimately related to governing or advancing legislative priorities away from the Prime Minister’s Office and to the Governor General. A strong Governor General could appoint effective Senators, possibly even Senators devoid of party ties. The Governor General could stand up to the Prime Minister to preserve the integrity of Parliament. And finally, the Governor General could finally take on a meaningful role to make Canadians proud of their system of government. While we could radically overhaul the system, the truth in Canada is that the less radical, the better. The easiest way to fix the democratic malaise is to restore the system as it was designed. These radical ideas range from electing or eliminating the Senate to declaring a Republic. But since when have
Canadians decided that the best way to do things is to copy the United States? Our Constitutional Monarchy is unique, and I’m pretty pleased with my country the way it is. We could do much worse, and hardly do better. Our system promotes compromise. Unlike our republican neighbours to the South, we are far less hyper-partisan. This is mostly due to the fact that we are led not by a partisan politician, but by the impartiality of the crown. It is a pity that most Canadians are woefully unaware of how their government works, because at the end of the day it’s what makes us who we are. With this new Governor General, we should take the time to re-examine the position, appreciate its importance in government, and restore its power and prestige. It’s time we value this system that has made us the envy of the world.
have a problem with her selectively showing favour to precious few graduates while ignoring the rest (including all the graduates in a later convocation ceremony). Even her Vice President Ben Hartley, who was also on stage during the same June 9 convocation, had friends graduate, but he waited for his friends to approach him before congratulating them, as other professors and
officials on stage did. For someone who has been so tied up in promoting ‘inclusivity’ at during her time at Queen’s, Ms. Chowdhury clearly has some lessons left to learn in the realm of professional behaviour.
“I’m not really watching it because I don’t have a TV.” Sarah Bateman, Con-Ed ‘11
“Netherlands, because if you ain’t Dutch you ain’t much.” Quincy Smith, Eng ‘12
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS A presidential debate Dear Editors, My graduation ceremony was supposed to be a joyous event, and fun though it was, I cannot help but be annoyed by the behaviour of incoming AMS President Safiah Chowdhury. Don’t get me wrong, policywise, I supported Team CHR in
February’s election, but her conduct at the Convocation ceremony on Wednesday, June 9 at 2:30 was shameful. While sitting on stage, in her capacity as AMS President, she selectively made herself a part of particular graduates’ moments on stage by approaching and embracing them. While I have no problem with Ms. Chowdhury displaying her affection for her friends, I do
Amrit Ahluwalia ArtSci ’10
“South Korea, because my family lives there.” Ainsley Mcgregor, ArtSci ‘11
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Trapped in the Franken Forest
Don Maynard’s latest exhibit provokes exploration of the complex relationship between species loss and replacement By Alyssa Ashton Assistant A&E Editor In typical Kingston fashion, the day I set out in my floral summer dress to visit Don Maynard’s newest exhibit at the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery, the sun was replaced by a rain that drenched the city. So I arrived for my tour drenched, with squeaky shoes, and a dripping notebook in hand. Franken Forest is Kingston-based artist Maynard’s new exhibit and consists of three separate works examining the relationship between nature and humans. The first work, Bird in the House, is a simple white house placed in the center of the room. The house is lit up from the inside with a bird flying around, making shadows on the stark white walls and floor. My tour guide helpfully informed me that it is an Eastern European myth that if a bird gets stuck in a house and manages to get out, it means good things are to come. If the bird gets stuck inside the house and can’t escape, it means death is coming. Maynard’s bird is trapped in the house and entrapment seems to be the tying link between all three works of the exhibit. In the next room, Franken Forest, there are a series of trees in various sizes, all trapped in some form of encasement.
From far away there’s a peace and serenity to each piece, but upon closer inspection that beauty morphs into an extremely damaged piece of nature. One tree is beautifully trapped in sand cast glass and another tree is entangled with Christmas lights— like a Christmas tree on steroids. One of the most interesting trees is also the most easily ignored – it is the smallest tree and the only one not placed on a platform. It appears to be a bent arm or knee and is peach in colour. At first glance the tree looks like it’s supposed to be a body part, but upon closer inspection one realizes that its peach colour comes from the individual band-aids that cover the tree. The tree also has deep Please see Inspiration on page 13
Feel it in your bones Journal photographer Christine Blais was on hand to capture the festivities at last weekend’s fifth annual Skeleton Park Music Festival featuring over 20 local acts
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Arts & Entertainment
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a&e spring Picks Whether Hollywood Blockbusters or Canadian indie gems, unconventional coming of age tales are this season’s Vogue THE TROTSKY By Emily Davies Staff Writer
Despite a darker tone in Toy Story 3, Pixar succeeds once again nostalgic final installment of their Hollywood franchise. literally in the story when Andy snaps, “No one’s gonna want these TOY STORY 3 toys…they’re junk.” In his eagerness to head off to By Ally Hall become a man, Andy forges on A&E Editor with only his trusty cowboy Woody It’s hard to believe 15 years have (Tom Hanks) at his side, leaving passed since Pixar broke into the rest of the toys to the demise Hollywood territory with Toy at his Mother’s hands. A packing Story, the first feature film produced snafu brings the toys to the curb entirely by computer-generated leaving Woody to rescue them in imagery. I vividly remember my true cowboy fashion. Once reunited, Woody, Buzz excitement watching my childhood dream realized on screen—toys Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the gang escape to the initially inviting, coming to life. Nine films later, the masterminds utopia-like Sunnyside Daycare behind what has come to be welcomed warmly by the plush Hollywood’s most consistently purple Lots’O’Huggin Bear (Ned dazzling artistic collective have Beatty) and the hospitable Barbiemastered their craft with the action smitten Ken (a closeted take on the familiar character voiced brilliantly packed third chapter, Toy Story 3. If there’s one thing I’ve prepared by Michael Keaton). It doesn’t take long for the myself for over my career as a Pixar enthusiast, it’s to cry in the first few sunny façade of Sunnyside to minutes of their films. Embarrassing fall. Lots’O’Huggin’s disposition as it may be, UP’s romantic intro got quickly turns sinister, revealing the me by the second minute and Toy daycare to be a toy’s version of hell, Story 3 is no different. A brilliant complete with a truly creepy oneshort Day & Night, pre-empts eyed big baby, wire-framed cages, the film and should encourage horrendous toy-mangling and surveillance cameras monitored by a movie-goers to arrive early. The opening sequence rolls cymbal-yielding monkey. Naturally, into six-year-old Andy’s familiar, the environment launches the film’s elaborately constructed world of heroes into break-out mode. You’d be right to peg this film cowboys, astronauts and a giant flying pig. Just as I caught myself as the darkest of the three, but it’s being lulled into a nostalgic fog, just as funny and entertaining as its the shock of the present day predecessors. The jokes and quick interrupted—Andy is 17 and he’s one-liners throughout the film are a welcomed break from the more off to college. The film struck a chord with serious aspects of the story.. The pacing of Toy Story 3 puts it me so strongly perhaps because it’s designed to play directly to on par with some of the most gutthe heartstrings of those imprinted wrenching thrillers, but the suspense by the original Toy Story back is interrupted with clever details and new characters to pepper the in 1995. Written by Michael Arndt (Little toys’ journey. Hilarious additions Miss Sunshine) from a story by like Buzz’s strange behavior after John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and being captured and reset to factory director Lee Unkrich, the script settings, are put to great use. It makes sense 11 years have melds a perfect balance between humor, intelligence and unabashed passed since a new member of the Toy Story franchise has been pure emotion. As with those that have come introduced—mediocrity wasn’t before it, a film for kids takes on an option. The animation stands a slew of adult responsibility. It strong beside its counterparts. I’d be interested to watch the presents issues of abandonment, loneliness and aging surprisingly full trilogy to see and compare the
supplied
in warming hearts with the
visual evolution of the animation of the characters in their surroundings. I’m not one to pass up a chance for 3-D, but it should be noted in this case the glasses didn’t add much to the experience. Pangs of memory and nostalgia hit throughout Toy Story 3, when despite the lively action sequences, a thoughtful story about longing for the past and anticipation for the future is uncovered. It’s a stunning recognition of the way people grow up and naturally part from the people and things they once loved as children.
Who says you can’t come home again? Rising Hollywood star Jay Baruchel did, and made a film sure to be considered a Canadian cinematic classic in the process. Come to think of it, you can’t really consider The Trotsky, written and directed by Baruchel’s childhood friend Jacob Tierney, a complete homecoming. Baruchel, who still lives in Montreal with two high school friends and has a Canadian maple leaf permanently tattooed on his chest, has been fairly open about his loyalty to his home and native land. The actor has a lengthy list of Can-Con to his name, dating all the way back to his early days as the host of the television show Popular Mechanics for Kids with fellow Montreal native and future Girl Next Door Elisha Cuthbert. Last February marked Baruchel’s first turn as a leading man in the underrated She’s Out of My League, playing a lovable loser who unwittingly lands his dream girl. The Trotsky positions Baruchel as Leon Bronstein, a privileged Montreal teenager, who believes he is the reincarnation of Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotksy. As punishment for attempting to organize a hunger strike at his father’s company, protagonist Bronstein is forced to transfer to a
large public school, run by a strict principal played by Canadian stage and screen legend Colm Feore. Feore’s Principal Berkoff (sporting a moustache similar to Lenin’s) is the most power-hungry on-screen administrator since Mr. Rooney in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. After quickly targeting Berkoff as a “fascist”, Leon finds a renewed sense of purpose in a quest to unionize the students at his new school. In order to stage his revolution, Leon joins the student council (ironically named the “student union”) and enlists the aid of an aging activist lawyer and Vietnam War draft-dodger (Michael Murphy), a rag-tag group of students and his adoring younger sister to put an end to Berkoff’s authoritarian rule of Montreal West High School. Another key recruit is Alexandra (Emily Hampshire), a 27- year-old recent PhD graduate. The name is significant, as Trotsky’s first wife was named Alexandra. Leon’s belief in his reincarnation dictates that his life follows Trotsky’s life to a tee— and this includes marrying an older woman named Alexandra. Baruchel portrays the determined dreamer Leon with perfect balance of confidence, zeal and naivety required of the role, as he works to mobilize his fellow students while he awkwardly attempts to woo the woman he has decided is destined to be his future bride. The film also confirms his status Please see Much on page 12
photos by christine blais
Kevin Rodgers’ artistic practice draws upon provisional formalism and conservative subcultures.
Radical rhetoric artist in profile 1. Who are you? Kevin Rodgers. An artist and writer who currently lives in London, ON. 2. What do you do? Aside from writing and making art, I teach sculpture at the University of Western Ontario where I am pursuing my PhD in Art and Visual Culture. 3. Where can people find you? If not in the woodshop or my
studio, at kevinrodgers.ca. 4. What inspires you? Care, craft and commitment. 5. What do you feel your role is as an artist? Certainly not a facilitator, pamphleteer, or educator, even though I engage in all three. 6. How would you describe your art to someone who’s never seen it? Provisional. Often it looks like stacks of boxes, wood or furniture
that are waiting to be shipped elsewhere or unpacked. This upcoming exhibition at Modern Fuel gets away from that a bit as I’m dealing with more self contained works (as opposed to a sprawling installation). 7. What’s the nicest and worst thing someone has said to you about your work? The worst thing is when someone says I’m intentionally trying to pull the wool over the viewer’s eyes, which I’ve had said to me more than once. I have more respect for the viewer than that. I had an older woman come into my studio once to look at my Please see All on page 12
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Arts & Entertainment
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Trust in the dusk
Journal correspondent Kate Kilgour gives a chilling taste of the eery side to this year’s North by Northeast Music Festival in Toronto
By Kate Kilgour Staff Writer Even though it’s June, I’m suddenly experiencing an intense craving for longer nights and crisper temperatures, where the eeriness of Halloween permeates every corner of the city. This can only be explained by the chilling tone of the music I encountered last week, as I’m certainly not tanned enough to forgo the rest of summertime. During Toronto’s annual North by Northeast music festival I ended up at West Queen West’s Wrongbar, a stop on my way home that proved to be one of the highlights of my concert-filled week. What I experienced inside was an unexpected goth-infused dreamy synth-duo called TRUST. Robert Alfons’ vocals achieve the haunting allure of a Frakenstein’d Jim Morrison while harmonies echo from drummer Maya Postepki’s other-worldliness. Their sound is intoxicating like pre-coital lust; like 6am sunrises through a deserted, sedated city. Self-professed “Demon Pop/ Witch Disco” is perfectly fitting,
but with an added air of deceivingly guised electro. They embody a supernatural spirit that would astroproject to the most underground parties where guests are as elegant as they are dangerous.
It was dark and brooding with the right element of dance that had everyone on their feet instead of slumped in a corner couch. The pairing ... is a match made in heaven The press on this twosome is frustratingly sparse, adding to their underground credit. Postepki can be seen with her solo project, Princess Century, also drawing from the darker nooks of musical experimentation, and perhaps surprisingly, she lends her talent to both Ontario group Bruce Peninsula and Toronto songstress Katie Stelmanis. Despite being so different, when examined together the bands share the same enchanting, echoing vocals and layered sounds.
Although I am accustomed to Wrongbar hosting regulars on the electro-scene, TRUST had me captivated. It was dark and brooding with the right element of dance that had everyone on their feet instead of slumped in a corner couch. The pairing of Postepki and Alfons is a match made in heaven; a heaven that has Spanish moss for clouds and cloaks in the place of wings. Despite this imagery, their sound is unexpectedly uplifting, which is putting them at the forefront of my new favorite niche. It’s no surprise that TRUST is involved with Mikey Apples, Crystal Castles’ former manager, a group that also has a unique, genre-blending vibe that airs on the side of abrasive, dark electro. This Toronto duo is like the trick and treat of this field. They sound dangerous and spooky while luring you in, tearing you between a dancey high and an intoxicating low. I suggest keeping an eye on their exploits and entering their next show with a preparedness to supplied photo by frances allen fall in ghostly lust. Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski wrap audiences in their synth-driven goth inspired tunes.
Much Can-Con love for The Trotsky ‘All I 15 reasons to look beyond twilight & the a-team this summer The Secret in Their Eyes Mic Macs Harry Brown Exit Through the Gift Shop supplied
Jay Baruchel has come a long way since the days of PMK, solidifying himself as an up-and-coming member of the Canadian acting community. films rich with stereotypes and last year it has received a great deal Continued from page 11 cliché. It may be a sign of a national of hype—and it’s well deserved. The script is intelligent and witty. as an unlikely male lead. His natural inferiority complex—or at least an acting is at times reminiscent of a artistic one—but Canadian films Naturally, it makes enough political often feel the need to make a point and historical references to make young Dustin Hoffman. Murphy, as the aging hippy of showcasing just how “Canadian” any political aficionado or history buff swoon. Tierney masterfully rediscovering his activist roots they are. The Trotsky doesn’t need to try manages to incorporate the jargon and Hampshire as the reluctant into the script without making it love interest are also standouts in that hard, it just is Canadian. Don’t get me wrong, there are sound like a textbook. a strong ensemble cast, which also Not to mention, it also has a includes venerable Canadian screen still references made to Margaret veteran Saul Rubinek as Leon’s Trudeau and French/English stellar score courtesy of Montrealtensions, however they are done based indie band, Malajube. long-suffering businessman father. So thank you Jacob Tierney The setting was also a standout. in an organic way which will likely It was refreshing to see a Canadian remind you of a quintessential and Jay Baruchel for providing film so unabashedly Canadian. As conversation you’ve likely had as a us with well written, well acted, entertaining and engaging comingCanadian viewers, we are used to Canadian yourself. Even the inclusion of E-Talk of-age comedy…and I’m not just our major cities acting as surrogates for major American cities such a Daily and a campy Ben Mulroney saying that because it’s Canadian. But it doesn’t hurt, eh? cameo seem to fit into the New York and Chicago. plotline, rather than looking like a Here, Montreal plays itself. On the flip side, as Canadians, product placement. Since the film premièred at TIFF we are also accustomed to Canadian
Mother and Child Ondine Splice The Killer Inside Me The Kids Are Alright Please Give Cyrus Get Low Charlie St. Cloud Twelve This Movie is Broken
need is a little fog’ Continued from page 11
recent work and she took a small sculpture home with her because she wanted to live with it. When someone wants to have a work as part of their lives and wake up to it every day then that is a compliment. So that woman indirectly said the nicest thing to me. 8. What are obsessions?
your
current
Lindsay Lohan, William Faulkner and Hannah Arendt. 9. When someone says Kingston, you say: Halifax. It reminds me of that city a lot as I used to live there for five years. Especially with all this rain—all I need is a little fog. 10. What are you working on now? I’m working on my dissertation, an outdoor project for the Lola festival in London in the fall and an upcoming exhibition in Gent, Belgium at the end of this year. Kevin Rodgers’ exhibit Fraternity is showing at Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre until July 24th.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Arts & Entertainment
queensjournal.ca
supplied photo by chris miner
Interpretations of nature get a disturbing twist in Don Maynard’s latest exhibit at Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Franken Forest.
Inspiration through fabrication Continued from page 10
gashes in it, like it has been brutally attacked and the band-aids are attempting to cover the scars. This is the most fascinating aspect of this exhibit. From far away there’s a peace and serenity
to each piece, but upon closer inspection that beauty morphs into an extremely damaged piece of nature. This is especially true in the last piece, Flock, where light reflecting off the installation causes each
viewer to see the art as something different. My tour guide said some people see the sculpture as birds in flight, fighter jets in formation, or even a group of kites. However, when the viewer steps closer you realize that the installation is actually
supplied photo by chris miner
Maynard’s exhibit alludes to genetically engineered crops and nano-technology through the manipulation of everday materials like glass, nails, laminate flooring and Christmas lights.
comprised of paper airplane-esque aluminum pieces pierced into the wall. It is jolting to see what appeared so beautiful from far away, almost like pieces of glass, to actually be sharp pieces of aluminum trapped in the wall. Once again this beautiful piece of art morphs into a slightly disturbing view of nature. I asked my tour guide what is the meaning behind the exhibit and she said that there is no meaning, it is not meant to be didactic. Maynard wants the space to be a source of inspiration, where people find their own meaning from the work. This means that what I found beautifully disturbing, to others may be a place of peace. Whatever you think about the exhibit, it certainly makes you re-examine the interactions between humans and nature. Franken Forest is overtly ambiguous and causes deep contemplation. My advice is to ask for a guided tour as the tour guides can explain the best way to experience the exhibit and fun little facts about the art, like how the videos installed in some of the trees in Franken Forest are not actually videos, but still photographs put together. Maynard’s Franken Forest is at the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery in the Contemporary Feature and Davies Foundation Gallery until August 8, open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.
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1. Caribou—Swim 2. Crystal Castles—Crystal Castles 3. The New Pornographers— Together 4. Holy Fuck—Latin 5. Broken Social Scene— Forgiveness Rock Record 6. The Black Keys—Brothers 7. The National—High Violet 8. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars—Rise & Shine 9. The Slackers—The Great RockSteady Swindle 10. Alborosie—Escape from Babylon 11. Wintersleep—New Inheritors 12. Allison Mose—The Way of the World 13. The Blue Violets—The Blue Violets 14. Plants and Animals—La La Land 15. The Sadies—Darker Circles 16. Gorillaz—Plastic Beach 17. Goldfrapp—Headfirst 18. Pelt—Static In the Attic 19. Felix Obelix—The Tick of the Clock, The Beat In the Chest 20. A Lesser Panda—Nearest Neighbors 21. The Robots—Hey Buddy, Dummy 22. Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames—Burnin’ Love 23. Massive Attack—Heligoland 24. The Dead Weather—Sea of Cowards 25. LCD Soundsystem—This Is Happening 26. I n s t r u m e n t s — N a t i o n a l Laboratory 27. Young Doctors In Love—6 Golden Greats 28. Stereo Total—Baby Ouh! 29. Frog Eyes—Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph 30. The Fugatives—Eccentrically We Love 31. Joe Belly—Nickles and Dimes 32. Bocce—Disambiguation 33. Jeff Healey—Last Call 34. Normand Guilbeault Ensemble—Hommage à Mingus: Live at Upstairs 2008 35. Richard Henderson Acoustic Lap Steel Guitar—Seventh Day
SPORTS
14 • queensjournal.ca
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Four Adding blocks to the foundation for the price of one New hockey recruits look to advance a rapidly improving Gaels team in 2010-2011 season. By Lauri Kytömaa Assistant Sports Editor
OBA teammates commit to women’s basketball program By Kate Bascom Sports editor
With a new lineup, the women’s basketball team is ready for the season to begin. Luckily, the 2010-11 recruiting class won’t need to waste too much time on introductions. Head coach Dave Wilson announced the addition of six new members to the Gaels. Four of these players come from the Ontario Basketball Association’s Kitchener-Waterloo Lightning. Forward Gemma Bullard, post Jordan Tomas, and guards Rachael Urosevic and Lisa Minutillo have been welcomed to the women’s basketball program. Along with the four Lightning players, Wilson has recruited guards Liz Boag and Meaghan MacDougall. Boag, a Kingstonnative, was named MVP of Queen’s Tindall Invitational Tournament, a pre-season basketball tournament hosted by the Gaels. MacDougall transferred from Indiana State, a NCAA Division 1 school. There were specific areas Wilson needed to address with the recent recruitment. The Gaels were looking to add size and depth to the roster and to improve play on the perimeter, especially with shooting skills and playmaking capability. Wilson said he’s looking to take pressure off guard Brittany Moore by spreading scoring ability throughout the roster. Ranked 4th in the country in three-pointers and 9th in points, Moore became an easy target last year against opposing teams. Wilson is hoping the Lightning recruits will be able to make a quick transition to OUA basketball and credits their former coach Bob Urosevic, Rachael’s father, for their preparation “They have been very well coached. He has taught them the fundamentals and skills of the game very well,” he said. “That they know each other gives them a comfort level. They understand the movements of each other much more.” Urosevic said that the relationship between the girls will give them an advantage on and off the court. “The transition socially to school and the team will be a little bit more seamless,” he said. “They have each other to lean on and certainly on the floor, they have a clear understanding of how each other play...Anytime you’re around someone for a while you figure that out quickly.” Urosevic has no doubts that the
Although their playoff dreams ended in a first-round exit, the future looks bright for the Queen’s men’s hockey team. With major talents emerging last season in the Gaels lineup, Head Coach Brett Gibson looked to strengthen the lineup for the upcoming season. The Gaels’ goaltending issues seemed cured once Steele De Fazio took over for Mackenzie Ball. De Fazio marched through the New Year with a .907 save percentage and elevated his game in a big way during the post season with a .947 save percentage. Top scorers Payton Liske and Jordan Mirwaldt led the Gaels’ offense to finish third in goals in the East.
By the nature of university sport, growth is only sustainable with consistent recruiting classes. With the ebb and flow of fourth and fifth years moving out of the program, the talent pool has to be filled up with developed rookies who understand the game. Gibson said recruiting is a yearlong process. “I start recruiting for next year [in October],”he said. “You start real early [as] you want to see where guys are leaning towards. You talk to coaches and put out some feelers just to see what these guys are thinking.” Gibson said that academic standards change the scope of the process. “For me, I’m not necessarily looking for the top skater,” he said. “I’m looking for the top student
athletes because of the Queen’s academic standards.” Gibson has assembled a very strong group of rookies for the 2010-2011 season. Leading the group are three experienced players. Alexi Pianosi, a defenseman with experience in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League played last season with the Aurora Tigers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, shooting a fifty-point season from the blue line. Jordan Soquila, a forward from the British Columbia Hockey League, captained the Merritt Centennials and scored forty-five points last season. Finally, David Aime is a 6’5’’ goalie with experience in the Western Hockey League and received the Goalie of
the Year award last season in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Gibson said he feels especially excited about the new game-style Pianosi will be able to bring to his defensive core. “We needed an offensive defenseman and we got that in Pianosi,” he said. “[We] lacked everything that he brings as a player; he’s played over 200 games in the Quebec league, he’ll be ready to quarterback the team on the power play,” he said. Soquila provides the team with the intangible qualities necessary for deep playoff runs. “Jordan is just a great kid,” Gibson said. “He’s been a leader on every team he’s ever played Please see Recruits on page 15
Golf team’s high hopes dashed out East Inexperience thwarted the Gaels’ season-ending tournament as they aimed to leave a lasting impression on the national stage. By Kate Bascom Sports editor
The Queen’s golf team met unfamiliar competition and bad weather at the 2010 Canadian University/College Championship in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The tournament, played at Kingswood Park from May 31 to June 2, was limited to three rounds when the final day was cancelled due to unplayable conditions. Throughout the season, the men’s team struggled with inexperience and the loss of captain Patrick Forbes. They looked to the University/College Golf Championship as a way to make a final stand before the end of the season. With their sights set on making the cut, the men’s team fell short shooting a 55 over par and placing 17th in a 20 team field. Sean Lackey, a third year member of the team, told the Journal in an e-mail that it was the first appearance for three members of the five member team. “In order to be competitive in an event like this, you need all five guys to be on their game and posting good numbers,” he said. “Bringing a relatively young team to the event, it’s difficult to gauge how guys will handle their first time on the big stage.” Rookie Matt Courchene was able to push most of his nerves away as he led the Gaels individually with a score of 221 and finished tied th Please see Roster on page 15 for 18 . Lackey said Courchene’s
talent plus the experience he’s gained this year will make him an exciting member of the Queen’s golf program. “Experience goes a long way in getting good results,” said the Kingston native. “Especially in golf, where the season is only six weeks and rookies are adjusting to new surroundings and getting used to balancing school and golf.” At more than 7,000 yards, the course was longer than what the Gaels generally play in Ontario. Finishing tied for 42nd with a score of 227, Lackey explained that being a short hitter, he had his work cut out for him. “Coming into the event I was somewhat apprehensive of the length of the golf course,” he said. “Fortunately I was able to make a lot of birdies and the result was three solid scores.” The women’s team was coming off of a dominating season which saw them win six straight gold medals. In their first-year as a varsity team, fourth year Kate Burnett told the Journal in an e-mail that she knew they could win but remained humble about their achievements. “Six gold medals were unexpected, however we knew that we would be competitive in the OUA given our performance in the 2008 season,” she said. “In this season, we were top three in every tournament and so we knew with
Photo by sean lackey
Mike Hossack tees off at the University/College Championship at Kingswood Park in Fredericton, New Brunswick. our hard work and the individual potential of the golfers on the team that we could do well.” Their first appearance in a national championship did not meet the expectations of the team but Burnett said they showed the Canadian university golf community they deserved to be there. “Though some players felt they did not play as well as they were hoping, [but] the overall team performance was excellent,” she said. “Since this was our first national championship, the course
and competition brought with them challenges that we have not faced prior to this tournament as a team.” Fourth year student Casey Ward said in an e-mail to the Journal that the bouts of rain throughout the weekend affected the playing conditions. “The greens were difficult with lots of undulations, and were playing very firm at the beginning of the week, but softened up with the rain in the second round,” she said. “Players were required to think Please see Golfers on page 15
Sports
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
queensjournal.ca
Golfers miss cut Continued from page 14
their way around the golf course, in terms of where to place shots, particularly on the large greens.” Coming into their first tournament outside the OUA, the women’s team was unsure what to expect. Ward said their performance during the year had given them high hopes. “Our team has much more depth than most of the other teams in the OUA, with our top four girls having significant competitive golf experience outside of Queen’s,” she said. “Our team … had the potential to have four players scoring in the 70’s.” The women’s championship is dominated by the University of British Columbia who have won the tournament seven times in the
last eight years. Factors like weather and funding contribute to their great play. “Obviously playing out West they have a much longer golf season than we do,” she said. “That means more opportunities to play and practice, whereas our season starts in September and ends in October.” Head Coach Bert Kea credited the Gaels’ string of wins on their attitude. Although golf is an individual sport, Ward said that the support of teammates is important. “It was very important to know that we could count on each other to play well each week,” she said. journal file photo “Some of our players have a more Guard Brittany Moore will benefit from the added support. serious attitude, while others are quite easy-going. Overall, we always try to keep things light and not put too much pressure on ourselves.”
Recruits excited for hockey’s future
Continued from page 14
ACROSS
1 Have on 5 Taxi 8 Distort 12 “It’s a Sin to Tell —” 13 Eggs 14 “Do — others ...” 15 Jeff Probst’s show 17 Nevada city 18 Thickness 19 Morning moisture 20 Sandwich necessity 21 Adjective for 22-Down 22 Adversary 23 Debate topic 26 Prime Minister’s street 30 Norse thunder god 31 Carton 32 Defeat decisively 33 Greedy 35 Tilts 36 Lingerie item 37 Otologist’s subject 38 What Nixon denied being 41 Over-active one? 42 Center 45 Tibetan monk 46 Take unawares 48 Gray hair cause 49 Favorite 50 Looked at 51 Repair 52 Blond shade 53 Root beer brand
DOWN
1 Nasty stinger 2 Hebrew month 3 Ethereal 4 Gun the engine 5 Small flock 6 Acknowledge 7 Tavern 8 Cry uncle 9 Dandling site 10 Sicilian spouter
11 Unfinished furniture? 16 Between assignments 20 Acknowledge applause 21 “Hanging ten” need 22 Hounds’ prey, per haps 23 “Monty Python” opener 24 That girl 25 Scale member 26 Homer’s interjection 27 A Gershwin 28 Sister 29 “Pygmalion” play wright’s monogram 31 Merit badge org. 34 Annoy 35 Genie’s quarters 37 Third rock from the sun 38 Untalkative one 39 Anger 40 Portent 41 Colors 42 Casual greeting 43 Secondhand 44 Foundations 46 Hot tub 47 Roulette bet
on, and so I’m looking for him to be an important figure in the locker-room.” The addition of the new goaltender Aime will challenge Steele’s established position in net and force him to improve. “I told Steele that it’s his job to lose coming into it,” Gibson said. “He played unbelievable in the playoffs, he deserves it. If he takes it and runs with it then great for us. But we are in a market for winning; if Steele starts to slip up and [Aime] plays well, David will get the job.” There will also be competition outside the pipes. Gibson has added several forwards who will come to training camp looking to steal spots on the lineup from last year’s team. Citing a need for depth upfront, Gibson said he intends to test the veteran Gaels and reward those who show a good work ethic during camp. Each of the recruits appears just as excited as their coach to get the season rolling. David Aime told the Journal in
Sports in Brief CFL adds another Gael After selecting Gaels’ linebacker Chris Smith in the fourth round of this year’s CFL draft the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced on Tuesday June 3 that Smith has officially signed a contract. Smith, who was named the defensive player of the game for the 2009 Vanier cup, joins former Gael, Thaine Carter on the Bombers. — Lauri Kytömaa
Last Issue’s Answers
an email that he credits Gibson for selling him on the Gaels hockey program. The reputation of Queen’s and the city of Kingston also had a big impact on his decision. “The fact that Queen’s is also one of the top academic schools in Canada was also very appealing to me,” he said. “I look forward to coming to Kingston as I’ve only heard great things about the city.” In an e-mail with the Journal Alexi Pianosi expressed optimism for the hockey team’s chances this year. “Of course like every year I’m looking forward to training camp and another season working towards a championship on the ice, and meeting all the guys,” he said. “I’ve met a few of them and they were great guys so I’m really looking forward to getting to know them and being a part of their team.” The word “championship” seems to be floating in the air already. With a strong formula in place, no one should be surprised if the wins start piling up in the fall.
Schedule change for OUA football With the suspension of the Waterloo Warriors football program, the 2010 OUA football season has been extended an additional week. The nine remaining football schools will face each other once with the additional week being a bye week. The Queen’s Gaels will begin a week early facing the McMaster
Marauders in Hamilton on Wednesday, Sept. 1. They will receive their bye in the second week when they were originally supposed to play Waterloo. The Gaels’ home opener will still be Sunday, Sept. 12 against the Windsor Lancers. — Kate Bascom
Hulse keeps pace through summer With eyes set on the National Track and Field Championship later this summer, Matt Hulse continues his strong postseason performances. Finishing second at Speed City Distance Inferno, he posted a personal best of 4:03.5 over the mile course. This adds to his two other personal bests; a 1:50.86 time in the 800 meter at the London Distance Classic and 3.44.76 at the University of Windsor Classic 1500 meter race. — Lauri Kytömaa
• 15
Roster bolstered with new players Continued from page 14
recruits will be able to make the transition from the OBA to OUA basketball. He said that although the university league has bigger, faster and stronger athletes, he believes his players will be able to compete because of their talent and perseverance. “They’re going to bring a level of skill, a level of dedication and commitment to basketball,” he said. “[They’re] focused on trying to get better personally...and that translates to helping the team. They’ll be ready to make the transition.” Urosevic highlighted the girls’ work ethic in basketball and academically. “They’re all very committed, work hard on their own and work hard in practice in terms of developing their skills,” he said. “It’s not easy to get into Queen’s. These kids have been pretty focused for a long time. [They] have been good student-athletes for a long time.” Urosevic and Wilson emphasized the players’ experience. From highpressured games to long road trips to intense weekly practices, the level of competition in the OBA is similar to what they will experience playing for the Gaels. “We demand a fair amount from the kids and challenge the kids physically, mentally to push beyond their limits,” Urosevic said. Gemma Bullard, a forward for the Kitchener-Waterloo Lightning, was the last of her teammates to commit to the basketball program after considering several Canadian schools. The basketball program and it’s coaching staff were the deciding factors, she told the Journal in an e-mail. “I really like Dave as a person and his coaching style suited the way that I play,” she said. “Queen’s also has an overall strong team which suits the fact that I love to win.” The Guelph-native said she was more comfortable with the closeknit community of Queen’s and the small town atmosphere of Kingston and was excited about the prospects of the engineering program. “A lot of the people that I have talked to that have been to Queen’s, or are going there this coming fall went because they love the town and the feel of the campus,” she said. “The engineering program at Queen’s is hands down one of the best and I felt that as a student I would have a greater chance of being successful.” Bullard is hoping to make an immediate impact in the Gaels lineup. “When any of the four of us are on the floor together, we know what the other one will do,” she said. “This will prove to be our advantage particularly at the beginning of the season when other teams are trying to get used to each other and we look like we were born from the same womb.”
Postscript
16 • queensjournal.ca
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Generation gym no more
Summer’s most popular fitness routines are getting people off the treadmill and giving them a new view of staying fit he said, adding that he thinks the extensive media coverage of cycling has also changed people’s views about it. “The cost of running an automobile has also had an impact,” he said. “People immediately started to look for an alternate means of transportation. “Another factor seems to be peoples’ awareness of the environment and the impact their daily choices have.” Although there aren’t many cycling trails around Kingston, Jackson said there are many other options. “There are a large number of great road riding routes in the area. Other than the main north-south arteries most of the roads around Kingston are great for cycling.”
expert weigh-in
Photo by Christine Blais
Yoga, one of many fitness trends followed by exercise junkies, has made headway in redefining physical activity. By Kelly Loeper Postscript Editor
Booty Camp is aimed for women aged 25-35, she said, but women of different ages and Many people use the summer fitness levels participate, including season as a time to experiment many Queen’s students at their and explore different activities they Kingston branch. would normally brush off during the daily grind of the year. ole dancing Many also say, “this summer I am finally going to get fit!” and It’s been done before with other the fitness industry is catching on. objects—balls, weights, ropes and Postscript explores new fitness bands—and now the pole has regimes that are selling out fast as become the newest fitness tool. well as some older favourites that Shannon Crane is the owner of are being noticed again. Aradia Fitness in Toronto, a studio You might say you’re too busy or offering classes in pole dancing, too lazy, but there have never been hula hoops, yoga, pilates and other more options. floor exercises. “A typical class consists of a warm up, strength work on the pole and oot amp mat, ab work, pole dancing, pole Looking to get outside this summer tricks, stretching and a cool down,” and break a sweat while you’re at Crane told the Journal via e-mail. it? Boot camps, in which people “The benefits people will get go through a series of strength, from pole dancing physically are conditioning and cardio exercises seen all over the body ... we are in an outdoor course, have hitting all major muscle groups,” she been appearing everywhere as a said, adding that strength improves popular summer alternative to the most in the shoulders, back, indoor gyms. arms and core. Sammie Kennedy, the creator People seem to gravitate and CEO of Booty Camp Fitness, towards pole dancing because it’s said people’s interest in this style of a fun activity that also gets you fit, exercise was apparent as soon as her she said. company started in 2007. “You move at your own pace “I was running my own personal and classes are not limited by age training company ... One day the or size or history,” she said, adding weather was gorgeous and I was that women aged 19 to 61, of all disappointed that we were working races and fitness levels, are seen at out indoors, so I decided to take her studio. groups of my clients outdoors “I think this happens because to exercise,” she told the Journal everyone comes to class for a via e-mail. “The first boot camp different reason.” sold out within 24 hours so then I Crane said the stigma attached added another ... that one sold out to pole dancing is due to the fact in 48 hours!” that many are uneducated about it. A one-hour session of boot “I often hear ‘I’m too old/heavy/ camp consists of warming up and uncoordinated/shy’ and ‘I have no stretching, squats and lunges, cardio upper body strength,’” she said. “I exercises and exercises for areas know a lot of people think when such as the upper body, core and they come to classes that the class glutes, Kennedy said. will be full of women that are super
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young and super fit and they will feel out of place.” “When skeptics come in and try a class, I often hear ‘that was not what I expected and I loved it,’” she said. “The other stigma is that it is just for exotic dancers, when actually about 0.5 per cent of my clients are strippers.” Crane said she thinks pole dancing will become a more mainstream form of exercise. “It will only grow in popularity, ... It wasn’t that long ago that no one knew what stability balls were for, or heard of Pilates.”
is currently on a slight decline, she said. “There are too many styles of yoga and too many improperly trained teachers. A number of long-term, dedicated instructors are taking a step back from teaching ... their voices are being lost amid all the hype.” Johanson said she does think yoga will come back to eventually be seen as something people integrate into the daily routines of their lives. The fitness industry has had more of an effect on yoga than the other way around, she said, due to extensive marketing and quick certifications of teachers. “Amidst all of that, though, every yoga day there are people who engage Embraced by Westerners for many with the discipline of this amazing years, yoga has been adapted to practice and who get something real fit different fitness levels and styles from that attempt.” over time. Carolyn Johanson is the director cycling of Path Yoga in Kingston. Her studio offers classes ranging from Along with its increasingly the traditional Ashtanga style of widespread use as an alternate yoga to many other styles. source of transportation, many Johanson said that traditionally are turning to the bicycle again yoga has been about a mind/body as a simple way to get their connection, but can have different heart pumping. purposes for different people. “Most Aarron Jackson, the owner new students are more interested of Gears and Grinds, a cycling in the physical benefits, including and triathlon shop in downtown improved flexibility, strength, and Kingston, said cycling is widely endurance,” Johanson told the accessible to all ages and Journal in an e-mail. fitness levels. She said that many people “This makes it a great choice participate in yoga to help them for people who are looking for an in their training with other sports, inexpensive and healthy means of such as running. transportation and recreation,” he “The longer they stick around, told the Journal via e-mail. “The however, the more they see that main benefit that cycling has over the mental and spiritual benefits other sports is its low impact on the are really the long term motivators body while providing the benefit of to practice: decreased stress, a being outside.” calmer mind, and a stronger sense Jackson said he thinks cycling has of self to carry them through increased in popularity recently. challenging experiences.” “From a racing standpoint Lance Yoga’s popularity, which has Armstrong brought bike racing increased and decreased over time, to the masses in North America,”
Mark Bruner, a post-doctoral research fellow in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, said many people are beginning to prefer being in a class exercise environment. “Everyone has an innate sense of belonging and being a part of something can really help them,” Bruner said, adding that support from classmates can increase people’s motivation to exercise. “If you do become a part of a group like that there’s a bit of accountability.” For example, he said, exercising with a group of people may cause one to think, ‘I need to go because they’ll notice I’m not there.’ Incorporating different exercise tools and promoting group exercise environments will have a good impact on the fitness industry, Bruner said. “I think having options is a great thing; people are always looking for different ways to make exercise appealing. Offering a range of exercises and pieces of equipment and different strategies are all trying to achieve the same goal— to get people active.” New fitness trends are all about constantly allowing people to become more engaged, he said. As new fitness trends grow, so does the hype and marketing surrounding them, which may also allow for quicker certifications for instructors and trainers. Bruner said it’s important for people to make sure their trainers and instructors have the proper knowledge to guide them. “There are definitely a lot of things driving the field getting people certified. It’s difficult for the consumer to differentiate between the instructors.” Ultimately, joining a group when learning something new can help people to internalize their activity, he said. “Sometimes joining a club can help shape who they are and give someone the confidence to develop a personal identity.”