The Queen's Journal, Issue 22

Academic wizardry

Hands of wood, hearts of gold a&e A&E Page xx pAGE 16

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Queen’s

Suspect solicitation

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University

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F r i d ay, N o v e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 0

Feasible fees

An apocalyptic act

Queen’s 1, Laurier 0 (OT)

Gaels golden in PEI

Students to pay full tuition by Sept.1

By Labiba Haque Assistant News Editor

The women’s soccer team beats Laurier in overtime to become national champions

and filed a police report with Kingston Police, but because under $1,000 was stolen it’s unlikely the investigation will be pursued with interest, he said.

Since September, Campus Security has received reports of over 2,000 incidents, including bicycle theft, calls seeking medical assistance and reports of private homes being broken into, David Patterson director of Queen’s Campus Security said.

The new administrative and student system replacing QCARD might change how students budget for their education.

Starting next year, any student who has not paid their tuition in full by Sept. 1 will be barred from adding new courses and could lose spots in ones they’ve already registered in.

Associate University Registrar (Records and Services) Andrew Ness said that if a course is full, the students who’ve paid their full tuition will get precedence.

“When another student who has paid (or deferred) selects the same course … [it] essentially ‘bumps’ the other student [who has not paid their full tuition] out of it,” Ness told the Journal via email.

In previous years students have had to pay a minimum registration fee by Aug. 1 with the remaining balance due Sept. 30. Next year the minimum registration period will be eliminated from the administrative system and students will be required to pay their full fall-winter tuition amount by Sept. 1.

Although all students are required to pay their full tuition by the designated date, deferrals will be made to students with Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and students with provincial and international loans.

Students who have not paid their full fee or deferred their payment, will be charged a late payment interest rate of prime plus three per cent, just as they were this year and in years past. But they will also face three new sanctions. They could be assessed the $150 late registration fee, blocked from adding courses during add-drop period as well as be refused student card validation.

“Once they have either paid fees or completed the commitment process,” Ness said, “their enrolment restrictions will be removed immediately.”

Fraser MacPherson, ASUS representative to the AMS and

Please see Crime on page 7

Please see New on page 6

By Anand Srivastava Staff Writer The women’s soccer team capped off their tremendous season with the biggest prize of all, as they won gold in overtime at the 2010 CIS Women’s Soccer Championship in Charlottetown last weekend.

Queen’s defeated their OUA rivals, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, 1-0 in extra time to bring home the team’s first national banner since 1988. Midfielder Riley Filion ripped a 40-yard blast off the crossbar and in to the net in the 107th minute as keeper Chantal Marson closed the door on any subsequent Golden Hawk chances to seal the victory.

Filion said she was ecstatic to see her long-range attempt get past the Laurier keeper in the tight game.

“I felt extreme happiness, relief and excitement [to know] if we could keep it for the next 10 minutes, we would be national champions,” she said. “It was a bad clearance by the Laurier defender and then it came to me about 40 yards out and I just kicked it … it was a good one I guess.”

The team needed no extra motivation as they went into overtime in the biggest game of their season.

“We felt pretty good,” Filion said. “We hadn’t played overtime yet and Laurier had played overtime the night before … they were, Please see Soccer on page 21

INDEX

Volume 138, Issue 22 www.queensjournal.ca News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A&E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Editorials . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Postscript . . . . . . . . . . 24

Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

photo by Christine blais

Queen’s Players fall production cast brings their sketches into a pre-apocalyptic context. See a review of Players from two very different perspectives on page 12.

Securing campus Incidents raise questions of safety on and off campus

By Jessica Fishbein Assistant News Editor On Saturday night, Brian Chan, MD ’13, had $750 stolen from his car outside of Grant Hall.

“Every year Queen’s medical school runs a talent show called [Queen’s Medical Variety Night (MVN),] held at Grant Hall. Tickets are sold for $10 and the show runs for three nights with a bake sale and raffle. We raise money for three charities: Breast Cancer Action Kingston, Dawn House Women’s

Shelter and Partner’s in Mission Foodbank Kingston,” Chan, who is also the MVN director, said.

“Twenty minutes into the show the people running the bake sale gave me $750 from the three nights in a Tupperware box. I put it in my car and parked right outside Grant Hall. An hour later I went outside and my back window was smashed in and the money was taken.

“Either it was someone at the show or someone who was watching me,” Chan said, adding that he contacted campus security

News

2 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ringing the alarm Malicious fire alarms on the rise in residence

By Clare Clancy News Editor The number of malicious fire alarms pulled in residence has increased again this year, according to Associate Vice-Principal and Dean of Student Affairs Arig Girgrah.

After a malicious fire alarm last week, Residence Life sent out an email to residence dons.

“It is 1:45 a.m. and Vic Hall just got in from a fire alarm where the [Kingston] Fire and Rescue Department informed us that the last time they were called to our building (which has had at least one maliciously pulled alarm nearly every day for over a week now), they were pulled away from a fatality to address it,” the email said.

Residence Life hires fulltime co-ordinators who Girgrah said sent the email. She said it was sent so everyone could get a better grasp on the severity of the alarm system. “[There are] individuals that may feel it’s a joke or a prank,” she said. “[But] the department was pulled away from a life and death situation to respond to that call.

“Up until this point [since Sept. 1], there have been 25 malicious pulls,” she said. “Looking over the last three years, there’s been anywhere between seven and 16 from September to [the end of] November.”

“There are serious consequences up to and including suspension and removal from residence.”

—Arig Girgrah, associate vice-principal and dean of student affairs Girgrah said 14 of the 25 malicious fire alarms were pulled at Victoria Hall.

“We should look at the demographics there,” she said. “Part of the issue is that it’s one of the largest residences.”

While the number of malicious alarms is up from last year at this point, the 2009 calendar year marked an all time high with 66 malicious alarms as opposed to 27 in the previous year.

Girgrah said it’s unacceptable for individuals to pull fire alarms when there isn’t a real threat.

“Our fire and rescue services are there for a reason and when they get pulled … it jeopardizes [lives],” she said, adding that it also causes harm to students’ sleep patterns.

“It’s a real distraction and inconvenience for students,” she said.

Another danger of malicious fire alarms

is desensitization, Girgrah said. The Fire Department always responds but after too many alarms students stop responding, putting them at risk in the case of a real fire.

Girgrah said Residence Life has initiatives in place to quell the number of malicious fire alarms. A working group in Student Affairs was formed this year to look at malicious fire alarms in residences. Queen’s also worked with the Fire and Rescue Department to create an online video, warning students of the risks involved with pulling a fire alarm maliciously. The video was shown during Orientation Week.

“I think it’s a multi-pronged approach,” she said, adding that there are disciplinary measures in place for those who pull fire alarms on purpose.

“We have community standard rules and regulations. A malicious pull is considered a level three offence,” she said.

Level three is considered the highest level of a residence or non-academic offence.

“There are serious consequences up to and including suspension and removal from residence,” she said.

Because it’s so difficult to find out who maliciously pulled a fire alarm, Girgrah said it’s important to create awareness around this issue.

“We need to impress upon students their role in creating a culture or climate that does not condone or accept this,” she said.

Fire Inspector Ted Posadowski said false fire alarms risk the lives of fire and rescue personnel as well as other citizens.

“False alarms as a whole to the City of Kingston is a concern to us,” he said. “There could be another emergency. Having our trucks dispatched means driving quickly … accidents do happen.”

Posadowski said almost half of calls reporting fires are false alarms.

“Forty per cent are false alarms,” he said.

Responding to a fire alarm call costs the Since Sept. 1 there have been 25 malicious city $1,000, Posadowski said, adding that Victoria Hall. malicious fire alarms are a problem across the City and are often pulled at elementary schools and high schools. Nonetheless, there seems to be a concentration of them on campus.

Saturday, Nov. 20 He said students need to understand the impact of pulling an alarm both for the Women’s Hockey vs. Wilfrid greater good and for themselves. Under the Laurier University Criminal Code of Canada, pulling a fire Memorial Centre alarm in the absence of a fire is an offence 8:30 p.m. and can result in fines or jail time. “[Students] should know it’s a criminal Queen’s Players Presents: 2012: The offence,” he said.

Oprah-Calypse Time to Laugh Comedy Club To watch the video “An Alarming 7 p.m.

Affair,” please go to bit.ly/alarmingaffair Tuesday, Nov. 23

Get social Follow the Journal on Twitter at: twitter.com/queensjournal or on Facebook at: facebook.com/queensjournal

photo by christine blais

fire alarms, 14 of which occurred in

Campus calendar

QHHA presents the Polar Bear Dip Breakwater Park (across from KGH) 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Queen’s Choral Ensemble Grant Hall 7:30 p.m. $5/student

Wednesday, Nov. 24 Expanding Horizons Session 10: Equity Issues in the Queen’s Classroom Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B176 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 25 Queen’s Bike for Aids!

Queen’s Centre 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

QUIC International Community-Building Lunch -- Region: Africa JDUC, QUIC 12-1:30 p.m.

Feature

Friday, November 19, 2010

queensjournal.ca

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High pressure sales make bad impression Door-to-door sales agents canvass the Ghetto looking to lock students onto contracts with independent energy companies

According to staff responsible for training sales agents, it’s standard practice that door-to-door sales staff work on a commission-based salary.

By Jake Edmiston Features Editor Two weeks ago, Vanessa Amodeo answered the door of her Alfred St. home to something familiar—a salesperson wanting to switch her over to a new utilities service.

“The more aggressive ones will go on and on about how we’re going to get screwed over if we don’t sign up,” Amodeo, ArtsSci ’11, said. “We’ve probably had five people come to the door this year alone.”

Earlier this year Campus Security issued a report warning students of sales agents canvassing the Student Ghetto asking students to show a recent utility bill and offering to switch them over to another service.

“I’ve heard from my parents that they’re mostly just scams,” Amodeo said. “I usually just tell them that the person who deals with the bills isn’t home.”

The root of Amodeo’s problem dates back 10 years to a switch in Ontario policy that allowed for the emergence of independent energy providers, many of which use door-to-door sales tactics to recruit customers. The deregulation of the Ontario marketplace in 1999 created an opportunity for businesses to offer an alternative to local utility providers.

Paul Crawford, communications advisor for the Ontario Energy Board, said most independent energy resellers offer fixed rates on three or five year contracts instead of the varying price offered by local utility providers like Utilities Kingston.

Crawford said because local providers’ rates are adjusted every six months by the Ontario Energy Boards, gambling on the set price of an independent provider can be appealing.

“They’re offering a stability factor,” he said, adding that these businesses can purchase energy from the either same generator used by local utility providers, or an independent source.

The Ontario Energy Board

lasts about three days.

“Pay is commission-based,” she said. “It’s typical in our industry to pay agents by commission.”

After a contract is signed at the door, the energy retailer is required by law to allow the customer a 10-day “cooling” period. During the period the company isn’t allowed a follow-up call and the customer can back-out without reason. After the 10 days elapse, companies must call to verify the contract. The door-to-door Summit Energy salesperson isn’t paid unless the contract survives the process, Girardi said.

“We have from the 11th day to the 60th day after signing to contact you to verify the contract.”

Despite negative reports, Warren Mabee, the director of Queen’s Institute for Energy and “You start by Environmental Policy, said that introducing yourself and while some energy retail programs may be scams, others provide the company that you renewable, green energy as an represent.” alternative to the local provider.

—Michael Brennan, “Many if not most of them are Sales agent completely up front and legitimate businesses,” said Mabee, who’s also He said issues between an assistant professor with Queen’s consumers and independent energy policy studies. “It’s a scam if you retailers usually arise over confusion don’t understand what it is that surrounding the agreement made you’re signing up for.”

Mabee said if door-to-door at the door.

“There’s been three or four sales agents are offering something cases in the last couple years where beneficial to the person who’s door fines have been levied against they knocked on, they won’t use companies for conduct having pressure to make the sale.

“Pushy sales tactics should to do with their sales agents,” Crawford said. “It may have been always be a sign that something is about how contracts were entered not right,” he said. “In some cases into or how they were presented. it may be beneficial if the fixed rate But the companies themselves and that they’re offering is significantly what they’re offering is legitimate lower than the rate that you’ve been paying but that requires the and legal.”

Gaegana Girardi is responsible consumer to have a pretty good with co-ordinating the training idea of what their bills have been of sales agents from Summit over time.

“If they come to your house Energy—an Ontario energy retailer. She said Summit Energy and say, ‘well I can give you this salespeople are trained by a discount but you’ve got to sign third-party agency and paid right now.’ That’s always a sign to me that they don’t want me on commission.

“We design the training for to take my time,” Mabee said. them and it involves both in-class “They don’t want me to look at the training and in-field training,” options and crunch a spread sheet Girardi said, adding the training or to do any of that work ­­— which publishes data on the complaints lodged by Ontario energy consumers. According to a report published yesterday, there were 1,769 complaints lodged between April and June of 2010.

Over 1,000 of the complaints were regarding the way an independent energy retailer handled a contract and 370 regarded the conduct of a door-to-door salesperson. Only 300 complaints were lodged against a local utility provider.

“I don’t think we can call it a scam, to be honest, because they are legitimate businesses,” Crawford said. “We just want to make sure people have read everything first and are comfortable with everything [before signing a contract].”

is really what you’d have to do to understand that you’re getting a benefit.”

Michael Brennan has been working as a door-to-door salesperson in the Student Ghetto for six months solely on commission. He said sales agents for energy retailers work on a format.

“Pushy sales tactics should always be a sign that something is not right.”

—Warren Mabee, Assistant professor in Queen’s policy studies “You start by introducing yourself and the company that you represent,” Brennan said, adding that he was instructed never to solicit after 9 p.m. and he doesn’t enter a home unless invited.

After introducing himself and the company, he explains the offer.

Then he asks to see an invoice or the most recent copy of a utility bill. “[It’s] to make sure that if they do wish to continue that they’re

Photo By Justin Tang

not going to acquire any kind of exit fee or penalty if they do already have a supplier set up,” he said.

Because Brennan works for an energy reseller that offers market rates on green energy, he’s forbidden to promise the customer they’ll save money.

“It says right on the top line of our essential agreements form that there is absolutely no guarantee of financial savings,” he said. “We simply just come by to give them the opportunity to stabilize their rate, so it would be one flat rate each month for the entire day rather than paying the time of use.”

Brennan said he requires customers to sign a contract at the door because it’s the most efficient way to switch a consumer over to a new provider.

“We try to get on it as fast as possible so we can get the benefit of the program.”

Despite a reliance on commission, Brennan said he doesn’t use pressure tactics.

“It’s completely up to the individual,” he said.

—with files from Tyler Ball

Top five complaints about energy companies 1. No copy of contract: Consumer doesn’t recall signing contract; copy of contract not provided when requested.

2. Reaffirmation: Company tries to reaffirm during legally required 10-day cooling period.

3. Renewal: Misleading renewal notice; company renewed contract after customer made cancellation request.

4. Misrepresentation of identity: Agent claimed affiliation with government, local utility provider or Ontario Energy board.

5. Miscellaneous contract issues.

—Source: Ontario Energy Board

News

4 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 19, 2010

Debating the merits of decriminalization Panel discusses the effects that decriminalization of prostitution in Ontario could have on its stakeholders and society was a panelist at the debate.

As a self-identified former prostitute, Falle said at the panel that she worries about what the new law will do for child exploitation in the sex industry.

By Katherine Fernandez-Blance Assistant News Editor Since the Ontario Supreme Court decided to decriminalize prostitution on Sept. 28, the province has been debating the pros and cons.

On Monday night almost 200 people came to a panel discussion in Ellis Hall organized by Queen’s Law and Public Policy Club to hear a few arguments on both sides of the debate. The panel featured five speakers from all across the province. While they all agreed that prostitution should be decriminalized, they disagreed as to whether that should include pimps, johns, buyers and other stakeholders or only the prostitutes.

“These women are there because they’re victims of the industry.

Prostitution is a business exchange based on lies and threats of violence.”

—Natasha Falle, executive director of Sex Trade 101

Falle said that she began work as a prostitute when she was 14, and that the average age that people enter the industry is 13. “[When I entered] we called it “You’re not going to working in the game … It’s never a choice for a child … Now we change people’s moral are removing the provision that views on prostitution says [prostitution’s] not okay,” Falle and abortion ... [But] said. “I refuse to legitimize this as people are talking about something that’s healthy.” this again, and I don’t She said her own brushes with danger prompted her to carry a know where it’s going to knife when she would meet clients. lead to, but people are With an estimated 200 talking about. It’s about prostitutes in Kingston, Falle said time.” she stands behind the decision to —Alan Young, lawyer in decriminalize prostitution.

Nonetheless, she said she wants Bedford v. Canada case the stakeholders in the industry to Natasha Falle, executive director remain criminalized by the law.

“These women are there of the educational organization, Sex Trade 101, an organization that because they’re victims of the aims to increase public education industry. Prostitution is a business and awareness about the sex trade, exchange based on lies and threats

Photo By justin tang

Organizers of the panel to discuss the decriminalization of prostitution brought together five experts to debate the ramifications of the Sept. 28 court decision. of violence,” Falle said.

After the ruling was made in September, the case moved on to the Court of Appeal. The court is expected to announce its final decision on Nov. 27.

Regardless of the outcome, Falle said the court case has helped remove the taboos associated with

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talking about the sex industry.

“Ten years ago, nobody was talking about this. We were all whores and sexual deviants. [The court decision] has given a lot of people in the business a voice, whether they are for or against the ruling,” Falle said.

Livia Jozsa, Jd ’12, was the principle organizer of the panel, entitled ‘Should Prostitution be legalized.’ She said that prostitution has never been illegal in Canada, even before the Sept. 28 ruling.

“The Bedford v. Canada case was an attempt to strike down three laws that made prostitution illegal,” Jozsa said.

The laws included owning a bawdy house, living on the avails of prostitution and communicating for the purposes for the prostitution, she said.

Jozsa said that after hearing both sides of the argument at the panel, she feels partial decriminalization would be the best route for Canada.

“I agree with the Swedish model which is basically to charge the buyers, the pimps and the johns, but not the women … I think we should still charge the men … we don’t want to have laws that support the normalization of prostitution,” Jozsa said.

Panelist Alan Young represented the three women who brought the Bedford v. Canada case before the Supreme Court.

“I’m not a big fan of [this] law,” he said. “I’ve never really felt that the government should use criminal law to control a person’s sexuality.”

He said, at the panel, that society typically depicts prostitutes in a very stereotypical way, such as the Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) or crack-addict, and he wanted to challenge these stereotypes.

“You’re not going to change people’s moral views on prostitution and abortion,” Young said. “[But]

people are talking about this again, and I don’t know where it’s going to lead to, but people are talking about. It’s about time.”

Ottawa Law School’s Shelia McIntyre said everyone who’s involved in the financial transaction side of prostitution (everyone but the prostitutes themselves) should still be criminalized by Ontario law.

“Social and economic inequality are the engines that [cause] the sex trade. The legalization of prostitution will lead to its expansion,” McIntyre said, adding that current law perceives prostitution as inevitable, and that this shouldn’t be an assumption.

“Legitimizing the prostitution industry from an equality perspective amounts to legitimizing the inequalities that cause it,” she said.

The final two panelists, Margaret Little, a Queen’s professor and anti-poverty activist; and Christina Marciano, MA ’10, agreed with McIntyre’s inequality argument, but Marciano said they remained in favour of full decriminalization under the Sept. 28 ruling.

“We are coming from the perspective of workers and workers rights,” she said. “Decriminalization would improve the livelihoods of sex workers for health and safety, economic well-being and labour rights.”

Margaret Little said that poverty and low welfare rates play a huge role in sex work.

“In many ways sex work makes a lot more sense than other jobs; you can do it for a few hours in the evening, and it’s usually better money than minimum wage,” Little said. “It’s a profession, and Canada’s system requires a system that recognizes this.”

—With files from Clare Clancy

Friday, November 19, 2010

News

queensjournal.ca

•5

Exchanging drinking habits abroad According to University of Washington study, students on international exchange double their alcohol consumption

By Kallan Lyons Contributor Going on exchange can lead to higher rates of alcohol consumption, according to a University of Washington study.

Led by psychology graduate student Eric Pederson, the study found that exchange participants more than doubled their drinking while abroad and most maintained their elevated levels after returning home.

The study, called “When in Rome: Factors Associated With Changes in Drinking Behavior Among American College Students Studying Abroad”, looked at the drinking habits of 177 American students on exchange in five different regions; Oceania, Asia, Europe, Latin America and non-traditional exchange destinations like South Africa, India and Jordan.

Pederson had participants fill out surveys about demographics, drinking behavior and perceived drinking behavior of peers one month before leaving for exchange and one month after returning.

The results showed that students on exchange in Europe or Oceania drink more than students abroad in other regions or even students who stay home.

The study concluded that students increased their drinking from an average of four drinks at home to eight drinks per

week while abroad. Students on exchange in Europe drank more on average than those in other regions, but upon their return, these students brought their drinking habits back to their pre-departure levels. By contrast, students who go on exchange to Latin America tend to continue to increase their drinking levels, even after returning home.

Students who intended to drink alcohol while abroad and had higher perceptions of student drinking behavior abroad were predictors for increased drinking.

Tara Cater, ArtSci ’11, said her 2010 exchange in New Zealand was like an extended holiday.

“It’s a mindset when you’re an exchange student, where everyone feels like you just want to have fun,” she said, adding that there was an overwhelming drinking culture at the University of Otago where she studied.

“Watching a movie you would often do with a bottle of wine,” she said. “Or at dinner it was usually bring your own beer.”

According to the study, the side effects of binge drinking can range from missing class because of a hangover, to more severe consequences like violence, arrest and sexual assault. The study acknowledged these effects are also felt when students study at their home university, but effects while at home are much better documented than the effects felt

while on exchange.

According to the study, this is the first time anyone has measured the frequency of drinking as abroad as opposed to at home.

But, Pederson was unable to correlate the increased number of drinks with risky behavior or even binge drinking.

“We can’t really say if this is risky drinking or not,” he told University of Washington News.

“This could be a drink a night [or] a glass of wine at dinner over the course of a week.”

The Queen’s University Administrative Coordinator for the International Programs Office, Jenny Corlett, said she hasn’t heard of a correlation between excessive drinking and going abroad.

“To my knowledge we don’t have any issues of this nature with our incoming exchange students,” she said. “We have also not heard any issues from our own students who go out on exchange.”

Corlett said this could be different for American students.

“I could see where this might be an issue with US students going abroad because depending on where they are going to, they will be the age of majority and permitted to drink alcohol where as they may not be at that age in the US,” she told the Journal via email.

According to the study, participants under the age of 21, increased their alcohol consumption to a greater extent

photo by christine blais

Melana Roberts, ArtSci ’11, says she noticed a different drinking culture in England where she went on exchange. while abroad and upon returning the fact that in England drinking is home, when compared to students more integrated into everyday life.

“I think there is a big drinking who were over 21.

Melana Roberts, ArtSci ’11, said culture in the UK,” she said. “But she drank equal amounts or less on it’s more casual like drinking every exchange than she did at Queen’s meal, or going to the pub, not because of the higher workload necessarily drinking to get wasted she experienced at the University like [at Queen’s].”

Kira Zanyk Davey, of Warwick.

“I was the only person on ArtSci ’11, who went abroad to exchange [taking third-year classes] Ghana University, also chose to and lived in the largest party limit her alcohol intake.

“Part of the reason I didn’t want residence,” she said. “Everyone else who was on exchange from to go and party the whole time Canada were taking second year was because I wanted to immerse courses so they didn’t have as myself and learn something,” she much work to do and went out said. “But part of the reason as well more … my third-year friends is it is so hot and the hangovers went out a lot but to things like are brutal. It actually impacted my concerts ... [but] it wouldn’t revolve choice to drink because it was 40 degree weather.” around drinking.”

She said the study may reflect

Grading Queen’s system Queen’s changes from a percenatage based grading sytem to 4.3 GPA

By Labiba Haque Assistant News Editor All faculties at Queen’s will be changing to a 4.3 scale grade point average (GPA) system starting May 1, 2011. The new system will replace the current percentage grades displayed on student transcripts with letter grades and a numerical GPA system.

ASUS Academic Commissioner Duncan Peterson said grades will remain in percentage form for any courses completed before May 2011, but instead of a cumulative percentage average, students will have a cumulative GPA. Currently the Faculty of Arts and Science’s website provides student with a GPA calculator that allows them to view how grades will be weighted like in the upcoming system.

According to the grade conversion chart, changes will be minor and the biggest one is in regards to what constitutes a B. Currently the Queen’s grading system accepts percentage grades of 65 per cent to 79 per cent as a B. Under the new system, a letter grade of B constitutes of at least a 70 per cent grade.

But, Peterson said there might be some broader implications.

“It changes in the paradigm of how we think about grades,” he said, adding that some students in the arts and humanities have

expressed concerns that their grades will be less precise with a letter grade instead of a percentage.

This could be problematic because students whose letter grades are within the same GPA bracket may have percentage grades that are several points apart.

Peterson said the Faculty of Arts and Science is planning to use the help of their Departmental Student Council representatives as well as their monthly list serve to provide students with information regarding grading changes.

Peterson said the GPA system was presented to the faculty at a faculty board meeting.

“It’s going to take a while for teachers to shift from grading in percentages to a letter grade system,” he said, adding that Profs have to get used to giving grades within large variances Acting Associate Dean (Studies) Hugh Horton said the Senate is trying to help ease the transition.

“How this change affects instructors, that’s something the faculty is still working with the centre of teaching and learning … we will be working to sort out what protocols need to be used for the new system,” he said, adding that since the new system won’t be implemented until the summer term of 2011, it’s still premature for professors to be trained in the new grading system.

“I don’t think this will affect

students and student outcomes.

Our goal in all this is to keep student outcomes reasonably the same in the future as it has been in the past,” he said.

The process for the conversion to a GPA system first began on May 2009, when Senate approved the implementation of the new grading scheme.

The Office of the University Registrar completed an extensive review of various grading scales in Summer of 2009, before five grading scale options were selected as the best-suited for Queen’s.

From the five options, this person or committee chose the 4.3 scale GPA system instead of the more commonly used 4.0 system. The university choose the 4.3 scale because an analysis conducted by faculties showed that it was better suited for students at Queen’s.

In conducting the analysis for the new grading system, Horton said the Faculty of Arts and Science used 18,000 student records and translated the percentage grade to a GPA grade. This data was used to determine the ideal grading system best suited for Queen’s based on accuracy.

While the university will display letter grades on official student transcripts, it has not yet been decided if professors are to provide students with either letter grades or percentage grades within their individual courses.

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6 •queensjournal.ca

Friday, november 19, 2010

New system of payment to be implemented administrative system were presented.

She said that since few students are ArtSci ’12 said he learned about the change aware of the change, it’s important for when University Registrar Jo-Anne Brady administration to reach out.

AMS Academic Affairs Commission presented at the Oct. 14 AMS Assembly.

(AAC) Kieran Slobodin said it’s important “It just wasn’t addressed at for students to understand that this could all and it was explicitly stated impact how they pay for their university education and be prepared for the change. that the tuition structure “The biggest effect on students will be was made because it was the adapting to the new culture of paying tuition best financial practice for the on the first of September as opposed to the University.”

30th,” he said.

As the head of AAC, Slobodin said he’s —— Fraser MacPherson, ArtSci ’12 been working with the University Registrar “The biggest problem is that these changes Jo-Anne Brady to mitigate the effects this have not really been brought forward to change will have on students. students,” he said. “Students at large haven’t been consulted about how the tuition changes “[It] is a pressing issue for us.

But we’re confident that we are going to affect them.”

MacPherson said it’s indicative that can work with the registrar financial accessibility hasn’t been part of to making sure that the the conversation. accommodations are in place.”

“It just wasn’t addressed at all and it was —— Kieran Slobodin, explicitly stated that the tuition structure AMS Academic Affairs Commission was made because it was the best financial practice for the University,” he said, adding that if financial accessibility was a priority “Students have quite understandably been for the University, there would have been upset and concerned about students’ income discussions with students. flow and the demands of paying in one lump Laura Stairs, ArtSci ’12, said she heard sum. I have expressed these concerns to the about the change from a friend who was at OUR [Office of the University Registrar],” the AMS Assembly where the changes to the he said, adding that one of the central concerns in this debate is that not every student will have their tuition ready by the payment period. “[It] is a pressing issue for us,” he said.

“But we’re confident that we can work with the registrar to making sure that the accommodations are in place.” email us at continued from page 1

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•7

Reports increase continued from page 1

When incidents could pose a safety threat in the community, Patterson said Campus Security will issue an email alert like they did on Nov. 4 after a female student was reportedly grabbed by an unknown male while passing through the parking lot north of Stauffer Library. The female student escaped her attacker unharmed but the suspect was not found.

Patterson said the number of security incidents reported on campus remains fairly consistent from year-to-year. This year has seen an influx of approximately 300 more incidents, but these incidents range from someone being locked out of their office to a break in, he said.

“Students don’t need to worry because we haven’t seen an increase in serious incidents, at least from what has been reported to us,” Patterson said. “These incidents are similar to what occurs on other university and college campuses, and aren’t unique to the Queen’s campus.”

From Sept. 1 to Nov. 10 of this year there have been 2,416 incidents reported to Campus Security. Thefts and trespassing are decreasing year-to-year but disorderly behaviour, malicious fire alarms and emergency calls with no cause or mischief as a cause are on the rise. Calls providing security with information are also at an all time low, which also brings the total number of incident reports down. In the 2008 calendar year there were 7,633 incidents reported. That number increased to 8,454 in the 2009 calendar year.

The University of Western Ontario has a student population only slightly larger than that of Queen’s. But their Campus Police report receiving 18,296 calls of incidents ranging from breaking and entering to vandalism to traffic violations during the 2009 calendar year. That’s down from when they had 20,108 incidents in 2006 but up from the 7,593 they had in 2005.

“We did have a dramatic increase in reports,” said Michael Mics, Campus Police staff sergeant, adding that the reason for this increase was a change in the reporting system.

“That’s why there was a big jump. The numbers increased because the record keeping has changed.”

He said that instead of reporting all the day’s incidents together, each incident is now reported independently and police activity reports now include things like off-site property checks, street contact and special patrols.

Nonetheless, he said general trends at UWO in crime remain consistent.

“Property crime still remains to be our biggest issue—stolen wallets, stolen laptops, etc.”

At first glance it looks like Western has quite a few more incidents than Queen’s but Mics said comparing the two schools is difficult because of the differences between them, one of which is the structure of the police service. UWO’s Campus Community Police Service differs from Queen’s Campus Security in that it constitutes a police service, thus giving them more off-campus authority.

“There are so many variables,” he said. “It’s like comparing apples to oranges.

“We are an accredited police agency,” Mics said, adding that this involves certain tasks not dealt with by campus security, such as traffic violations.

“Queen’s manages security differently than UWO manages police.”

Mics said UWO has unique factors which could impact its crime rates and that crimes on the UWO campus generally aren’t caused by the student population.

“20,000 plus cars a day drive through our campus that have nothing to do with our campus,” he said. “Most of our students are victims of offences. [They] are likely perpetrated by someone who is not a member of that community.”

Because Queen’s Campus

Brian Chan, MD ’13, had $750 stolen from his car Saturday night. security is not a police force like they have at UWO, Patterson said their authority is very limited off campus.

“If somebody reported that their house in the Ghetto was broken into, they have to call Kingston police,” he said. “This is because it’s private property and doesn’t belong to the University.”

Patterson said although their jurisdiction may be different, Campus Security works closely with Kingston Police to ensure that students feel safe.

“We’re here as a resource and if we can assists with an off-campus issue we’re happy to help,” Patterson said. “If someone’s house got broken in to, we can offer some advice and tips to students who can tell their landlord, such as getting appropriate locks and lighting outside.”

Campus Security assists Kingston Police by maintaining contact with the Queen’s community.

“We have platforms to make

contact with thecommunity.

These platforms include emails and alerts sent out over Twitter.

It’s an opportunity for us to let Queen’s community know that an occurrence happened so students can make informed decisions,” Patterson said.

Campus Security has various safety services on campus to help combat security risks for students.

Campus Security runs Walksafe, a program similar to Walkhome, which has teams of two Security Staff escorts walk students from one point on campus to another.

The physical presence of Campus Security itself is a preventive measure for security risks on campus.

“We do foot patrolling and physical auditing to look at the safety of campus. We make sure there’s access [to] emergency phones and assess the physical setup of campus,” he said, adding that by physically patrolling campus, Campus Security provides

Photo By justin tang

a physical deterrent and allows for quick responses to calls for service.

While security incidents do occur, students for the most part are aware of Campus Security’s programs and ways to stay safe.

“I’d never want to single out why any individual occurrence happened,” Patterson said. “My experience is that our students are diligent and aware of personal safety. One of the things we’re finding is that people are aware of their environment and services provided. They do make reports to Campus Security, and we are able to send out alerts to ensure safety of community.”

—With files from Clare Clancy For general inquiries call Campus Security at 613-533-6733. For Emergencies phone 613-533-6111.

Editorials

8 • queensjournal.ca

Q u ee n ’ s

Friday, November 19, 2010

University

the journal Maclean’s strains A

n article published in Maclean’s on Nov. 10 titled “Too Asian?” asks a provocative question. The piece focuses on concerns within the academic community about the implications of a university gaining—as one student put it—a “reputation of being Asian.”

The article cites claims that Asian students are more likely to apply themselves to academics, while white students are more likely to emphasize social interaction, extracurriculars and alcohol. Some administrators fear that having an “Asian” reputation will alienate non-Asian applicants.

The question of being “too Asian” is a high-profile concern in the US, where universities are often accused of arbitrarily controlling the ethnic makeup of their student body—accusations supported by scientific studies. The article suggests that Canadian universities face a difficult problem. Because these institutions operate as meritocracies, racial identity shouldn’t influence one’s ability to be a successful applicant. However, universities must choose between acknowledging the presence of these stereotypes—and risk being labelled as discriminatory—or avoid acknowledging them altogether.

The piece has become the target of a substantial amount of hostility, as many have suggested it merely perpetuates racial stereotypes. Because many of the

interviewees are citing individual experiences, the article appears to be a series of racially-motivated generalizations put forth as fact.

The Maclean’s article faces a significant hurdle engrained in the topic it discusses.

Writing a news story about an acknowledged problem based on stereotypes and generalisations is difficult. While the piece includes a variety of quotations from students, faculty and administrators, contextualizing individual opinions is nearly impossible. No one is in a position to make a definitive statement, nor does any one individual’s opinion speak for anyone else.

Despite the numerous criticisms levelled at the Maclean’s piece, one of its most unequivocal points is also its most valid. An admissions system based on anything other than merit is discriminatory. As the Maclean’s article concludes, universities should target racial stereotyping by encouraging diversity and equity within campuses, not by artificially ensuring a ratio of some ethnicities to others.

Ultimately, an individual is free to discount attending a university based on whatever criteria are most important to him or her.

If this includes concerns about a university’s “Asian” reputation, then that student is simply letting their own racism inform a highly consequential decision.

And he or she should probably think twice.

Insensate consent T

he Supreme Court of Canada is set to consider whether a person can consent to sexual activity that will take place while they’re unconscious.

The deliberation has been prompted by a case brought before the court by a woman who awoke in a sexual scenario after being choked into unconsciousness by her partner.

The woman—whose identity has been withheld from the media—claimed the intercourse was non-consensual, but subsequently recanted her testimony. While her partner was convicted of sexual assault, a court of appeal ruled that the woman had consented and overturned the conviction.

There are compelling arguments for the case on both sides. Some have argued that the ability to consent to an activity must include the freedom to withdraw consent at any time, which is impossible in a state of unconsciousness. If advanced consent is codified into law, some are concerned it could become a legal defence in cases of sexual assault.

Others suggest that the ability to relinquish

the right to consent is a crucial component of an individual’s right to determine what they do with their own body.

Creating a law prohibiting this kind of behaviour will inevitably raise far more questions than it will help resolve. One Supreme Court justice questioned whether or not an individual who kisses a sleeping partner could be charged with assault. It’s a silly example, but it illustrates the essential difficulty of negotiating this concern: defining what someone can consent to while unconcious.

The problem with criminalizing this activity is that it’s essentially impossible to regulate, and thus won’t simplify any existing problems facing cases of sexual violence. Two individuals who engage in this activity consensually and without adverse consequences will never have cause to enter the legal system in the first place.

If two consenting adults wish to participate in a sexual activity and do so without concerns of wrong-doing, no one has been injured.

A), B), C), D)?

Catherine Owsik

I

f there’s one thing I love, it’s not knowing what’s going to happen next.

As university students, I’m sure many of you reading this share my sentiments on the multitude of choices we have to make.

We face millions of decisions, not only about what program to choose or which classes to take.

We need to decide on our career goals, our extracurriculars, our social lives, our daily routines—basically anything that influences our adult-life is built during our time at Queen’s.

It’s exciting to think that this is probably the one time in our lives when this many different doors are open to us … but then comes the nerve-racking question we all face, “now where do I go from here?”

This isn’t a matter of my friends and I being a group of unmotivated slackers.

I’ve seen this indecisiveness in peers all around me.

The first day of one of my biology tutorials my TA asked us to introduce ourselves and say what we wanted to do with our degree, it quickly became laughable once we heard “… and I have no idea what I want to do once I graduate” for the 20th time.

I recently came upon an interesting TED Talks lecture where psychologist Barry Schwartz examined the paradox of choice and how having too many options ultimately harms us.

According to him, when we are faced

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Friday, November 19, 2010 • Issue 22 • 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.

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with too many choices we enter a state of paralysis where we find it very difficult to make a decision at all.

If we do overcome this paralysis we will end up unsatisfied with our decision because there will always be the possibility that we could have made a better choice.

Unfortunately this sounds all too familiar, but is this indecisiveness a plague on our university-years?

I don’t think it has to be.

We should feel privileged to even have the problem of too many options for a degree or career, and beyond that I think we need to learn how to enjoy the variability in our futures.

My advice, as someone who has no expertise other than making rash decisions my entire life (did I mention I switched my university acceptance from U of T to Queen’s so last-minute that it almost didn’t go through?), is that we should just stop stressing about the outcomes and make decisions now.

It may seem easier to push off a decision, but it’s only once you choose something that you can truly realize if it’s the right path to follow, and if it turns out to not be the one you want, then your time at Queen’s is the perfect time to change that.

Just enjoy life for what it is, ever-changing yet always in your hands ... that is, if you make a decision.

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Friday, November 19, 2010

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Fair trade hurts the poor

talking h

The Fair Trade Foundation manipulates the market to the disadvantage of destitute farmers

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•9

s

... in the QP

Photos By Craig Draeger

Have you started studying for finals?

Dan Osborne, ArtSci ’12 Many students buy fair trade coffee on campus thinking they’re helping the poor.

But, how many students actually know what fair trade coffee is? And how many would still buy it if they knew it hurt the destitute farmer it intends to help?

Fair trade is a brand and quite simply that. Fair trade products are products certified by the Fair Trade Foundation (FTF).

As part of the certification program, the foundation requires producers wishing to participate to abide by a variety of standards. In addition, they pay a rather large fee to become certified producers.

In return, producers receive contracts to sell their products at a guaranteed price, which, the FTF argues, protects producers from market volatility.

Does the fair trade label’s guaranteed price actually protect producers from market volatility?

No, at the end of the day, producers care about their incomes—price of a good multiplied by the quantity sold—not about the price of what they are selling.

A guaranteed price, like the FTF provides, only guarantees income when there is a guaranteed quantity to be purchased at that price.

Though purchasers of fair trade labelled products might feel better about themselves for paying a higher price, there’s no assurance the producers will actually benefit.

In that respect, fair trade has no real effect on the poor. In other respects, the certification has a falsifiable negative effect on the poor.

“I’m writing an essay that was due a week ago.”

Tamara Gardner, ArtSci ’11

Starbucks is one of the biggest buyers of “Fair Trade Certified” coffee in North America The fees the Fair Trade Foundation imposes on certified producers have an unfortunate and unintended effect on the lives of people in absolute poverty in third world countries.

With the minimum fee for the smallest firm wishing to produce fair trade coffee resting at £1570, farmers from extremely destitute countries are excluded from participating in the program.

Dr. Susil Mohan notes in her recently published monograph, “Fair Trade Without the Froth,” that in countries with a higher average income, fair trade products account for a much larger share of production.

It’s hard for a program intended to benefit the poor to do so when they are not even able to participate.

Furthermore, as the size of the fair trade market grows, consumers are actually hurting the penurious producers they would like to help.

They unwittingly redistribute wealth from poor countries, which can’t afford to produce fair trade products, to the middle income countries that can.

It’s people from better-off

countries, who have more resources to pay fees and a better capacity to organise, who benefit from fair trade.

In one sense, fair trade supporters are actually making trade less fair and hurting the truly destitute in our world.

The variety of standards and regulations that the FTF requires of its certified producers contribute to making trade more unfair.

They reflect the preferences of consumers in the Global North and the NGO’s mission instead of the needs and desire of the producers, whom the program should help.

Certification bans farmers from producing in any type of organisation other than a commune.

This reduces the farmer’s productivity and their ability to change over the medium- and long-term to adjust to changing demands and market conditions.

The lower productivity, in many cases, might actually reduce farmers real income.

Banning child labour is a similar Western moral judgment that has a negative effect on the poor.

Supplied

In impoverished countries, a child’s income is often very important to the family and without it there would be starvation.

Working on the family’s farm protects a child from much more exploitative forms of labour.

No matter how much we might dislike and disapprove of child labour in the Global North, it is quite simply unrealistic to ban it in a place like Papua New-Guinea.

Financial Times writer Tim Harford noted that for several years the premium coffee bar Costa sold fair trade coffee, during which time only 10 per cent actually reached the producer.

The remaining 90 percent was pure profit and I’m afraid they’re not the exception.

I only buy coffee on campus from Tim Hortons, the only place which does not sell ‘Fair Trade’ coffee, because I’ve seen the facts. I want to actually help the poor and buy their product.

I don’t want to support the coffee chain’s bottom line or the middle class producer when I can support the truly destitute.

Don’t get caught in the net

To ensure access to the internet, the government must take action to ensure neutrality

Devin McDonald, ArtSci ’13 Unfortunately, net neutrality seems to garner about as much popularity as a high school LAN party on a Friday night. It’s a topic which lacks the humanistic appeal of more classic liberal causes but in many ways it’s just as pressing to the way our generation will live in the coming years.

If one technological advancement has shaped our lives more than anything else, it would certainly be the Internet.

Whether checking the weather or finding sources for an assigned paper, the anachronistic alternative seems immensely arduous.

No longer do we worry about our grandmas being swindled by door-to-door salesmen, but rather by supposed Nigerian princes.

The advent of the Internet is a unique event in human history. For the first time, we’ve been given the opportunity to grasp at something that offers total equality.

Irrespective of my position in the world, I can log onto the Internet and access an immense breadth of information and entertainment.

Perhaps most valid to human development is the opportunity to transcend traditional boundaries.

The Internet provides, more readily than ever, the ability to connect with people around

the world.

At no other time in history have we been able to communicate with someone of a different race, ethnicity or religion so easily.

The forging of a global identity seems ever more possible when we are given the opportunity to find common ground. In the past, our sense of shared identity has been limited to national, regional, religious or ethnic boundaries.

Not to say that the Internet is the key to global peace, but it certainly plays a role in understanding alternative perspectives. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the Internet in Canada, for the most part, has remained neutral.

This status quo is maintained by co-operation from Internet service providers (ISPs). ISPs are not legally

obligated to maintain this status, as there’s no codification of net neutrality.

The question which remains most poignant is; what would a non-neutral Internet mean for Canadians?

At worst, many of the aspects I mentioned would be greatly at risk.

ISPs would be free to throttle the bandwidth for specific websites.

This would mean they could make access to Youtube much faster than access to Facebook. This type of control seems relatively benign, but it could spell the corporatization of the Internet.

ISPs could potentially implement staggered plans, which would only provide Internet access to specific websites for a lower price and offer increasingly broad access for higher Please see Limiting on page 10

“When are finals?!”

NickTrottier, ArtSci ’11

“Absolutely not.”

Hilary Carter, Comm ’12

“Not yet.”

Kelsey Gray, ArtSci ’11

“I don’t even know when my finals are.”

Sam Schoening, ArtSci ’13

Have your say.

Write a letter or visit queensjournal.ca to comment.

Opinions

10 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 19, 2010

Limiting Internet access contradicts its impact Continued from page 9

end plans.

Proponents of non-neutrality claim the ‘free market’ approach would lower the cost of entrance into Internet access, thus making it more accessible to lower income groups.

Upon closer inspection, this model is shown to provide very little benefit to the public. First, it assumes the access cost for personal Internet is infinitively high. The

price of basic access to Internet is quite affordable, with plans starting as low as $20 per month for high speed internet.

Even if that price is exceedingly high, the availability of alternative access points is enormous, with public access through libraries and free WiFi at every other coffee shop. The very idea of limiting access to the Internet contradicts many of the aspects that make it so impactful.

The Internet is valuable in that

it’s a platform by which we can equally access content.

I don’t see the virtue in allowing corporate interests to define the way we access content. The Internet currently provides the opportunity to transcend corporate interests.

Though I’m not frequently inclined to agree with the proponents of free market ideology, I recognize the reasons upon which their arguments rest.

The implication is that the unimpinged free market will act

in the aggregate public good. Their argument does not rest on the idea that corporate interests are tantamount to the public interest.

Thus, the onus is on them to prove limited regulation will be in the interest of the majority of people. In this they have failed. Corporate interest ought not to exceed the aggregate of public interest.

Despite several attempts by the NDP to actively legislate net neutrality, there’s currently little

political interest in the subject.

The Liberals only support net neutrality in passing, whereas the Conservatives are still on the fence.

It’s time our government took a stand on something which will define the way we’ll use the Internet.

We ought to express to the political establishment the value of net neutrality for our generation.

to raise questions about the kind of society we’re living in.

What better place than at a University’s Remembrance Day ceremony could Day have made the assertion that “present-day suffering” exists in the world, and that therefore we must always remember to honour the sacrifices made by people who have dedicated their lives to fighting against this suffering, to eradicating these injustices?

Far from “bringing negative attention to the University,” Day’s remarks show that Queen’s is a place where engaged, thoughtful discussion and debate can take place, free from and unfettered by censorship and repression—a luxury that people in many countries do not enjoy.

Personally, I’m proud that I’m affiliated with a University whose Rector is unafraid to be politically engaged, to speak his mind and feel passionately about his beliefs.

I hope more of this University’s leaders follow his example.

statement, but so is this.

The politics of good and evil are not black and white but are too often addressed by “lines in the sand.”

Especially in a university such as Queen’s, all members of this community should be able to dialogue about sensitive issues with respect and tolerance for ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.

Nick, I am not sure whether you accurately captured the events in today’s world that would have driven your grandfather to make the decision that he once made to fight for what he thought was right.

Perhaps only your grandfather could answer those questions, but I do know that if he was watching you on November 11, he would have been proud.

opinion. It’s unfair that the AMS assembly, who are supposed to vote on behalf of the students they represent, most likely took their personal feelings on the subject and made a decision.

Assembly took place less than 12 hours after the speech was made, which is an insufficient time to learn how the student population really feels.

Yes, some representatives received angry emails, but what about all the students who did not send emails because they were pleased? Those people generally don’t send messages. Why is it that the opinions of some students were greatly valued over others?

I am a Queen’s student and I refuse to allow this decision to represent me. My understanding is that the AMS mission statement is to “serve and represent the diversity of students at Queen’s.”

I am certain that this statement has not been upheld and that its meaning has been lost.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Dispelling misconceptions Re: “Rector Reprimanded” (November 12, 2010) Dear Editors, As President of Queen’s Israel on Campus (IOC), I extend congratulations to Craig Draeger for putting forward the motion to censure Nick Day for the disrespectful remarks he made this past Remembrance Day, and to the AMS Assembly, for passing the motion.

IOC supports this censure of Nick Day for two main reasons.

First, he abused his position and the podium. Instead of adhering to the decorum and spirit of Remembrance Day and paying tribute to our Canadian soldiers, past and present, he used this opportunity to argue his opinions on a range of controversial political topics.

By doing this, he demonstrated a lack of judgment, sense of his position and overall sensitivity to his constituents.

Second, he blatantly misquoted and misconstrued facts about Israel, its policies and its history.

We, the IOC executive, wish to take this opportunity to clarify and correct some of Nick Day’s factual inaccuracies.

In his speech, Nick Day wrote: “He [Mr. Day’s grandfather] would have been dismayed by the following order, issued by the Israeli Defense Force’s central command to its soldiers: ‘when our forces encounter civilians during the war or in a raid, the encountered civilians may, and even must, be killed.’”

Here is the original quote, taken from chapter two, part ii of Edward Said’s book The Question of Palestine. The differences are in bold font: “When our forces encounter civilians during the war or in the course of a pursuit or a raid, the encountered civilians may, and

by Halachic standards even must be killed, whenever it cannot be ascertained that they are incapable of hitting us back.”

Nick Day’s omissions indicate intent to condemn Israel and inspire anti-Israel sentiment, even at the cost of false misrepresentation.

From Mr. Day’s presentation, one might logically conclude that this quotation reflects current official government policy.

This is not true. To provide accurate context, this quotation was published in a theological pamphlet

during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The quote was originally issued by Rabbi Abraham Avidan, an army chaplain for the Israel Defense Forces, not a combat officer or politician.

As a consequence, this quote is therefore not government policy; rather, it is a rabbinic interpretation of wartime Halacha (Jewish law).

Lastly, following a condemnation of the pamphlet by Mapam (an Israeli political party), it was retracted.

Nick Day’s decision not to provide any historical background further emphasizes his desire to misconstrue ‘fact.’

Although we do congratulate the AMS on its decision, the vote of 14 yes, 10 no and 11 abstentions, indicates that there is a need for greater awareness of Nick Day’s error.

As students of Queen’s University, we have lost faith in the judgment and the abilities of our Rector to represent the student body as a whole.

This issue must be resolved by the Queen’s community.

Mitchell Rattner, ArtSci ’12, president, Queen’s Israel on Campus

Thoughtful discussion Re: “Rector Reprimanded” (November 12, 2010) Dear Editors,

I was surprised to read that Rector Nick Day has been reprimanded by AMS Assembly for comments he made during the University’s Remembrance Day ceremonies.

From what I could gather from the Journal’s article, Day was reprimanded for “dividing student opinion” and “offending quite a few people” with his comments about present-day social injustices, such as “Pinochet’s regime in Chile, Aboriginal rights in Canada and the Rwandan genocide.”

I must ask, is this not what the University is for? To debate worthwhile topics, to stimulate discussion about important issues, to question people’s ways of thinking, even if it means occasionally offending their sensibilities?

Surely that’s what our veterans in the Canadian Forces were fighting for. They sacrificed their lives for the basic freedoms we enjoy today as Canadians, including the right of Day and anyone else in this country to discuss controversial matters and

Dr. Robert G. May, ArtSci ’95, Ph.D. ’03, assistant professor (adjunct), department of English

Proud of Nick Day Re: “Rector Reprimanded” (November 12, 2010) Dear Editors, On November 11, I had the honour of attending the Queen’s University Remembrance Day ceremony in Grant Hall.

For many of my 35 years at Queen’s, I have done the same thing on the same day.

Grant Hall helps me remember, as its walls ooze the history of a time when it was converted to a military hospital to care for our wounded troops from conflicts past.

The role of Rector at Queen’s extends far beyond its responsibility to students and has become elevated in the Queen’s community, based primarily on the excellence of the people who have been Rector in the past.

Our Rector gave those present at the ceremony a thoughtful, sincere and emotional presentation that reflected upon his grandfather’s decision to stand up and fight against the injustices of the day as he saw them.

He supposed the kinds of injustices in today’s world that might incite his grandfather to similar action now (at least that’s what I heard). Yes, it was a political

Mark Publicover, program associate, department of geography

Our respectful Rector Re: “Rector Reprimanded” (November 12, 2010) Dear Editors, I’m not really sure where to start with my feelings on last week’s assembly and the motion which was passed to censure Nick Day. I suppose I’ll begin with my outrage about the throwing around of the idea of “the views of Queen’s students.”

Could someone please tell me what the views of Queen’s students even are? I was under the impression that we have a diverse population in which every member has the ability to think and create their own opinions and views.

Funny, I am a Queen’s student, and I obviously have different thoughts than some of my peers who were in attendance. So, does this make me some sort of deviant?

I am going against the all-known “views of Queen’s students” which were, according to the mover of the motion, not represented by Mr. Day? Of course, the mover knows how all Queen’s students feel, and this gave him the right to make such a statement.

The motion in itself was problematic. Remembrance Day is not, and cannot be, politically neutral. Furthermore, what is to be deemed disrespectful is a matter of personal opinion.

I found Mr. Days speech to be well written and needed while not at all disrespectful. That is my

Kate Pritchard, ArtSci ’12

Terribly upset Re: “Rector Reprimanded” (November 12, 2010)

Dear Editors,

I was terribly upset to read that the AMS voted in favour of censuring Rector Nick Day for his Remembrance Day speech.

I was also perplexed, based on The Journal’s report, that AMS members seemed to be swayed by the Maclean’s blog post of Robin Urback, thinking that it brought “negative attention” to Queen’s.

In my opinion, the blog post, although clearly written by something of a reactionary journalism student, brings quite positive attention to Queen’s, demonstrating that there is at least one informed and capable student who possesses political passion about global injustice.

Were I a prospective student thinking about coming to Queen’s, I would be extremely encouraged to know that a student like Nick Day was in a leadership role at the University.

I’m surprised the AMS would think Queen’s reputation could be tarnished by a demonstrated concern with social justice.

I think that the AMS should understand that many people share these concerns.

Margaret Pappano, professor, department of English

OpiniOns

Friday, November 19, 2010

Building bridges, building hope Dear Editors, I confess, I didn’t wear a poppy this year. Whether this represents a serious political statement or not, I’m not sure. But seeing as a) this is Queen’s, b) this is Kingston and c) a federal election is likely less than a year away, I figured a moment of reflection upon my purported failure to reflect is warranted.

There is no doubt that the men and women who’ve served during the various conflicts Canada has been engaged in, including Afghanistan, are to be commended, as any public servant should.

To be sure, a soldier operating a Leopard C2 Tank in the unforgiving climate of the Near East faces a bit more risk to his life than does the person working behind the desk at the place where I get my driver’s license renewed.

And even if our guys have tanks and sleep in tents, and their guys have donkeys and sleep in caves, the lawlessness, corruption and general gangsterism that rules in Afghanistan is rather difficult to compare to the quiet peace we enjoy here in Canada.

However, the fact remains that war is made by those who make it. In the case of Afghanistan, the original logic of the mission was essentially a policing effort—to capture a wanted criminal and bring him to justice.

This quickly turned into a ‘war’ however, and thereafter even more quickly turned into an alleged ‘development effort.’

Hogwash. How one can reasonably expect to execute anything close to a relatively rapid or successful development effort given that kind of mission trajectory is beyond me.

Today, the logic justifying the age-old institution we know as the military fails to hold up to scrutiny.

Surely, anyone would concede that the probability of a traditional ground invasion by a modern state is essentially nil.

Furthermore, experience shows us that if one’s goal is to build bridges (both figuratively and literally), and generally practice the art of ‘peacekeeping,’ showing up at your neighbour’s front door—or shoreline—with tanks and ammunition isn’t the best way to go about it.

Sending teachers might help.

Or construction workers. Or even police officers.

We in Canada are blessed that our citizens are among the healthiest and most able in the world.

We can train our young men and women to do anything, and they will do it better than anyone.

That being said, the question that confronts me now is this: given the choice, do we choose to teach the next young man how to build a bridge, or how to drive a tank?

I’ll take bridges any day.

Kyle Leary, MA ’11

Market Solutions Re: “The climate crisis is now” (November 8, 2010)

Dear Editors, Climate change is a serious issue, but it’s not the end of the world.

But let’s assume it is, and that something must be done. What’s the solution? A carbon tax? Cap and trade?

Most of the solutions put forth rely on government to do something through economic action, yet it can be argued that when government attempts to solve one problem, it creates two more.

The most efficient answers lay in the radical yet totally misunderstood solutions of the free market.

Besides the ignorantly false claims that free-marketers support oppressive big business polluting the environment, there is a market solution, relying on tort law.

Every free market relies on protection of private property.

And just as I don’t want someone dumping toxic waste on my front yard, I don’t want someone polluting the air I breathe.

During the industrial revolution, governments departed from their duty to protect people’s property in order to get in bed with big industry and allow them to pollute the environment.

The answer to protecting our environment lies in bringing back government to its original purpose of protecting property.

Businesses should bear the costs of their pollution, just as they bear the cost of labour and capital and other factors of production.

The way we ensure this is to get government out of subsidizing

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the burning of fossil fuels and from committing sins of omission when it comes to the environment.

Protecting the environment through tort law is better than through regulation that could bring about monopolies.

Tragedy of the commons is a scenario of environmental destruction due to public ownership of resources.

It is prevalent in the abuse of our environment, and thus the solution is private ownership, as owners take better care of property than the public does.

Just compare countries that are more socialist to less on their environmental records, like China to Germany.

Alexander Rotman, ArtSci ’13

The international answer Re: “An International Queen’s” (November 2, 2010) Dear Editors, An international student body is key for the reputation of any university that wants to be competitive in the 21st century.

As a student on exchange to Paris this year, I have witnessed firsthand that which Mr. Moore mentioned, the fact that Queen’s flies under the radar abroad.

Our University lags behind the University of Toronto and McGill in terms of recognition. So we have to get our name out there!

The quality of education that student receive at Queen’s is first class. Studying at one of the best

• 11

schools in France, I have found that my training at Queen’s allowed me to easily overcome the challenges of learning at a foreign institution.

The key to the next step is what Mr. Slobodin articulates so well: exposure.

Maybe we haven’t been earnest about attracting international students in the past.

But that is exactly why we need to get serious in attracting these scholars to Queen’s like Mr. Slobodin says.

We face barriers in this already, such as the remoteness of our location and the existing “WASP” reputation that Mr. Moore alluded to.

In order to remain competitive nationally and internationally we have to find ways to overcome these barriers.

One strength that we could use more effectively with international students is our Orientation Week, which is so effective at integrating new students into the student body.

This isn’t a theoretical or a philosophical question.

It’s a question of tangible benefits and how to get them.

International students bring big tuition fees, a raised international profile and government funding.

Three excellent reasons to increase the international contingent at Queen’s Univeristy.

Jordan Ray, ArtsSci ’12

Arts&Entertainment

queensjournal.ca

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Friday, November 19, 2010

Soberingly splendid, smashingly sloshed This fall’s production of Queen’s Players transports attendees, drunk or sober, to a land where Oprah reigns supreme

photos by christine blais

The cast are a dynamic bunch whose attention to detail and undying energy lent well to their multiple roles, like Daniel Karp’s Antoine Dodson (right).

S O BER RE V IE W When I walked into Time to Laugh Wednesday night to soberly review the fall production of Queen’s Players, I’ll admit I had a small twang of jealously for my not-so-sober accompanying coworkers. After all, it wasn’t my first time and The Queen’s Players I know and love have left me practically crawling home in the past.

Any envy I had was short-lived.

By the time the lights dimmed and the opening video montage projected onto the screen in front of me I was enthralled and instantly forgot I was the odd one out—even as Players President Sean Sommerville graciously passed beer after beer to my drunk-reviewing counterpart.

For those who haven’t had the Players experience, the sketch comedy, musical menagerie draws characters from pop culture and contextualizes them in a highly hilarious, usually ultra-sexual Queen’s context with all proceeds going to charity. Beer flowing onstage and off tests the limits and tolerance of actors, musicians and audience members alike.

This year’s entirely student run and acted 2012: The Oprah-calypse stays true to its roots. The show doesn’t have an overall narrative, but rather the sketches, songs and characters fall under the pretense of the looming apocalypse and Oprah’s subsequent efforts to save the world with a trusty team of celebrities. With zombies, vampires and a fear of pandemics dominating film, television and books as of late, the theme is apropos and offers many opportunities for humor and social critique, which the cast took

full advantage of.

Directed by Logan Richard and Ronan Powell and produced

by Alex McConnell, the show features characters from all walks of Hollywood life embodied by both returning Players vets and fresh-faced rookies.

While sober, I found it easy to follow the insightful sketches and got the added bonus of picking up on the production’s attention to detail like the unified back-up singers/dancers gyrating to each actor’s solo song—the titles of which I’ll leave for attendees to be pleasantly surprised by. Rather than detracting from front and centre performers, head choreographer Veronica Bart’s moves only accentuated them further.

The many highlights of the show crystallize the cast’s hard work. Tia McGregor has mastered the perfect trademark twang as Oprah and Demetri Koutsaris’ sharp attitude and swagger allowed him to own even the raunchiest of lines as dynamo Ari Gold.

Impressions like Devon O’Rielly’s bawdy Betty White, Alyssa LeClair’s weathered PowerPuff girl and Daniel Karp’s hormonal Harry Potter had the crowd crying with laughter.

After an intermission and short chug-off (which my colleague dominated, I might add), the debauchery level noticeably increased. As one character put it, “It’s the end of the world, we should be fucking hammered, right?” It was tolerable sober though and I found my only qualms throughout the evening to be with fellow audience members for their screeching enthusiasm which occasionally led to my inability to hear the show—but

who’s to blame them. Noise aside, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Without a doubt the music sealed the deal for me this year.

Music directors Matt Aylsworth and Ian Eatock with band members Becky Stewart, Jordan Mark, Peter Low, Ian Pritchard and Kevin McHale comprised an insanely tight band and the work of vocal director Fletcher Planert was clear in each actor’s solo. The band’s accompaniment was something I hadn’t noticed the magnitude of in my previous inebriated screenings of the show and their sync and chemistry with the cast was undeniable.

Players shouldn’t be viewed as a traditional or typical piece of theatre, why would it? That’s simply not the point. The lack of overall narrative works to the show’s advantage, as its unlikely the audience could follow through their ever-building excitement and blood-alcohol levels anyway.

Last year I hazily woke up the morning after Players with mixed feelings of euphoria, dance-induced pain and the assurance I had a great time, this year the only difference was the memories I had to prove it.

—Ally Hall

D R U N K RE V IE W Wet dicks, dicks in mouths, dancing dicks and ejaculations … a whole lot of dicks is pretty much all I remember from last night’s Queen’s Player’s show, 2012: The Oprah-Calypse. Maybe that’s why my shoes were sticking to the floor.

Sean Sommerville, the President of the Queen’s Players and the poor guy who had to deal with constantly re-filling my cup all night, did his

job a little too well, leaving me with an unpleasant morning having to listen to my recorded notes consisting of incoherent ramblings from last night.

In my blurry state I genuinely had no idea what was going on in the play, so I was constantly asking people. I was incredibly confused as to who the character Blossom was, last night I was convinced she’s from American Dad, but was later enlightened that she was a PowerPuff girl. What can I say? I only watch quality television like Vampire Diaries.

What I did get from the show was that we went through some sort of time machine to get to 2012 and apparently Oprah is saving the world from an apocalypse …

I guess she succeeded Obama as President. However, there was a serious lack of saving the world and just a whole lot of singing and dancing. I didn’t know many of the songs because as I repeated over and over last night, I’m not very cool. But, I do know “Fuck You,” the Cee Lo Green hit, that was passionately sung by Demetri Koutsaris as Ari Gold or Ariel as I affectionately called him all night. As an extremely angry drunk this song got me to my feet to express my feelings, which mostly consisted of my undying love for the red-headed player who was super cute—and I don’t even like redheads.

Most of my thoughts during the night consisted of complaining about fashion faux-pas. Wearing running shoes with a toga is totally historically inaccurate. Oprah has like a bazillion dollars and she’s wearing a boring blazer and a white dress—she can do better. You can’t wear leggings as pants because as I

strongly proclaimed in my notes, “leggings aren’t pants!”

Other than those few tiny clothing complaints, I freaking loved the show because honestly who doesn’t love a show that has a drinking song and chugging contests on stage, with someone’s dad. I don’t know whose dad, but good for him for taking on kids half his age in a drinking contest. I was incredibly impressed that they were able to transport Principal Woolf back from India (not Israel for those who confuse their “I” countries like me) for the night to be a part of Oprah’s super power team because if Woolf can fix the University’s financial woes, he can save the world from an apocalypse with his eyes closed.

I learned a lot of valuable things from the show, like Justin Bieber is a lesbian, so he is still causing the world to have one less lonely girl. That underneath Harry Potter’s robe he is getting a lot of extra-curricular activities from Ginny. Also that Batman is dead.

Now the world must be saved

by Robin clad in really tight green tights.

As this was my first Players experience I had no expectations going in and I really had no idea what the hell was going on, but it was a lot of fun. I got to drunkenly sway to the music, watch a guitar player strip down to his boxers and drink a whole lot on Wednesday night in the middle of essay season … worth it!

—Alyssa Ashton 2012: The Oprah-calypse runs tonight and tomorrow at Time to Laugh at 8 p.m. Tickets are $13.

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt

Friday, november 19, 2010

sUPPlieD

Wintersleep play Ale on Nov. 24, a venue they remember for its unique decor.

A harmonic hibernation halifax-based quintet Wintersleep continue to carve a unique space for themselves in the canadian music scene

By JaCOB MOrGan StAFF WritEr Wintersleep have come a long way since forming in Halifax in 2001. They have since moved to Montréal, won the Juno Award in 2008 for New Group of the Year and opened for the likes of Sir Paul McCartney.

Mike Bigelow, the current bassist, recently caught up with the Journal on the phone from snowy Calgary. The band is playing in Kingston on Nov. 24 at Ale House, which Bigelow described with a chuckle as “that place with the airplane hanging from the ceiling.”

In response to winning the Juno, Bigelow’s grounded nature and modesty shone through.

“It’s funny because that was a really fun, unexpected thing to happen,” he said.

“Maybe some things have changed but we’re still on tour doing what we do anyway.

Even if things have changed significantly, it seems more gradual to us rather than one particular thing that happened. Any success that we have or work that we do is gradual and continuous.”

In other words, the advertisers aren’t hammering at Wintersleep’s door and if they happen to do so, the band isn’t letting it affect the creative process.

Bigelow is a former member of Holy Fuck, an improvisational electronic group from Toronto. Although the two bands’ styles are very disparate, the transition seems natural for the versatile bass player. He was the keyboardist for Wintersleep in 2005.

The band has worked with some incredible people since Bigelow rejoined in 2007. He is levelheaded and cool about opening for Paul McCartney at Halifax Common on July 11, 2009.

“It was a great experience,” he said.

“Great. He came on stage while we did sound check and we got to meet him. He was very friendly and gentlemanly, exactly how you would expect.”

Tony Doogan, a Scottish producer who has worked with renowned artists like Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai, oversaw production on their newest album, New Inheritors. Bigelow said he valued Doogan’s work ethic and his ability to push the band.

“He’s a funny guy, makes you work really

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hard, which is awesome. These guys have worked with him before, but he pushes you really hard, which is good because it makes you play your best,” he said. “He doesn’t want to make a shit record; he wants to make you a good record. [He] doesn’t want to waste his time.”

The new material isn’t necessarily a significant departure from their older stuff, but shows a positive and natural progression.

The songs can be angular slices of post-punk, like the short burst of energy on “Encyclopedia,” or full of crafty, tasteful hooks like on the single “Preservation.”

The last song on their 2007 effort, Welcome to the Night Sky, featured big blown-out drums and extended instrumental jams giving some critics the impression of a new, experimental direction for the band.

However, Bigelow disagrees.

“People I’ve talked to seem to think [the new album]’s a lot darker. Like “Black Camera”, but I don’t think [the songs] come from a darker place,” he said. “It’s not really a conscious decision, you just try to create a body of songs that work together and obviously people will interpret them. I definitely think it’s different from the first and that’s a normal, natural process.”

These guys have certainly paid their dues on the indie rock circuit and they know how grueling life on the road can be. With regard to the realities of the music industry, Bigelow

“Any success that we have or work that we do is gradual and continuous.”

queensjournal.ca

• 13

He laughs good-humouredly as he recognizes how difficult it sometimes is, but also appreciates the good times. “We toured with The Hold Steady and that’s an example of a tour being really awesome. Everyone squabbles a bit but we’re getting better as time goes on.”

Wintersleep play Ale House next Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $17.50 and are available at Ale House, The Brass, Destinations and ticketweb.ca

TRIVIA CONTEST! Q: aCCOrDinG TO WinTErSlEEP, iF THE ViBE iS BiG, WHaT iS SMall?

HINT: CHECK THEIR MYSPACE PAGE

Email your answer to journal_ae@ams.queensu.ca by next Tuesday, Nov. 23 to be entered in a draw to win a copy of Wintersleep’s newest record, New Inheritors and two tickets to their show on Nov. 24 at Ale House!

—Mike Bigelow, Wintersleep bassist said exercising patience might be the biggest lesson he’s learned on the road.

“I’m trying to do that more and more these days,” he said. “It’s a weird thing to get used to, touring and stuff. Once you breathe and let each other have space it can be great.”

SUPPLIED

14 • queensjournal.ca

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt

Friday, november 19, 2010

Listening for Lights in the Limestone liGhTs rose to fame with her space pop but a new song, “My boots,” represents her new acoustic experimentation By anDrEW Ha Contributor Years ago, being the poor high school kid that I was, the iTunes song of the week was a place to get music for the great price of free. The songs featured were often hit or miss, with emphasis on the miss. But when I first pressed play on LIGHTS’ song “Drive My Soul” I had stumbled on a new favourite artist of mine.

Quickly rising from Old Navy commercials to a self-titled EP and her debut studio album The Listening, LIGHTS has proven her unique synth-pop style will keep her in the iPods and MP3s of fans for quite some time.

Despite her early success, LIGHTS has not taken it as a sign to become negligent.

“This has been by far the busiest year of my life,” she said reminiscing on the 200 shows she’s played internationally this year, even venturing overseas to the Philippines in August with World Vision for some outreach work.

Having spent some time growing up in the Philippines, she said the trip was a nostalgic one.

“It’s close to my heart. It really took my mind off of everything in an indulgent way,” she said. “[It] kind of made me less afraid of not making the right song.”

On top of all her shows and travel, she released an acoustic EP this summer that

includes a previously unreleased song and a few covers. A departure from her usual repertoire, it lacked the heavy production of her other recordings and showed that LIGHTS has a lot more to offer than just computerized sounds.

“It’s easy to misperceive somebody as untalented when you put a lot of production on [their music],” she said. “It showcased the song writing itself and exactly what my capabilities are.”

More recently, LIGHTS released a new single, “My Boots,” a song geared towards those who have experienced the frosty bite of a Canadian winter.

“I looked outside and saw how beautiful winter was and I thought, we can really enjoy this if we dress the right way, if you put your boots on, you can have a romance with something that typically has a negative connotation … It’s kind of a bit of a love song to winter time itself.”

Like the trip to the Philippines, writing this song was a good reprieve from her usual deep, searching and sometimes emotionally draining songwriting.

“I wanted to write something a little easier and arbitrary that didn’t probe deep into the soul,” she said. “[It’s a] good way to challenge yourself as a writer.”

On the topic of the future, she said she hasn’t been able to devote too much of her time on a new album, so fans will have to sit tight for a while longer. She plans to take the winter off to write.

As for aspirations, LIGHTS sees the future as unwritten and wide open.

“When my mind goes there it’s never only music,” she said. “I see so many things for me that I want to do and dream of doing … I’m thinking of maybe going over into game design,[or] building an eco home in the backwoods of BC, off the electricity grid.”

While she may disappear to chase other dreams, “Music is what I’m doing now,” she said. “And I’ll always love doing music.”

LIGHTS plays a sold-out show tonight with Michou at Sydenham St. United Church at 7 p.m.

sUPPlieD

LIGHTS is known for her unique intergalactic-electro tunes, which she defines as music that sounds like it came from the rings of Jupiter or the crater-filled surface of Mars.

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Unpacking Caritas in Veritate Pope Benedict’s recent social encyclical A talk by Bill Ryan SJ, Ph.d, (Economics) Jesuit Forum for Social Faith and Justice “The essence of the Encyclical is that everything, including economic life, is a divine gift. This is quite daring in the context of business dealings … The letter’s strength is in challenging all ordnary agenda and in denying that business, politics and morality are separate watertight compartments” Globe & Mail , July 8, 2009

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Friday, November 19, 2010

Arts & Entertainment

The face-melting of Metz Toronto-based band Metz are bringing their noise rock to Kingston

the amps up to match the sound of the drums and I guess that’s pretty loud. I guess it can be a bit shocking for some people. It’s definitely not something that we discussed, like, ‘we’ve got to be really loud,’ or anything like that, it just kind of happens that way.”

Your tunes bring the nostalgia of feedback-heavy early 1990s sludge punk, are you fans of the era?

Supplied

The trio’s tunes bring to mind the abrasive and feedback-heavy era of early 1990s sludge punk.

You guys started gaining more notoriety during this week’s Canadian Music Week/ Canadian Music Fest, how was that experience?

“It was great, it’s always a nice surprise when people seem to take notice or take interest in what you’re doing, it’s been really good lately, things have been gradually getting more exciting and more busy … we’re totally excited about it.”

You have some pretty eye-catching art that comes with your records, where does that come from?

“That’s Hayden Menzies who plays drums, he does all the artwork. He does the majority of our posters and all three album covers. He’s a painter and he does a lot of drawing and painting around Toronto, definitely something worth checking out … he has a website (haydenmenzies.com), if you like the posters and all that.”

You played at Parts and Labour in Toronto last year with Anagram and Induced Labour, how was that?

“Probably the best show we’ve had in Toronto. It was the release party for our last 45. It was great, for the first time really the crowd kind of had the same excitement we did when we go into a show.

We like to perform with a lot of energy and get all riled up and the crowd really responded in the way we were hoping. It was basically just a big party and everyone had a good time. That was a highlight of playing in Toronto.”

Why did you decide to release with

the label We Are Busy Bodies?

“This is the third single we’ve done with them. A friend of ours Eric Warner runs the label, I guess after moving to Toronto and playing a couple shows he approached us and asked us if we’d like to put out a record with him and we jumped at the opportunity because he was someone who was doing good stuff and he was putting out what we thought were good records … definitely someone we’ve been fortunate to meet and work with.”

What’s your writing process like?

“It’s pretty collective, we usually all get in the same room and talk about what we want to do and then kind of just go for it and it almost always involves the three of us being in the same room at the same time, it’s not like we’re writing at home and then we’ll bring a song to the band or something like that ... it’s not really part of our process, it’s mostly we’ll get together a couple times a week and see what happens you know? Sometimes it can be really slow going and other times it’ll really start to flow and we’ll get really productive periods of time. That’s what’s happening now, I feel like things are really coming along for the new LP we’re writing, which is great.”

How much of the full-length is complete?

“I’d say were about 75 per cent done writing it and were going to start demoing it ... We’re going to

try to head out somewhere maybe like a cottage and spend a weekend or something like that putting our ideas down and demoing the record before we go into a studio.”

That’s exciting, what about Metz’s recording process?

“We worked with John Drew for the last three records, he’s done stuff like Fucked Up and Tokyo Police Club … so we would go in with him and record live off the floor with the three of us, like a concert, then we would take those tracks with us into our rehearsal space and I have a little recording rig so after the fact we’d tinker with the tracks we did with John and then put our own stamp on things and do overdubs and kind of experiment … it’s mostly because we don’t have the money to spend to be paying someone to be in the studio for too long so we kind of bang it out and do the rest ourselves.”

Much Music’s New Music blog described you as a band who makes the kind of “scraping racket that will make you froth at the mouth and lose your shit entirely… plus make you go deaf, so wear earplugs.” Where does the intensity of your live show come from?

“I don’t know, it’s completely unconscious, it’s just what happens.

We don’t have all this fancy loud gear or anything, I think it’s somewhat aggressive music but it’s not like … I don’t know, that’s a hard one to answer to be honest because I think we just kind of turn

“Sure, I mean that’s kind of the music we all grew up on so I think it’s probably sort of engrained in all of us a little bit. Same with the post-punk and punk music from the 1980s ... we love that 1990s sound. It doesn’t surprise me that there are those comparisons but we’re not trying to consciously reference any sound or era … I think it’s natural that it comes out.”

You played Kingston a few months back with B.A. Johnston and False Face, the same acts you’ll share the stage with next Wednesday, what’s bringing you back?

“Our last time there was great, we had a really good time. It’s the spot in between Ottawa and Montreal, it makes sense for us to play Kingston because it seems like there’s a small but cool scene happening there that we want to stay in touch with and we want to play for. We’ll go anywhere people will have us. That weekend’s going to be great we’re doing Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston. Totally looking forward to it and if its anything like the last time it’s going to be really fun and obviously we love playing with those bands.

queensjournal.ca

• 15

Those guys are great, I’m looking forward to seeing them again and hanging out.”

Under-attended shows can be a frustrating fact of touring, what has your experience with that been?

“I mean, in my experience, I’m from Ottawa and it comes in waves. There can be a chunk of years where the punk scene is really, really active because there are people getting involved in doing shows or radio shows or zines or whatever. When all that’s happening I think the music scene tends to flourish at that time. If there’s a lull you probably get a bunch of kind of smaller shows and less interest. It’s totally tied in with what else is going on in the city of Kingston, if there are art shows or rock shows, they’re all tied together ... If this year the shows are under-attended it doesn’t mean that next year there’s not going to be this new interest or new energy going on in that specific city.

There’s always ups and downs to every city, I think.”

What’s next for Metz?

“We’re going to try to get this record done as soon as possible and then we’re planning on touring the States and in the Spring we’re working out the logistics of going to Europe, lots of stuff coming up … we hope.”

—Ally Hall Metz play The Mansion with B.A. Johnston and False Face Thursday, Nov. 25 at 9 p.m.

Arts & Entertainment

16 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, November 19, 2010

Supplied

Woodhands’ latest release came in the form of their mixtape No Feelings, an ode to their favourites and a nod to Lil’ Wayne’s monster mixtape, No Ceilings.

‘You want to reward the people that are down’ Lead singer Dan Werb and drummer Paul Banwatt have come a long way since they united as the dynamic duo that is Woodhands but some things, like the raw intensity of their live shows, will always stay the same

By Janina Enrile Contributor Take a listen to some of Woodhands’ music and a bunch of things will scream for attention. The vocals, the danceability and how their music sounds like someone ate a lot of sugar and happened to have a synth, mic and a set of drums in the same room.

It’s an unlimited amount of energy from no more than two people—Dan Werb on synth and vocals and Paul Banwatt on drums.

It’s interesting to notice that the pair don’t use a laptop on stage, unlike so many other musicians who associate themselves with this type of music.

“The no laptop thing has always been a rule we’ve had to keep things interesting for the audience ... I don’t think it’s necessarily

a bad thing, but I always want to know what the fuck the person’s doing with that laptop,” Banwatt said, “Show me on a screen behind them what’s going on their screen, are they playing Call of Duty or are they making music? … If that was projected behind them then you’d have access to what they’re doing.”

Werb put it simply. “I don’t know what I would do with a laptop. Honestly, what would I do with a laptop?”

Finishing each other’s sentences over the phone from the west coast, Banwatt and Werb told me their performance at the Grad Club will have them breaking their own rules.

“I just started using a laptop actually … strictly to control our laser show,” Banwatt said. “We have a pretty complicated laser

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set-up,” Werb added.

As if every band out there can say that so matter-of-factly.

Things have expectedly evolved since the conception of Woodhands. After all, it’s been a good four years since the dance rock duo met at a CD release party for Henri Fabergé and the Adorables in Toronto.

“We didn’t know each other when we started playing together,” Werb said, “It was a mutual appreciation thing.”

As most classic love stories go, the bromance has been alive ever since.

“It’s always simmering,” Banwatt said.

“There’s just so much of it,” Werb added, “we need to find a billion different ways to get that energy out.”

One of these ways entailed the January release of their latest full-length Remorsecapade. It’s a fitting departure from their first album, Heart Attack, which put the band on the radar of critics and music lovers alike.

“Our band is always changing and evolving,” Banwatt said, “I don’t think we play any songs exactly the way they are on the record. By now we’re still playing songs off both [our] records but they’ve all sort of grown.”

Remorsecapade may only be their second LP, but the band has also recently released a mixtape: a mosaic of remixes with beats done by Woodhands and their favourite collaborators paired with acapella samples grabbed from a variety of their most-loved rap songs. The EP is aptly called No Feelings. “[The title] kind of fit perfectly because the whole thing about the mix tape is that we took out my vocals,” Werb said, “So all my angsty, emo lyrics and wailing was gone. So all the feelings were gone.”

“It’s just beats and energy,” Banwatt said.

In a move rarely heard of in today’s music industry, the band made No Feelings free for download.

“We would’ve gotten sued,” Banwatt said with a laugh, “so that was a big factor.”

“It was for the fans ... you want to reward the people that are down with you with extra shit,” Werb said.

Banwatt agrees. “It takes extra effort to pay attention to an indie band that’s not thrown in your face all the time, so if you’re paying enough attention to notice we put out a mix tape, you should just get that.”

The fans have played an integral role for Woodhands, a band recognized for providing an amazing live show.

“We’re known as this shit hot live band and I think it’s because people come to our shows with great energy and want to see us succeed,” Werb said, “We’ve been lucky that the people that like us, really seem to like us a lot.”

Werb told me how fans will come to say hello to the band after a show to talk about

the kind of performance they bring, which still carries the same raw intensity from when they were playing to 10 people back in the day.

“Even though our music has evolved, the energy we bring to each show is the same,” Werb said.

This past summer, Woodhands played Toronto’s Pride Festival and tomorrow’s show at the Grad Club is in coordination with The Queen’s Pride Project (along with Kingston’s Flying V Productions).

“One thing that’s interesting, before anyone gave a fuck who we were in Toronto, Kids on TV, [this] awesome queer band ... really brought us into and introduced us into the music community,” Werb said, “Our association with queer music has gone back quite a while but we’re just a dance band. A queer-positive dance band.”

“We’re known as this shit hot live band and I think it’s because people come to our shows with great energy and want to see us succeed,” —Dan Werb, Woodhands’ lead singer and synth “Part of our message is to be really comfortable with yourself,” Banwatt said, “One of the best things that ever happens at our shows is when everybody else in the room starts enjoying themselves and being free to be whoever the fuck they want to be.

And that’s when it turns into an awesome dance party.”

The fans will definitely be dancing at tomorrow’s show, which can be added to the long list of dates the band has played in Kingston.

“Kingston is one of the most fun cities to play,” Banwatt said.

“It really is. We played on my birthday two years in a row in Kingston and both were awesome … they both ended with great make-out sessions,” Werb said with a laugh.

So what’s next for Woodhands?

They’re currently doing a CBC Radio guest-hosting gig and, of course, they’ll keep going with the music.

“This is the last tour for this album and then we’re going to record a bunch of shit,” Werb said, alluding to their upcoming EP. “We don’t have a name but we have the mantras,” Banwatt said.

“The mantra is, intensely intense and fucking beautiful,” Werb added.

Woodhands play The Grad Club tomorrow at 10 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Friday, November 19, 2010

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• 17

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt

18 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, november 19, 2010

Cutting their hockey teeth afie Jurvanen talks to the Journal about memorable musical relationships and the serious side of moustaches

By ClairE nEliSCHEr Contributor Long months on the road can be exhausting, but after spending a year and a half opening for Canadian indie darlings Amy Millan, Jason Collett and Wilco, alt-folk musician Afie Jurvanen is ready for more.

Jurvanen, who adopted the moniker Bahamas when he began his solo work, has just embarked on his first cross-Canada headlining tour with his trusty companion Jason Tait of The Weakerthans on the drum set.

And after the first three shows, the duo couldn’t be happier.

“It’s just such a different thing going to play [when] people know the songs and they’re signing along,” he said. “It’s just really

sUPPlieD

Jurvanen may have a hard time getting people to pronounce his name right, but when it comes to his tunes and the excitement surrounding Bahamas’ first headlining tour “Hockey Teeth in Canada,” no clarification is needed. been a treat, these first few shows.”

Before transitioning from backing guitarist to solo front man, Jurvanen and a number of collaborations with some of Canada’s most prominent acts, having strummed his Strat with the likes of Feist, Howie Beck and Great Lake Swimmers. Even after embarking on his solo career, Jurvanen said he’s still eager to share the stage and the

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studio with his friends, touring last year with Zeus and Jason Collett collectively as “The Bonfire Ball.”

Jurvanen said collaborating with his pals comes organically and often goes unplanned.

“I see those guys all the time. We live in the same neighbourhood and we’re constantly hanging out,” he said. “It’s just natural … It’s more just based on a friendship that already exists.”

Jurvanen’s first album, Pink Strat, which features backup by Zeus and Feist, among others, was released in 2009 to positive reception from both fans and critics alike.

The album, full of laid-back lovesick tracks and a few bouncy numbers to display Jurvanen’s guitar skill, was Juno-nominated for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year and earned a place on the prestigious Polaris Prize long-list. Despite the critical acclaim, Jurvanen said recording the album was a laid-back process for him.

“I just invited some friends over, they didn’t know the songs at all. We sat around and played. We maybe ran through it once or twice and in some cases those are the versions that are on the album. It’s that initial run-through where everyone’s really just listening,” he said. “Those are my favourite moments.”

Now in the process of finishing up his second album set to be released in the spring, Jurvanen said he’s looking forward to sharing his new material with his fans.

“It’s kind of a different record and it’s definitely influenced by all this touring we’ve been doing. Its more electric guitar and more singing and it’s more fleshed out than the first one … I feel like the songs are stronger and I’m excited to share it with people,” Jurvanen said.

Jurvanen, who has been playing with Tait for over a year now, said he attributes the second album’s musical development to the duo’s positive working relationship.

“The musical relationship, it’s complex.

When you meet someone that you ‘get’, that’s a really special thing and I’m really lucky to have met [Jason] and to be able to play with him so much,” Jurvanen said.

“He listens and he shares and he subscribes to the same things that I do when it comes to wanting to make music and what you get out of it.”

Jurvanen and Tait will spend the next month touring across Canada, coast to coast.

Having played in Kingston many times over his career, Jurvanen said he’s excited to return to The Grad Club and is expecting a bit of a party crowd.

“We’re playing a lot of listening rooms on this tour and small theatres and community centres, and I really do like playing those venues because it gives you a chance to play the quieter songs and explore some different stuff. But that being said, it’s really fun to play in the bars, too, and play a little bit more of a rockin’ set,” he said. “I always like The Grad Club. I’m sure it’s going to be a fun time.”

While touring this past year, Jurvanen sported a prominent mustache as part of his laid-back vintage get-up. When asked about Movember, Jurvanen admitted to his initial obliviousness.

“I’m all for raising money for cancer research of all kinds. But I had one for a long time and I never really meant for it to be ironic or funny, but it just ended up being that way because of things like Movember.

So in reaction to that I very quickly shaved it off and I haven’t had one since,” Jurvenen said with a laugh. However, he promised his clean-shaven face wouldn’t detract from his performance on tour.

“The songs will still sound good. I can get closer to the microphone now!”

Bahamas play with Doug Paisley tonight at the Grad Club at 10 p.m.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Arts & Entertainment

queensjournal.ca

• 19

SPORTS

20 • queensjournal.ca

Gaels crowned in Prince Edward Island

Friday, November 19, 2010

Queen’s 4, UQTR 7

Up and down they go

Men’s hockey rebounds from a slow start only to collapse in the third

By Lauri Kytömaa Assistant Sports Editor Last Friday at the Kingston Memorial Centre, when Gaels forward Kelly Jackson scored on a breakaway with 17:23 remaining in the second period, it looked like Queen’s had finally taken the steam out of the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes. The goal was the fourth unanswered for the Gaels who had climbed back from a 0-3 deficit to lead 4-3.

Unfortunately the heroics wouldn’t hold; the undeterred Patriotes stormed back in the third to win the game 7-4 sending the Gaels home with a bitter taste in their mouth.

“Without [Liske] and Mirwaldt and a few of the guys out, we’ve had to work a lot harder to score goals.”

—Jonathon Lawrance, men’s hockey captain

Supplied photo by Elli Garlin

The women’s soccer team celebrates their CIS Championship with the Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy over the weekend in Charlottetown. The Gaels beat the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 1-0 in overtime with the only goal from midfielder Riley Filion.

Slow starts have been a common theme this season for the Gaels.

They have only scored first in three out of their eleven games and Please see Defensive on Page 22

Gentlemen of a different league

Hockey league for students and Kingstonians

By Kate Bascom Sports Editor Small crowds of guys gather around piles of hockey bags, staring absentmindedly onto the ice at the 50-somethings finishing their evening games. In baseball caps, sweats and many sporting Movember-inspired moustaches, the group casually prepares for their game scheduled at the Invista Centre by taping their sticks and checking their equipment before heading into the locker rooms.

They’re members of a young recreational hockey league, the League of Unextraordinary Gentlemen or the LUG, and they’re proving The Queen’s Gaels are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hockey in Kingston. With leagues from the Ontario Hockey League to minor hockey associations and scattered beer leagues all taking up occupancy in the town, a group of Queen’s students picked up on this passion for the national game and created a sophisticated shinny

league now in its second year of operation.

A description on the league’s Facebook page offers an accurate look at the LUG’s primary functions, a league for hockey enthusiasts looking for casual but competitive hockey.

It says, “The good times we sought on frozen water [are] no longer frustrated by the overly policed and under enjoyed intramurals program. A league had finally arrived that proved player cards, unwarranted suspensions and a lackluster level of play obsolete.”

The League of Unextraordinary Gentlemen was born out of an interest in more playing time and need for a higher level of competition. Ethan Wright, one of the three managers running the LUG, said the name was more of a joking reference to their amateur hockey status.

“It was just a play on the fact that everyone realizes that hockey is not a career for any of these people,” he said. “But it doesn’t change the

Photo by Justin Tang

The League of Unextraordinary Gentlemen offers organized hockey to Queen’s students and Kingston residents. fact that everyone loves hockey and really wants to continue to play.”

Wright said the league acts as a channelling body for hockey rather than a ruling one. “[There are] two ways of describing the LUG,” he said. “In a legal sense [it’s] a channelling body for organized hockey in Kingston.

I’d also describe the LUG as an amateur men’s hockey league that runs out of Kingston using Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College as the base.”

Wright and his fellow organizers Stephen McGlade and Justin Koifman have stepped up in their

organization of the league, after inheriting it from creators Chris Corneil and Cam Mason. “[Mason and Corneil] wanted to play ... an additional night of hockey, with better competition than what intramurals offered,” Wright said. “They pretty much threw it together on the spot. It was just kind of like let’s put it together as we go, let’s brainstorm ideas ...

Everyone just bought right into the idea.”

This isn’t your average rec league. The organizers and players alike have committed themselves to developing the league past a

simple recreational league. Based on a simple shinny mentality, the model has created a professional appearance with jerseys, referees and updated stats from the week’s game posted on their Facebook page to name a few additions to the easy-going vibe.

“It’s just a grassroots [idea], just like the weekly shinny game,” Wright said. “The difference is that we went out and got jerseys so you could tell what team you’re on and you’re not just throwing on mix-and-match. [It’s still just] hockey boys getting together ... with a little bit more organization.”

SPORTS

Friday, november 19, 2010

queensjournal.ca

• 21

Queen’s 3, YORK 0; Queen’s 3, RYeRsOn 0

Gaels sweep ARC clean Pair of shutout wins at home improves men’s volleyball record to 6-0

By PauL BisHoP staFF Writier The men’s volleyball team had another successful weekend, defeating the York Lions (25-15, 25-16, 25-22) on Friday and topping the Ryerson Rams (25-13, 25-14, 25-17). The victories leave the defending OUA Champions with a perfect 6-0 record.

With the outcome never really in doubt, libero Alex Oneid said he was satisfied with how well the team had executed their game plan.

“We had a specific game plan and that was to contain them,” he said. “Ryerson, more than York, had a chance to push us a little more. But being the more experienced and undefeated team, we had a lot of confidence.”

Oneid also highlighted the significance of the team’s defensive play, noting that the Gaels have conceded just four sets over the course of their first six games. “[Defence] was extremely important,” he said. “The other team is struggling to find points if we’re digging and blocking well.”

Though the Gaels are undefeated and tied for first place in the OUA, injuries continue to plague the team. With setter Daniel Rosenbaum out after a knee surgery, the Gaels have had to make do without one of their star players.

“[Defence] was extremely important.

The other team is struggling to find points if we’re digging and blocking well.”

—Alex Oneid, libero “We are definitely missing Dan,” Oneid said. “[His absence] really affected the team, especially at the beginning of the year.”

Still, Oneid said he’s confident Rosenbaum’s replacement, Jackson Dakin, is up to the task.

“Jackson has stepped up so much,” he said. “We have so much confidence in him. We miss Dan but we are undefeated with Jackson. I’m sure we are going to continue that way because he’s a great setter.”

Dakin had a standout performance on Saturday, notching a game-high 29 assists.

SuPPlied by elli Garlin

Gaels striker Jacqueline Tessier navigates around a Laurier defender at the CIs Championship in Charlottetown last sunday.

Head coach Brenda Willis said the Gaels’ training has had to adapt because of the injury situation.

“Really, the hardest thing is practicing without Dan. We have to get pretty creative because usually you need to practice with two setters,” said Willis. “Still, we’re 6-0, so it’s not so hard.”

Willis’ Gaels also have to deal with injuries to outsides Joren Zeeman and Niko Rukavina, who have both been sidelined for at least one game.

“It’s tough,” she said. “I’m now essentially down to three left sides.

It means that I will have to move Matthew Taylor back to the right, and some rookies might get called on.” Though the team’s experience is one of its main assets, Willis remains excited to see what the rookies can deliver.

“It will be a chance to see what they’re made of,” she said.

Though the Gaels have a perfect record, Willis said she’s careful not to be overly optimistic since the team has yet to face a genuine contender in the OUA. “Every team we have met that has pushed us, [when] we’ve pushed back … they haven’t responded,” she said, adding that she hopes a greater challenge will come from this weekend’s opponents, the McMaster Marauders and the Guelph Gryphons. Both teams are breathing down the the first place Gaels’ necks in the OUA standings, occupying third and fourth place respectively.

“It will be a step up from what we have been facing. We will be up against good middles now, and more jump servers,” she said.

“But it’s nothing we can’t manage.

It’s nothing we didn’t see in the preseason.”

Soccer triumphs in OT

them every game and saw no reason to change in the playoffs,” McDowell said.

Midfielder Melissa Jung, striker Kelli Chamberlain and Filion were all named to the championship all-star team. Overall, the Gaels finished the season with a cumulative record of 19-3 and were ranked first in the country.

Chamberlain said the Gaels’ win in overtime proved their success throughout the regular season was deserved.

“It’s definitely a good “I dropped right to my knees,” she said. “I didn’t know what to way to go out. Our do. Honestly just pure joy and team got really good excitement … It felt like we recognition. We were had won right there. You have very successful. What to finish the game but just right more can you ask for there, everything that we had been working so hard towards [we] just than a national title?” kind of felt in that moment that —Kelli Chamberlain, everything was worth it.”

Continued from page 1

guess, probably pretty tired going into the 90-plus minutes. I just felt we had more energy coming into overtime. We just weren’t giving up.”

Head coach Dave McDowell said the team put in a great performance over the weekend as the Gaels defeated the Cape Breton Capers and the University of Fraser Valley Cascades on their way to the gold medal match.

striker

“We did everything we needed to do,” McDowell said. “The girls were terrific. All three games I thought we played very well. The gold medal game is usually not as good quality [due to] playing with no recovery time. I thought the quality of play was quite high.”

The win provided revenge for Queen’s as they were edged 1-0

by Laurier in the OUA Finals the previous weekend.

“I don’t know if we knew anything more,” McDowell said.

“We knew [the Golden Hawks] were a very good team going into OUA [Finals] and emphasized defending at set pieces. Other than [that] it was going to be a battle, there would be very few decent scoring chances and we would have to take any we could get and limit The Gaels will be on the road them to what they could get.” this weekend against the The Gaels didn’t allow a Guelph Gryphons on saturday goal in the tournament as Elena and the McMaster Marauders Corry and Chantal Marson on sunday. split the goaltending duties over the weekend.

“That was our rotation we used it all year, just to flip-flop

She said that the team worked to get better each game to ensure they were ready to face the nation’s best.

“Our team has done outstanding this whole year but I think at nationals we definitely peaked at the right time,” she said. “Every girl was putting everything they had on the line. We just played some beautiful soccer in all three games.

There was a lot of heart out there.”

As a graduating player on the team, Chamberlain said she could not have ended her career at Queen’s in a better way.

“It’s definitely a good way to go out,” she said. “Our team got really good recognition. We were very successful. What more can you ask for than a national title?”

—With files from Kate Bascom

SPORTS

22 • queensjournal.ca

Friday, november 19, 2010

Defensive woes continue to hurt hockey at home Continued from page 20

depend on their offensive resilience to find the way back. A 3-0 UQTR lead after the first would put them to that test once again.

Four straight UQTR penalties early in the second presented Queen’s with the perfect opportunity to right the ship.

Forwards Joey Derochie and Kelly Jackson both pocketed power play goals to push the game to 3-2.

The success on the man-advantage brought a spark to their even-strength play. Just a minute after the second goal was scored Derochie scored another on a beautiful backdoor pass from teammate Robert Stellick.

With the score tied 3-3 the Gaels had regained their swagger.

Jackson sniped a breakaway chance into the top right of the UQTR net and the Gaels finally took the lead, 4-3.

The dominance of the second couldn’t last for the final period of the game. UQTR gave the Gaels a

taste of their own medicine scoring four straight and outshooting them 17-7 to run away with a 7-4 win.

Assistant head coach Andrew Haussler said the team simply didn’t maintain their level of intensity in the third. “[UQTR is] a good team and they capitalized on breakdowns.

We took our foot off the gas for a second and they jumped all over us,” he said.

“Both goalies and our defensive players as a whole all have to put it together for a full 60 [minutes].”

Friday but again failed to impress, finishing with six goals against and a .860 save percentage.

Haussler said Aime’s goaltending has been volatile.

“Dave is a lot like our team; he shows moments of brilliance and like our inconsistency he can be like that too.”

Haussler also emphasized that the goaltending woes are a result of more than any one individual’s faults.

“Both goalies and our defensive players as a whole all have to put

it together for a full 60 [minutes],” he said.

The one positive the Gaels can take out of the weekend game was the return of forward Payton Liske. Liske had been out since Oct 23 with an undisclosed injury. He finished the game with zero points and a penalty but team captain Jonathon Lawrance said his return will be greatly beneficial in the long run. “[He] is a big part of this team.

He provides that instant offence that can really change a game,”

he said, adding that as the team gets healthy, they’ll gain some more consistency.

“Without [Liske] and Mirwaldt and a few of the guys out, we’ve had to work a lot harder to score goals. When we get them back it’ll put a few guys back in roles they are more comfortable with and take some of the pressure off the offensive side,” he said.

The Gaels hope to improve their record on the road this weekend against Guelph.

—Andrew Haussler, men’s hockey assistant coach Coming into the season, the goaltender situation seemed too good to be true for the Gaels but thus far neither David Aime nor Steele De Fazio has really proven to be a starter. Aime got the start on

Photo by ron yan

David Aime stops a uQTR shot on Friday at the Kingston Memorial Centre in the 7-4 loss.

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Sports

Friday, November 19, 2010

Athletes of the Week

queensjournal.ca

• 23

Sports in Brief Rugby beats out Brock for bronze

Matt Hulse Cross Country It’s been an unusual cross country season for Matt Hulse since an injury kept the fifth-year runner on the sidelines for the first few weeks of the season. However, it all came together when it counted last weekend at the CIS Championship, where Hulse attained a career-best 13th place finish in the men’s 10 km race, helping the Gaels to a fifth place finish overall.

Hulse started the season training individually. His first race with the Gaels was the Queen’s Invitational on Oct. 16.

“I was training separately from the team,” he said. “I’m doing a lot of track work. I needed a lot of time to get in the appropriate miles.

I took my time getting into the racing season.”

Unfortunately, Hulse came out of that first race with patellofemoral syndrome. Essentially, his knee cap was grinding against a bone, which prevented him from running for more than five minutes and forced him to miss the OUA championships.

“I didn’t run for three weeks, and [I] didn’t run at OUAs,” Hulse said. “I was just cycling, going to athletic therapy at the ARC, doing rehab every day.”

Two weeks ago, Hulse started running again and came out of the championship with a tremendous result.

“I was pretty pleased, shocked actually because I was happy just to be there,” he said. “[The team] did great. They’ve all improved …

Everyone from the first man to the seventh man stepped up and it was pretty competitive for those five, six, seven spots on the team.”

Right now, Hulse said he’s focused on what’s coming next.

“I’m working towards the track season,” he said. “I’m also working towards that summer season again, next year, and keeping my hopes up for the national team in the future.”

Hulse said he would like to represent Canada in an international competition, like the annual IAAF World Cross Country Championships or the Pan American Games.

Elena Corry and Chantel Marson Women’s Soccer

Goalkeepers Elena Corry and Chantel Marson approached the CIS Championship with a one game at a time mentality. The pressure is heavy on the goalkeeper as the final line of defence in soccer. With tight games against the country’s best, Marson and Corry acted cool under pressure and came through for their team when it counted with three straight shutouts.

Marson, who made a game-saving stop in overtime of the gold medal game, said going into extra-time in PEI was nerve-wracking. “[There was] definitely a lot on the line,” she said. “[I] just kept trying to be positive, give good communication [and] then all of sudden we were up 1-0, it was just kind of like hold on for 10 minutes and obviously the result was good.”

Elena Corry, who recorded shutouts against the Cape Breton Capers and the Fraser Valley Cascades said the Gaels’ excitement over midfielder Riley Filion’s goal in the 107th minute extended to the sidelines.

“Everyone on the bench just almost ran onto the field,” she said.

“Blankets and jackets were going flying. It was sweet.”

Marson said she ran out of the net to the half where the team was celebrating with Filion.

“We kind of had 30 seconds of celebration and then reality kicked in,” she said. “It was like we have to focus for 10 more minutes, it was like we were so close so we were almost there.”

Marson said the team needed to concentrate on playing the full game.

“Once we did put the goal in the net, everyone was really on the same page,” she said. “We really had to focus for the last 10 minutes.”

Corry said winning a national championship is proof of the team’s hard work.

“Over the four years both of us have progressed from like not playing to dressing and then playing,” she said. “It’s just been like really cool to see that all our hard work has paid off, four years of hard work and it’s just the —Benjamin Deans greatest feeling.”

CLASSIFIEDS LOST OVER HOMECOMING/ REUNION WEEKEND “A Loved Med’s 58 Queen’s Togue” Blue/ Gold/Red with the “Med’58 – And Then There Were None”. Please return to the Alumni Office or call 613 544-4452.

FOUND On University Ave., Wednesday October 13th at around

—Lauri Kytömaa

Cross country runs through Sherbrooke The Queen’s cross country team competed in Sherbrooke for the CIS championships this past weekend.

Gaels runners Matt Hulse and Leah Larocque both posted personal best finishes at the event.

Hulse finished in 13th in the 10km race with a time of 33 minutes and 15 seconds to help give the men’s team a fifth place finish.

Larocque finished in 16th in the women’s five km race with a time of 19 minutes and four seconds to help bring the Gaels a ninth place team finish.

The other top finishers were Clay Patterson who finished 25th in the men’s 10km race and Grace Keenleyside with a 28th finish in the women’s five km race.

—Lauri Kytömaa

Women’s volleyball splits the weekend

The women’s volleyball team lost their first game of the season at the ARC on Friday against York but rebounded on Saturday against Ryerson.

The match against the Lions was a tough five setter with the sets going 19-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 16-18.

There was less tension in the next match against the Ryerson Rams. The Gaels dominated them in three sets taking the game 25-12, 25-18, 25-21.

—Kate Bascom —Lauri Kytömaa

THE JOURNAL

LOST & FOUND

The men’s rugby team closed out their season on a high note, beating the Brock Badgers 29-20 in Markham for the OUA bronze medal.

The Badgers started the game out strong by taking a 10-0 lead but the Gaels countered to take a 12-10 lead before halftime.

The Gaels would need more points in the second to maintain their lead. Tries from Dan Moor and Hank McQueen solidified the win.

McQueen, who finished with 10 points, was named the man of the match for his two tries in the second half and his defensive effort.

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SAVE THE CHOLDREN HOLIDAY CARDS 2010 BY CANADIAN ARTISTS. Available in the Campus Bookstore.

ACROSS 1 Dilbert’s workplace 5 “Eee-www!”

8 1960s Secretary of State Dean 12 Verve 13 Born 14 Initial chip 15 Multinational money 16 Atlantic st.

17 June 6, 1944 18 Nebraska river 20 Needlenose tool 22 Rocky peak 23 Rowing need 24 “Hi, sailor” 27 Teemed 32 Cleric’s title (Abbr.)

33 Head of st.

34 “— the ramparts

...”

35 Opening night 38 In pre-swan mode 39 Snitch 40 Spinning speed

(Abbr.)

42 24-Down, e.g.

45 Zero 49 Manhandle 50 Greek vowel 52 “The Music Man”

setting 53 Shrek is one 54 In medias — 55 Coral structure 56 Progeny 57 Bumped into 58 Formerly, formerly DOWN 1 Profound 2 Hebrew month 3 Detective novelist

Paretsky 4 Difficult to solve

5 Too young 6 “Golly!”

7 Aid 8 Angular measure 9 Likely loser 10 Celebrity 11 Organ array 19 Ñ and fro 21 “Skip to My —” 24 Dadaist Jean 25 That girl 26 Medley that starts a

musical 28 Bklyn., e.g.

29 Cloudy 30 Conger, for one 31 Towel off 36 Sent, in a way 37 “— Impossible” 38 Diamond decider 41 3.1416 42 Andy’s pal 43 Anger 44 Four years in the

White House 46 Gardener, at times 47 Rams fans?

48 Sawyer’s carrier 51 Ball-bearing item

Last Issue’s Answers

24 • queensjournal.ca

Postscript

Friday, November 19, 2010

Off the beaten academic track

From Harry Potter to Star Trek, North American universities are incorporating popular culture-inspired courses into their curricula with high hopes that students will feel the benefits in the real world

By Natasha Mukhtar Contributor If you want to get credits for studying comic superheroes, the science behind cooking or even Star Trek then you might be in luck.

Universities across North America are modifying their course offerings in hopes of changing dreary traditional courses into more engaging and popular-culture approved substitutes. Just a few decades ago, new courses would include subjects like sociology and women’s studies, but today, students have access to more unconventional subjects.

Harvard University recently opened admission to a culinary course describing phases of matter called Science of the Physical Universe. Students study under some of the world’s most successful chefs who help them create their own delicacies with the incorporation of molecular gastronomic techniques.

Even more unconventional is Game Theory: Applications to Starcraft, which is being offered at the University of California at Berkeley. The class is led by students and aims to educate pupils about life skills that can be learned from the popular computer game.

Those who find themselves reading comic books more than their textbooks will be glad to know about The Cape and the Cowl: The Literary, Televised and Film History of Batman, another similarly avant-garde student-led course offered by Rice University in Houston, Texas.

The Philosophy of Star Trek is offered at Georgetown University and Frostburg State University now offers a course, The Science of Harry Potter, which uses the world of Hogwarts to explain principles of physics.

said, adding that an example could be a course on the TV show The Sopranos in the study of third-generation Italians in New Jersey, and how TV can model the understanding of culture.

“It becomes a tool, a manner of addressing problems that are not only relating to that specific issue but understanding media in general ... [It’s a] means to reach more general ideas.”

He said incorporating popular culture can help students pay more attention if they can relate to the material better.

“One can relate to it in terms that are more familiar and thus not as far-fetched, even though the terms remain the same,” he said. “Being able to relate more immediately makes it more approachable.”

“Things are changing so rapidly in the real world about skills that people need to have.”

—Clarke Mackey, head of the department of film and media

Pairing pop-culture inspired courses with more traditional subjects not only prepares students for the job market, but for skills that may be necessary years later, such as cultural problems that the courses address.

“What you’re studying can be related to less popular things.”

Some universities have gone beyond offering a few quirky courses to offer entire degree programs. At Queen’s, students have the opportunity to major in programs like the new special field concentration, Computing and the Creative Arts (COCA), which combines the technical skills of computer science with the expressive quality of the creative arts.

“It provides a timely bridge between arts and sciences,” Selim “It becomes a tool, a Akl, Professor and Director of the School of Computing manner of addressing told the Journal via e-mail. Akl problems that are said the course is offered in not only relating to collaboration with four different that specific issue but arts departments: art, drama, film understanding media in and media and music.

Bob Tennet, the Undergraduate general.”

Chair for Computing, told the —Donato Santeramo, head of Journal via e-mail that COCA the department of spanish is a fairly new concentration and italian but has career prospects with long-established corporations Donato Santeramo, head of the and fields. department of spanish and italian, “Companies like Apple and teaches the interdisciplinary IDIS Electronic Arts have always focused 200: Introduction to Semiotics and their hiring on electronic artists, Communication, where students just because they often happen to bring in poetry, art and movies to be the most well-rounded coders analyse and discuss. as well. There is no lack of jobs He said that although the for students following these subjects of many quirky courses programs,” Tennet said, adding don’t seem to relate to the theory that these include: 3D Game at hand, they’re still useful tools Developer, New Media Artist, for learning.

Sound Designer, Art Management, “It’s the way one studies 3D Animator, Computer Graphics them that makes them Designer and Web Developer. university-worthy,” Santeramo He said the program is

photo by justin tang

“Popular culture is something that is a major interest to many faculty members,” says Clarke Mackey, head of the department of film and media studies. popular in part because it allows students to do things not typical to other classes. “[It] lets students use all kinds of cutting-edge software packages and produce multi-media art for an end-of-term art exhibit,” he said.

Clarke Mackey, head of the film and media studies department, said another non-traditional class offered at Queen’s—interdisciplinary studies 410: Contemporary Cultural Performances in practice—is open to all undergraduate students.

“There are no essays, blogs, readings or exams in this course.

Students must work collaboratively in groups to produce performances and art pieces that are shown to the public,” Mackey told the Journal via email.

This allows students to think

differently about what they learn, he said, adding that though they initially find this difficult, it proves to be a vital life skill.

“Academics are important but it’s nice to have some variation and experiment,” he said, adding that these alternative skills are especially important in today’s job markets.

Although many universities are beginning to integrate social media and technology into teaching material, Mackey said employers these days are looking for people with a broad knowledge of how these work and who can rapidly adapt to advancements in software and design.

“Things are changing so rapidly in the real world about skills that people need to have,” he said. “It’s almost impossible for universities to keep up.”

Although non-traditional courses at Queen’s may not seem as specific as some courses in the US (Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame at the University of South Carolina, anyone?), Mackey said specific examples of pop culture are still frequently brought up in many classes, without creating an entire course on it.

“Popular culture is something that is a major interest to many faculty members,” he said.

“We’re trying to focus on the big questions and how these other things fit into it … I would say over the last two decades pop culture has become an object of study more than it was before.”

—With files from Kelly Loeper

overheard at queen’s Guy staring at the Foucault pendulum in Stirling Hall: “I feel like if I touch it I’m going to die.”

“Yeah, I’m at the corner of Division Street and Arch Street.”

—Guy at the corner of University Ave. and Earl St. Girl 1: “Think about how weird it would be to be a baby ... I think it would be awesome!”

Girl 2: “No man you just sit in your own poo ... There’s a reason we don’t remember that stuff; we’d be scarred for life!”

“That was my first outdoor sex at Queen’s. Behind that bush there.”

—Classy girl near Theological Hall.

hear something funny on campus? send your overheards to: journal_postscript@ams.queensu.ca