Worst of Regina

the staff

editor-in-chief michael chmielewski editor@carillonregina.com business manager shaadie musleh business@carillonregina.com production manager kyle leitch production@carillonregina.com

the carillon The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962

December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014|Volume 56, Issue 14|carillonregina.com

cover

copy editor michelle jones copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor

rikkeal bohmann

carillonnewseditor@carillonregina.com

a&c editor robyn tocker aandc@carillonregina.com

The end of an era.

sports editor autumn mcdowell sports@carillonregina.com

Dietrich Neu, our foreign correspondent, comes back to Regina in a matter of days.

op-ed editor farron ager op-ed@carillonregina.com visual editor emily wright graphics@carillonregina.com

Before he leaves Bangkok, he took some eyegasm-inducing photos of the Grand Palace. Check ‘em out on pages 22 and 23.

advertising manager neil adams advertising@carillonregina.com technical co-ordinator arthur ward technical@carillonregina.com distribution manager

allan hall

foreign correspondent dietrich neu staff writer

paige kreutzwieser

news writer

alec salloum

a&c writer

destiny kaus

sports writer

brady lang

photographers

haley klassen spencer reid apolline lucyk contributors this week taylor rattray, jeremy simes, evan radford, liam fitz-gerald, lauren neumann, laura billet, taylor sockett, matt wincherauk

news

a&c

the paper

THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Chmielewski, Shaadie Musleh, Autumn McDowell, vacant, vacant, vacant, vacant

227 Riddell Center University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2

www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867 Printed by Transcontinental Publishing Inc, Saskatoon, SK

The Carillon welcomes contributions.

Correspondence can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address, and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published. Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon.

Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no afilliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union.

MEDIC!

page 5

Highbrow entertainment.

page 10

The Pasqua Hospital ER will be open overnights.

Narrowly avoiding a boneheaded decision like that raises some legitimate concerns, though; why was a plan like that ever entertained as a viable option, for example.

The ballet isn’t just for rich old people anymore. In fact, modern ballet can be pretty freakin’ cool. Laura Billet tells us why on page 10.

sports

op-ed

Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers, and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff.

The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by The Carillon Newspaper Inc, a non-profit organization.

the manifesto

In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years.

In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildings was a belltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower.

The University never got abelltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.

illegitimi non carborundum.

Green Mile.

page 13

We won everyone, we won. Now, is anyone else sick of hearing about it yet? All of the players left town the day after it happened, but permanent residents of Saskatchewan will hold on to it for as long as they can. Residents such as Brady Lang.

news a&c sports op-ed cover

photos

evan radford national ballet of canada emily wright emily wright dietrich neu

Farewell.

page 16

What better a time to say farewell to finals than the last issue of 2013?

Michael Chmielewski, editor-in-chief, took time between frantic fits of studying to write a farewell to finals In other news: A mall in North Dakota is considering banning Black Friday sales after their beloved mall Santa of over twenty seasons was trampled by the shopping crowd.

One customer was heard to remark, “Santa’s dead? Fuck it, I still got my kids a Wii U.”

news

Editor: Rikkeal Bohmann news@carillonregina.com the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

The need for feminism

16 Days of Activism raises awareness and creates activism.

Rikkeal Bohmann Jill Arnott holds a discussion during the 16 Days of Activism

paige kreutzwieser staff writer For 16 days, one Regina woman is trying to make a difference.

Jill Arnott, Executive Director of the University of Regina Women’s Centre, hopes the 16 Days of Activism Campaign held at the University of Regina, and around the city, will cause students to be more aware of the issues facing Saskatchewan’s communities.

“It’s quite easy to go through our privileged lives and not be aware of things that go on in the world around us.”

The 16 Days of Activism is an international campaign that runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.

The campaign commences on the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women, and concludes on the International Human Rights Day. The focus of the 16 days is to raise awareness and activism against gender-based violence.

“We try really hard to mark these days by highlighting organizations and individuals that are doing great work,” explained Arnott. “But we are also really hammering home the work that needs to be done.”

Arnott says we are still living in a world where women are extremely vulnerable to violence and poverty.

“We want people to be aware the work isn’t finished.”

Arnott was highlighted on campus on Nov. 28 in a discus-

sion where she spoke about why we still need feminism. More involvement from the local community was also a focus in Arnott’s promotion of the 16 Days campaign.

The amount of violence and exploitation still happening to women is something Arnott wants to see changed.

“We are collectively responsible for the world we live in and I’m not okay with what goes on.”

In her discussion, Arnott expressed her concern with mainstream media socializing boys to see their emotions as problematic.

“In North America, in terms of popular construction of masculinity, [sensitivity] is not what we see in our pop culture in terms of being successful.”

“It does damage to men, it does damage to women and we all collectively pay for that.”

She feels a personal responsibility to not only her local community, but also to the global community, and is pushing people to have this same sense of responsibility.

“I am privileged in my life to live where I live, to have the people that I have, to know I’ll never be alone,” said Arnott about why she believes responsibility is mandatory.

“Not everyone has [those privileges] and that is not because of a personal failing. I’m just lucky. So being where I am located, I feel that privilege also

comes with responsibility.”

Arnott has always had a passion for activism, starting when she was young. Although she had no specific circumstance that caused this passion, she has just always wanted to help those in need. As a child, she would do things like give away her winter jackets to those less fortunate than her.

Arnott believes her education is really what pushed her to become more active. She explained that it gave her an understanding of the frameworks of inequality and the systems of privilege and power around her.

Although she may no longer give her jackets away, “I am pushing for change on a more systematic level.”

Arnott has been working with the University of Regina Women’s Centre since 2008. For her, campaigns like the 16 Days of Activism are important - especially on campus.

Arnott knows that finding time as a student to make change can be difficult.

“Part of the problem with the 16 days is that it falls at a really bad time in the semester.

Classes are wrapping up, it’s in the middle of finals.”

But Arnott also feels a sense of apathy on campus.

“Students don’t want to be approached in the hallway. Part of it is because students are busy, but part of it I think too is that it’s comfortable to not have to bother with stuff like this.

“But, it is not a comfortable thing . . . it is painful stuff to talk about.”

She does admit that someone should not be faulted for being unaware but “once you know and chose to do nothing that is completely different.”

“So a lot of what we do on campus is about awareness.”

Arnott would like to see learning beyond the textbooks at university. She would like to have a component built into university life and academics so that it is mandatory for students to participate.

“Whether that is coming to events, being engaged in the community, so people can see the connections between their life here and their learning here and their world at large and maybe that way we would have a little bit of a bridge.”

On campus, the Women’s Centre will be holding Bake Sales to help raise money for an organization working to stop violence against women.

A vigil on Dec. 6 will also be held at the university to remember those killed in the Dec. 6, 1989 Montreal Massacre. The Women’s Centre, along with the Faculty of Engineering, will hold the vigil in the Riddell Centre.

“The vigil is something that we want people to remember that 14 women were killed in 1989, that it’s not ok what happened, and also that [the gunman] came from a particular place and we are still dealing

with some of those same root causes,” explained Arnott.

“It’s easy to think he was just a psychopath like some sort of random event that will never happen again, except it does happen.”

“Every day women are experiencing violence and so part of the knowing and the awareness is people then maybe feel empowered to talk about it and then make change.”

Arnott sees feminist action as extremely important to society.

“We can’t thrive when such a large portion of our population is disempowered and undervalued.”

She wants to see more collective action being done to crate equal opportunities of dignity for everyone. That is why the 16 Days of Activism campaign in Regina is so meaningful to Arnott.

“I need to be contributing to improving things, to be making things better.”

Alongside the university, The Artful Dodger is a venue within the city that is promoting the campaign as well. They showed a the documentary Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth on Dec. 4. As well, as recognizing the International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 with the Amnesty International Write for Rights event.

Not everyone has [those privileges] and that is not because of a personal failing, I’m just lucky. So being where I am located, I feel that privilege also comes with responsibility.

Jill Arnott

4

news

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Diapers in the pit?

Student parents are forced to find other places to change their children. rikkeal bohmann news editor

This past year, the University of Regina has created Wudu stations in bathrooms and gender-neutral bathrooms. Some students are arguing that still more accessibility needs to happen on campus though.

Ashleigh Delange, the President of the Student Parents Association at the U of R (URSPA), says student parents face many struggles. One challenge has been being forced to change her child in the Administration Humanities pit, due to the lack of change tables on campus.

“When my daughter was younger, it was kind of horrible, because you’d have to change her and you’d get kind of weird looks and stuff. Especially if she has a pretty stinky diaper, and then it’s doubly embarrassing.”

This can particularly affects breastfeeding mothers, who need to feed while at school.

Delange came back to school when her daughter was about six months old, and she needed to be brought to school quite a bit for feeding.

With no change tables available for moms and dads of the university, Delange sees a real need for change tables to

come up to us, but it’s a good questions and I think it’s one that deserves attention.”

Having students self-identify as parents on their applications coming into university as well is something Delange would like to see. This way, the university would be aware of more student parent issues that could potentially keep more parents in school.

“They ask on your application whether you are male or female. I would think whether you’re a parent or not is more important is more important than your gender is.”

URSPA would like to connect with other groups on campus, so they are more connected to the university.

Wagner said they will definitely be looking into putting change tables on campus. Until then, parents will have to continue looking at different options for places to change their children.

Rikkeal Bohmann One parent was forced to change her child in the pit.

be brought onto campus. She would like to see change tables brought to vital areas of the school that students use a lot, such as the library area.

Facilities management at the university prides itself on its work on making the campus more accessible for students.

Nelson Wagner, Vice-President of Facilities Management, says that change tables should be in places that are used by the public, because the university is a public space.

“It seems to make sense, and it’s perhaps one that hadn’t dawned on us.”

Wagner goes on to say that change tables just weren’t part of the campus’ original plan.

“It’s something we perhaps didn’t anticipate. When we did our campus plan for example, hold forums and stuff like that, what do you like, what don’t you like, and that’s one that didn’t

The sanctions on Iran

Not all nations are happy with the results of the Geneva meeting. alec salloum news writer

As of Nov. 24, an interim accord has been reached concerning nuclear sanctions imposed on Iran. The accord took place in Geneva, Switzerland, and saw the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain in attendance. The rulings of the accord should be implemented over the next six months.

From the preamble of the Joint Plan of Action document, “The goal for these negotiations is to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure Iran’s nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful.

Essentially, the agreement that was reached seeks to allow Iran to resume its nuclear programs for alternative power, all while preventing Iran from building nuclear weapons. However, the parties involved, and those directly affected by the rulings, seem to be uncertain on the exact terms of the agreement.

Immediately following the meetings, US Secretary of State John Kerry stated, “Let me be clear, this first step does not say that Iran has a right to enrichment. No matter what interpretive comments are made it is not in this document.”

Rather unfortunately, the Iranian President Hassan Rou-

U.S. Department of State Iran’s nuclear capabilities discussion turned into sanctions.

hani spoke on his slightly different interpretation of the deal.

Believing that Iran’s nuclear right had been recognized and validated, including enrichment.

On the same day, in the same building in Geneva where Kerry made his statement, Rouhani said, “This right has been explicitly stipulated by this agreement, stressing that Iran will go on with enrichment.”

This concerning discrepancy of understanding has led to some global concern. So for the sake of clarity, when discussing uranium enrichment the accord

specifically states in its second point that Iran “will not enrich uranium over five per cent for the duration of the six months.”

Additionally, the stockpile of uranium enriched over 20 per cent will half be allowed for “working stock”, and the other half diluted through down blending to five per cent.

For reference, a typical nuclear weapon utilizes 80 per cent, or more, enriched uranium. Despite this, lower percentiles can in theory still be used.

This new accord comes after over a decade of tumultuous

relations between Iran and the West. The United States especially has been apprehensive of the Middle Eastern power, and has imposed an economic embargo.

Additionally, sanctions specifically on nuclear power can be traced to American policy. One document explained that “sanctions should target Iran’s energy sector that provides about 80 per cent of government revenues.”

Though this is likely a contributing factor, fear of nuclear armaments is still the corner-

stone of these previous sanctions. In response to new sanctions, President Obama said, “For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back.”

However, not every nation is as optimistic about the results from the Geneva meetings as the United States. Israel and Saudi Arabia have been vocal on their disapproval of the sanctions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his disdain, stating “What was achieved … in Geneva is not an historic agreement; it is an historic mistake.”

In the past, the Jewish nation has felt the sting of Iranian backed terror cells, and if nuclear weapons were developed, is a prime target for attack. Similarly, Saudi Arabia, a majority Sunni nation, has negatively reacted to the news.

Despite these apprehensions, there exists greater transparency in the Iran nuclear programs. There also exists policy that will allow organizations into Iran to inspect nuclear sites and ensure no breaches are made to the sanctions.

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

news

5

Hospital crisis averted

Yet ER doctor shortage continues to be a huge issue in Saskatchewan. alec salloum news writer

The Pasqua Hospital has garnered significant attention recently in the wake of their Emergency Room facing night-time closure. It was initially thought the ER would be closed for three months. The looming closure was remedied on Nov. 28 with an agreement being reached between the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region and ER doctors at the Pasqua Hospital.

The closure began as a response to a shortage of ER doctors. Many of the doctors have reported being drastically overworked with no qualified relief for their positions.

In response to the nighttime closure, the contingency plan was to forward all emergency cases to the General Hospital, who’s ER would handle all night-time calls. If an emergency case were to show up at the Pasqua ER, paramedic teams would be waiting to transport the case to the General Hospital.

Negotiations came down to the wire as Thursday the 28th was the date that the ER would begin its night-time closure.

A press release on the day stated that, “following significant efforts by the Ministry of

Evan Radford Pasqua Hospital faced an ER night-time closure.

Health, senior management of the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region (RQHR) and physicians, a solution has been found which will enable the Region to continue to provide full emergency coverage at both Regina Emergency Departments.”

Another release announced that the new agreement “is retroactive to April 2013 and effective until March 31, 2016.”

Despite the issue being resolved, it does bring to light how drastically the province

needs physicians. In a release, Tyler McMurchy, of the Ministry of Health, and Dallas Carpenter, from the Saskatchewan Medical Association, said “the government is working with the Saskatchewan Medical Association on a range of initiatives to recruit and retain physicians, and we are making progress.”

Such initiatives do already exist and have, to some extent, been a success.

“The overall number of physicians practicing in Saskatche-

wan has increased by more than 300 from March 2007 to March 2013,” claims the aforementioned release.

“This has been accomplished through initiatives like expansion of training seats, distributed education, rural practice incentive grants, and SIPPA.” SIPPA, or the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program, was implemented on Jan. 1, 2011. It seeks to better assess “family

medicine family medicine International Medical Graduates’ (IMGs)” and their ability and aptitude in practicing medicine in Saskatchewan to the provincial code.

When gauging the success of SIPPA, one report showed that “in rural areas, 75 per cent of physicians were trained in other countries.”

Additionally, the University of Saskatchewan has been increasing its residency and undergraduate seats since 2009.

In addition to all these new efforts, there has also been an increase in salaries, no doubt a major point of contention.

Many doctors who are trained in Regina seek work elsewhere, namely Ontario and Alberta, simply because wages are higher there. This especially applies to ER doctors.

To compensate for this, in the new agreement we will see a pay raise in the area of “12.5 per cent to 13.7 per cent” in the first year alone. This will equate to full-time ER doctors earning from $320,000 to $400,000 annually. Of course, the wage is dependent on skills, training and level of experience.

Hopefully these efforts by the Saskatchewan government will be enough to remedy the provinces shortage of doctors.

Even the Carillon is hiring!

Regina’s job market is the most attractive in the country. taylor rattray contributor

The BMO labour market report recently named Regina’s job market the ‘most attractive in Canada’, followed by Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatoon. To develop this rating, the Bank of Montreal looked at the unemployment rates, average levels of income, competitive tax rates, job prospects, and housing prices of nineteen cities across Canada. In particular, Regina’s affordable housing is what pulled it ahead of the city of Calgary.

The median employment income in Regina is $70,500, placing Regina third behind Ottawa and Calgary. Its jobless rate is the lowest in Canada at 3.5 per cent, followed by Saskatoon and Edmonton. Regina’s job growth rate is 6.9 per cent, second to Saskatoon. The income tax rate in Regina is 13 per cent and the combined sales tax is 10 per cent, but it’s Regina’s lowest average house price in the country, at $311,400, that named our job market ‘most attractive’ in the country.

Dwight Kosior, of Dwight Kosior Financial, believes this is an accurate ranking. In particular he claims, “I think the job market is still quite positive for the trades, and all those jobs are

There’s

Evan Radford Many people are moving to Saskatchewan now.

related to the growth of what’s happening in the province.”

In Kosior’s opinion, Regina’s positive job market is due to the “…expansion in the economy, [driven by] the trades and a resource boom in the last decade”.

As well, “lots of investment money has moved into the province during the expansion.” This is all very good news for a province that is quite resource rich.

Kosior believes the situation will continue, “but maybe not quite as robust as two or three years ago…it’s still got a

lot of positive traction to it, but it will slow a little…there’s still lots of need for people; we are actually still short of people”.

Recently, the amount of Canadians moving from one province to the next is at the highest level it’s been in almost 25 years.

Migrants from all over the country are headed towards Alberta and Saskatchewan in particular. This shows that Canadian resources are moving where they are needed, giving the job force what it needs. Saskatchewan Immigration is seeking not only in-country workers, but also

overseas job seekers to fill the demand for workers. All in all, the booming job market in the province is making Saskatchewan what a recent Statistics Canada report calls, ‘the land of opportunity’.

For a province whose employment sector was once one of the lowest in Canada, Saskatchewan and its capital city, Regina, is now the place to go for above-average job opportunities.

still lots of need for people; we are actually still short of people.

Dwight Kosior

6

news

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

All nations healing hospital pioneers midwifery There are 14 registered and practicing midwives in the province. jeremy simes contributor

Babies are delivered in Saskatchewan’s packed, bright-lit and clock-watching care units everyday. However, Debbie Vey, midwife at the All Nations’ Healing Hospital (ANHH), allows her soon-to-be moms to bring their own pillows and music on the day of delivery.

The hospital’s budget is $4.9 million; however, visits increased by 56 per cent from 5,914 to 9,203 patients, after Balcarres and Lestock reduced health care services. There were “no additional resources,” said Gail Boehme, director of the ANHH. She said ANHH had to choose between turning patients away, or running a deficit.

It chose the latter, which ended being $500,000.

Boehme even used some of her own salary to cover costs.

“I was flexible enough to move my salary to another area. I shouldn’t have to do that,” she said. Boehme said she told the ministry, “If you are truly a partner in this initiative and you see other communities collapsing, and you see us picking up this volume then I don’t understand why you fund me for one and one when I’m running at two

tkphotoart ANHH created cost effective birthing suites.

and two.”

With the money they had, the ANHH created cost-effective birthing suites for midwives.

“I’m not paying a doctor. I’m not paying a nurse. I’m not paying any overnight stays,” said Boehme.

Vey said 10 appointments

cost $500, whereas an overnight stay costs about $2000. Boehme plans to hire another midwife for the hospital’s new suite, which is ready for water-births. “I can’t wait!” said Vey. Karen Scherle, program consultant of the Primary Health Services Branch, said that the

province funded $500,000 for three midwife positions in 2012.

A pilot project is in the works to fund a Second Attendant, who would help midwives for homebirths. There are 14 registered and practicing midwives in the province, and three of the 12 health regions have them. Vey

said she’s seeing more patients from the Sunrise Health Region, but Scherle suggested the next midwives will be hired by the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region.

Your role in helping prevent animal abuse Animal protection agencies rely on the public to report incidences. evan radford contributor

Successfully preventing direct animal abuse depends on the public’s vigilance in reporting and recording cases, says Taylor Bendig, a former animal protection officer with the Regina Humane Society.

Bendig says animal protection agencies have very limited resources. He says if the public is vigilant in reporting and recording cases, for example with a smartphone camera, “It really increases the chances of prosecution of the owner, or extraction of the animal to a better environment.”

Bendig advises, “If you suspect something, report it; if you see something, film it, call it in, file a witness statement, because evidence makes a difference.” He says, “It’s in the public’s hands in a lot of ways.”

Bendig’s comments are timely, because of a recent case where a severely burned, seven week old puppy, Nero, was found in a Saskatchewan work camp. It is believed a person intentionally set the puppy on fire after dowsing its head with a flammable liquid.

Nero’s is not the only recent case. In late August, a black labrador in Melville was found dead with its larynx and its jugular slashed. In late July,

Emily Wright Animal protection cases can be difficult to investigate.

Prince Albert area resident Dianne Campbell found 23 cats dumped on her driveway, some severely beaten, others dead

with their heads stomped in.

Kaley Pugh is the manager of animal protection services at the Saskatchewan SPCA. She

says severe cases like these “are difficult to investigate,” because there isn’t necessarily “direct evidence of the person abusing

the Carillon: we have a wikipedia page and URSU doesn’t. Take that.

their animal.”

She refers to a recent case where a Regina man was prosecuted for beating his dog. Pugh notes the case went to trial because the man’s neighbour filmed him beating his dog, producing the needed video evidence.

The Saskatchewan Animal Protection Act states, “No person responsible for an animal shall cause or permit the animal to be, or to continue to be in distress.” Animals in distress are defined as: being deprived of adequate food, water, care or shelter; injured, sick, in pain, or suffering; and abused or neglected.

The Act sets the maximum fine for animal neglect at $25,000 for each convicted offence. Previously, maximum fines were set at $5,000 for a first offence, and $10,000 for subsequent offences. The new legislation also sets the imprisonment period at a maximum of two years for those convicted of animal neglect.

The Regina Humane Society says those who witness an act of animal cruelty should contact the Regina Police service.

a&c

Editor: Robyn Tocker aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Cookie consumption

Dealing with weight gain at Christmas. destiny kaus a&c writer

What am I scared of this Christmas? Losing my sick abs and incredibly jacked bod and gaining (here it comes) weight!

Thankfully, Barclay Dahlstrom, an instructor for the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies program at the University of Regina, sheds some light on how to prevent weight gain during the Christmas holidays.

She also explains how to get that extra weight off after all those dinners and yummy baking.

Dahlstrom suggests avoiding diets high in trans-fat or excessive amounts of saturated fat.

“The formula is fairly simple. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 kcals. If you eat 3500 kcals more than normal over the Christmas holidays while maintaining your current physical activity levels, you will gain one pound of fat.”

This makes sense to me, but what the heck are “kcals”?

Dahlstrom says “kcals stands for kilo calories. Kcals are what people think of when they see a Coke has 160 calories. Calories with a small “c” are 1/1000 of a Calorie (kcal) with a big C.

Emily Wright kcal? Apparently we have more to worry about than regular calories.

When we talk about calories, we mean Calories with a big C or kcals.”

Ah, the big and little c’s …

‘Tis the season for calories.

Personally, I don’t think I’ll be able to completely stay away from these high-fat diets. I will likely consume more calories than normal. But, according to Dahlstrom, this is okay.

“A generally healthy person who eats a couple extra cookies

over the holidays will not have a heart attack.”

After hearing this, I jump a little, fist pump the air, and exclaim a resounding “Yes!” I love cookies.

Ultimately, Christmas holidays should be spent with family and friends, not necessarily in the gym. But maintaining an active lifestyle during the holidays is still important, and it doesn’t take up a lot of time.

“Any activity that moderately increases your heart rate for 30-60 minutes will help to maintain your cardiovascular fitness as well as burn extra calories,” says Dahlstrom.

So, I don’t have to get my hard-core interval biking in.

Thank goodness. I can just go skating, jogging, or skiing. Heck, I could even play some hockey with friends. Fun + Friends = Fitness.

But, wow, I honestly just want to sit on my couch with my cat and watch TV all day during the holidays. I need motivation to get my butt off that darn couch!

Well, Dahlstrom says, “You need a goal. With a goal, exercise becomes training. Training with a goal in mind becomes more enjoyable because your success can be measured.”

I believe that this man speaks the truth. I am living proof: having a goal to bench press my body weight motivated me to workout hard on a regular basis.

But what happens to those people who do end up gaining a few pounds during the holidays? To them, I say, “It’s not that hard to lose those pounds.”

“It is recommended to only lose one or two pounds per week,” says Dahlstrom. “It is a very simple process. If you want to lose weight, then you must eat less calories than you burn.”

Boom! There is always hope. Overall, people should enjoy those days with family, try and stay active, set goals, and, if needed, work off those extra pounds afterwards. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Four boys do bad things

Bread Thieves makes its premier in Saskatchewan. robyn tocker a&c editor

Anyone interested in making it big in the film world likely doesn’t think of Saskatchewan as their starting place. With the tax credit changes that occurred, finding reasons to make movies in our prairie provinces is a challenge. But there are a few dedicated souls who decide to stick it out. Rick Anthony, the writer behind the movie Bread Thieves, is one of them.

Anthony says that, because the tax credit hit the bigger movie companies more, his indie film had a better chance at getting put together.

“There are a lot of fantastic actors and crew members that are here and have been hurt by the tax credit changes in the last little while.”

With such potential hiding in our wheat fields (or snow mounds currently), how could Anthony not choose his home province as his setting? He makes the point that having more control over the artistic basis of the film was another convincing reason to have it here.

“Personally, I have a bit of a problem when [film companies] try to make [the movie] look dif-

Rick Anthony It would be really easy to make a bread pun.

ferent than Saskatchewan. This is an unapologetic Saskatchewan film.”

But what is Bread Thieves all about exactly? In the most basic terms, Anthony explains it as four friends steal some money from a drug dealer and bad things happen. Sounds like a blast, right? Right!

Anthony says that, even though it sounds a bit Breaking Bad to me, his inspiration for

the script came from the genre itself. What that genre is, I can’t say, but its underworld theme is a compelling scene for the movie. It helps that Bread Thieves doesn’t show the middle class segment of society like other movies and shows can.

“It’s an interesting crime drama. It’s not about the middle class kid who is sucked into the underbelly. The characters are all at the bottom of the pile to

begin with and are scratching just to survive.”

Bread Thieves isn’t Anthony’s first dent in the writing world. He was a novelist in the past for the Sci-Fi genre, but he wanted the opportunity to write something that was more contained. By working with a smaller company, it was easier to sell.

He explains how, once it was done, he didn’t want to let the script go, but he approached

the director Bryce Schlamp.

Together, they put together a crew and got to work on making Bread Thieves a reality. The story is “contained, but it has a lot of action.”

“The biggest highlight was getting to work with these talented people. They own a piece of this movie and were banking that this script was something they could get behind,” says Anthony.

There were high times, but there were also low points during the making of this project.

“We shot it in only 12 days.

It was an exercise in testing people’s will power. We filmed 20 hours one day. There were some long days and bad conditions but the moral was still high. We kept pushing forward. It was the hardest I’ve ever worked in that two week shoot … we wrecked two automobiles and were stopped by law on three different occasions.”

Anthony is in the process of filming another movie, once the script is decided. Bread Thieves can be seen at the Rainbow Cinema on Dec. 6-7 at 7 p.m.

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the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Merry Christmas, ya’ filthy animal And a happy new year.

robyn tocker, destiny kaus, paige kreutzwieser, kyle leitch merry f***in’ christmas Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) This is the very first Christmas show I remember watching, and I still love it. The redhead obsessed with silver and gold?

Priceless. An elf who wants to be a dentist? Dream big, buddy. My one complaint: Santa is prejudiced against red noses.

Shameful. Still, this is a classic tale I’ll never grow tired of. /rt How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Growing up, the Grinch was scary. He wanted to steal Christmas! Not cool. As I’ve gotten older, though, I have a new appreciation for him. Jim Carrey does a fantastic rendition of the green creature in the 2000 adaptation. By far, this is one of my favourite movies with a great message. So be like the Grinch this holiday season: eat a lot, let your sarcasm show, and don’t buy into consumerism! /rt

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Every time a big holiday rolls around, you can expect there to be a Charlie Brown movie about it. A Charlie Brown Christmas is a sweet movie, with Charlie Brown trying to keep it together during the holidays. He’s always been a lovable character, and when his friends make him feel like less of a loser, it just warms your icy heart. /rt A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) Next to Rudolph, this is one of my first Christmas movies I remember watching. We had this on VHS man. So retro. Anyway, I love the Muppets. The fact that they get snowed in an old man’s house and celebrate Christmas with him is awesome. Like, good job guys. Keep spreading that holiday cheer! /rt A Christmas Carol There are so many adaptations of this classic story, I honestly

couldn’t pick which movie to specifically talk about, so let’s just do them all! The story is always the same (relatively) anyway. Old man abandoned by parents, loses only love, and becomes jaded and greedy, blah, blah, blah. Actually, it’s a pretty cool story if you think about it.

Getting visited by three ghosts?

How often does that happen in a person’s life? /rt

ents itself you have no choice but to watch. However, it’s probably not a movie you should be throwing on over the holidays with Grams, unless she’s into giant joints, coke snorting babies, and amazing Claymation scenes. Spoiler: Neil Partick Harris is legen . . . wait for it . . . ya, just watch the movie. /pk

A Christmas Story (1983)

This Christmas classic sincerely warms my heart. Six-year old Susan’s single mother told Susan years ago that Santa does not exist. But, when Susan runs into a department store Santa who claims he is the real Santa, she starts to believe. Filled with twists and excellent acting, Miracle on 34th Street is a kid friendly tale that will make nearly all children believe in Santa. Is this a good thing? I personally don’t think so. /dk

A Christmas Story – the most classic Christmas movie of all time. If you disagree I would like you to take that up with my mother who, one year, decided it was not only acceptable but required that we keep the 24 hour TBS Christmas Story marathon on all day. I will admit the Chop Suey Restaurant scene never did get old. This timeless film will make you wish you lived back in simpler times. /pk A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (2011) I could take or leave 3D, but the moment a movie like A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas pres-

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Jingle All the Way (1996)

This movie is hilarious. I laugh my socks off every time! Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays Howard, does an exceptional job acting. He adds to the humor with his unmistakable Austrian accent. Maybe I just love this movie so much because Schwarzenegger is in it. But, honestly, the storyline rocks too. /dk Die Hard (1988) When people reference their favourite Christmas movies, my choice is often suspect in peoples’ eyes. “What do Nazis, cut feet, and explosions have to do with Christmas?” My answer is, “Fuck you, it’s Die Hard!” The movie takes place over Christmas, the end credits song is “Let it Snow!” If it was revealed that Alan Rickman was Santa Clause the whole time, this would literally be the perfect Christmas movie. /kl

When Turbo Man, an extremely popular action figure, hits the shelves, Howard does everything possible to buy one for his son right before Christmas.

what are your favourite non-denominational holiday films? sound off in the comments @ www.carillonregina.com

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

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Merry materialism!

Who’s celebrating Christmas and why? liam fitz-gerald contributor It’s the time of year that brings out cheer, goodwill and good company for many people.

For others it means torturous amounts of Christmas music, stressful trips to malls and possibly even debt for expensive new gifts. Canadians increasingly celebrate Christmas as a non-religious secularized holiday and find great meaning in it. Indeed, demographics are changing in Canada and may change the meaning of Christmas in the coming decades.

Although around 22 million Canadians claim an attachment to one of the various Christian denominations, weekly Church attendance is estimated at around 20 per cent. Furthermore, new immigrants coming to Canada are increasingly bringing new religions or none at all.

Data from the National Household Survey shows that the number of new Christians coming to Canada is at 47.5 per cent down from 78.4 per cent in 1971. There are now more people of the Islamic, Sikh, Hindu and Jewish faiths coming to Canada. Interestingly enough, one quarter of Canadians do not associate themselves with any religion. Yet, despite secularization, many Canadians still like Christmas traditions. Ottawa in 2011 was scene of parental outrage over the cancelling of a Christmas pageant that opted for a winter festival in February.

Seventy-three percent of polled Canadians would rather use “Merry Christmas” as opposed to “Happy Holidays.” So, what

Michael Chmielewski We’re dealing with a secular feat of consumerism, guys. Fill ‘er up!

do changes to Christmas mean to people around the university?

Professor John Meehan is the President of Campion College and a Jesuit priest. He shared his thoughts on Christmas and its changes in Canada.

“There are different levels of meaning. There’s the original meaning of Christmas which is Christian, which is when God became human and is referred to in the scriptures as ‘the prince of peace.’ In the centuries since then we see an impact on the secular world as it is a time for people to get together and celebrate peace. Since then, the other level is Christmas as a more commercial event.”

Meehan admits he is not too thrilled with the third level, referring to it as a “secular feast of consumerism.” He points out that people put themselves into thousands of dollars’ worth of

debt over the third meaning.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2011, they spent four billion spent on food and beverages, 694 million over television and video equipment and 196 million on scents and cosmetics, just to name a few.

Fran Purvis, a campus minister with the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship concurred over the materialist aspect of Christmas.

Like Meehan, Purvis commented that the meaning of Christmas these days is largely coded in commercialism.

“I think some of those things are legitimate sources of joy, but I think those things tend to be what is focused on, instead of the message of joy, peace and life in the world.”

Purvis believes there is more to Christmas.

“At its best, Christmas is a time for communal celebration

and I think its communal remembering. At no other time of the year do we speak of joy and peace and hope. People attend religious service and gather around the table with members of their family and there is a generosity unique to Christmas.”

John Kapp, founder of the Regina Freedom Library, believes the secularization of Christmas is a reflection of a desire for “a more collective world” in the twenty-first century and is ultimately a rejection of the Christian religion.

“Materialism has clearly become the order of the day.

People believe less and less in deities but want these days to get together with family and exchange gifts.”

Kapp maintains that even though religious-based holidays like Christmas are secularized, they are so institutionalized

Shame on me

“Fool Me Twice” at the Dunlop. lauren neumann contributor You know the English idiom: Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice, shame on me?

Well, shame on me, because my eyes were fooled hundreds of times over at the Dunlop Art Gallery this week.

The downtown gallery in the Regina Public Library is featuring a duo of artists, Tammi Campbell and Marc Courtmanche, in their current exhibit Fool Me Twice.

Both artists’ bodies of work explore the technique of ‘tromp l’eoil’- fooling the eye- with art that makes its viewer think twice that can’t be trusted at a first glance.

Saskatoon based artist Tammi Campbell’s work features a series of paintings that look like hard-line abstract paintings in the process of being created with peeling painters’ and masking tape, also made with acrylic

paint, worked into the pieces.

At first, the paintings look unfinished, but the idea behind them drives more of a focus to the whole process of creating.

When is a work finished?

“She likes to separate the word ‘artwork’ into two words,” says Blair Fornwald, an assistant curator at the Dunlop and curator of Fool Me Twice. “There’s ‘art,’ the ideas and concepts she’s working with, and there’s ‘work’the actual process of painting.

Her work tends to focus heavily on the working part of artwork.”

The same can be said for Marc Courtemanche’s art. Influenced by growing up around craftsmen, Courtemanche works primarily with clay and acrylic paint in creating the sculptures in his collection. He casts layers and layers of paint to create still life subjects like apples and bananas and displays them in a tableau as though they are in the process of being made. He presents them surrounded by

tools crafted of clay and paint, realistic to a point of being functional tools, though also pieces of art.

“He’s interested in functionality. It’s sort of crossing that line between art being non-functional and essentially useless, and being a functional thing, which would be craft,” says Fornwald.

Both of these artists are presented together harmoniously, despite their different styles and medium. Courtmanche and Campbell both bring to question the very definition of art. Is something art because you say it is? Detaching art from aesthetic and the process of creating being the art itself. Fool Me Twice will leave you confused and curious, in the best way. The exhibit runs until Jan. 19.

Regina Dunlop Art Gallery “Works in Progress” by Tammi Campbell

and engrained that people celebrate them, regardless of religious belief or not.

Mark Anderson, a history professor at Luther College, also expressed his two cents on Christmas.

“Christmas strikes me today as a postmodern brothel. We’ve long since, in North America, lost the ability to discern need from desire. Christmas is all about desire.”

However, Anderson says that a “beating heart” was underneath some consumerism.

According to Statistics Canada, 8.3 billion Canadians donated to charities in 2010.

“There’s a deeper humanity to [Christmas]. Most of the stuff people buy at Christmas time they do not need. Yet those same people give. We’re complicated beings.”

Arthur Wong is a graduate student in religious studies at the University of Regina. As a student studying at the University from abroad, his perception also focused on the secular aspect of Christmas.

“I treat it as a kind of a secular activity than a religious activity and it’s more of a business that runs all over the world, not just in Europe and North America.”

Whether it be a business, religious activity or get together, it is clear that Christmas means different things to different people, and it will be interesting to see how twenty-first century Canada adapts to this ever-changing holiday with all its different levels.

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the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Hilarious, hard core humans Lucid Skies tours with new album. destiny kaus a&c writer

If I could sum up the band Lucid Skies in three words, I’d have to use hilarious, hard-core, and human. This Edmonton-based band just released their new 4-track album, Hounds, on Nov. 26. They’re currently on tour and played a show on Dec. 2 in Regina at The Club.

Lucid Skies consists of four band members: Jesse Berger (guitar), Justin Smith (drums), Nicholas Odgen (vocals), and Samuel Jackson (bass).

No, this Samuel Jackson is not the famous movie star. And, yes, Jesse Berger assures me that “that’s [Jackson’s] actual name.” Hilarious. I love it.

Berger also doesn’t hesitate to exclaim how Justin Smith’s name is “the whitest name ever.” Thus, I think this crew clearly has a sense of humor. They spend a lot of their nights on tour cracking jokes and sleeping in their newly acquired tour van in supermarket parking lots.

“We finally got a tour van,” Berger says. “That’s sort of an accomplishment.” What a funny individual.

In terms of hard-core-ness, the members of Lucid Skies

Tyler Frith Humans in shadow. Fantastic.

began their death-core journey back in their high school days when Berger and his friends decided to start up a death-core band.

“We kind of slapped everybody together and we sucked really bad … we were like a six man wrecking crew. We kind of grew a little bit, we lost a couple members, and the fun didn’t stop.”

Seems to me like this high school death-core attitude was

not just a rebellious adolescent phase. These guys stuck with it and still own this unique, hardcore musical style today. Yes, even metal can have a unique style within it.

Berger says, “We kinda just slam a bunch of stuff together from different genres. We play most of our stuff too fast like we can hardly play it. Also, we never repeat parts … it’s not like verse chorus.”

This intrigues me. I per-

sonally have never really heard songs that stray from the verse, chorus structure, so power to Lucid Skies for turning up the creativity. However, some haters who prefer the verse chorus structure are not as receptive to Lucid Skies’ style. But, like somebody cool once said, “Hater’s gonna hate.”

As for their new album, Hounds, Lucid Skies captures audiences with its fast-paced melodies, strong beats, and

hard vocals. How the drummer, guitarist, and bass player still have hands after playing the songs on the new album is beyond me. They just play so accurately and so dang hard!

But, the lives of skilled musicians aren’t always easy. They’re still human, and they still make mistakes.

“I left to the other side of the country for a year and [the other band members] were supposed to keep going and do shit and find a new guitar player,” Berger says.” But, I came back like a year later and they hadn’t done fuck all.”

Berger marks this as one of Lucid Skies’ lowest points.

But, these champs were able to bounce back, come together, and create a stellar new album.

So far, Hounds stands as Lucid Skies’ proudest moment and has not yet received any bad reviews. This makes me sincerely happy for them. But, I find myself asking, “Will this streak of good reviews continue?” In truth, time will only tell.

No more tutus

Modern ballet at its finest. laura billet contributor

I was recently in Toronto at Unearth, a ballet that Robert Binet choreographed as part of Innovation, a mixed program at the National Ballet of Canada.

While sitting in the audience, I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the seriously imbalanced age ratio. I have been to many ballets before and have always laughed at the fact that the audience is dominated by an older generation, but this time it really got me thinking: what is going to happen when these people get too old to support the ballet? This frightened me, and reinforced my suspicions that the world of ballet is grossly misunderstood and ignored by many of our generation.

If you’ve seen Black Swan, you know that the world of dance can be merciless, full of messy politics, bad body image, and bad habits. But what that film doesn’t portray is how it can also be inspiring and exciting.

What better way to express something than through movement? Words can be cumbersome and frustrating. In a moment of raw emotion, it is often impossible to find the right words to express yourself. When words aren’t enough, movement steps in and expresses what cannot be, or what is not

National Ballet of Canada Such grace! Her toes must be killing her.

easily said.

Just think of the last time you were really angry, you had a growing ball of energy inside you that needed to be released, right? Maybe you threw something, or went for a run, or cried, but whatever it is that you do, the way we release intense emotions is often physical. In this way, dance is not something that is so different from the ev-

eryday; essentially, it is a release of this raw emotion, structured and put to music.

It is different from plays and musicals. We can easily become a part of a music concert by singing and dancing along. Ballet in this sense can seem to cut ties with an audience; you have to sit still and observe it. This can create a thick fourth wall between audience and perform-

ers, emphasizing our respective roles as performer and watcher.

What’s more, most people have never worn pointe shoes and don’t understand what it is that the dancers are doing on stage. But what every person needs to know is that ballet and dance are not about the steps that the dancers are doing.

Yes, technique is fundamental to the art form; however, that’s

not its purpose. Ballet provides the audience with an emotion and gives them the freedom to fill in the story, unlike the theatre where you are told. Dance reaches out, attacking your senses to make you think and feel.

It is not all about tutus; these days there is actually a good chance you won’t see many on stage. Choreographers, like Binet, are bored (yes, even they are bored) of the classical, pretty ballets like Swan Lake. There is a movement toward a more physical and intuitive performance that expresses real issues, like disappointment, grief, and love.

In his new work, Unearth, Binet explored inertia and how we work for stillness, creating something never seen before.

Owen Pallett, a musician who had his own band Final Fantasy and is now touring with Arcade Fire, created the score for the ballet. Many of the dancers in Binet’s piece are in their twenties. It is a really exciting performance, made by and for young people. It isn’t the only one of its kind, either. Ballet is changing to be something that I think people would enjoy and relate to more than they think.

sports

Editor: Autumn McDowell sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

ROUNDTABLE

kimwhitecoaching.com One of these things doesn’t look like the other.

taylor sockett, michael chmielewski, kyle leitch, allan hall, brady lang, autumn mcdowell we’ve no place to go Which U of R sports team do you think will have the best year in 2014?

Sockett: Women’s hockey with a 9-6-1 record, the lady Cougs will be representing our fine learning establishment in a tournament at McGill over Christmas break. After the break, watch for the Cougars to make a big push towards another playoff appearance this year.

Chmielewski: I’m going to go on my gut feeling and say the Rams. Football in Saskatchewan has been unstoppable lately.

Leitch: Does the U of R have a full contact chess team? No? Damn. Men’s hockey then, I guess.

Hall: This might be a bold choice, but I’m going to go with the women’s volleyball team.

They’re going to be in the CIS playoffs by default because it’s being hosted in Regina, and I think that they’ll get a big boost from playing at home. I’m predicting a top four finish.

Lang: The Women’s Hockey team will keep grinding it out and have the best year in 2014.

The team has the work ethic to make a run and I really hope they do so.

McDowell: I think I’ll go with women’s hockey. It was awesome to see a packed barn at the Co-operators Centre during the playoffs last year, and I’m

hoping for that once again. My only concern is how they will top that Harlem Shake video?

Which professional athlete should receive coal for Christmas this year and why?

Sockett: I always set out to try and have the best answer; however, it’s not possible this week, so I will continue to pick on Jon Cornish. He is an arrogant piece of shit whom I hope one of the Green and White permanently sidelines. Jon Cornish, I hate your guts but Merry Christmas nonetheless.

Chmielewski: My naughty list is long, but I’d say the women’s volleyball team at the U of R deserves coal in their stockings for their bad Twitter behaviour.

Then again, the question reads ‘professional’...

Leitch: The judges that scored UFC 167 deserve the coal. GSP is getting dump in his stocking.

Even Santa knows he lost that fight.

Hall: I’ll go with Tim Tebow. I just think that it would be really funny and ironic – in the Alanis Morissette sort of way – to see Tebow get punished by Santa Claus for no apparent reason.

Lang: As much as I’d love to continue my hatred for the Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez, I would be shorting myself if I didn’t choose Miami Dolphins lineman Richie Incognito. He deserves a stocking full of coal and a punch to the face.

McDowell: I think I would have to go with Edmonton Oilers newest acquisition, Ilya Bryzgalov. Not because he has been

bad, but I would just like to see his reaction to it as in my mind it would be an instant classic.

Actually, the entire Oilers team can get coal as they have truly been awful this year. See what I did there?

that we will even be in the gold medal game. That being said, I will still be intensely watching, so do not attempt to contact me during the tournament unless you want to be on my hate forever list.

Do you think Team Canada will finally make it back to World Junior gold this year?

If you had to cast any professional athlete as the role of Santa, who would you choose?

Sockett: We need a team Canada that the country can rally around. I feel that they need to overcome some adversity early on. They need to realize that they’re not going to just walk all over all of their opponents and if they think that they’ll end up losing again. I’m looking forward to watching. Go Canada Go!

Sockett: Brooks Orpik, because he has the only shot bad enough to give the gift of an injured Crosby to every non-Penguins fan in the world.

Chmielewski: I’m sure they’ll make the gold medal game, but I’m not sure whether or not they’ll win. From what I see, they, and others, do not have the same confidence as other years. Either way, it’ll be fun to watch.

Leitch: I had to look this one up. Apparently Canada sucks at hockey, now. I’m gonna be different, and start cheering for Russia. For the motherland!

Hall: I’m cautiously optimistic about Team Canada’s chances this year.

Lang: Well, you always have to hope but I do think it’s a long journey back to the greatness that Team Canada had back in the day. Heart says yes, mind says no.

McDowell: This recent drought is quite troubling to me, and I can’t say that I am confident

Chmielewski: Tom Brady. I’m tired of cheery Santa’s at the mall. Santa can’t be happy all the time because he looks at naughty lists all the time. Those must have some horribly depressing shit. Tom Brady’s melancholic demeanour will solve this, and will be more in tune to reality.

Leitch: Paul Wight AKA The Big Show. It’s time kids started bring afraid of that jolly capitalist pig.

Big Show will bring poignant new meaning to “Bright, red suit.” For the motherland!

Hall: I would cast Manny Pacquiao to be Santa. He may not be the most aesthetically appropriate choice because he’s a small 140ish pound Filipino dude, but he’s the only professional athlete that I can envision fitting through a chimney. He can also grow a beard that looks pretty damn majestic.

Lang: If Santa loves to drink beer, play golf and smoke stogies, it has to be pro golfer John Daly.

McDowell: Sidney Crosby. I

know a lot of people who would love to sit on his lap. Including former arts editor Jon Petrychyn.

You just received a jersey for Christmas. Whose name do you pray isn’t on the back?

Sockett: Ronaldo, because immediately after putting it on I would collapse, grab my knee, burst into tears and start rolling around. However, I would also become extremely rich and successful.

Chmielewski: Crosby.

Leitch: I’m not really partial to names on jerseys. It’s more phrases that I’d hate to see: Get Out, You’re Fired, I Know Where You Live, Prepare for a Severe Audit, etc.

Hall: I hope that I don’t get a DeWanna Bonner or a Yoo Suk jersey. I would like to ideally avoid any names that I could envision Moe Szyslak getting a phone call asking for.

Lang: This is the time I’ll continue my hatred for the Yankees third basemen, Alex Rodriguez.

That’s one present I could not accept.

McDowell: Dear God. This is an ever-present fear of mine. I think I would have to go with Roenick.

I just never liked the guy, and sure as hell couldn’t rock that jersey.

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the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Holiday in the sun

High jumper Jeremy Eckert adds world traveller to resume. paige kreutzwieser staff writer

While you were spending your days shovelling snow and avoiding ice patches, Jeremy Eckert was hanging out in the sun down in Arizona.

The U of R track athlete spent the past couple months training down south. So, while he may not have actually been just “hanging out,” he sure wasn’t used to the weather when he got back home.

Not only has Eckert been seeing the sun down south, he also got to spend some time in Nice, France this summer.

Alongside Tait Nystuen, a Cougar hurdler, the two competed in the Jeux de la Francophone in September.

It may not have been his best performance but being as late in the season as it was, Eckert said it was just nice for him to get more international experience.

“I jumped against the number three ranked athlete in the world there, so jumping against those guys is a huge deal,” he said, who admitted it also didn’t hurt that he was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. “Every day you would just train and then go down to the beach and chill. It was super cool.”

ericeckert.com This is what came up when I typed “Jeremy Eckert” into Google. Enjoy!

Eckert was also able to attend the World University Games in Kazan, Russia from July 6-17, where he jumped close to his personal best.

“I was really happy about that, and I also got to sit on the bench beside the Olympic gold medalist,” Eckert said. “So that was pretty wild.”

Since Eckert knew he was heading to France, he decided to work out his school schedule to take all online classes. This allowed him the opportunity to

head down to Arizona, where he was able to connect with coach Dan Pfaff.

“Dan has coached more Olympians than I know track athletes,” explained Eckert.

Because of the experience he got with Pfaff, Eckert is now looking to make things work to go back down and train again in January.

“We had a pole vaulter who got fifth in the Olympics, we had the American record holder in pole vault who was fourth best

all-time ever, the world record holder in hurdles trained there.

It was just stacked,” he said.

After all the training and competing Eckert has been doing, you’d think he may want to take a break. Unfortunately, the Cougar track season started last weekend with the annual Intrasquad Meet.

For Eckert, he did decide to take a break from the Cougar meet since, when I spoke to him last week, he had just gotten home one hour prior from a 23-

hour drive.

But Eckert is looking forward to seeing where his teammates are at. Lex Ewen, who had a great season last year, Nystuen, who is a huge part of the relay team, and female athlete Joy Becker are some of the Cougars that Eckert knows will be huge assets to the team.

For himself, Eckert wants to have his best season ever.

“The Canada West record [for high jump] is 2.16 and my personal best is 2.19, so I hope to secure that,” he said. “The CIS record is 2.24, which is only three or four cm off the Olympic record jump, so if a lot of things go well this season that will be in reach.”

Eckert knows that losing Cougars like Kelly Wiebe, Iain Fyfe, and Karissa LePage were huge hits to the team. But with this year’s squad, he thinks they have just as much potential to win Canada West again – especially on the guys side.

“We lost a lot of good athletes but at the same time we gained a whole bunch of athletes who were red-shirting and everyone is improving,” Eckert said, “So I think we have really good potential.”

The Cougars next meet will be Dec. 7 at the Friendship Games held at the Regina Fieldhouse.

Shooting star

Brendan Hebert helps to pull Cougars out of slow start. matt wincherauk contributor

Since winning their first game in dramatic fashion, it has been a rather tough first half of the season for the Cougars men’s basketball team. But, the challenges have not fazed starting guard Brendan Hebert, who is business as usual.

One of the keys to the Cougars’ season is their reliance on younger players, the first and second-year players who normally would not be called upon so early to do so much.

As far as Hebert is concerned, it is important to get the younger players going as quickly as possible in their careers.

“Because we have so many young guys, rather than one or two, which is more common, it’s likely a little bit more important for these guys to always be learning, especially on the fly,” said the fourth-year “The more comfortable that they get, the better our team is going to be from the starters to the last guy off the bench. So far the young guys have been handling their business well; everyone has been keen to learn and spend time in the gym.”

As one of just three players that are above third-year on the squad, due to his veteran experience, Hebert has been thrown

Haley Klassen Look at that bulging vein.

into a leadership role.

“My role as an older guy who’s been here for what feels like a long time, is trying to communicate as much as possible,” he said. “I think the more I can help guys understand the game and understand what it takes to be successful, the more beneficial my time is. I’ve also been focusing on trying to keep things light on and off the court. We’ve had a tough stretch of opponents, so we could have had a tough time with team dynamic, but thankfully we didn’t have any issues.”

Younger players like firstyear Ryan Delwo and second-year forward Travis Sylvestre have been asked to step up, and their presence for the rest of the season will be a determining factor for the Cougars and their chances in their division.

In an interesting turn of events, with the inclusion of new assistant coach Wade Hackl, Hebert now has another familiar face in the gym. Hackl was Hebert’s former coach during his early playing days at Michael A. Riffel High School in Regina, and the two have had a special

relationship.

“I have a lot of respect for Wade, and I think Wade has a lot of respect for me, so it has been a really easy transition,” said Hebert, who is averaging 10.6 points per game this year.

“I think he’s wanted a role like this for a while and he’s deserving of it. He and I get along very well, so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having him around. All three coaches are great guys, and each bring a different kind of attitude, so it’s been nice having different voices and opinions.”

A recurring theme for the

Cougars this year is shooting problems. Across the board, shooting slumps have cost this team. The Cougars are 40 per cent from the court, 31 per cent from the three-point line, and only 60 per cent from the free throw line.

Although the team is off to a slow start, Hebert has insight on how the team plans to work through their struggles.

“The more comfortable we get playing basketball with each other, the better those numbers are going to get,” he said.

“We have a nice break to relax and recharge, so any kind of fatigue that’s been carried around should be non-existent. Every guy has to be in the gym working on their game, which we will be. There will be a lot of shots taken on ‘the gun’ for the month of December.”

It might not have been the start that the Cougars had hoped for, but the team remains optimistic on their season. As a leader on the team, Hebert will continue to push the team forward until they are playing at the level they expect of each other.

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

sports 13

Hockey talk

Cougars forward Meghan Shervan lights the lamp. brady lang sports writer

With eight points in the team’s 16 games this season, sophomore forward Meghan Shervan is leading the Regina women’s hockey team in points and she isn’t done yet.

Shervan, a product of the College of Notre Dame, leads the team in goals, points and power play goals. But, she isn’t taking all the credit, as she is quick to attribute much of her success to her team and the style of hockey the team plays.

“Leading the team in points is a pretty good feeling,” she said. “For me, I didn’t have many points last year and it is something I want to keep up.

It’s not just me that’s leading the team in scoring; we’re doing great as a team.”

And team play is something the Cougars ladies have been preaching since the team started back in September and it has lead them to a 9-6-1 record into December.

After a very solid 8-3 start, the team had a rough end to November, but during the Christmas break will be an added challenge for the team, as they will have a significant drop in competition. This can be a time when players lose their momentum and touch, but Shervan

themanitoban.com I’ll assume that was a Shervan point shot.

hopes to keep herself and the team sharp.

“Keeping focus and keeping the team in mind,” she said.

“Keeping up with practices and nutrition have been important things we’ve been doing for our team’s success.”

The team just sits two points back of third spot and one point behind Manitoba for fifth in the Canada West standings.

The Cougars still have a lot of fighting to do down the stretch and into January and February.

With the season growing long,

many players will look at family members for support and help as the season goes down the line. This is not a problem in the Shervan household.

Meghan, along with her older sister Kaitlin have a good thing going in the Cougars dressing room.

“It’s awesome [being on a team with my sister],” said the younger Shervan, “It’s nice to have that person to always confide in and it’s a reassuring feeling having her here with me.”

After going goalless in

2012-13, it may be a shock to many fans that Shervan is leading her team in statistical categories such as goals and points, but she seems to be a changed player compared to last year.

As long as the Cougar’s No. 18 can keep up the hard work no one will be complaining as it’s obviously working for her heading into the second half of the season.

Game notes: The Cougar women’s hockey team went into this last week-

end’s set with the Calgary Dinos on a three-game slide after dropping past contests to Alberta and Saskatchewan respectively – their longest skid of the season to this point.

On Friday night, the ladies defeated the Dinos 3-2 in a hard fought game in which sophomore forward Kylie Gavelin scored the game winner late in the third period.

Backstopped by thirdyear goaltender Toni Ross, the Cougar’s edged the Dinos and snapped the three-game losing streak.

Saturday was a different story for the club, as this time the ladies were beaten 3-2 against those very same Calgary Dinos. Sophomore forward Tori Head scored a late goal to get the Cougars back into striking distance, but the game still ultimately ended in a 3-2 win for the Dinos. Third-year goaltender Jennifer Schmidt made 18 saves in the loss, while forward Gavelin scored for the second straight night for the Cougars.

This game marked the final game for both teams headed into the Christmas break, which will span out into the first week in January as the Cougars will play host to the Lethbridge Pronghorns on January 3rd and 7:00p.m. in the Co-operators Centre.

Grey Cup aftermath No time for losers. brady lang sports writer

Something truly special happened at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 24, 2013.

After winning the biggest game in franchise history, the fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders erupted into a frenzy that eventually bled out into what is now referred to as “the Green Mile”– otherwise known as Albert Street.

I was deep in the heart of the Green Mile, fighting through the crowds with hazy vision and a gigantic smile on my face.

Being a lifetime Rider fan definitely has its ups and its downs. Earlier on in my life, I can remember the absolute mess of a team the Riders had with players such as Nealon Greene and Kenton Keith. Who could forget the infamous General Manager and Coach combo of Roy Shivers and Danny Barrett?

As Rider fans, we went through years of hardship, and I was lucky enough to only have to see the tail end of the struggles of the franchise.

Our era of Rider fans is definitely a special one in that regard. Sure, we didn’t get to see greats such as Ron Lancaster and George Reed, but we did get to see two Grey Cups in six

Emily Wright Let’s go out and paint the whole world green.

years, four Western Final wins and numerous playoff berths – just to name a few. Fast forward a bit now.

Coming into Grey Cup 101, the Riders had only previously won three Grey Cup Championships and they were threatening for their fourth in their own back yard.

What better way to win a Grey Cup than to win it at home in front of the best fans in the world? This game was shaping

up to be an instant classic.

I attended numerous activities and events around the city throughout the week including the street festival, the Gibson’s Finest Player Awards, and eventually the Grey Cup Champions’ parade. Even though I was able to do these activities, I knew I could not afford tickets to the big game due to the fact that I would really love to eat, drive, and survive for the next three months.

It would have been nice to have a surplus of cash saved up but instead of going to Grey Cup 101, I went to a Grey Cup party.

As the day dragged on and moved closer to kickoff I had a weird feeling growing inside the pit of my stomach. I knew that the day was going to turn out historical in a sense that even if the Riders lose it will be a day that will be talked about forever.

As the ball was kicked off

the tee, my nervousness quickly turned into happiness. The Riders romped the poor Tiger Cats – yes I do somewhat feel bad for them – sending Rider Nation into a frenzy that lasted days.

After the game, us Rider fans were able to unwind and party the only way us Saskatchewan people know how to, on the streets with a Pilsner in hand.

It was really special to see out on the streets, the fan base partying and acting so civil. In light of the Vancouver riots, our class definitely surprised many people including some of our own.

The best part about Grey Cup 101 is now a whole province has their own story of such a historic event. The Riders brought joy and happiness back to a province that was in need of a Grey Cup win. Everyone’s Grey Cup 101 story is different in their own way, depending on who you were with, where you were, how much you had to drink and how your night unfolded.

Whether it was with a drink on the Green Mile or just celebrating with your friends, at the end of the day there is one thing we can all celebrate – the Riders are the Grey Cup Champions.

14

sports

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Blockbuster deal

Rogers’ control of NHL unhealthy for professional sports in Canada. jesse colautti The Fulcrum

OTTAWA (CUP) — On the morning of Nov. 26, Rogers Communications Inc. purchased the exclusive broadcasting rights to all National Hockey League games in Canada for the next 12 years, effective at the start of next season.

The deal shuts out TSN, Rogers’s main competitor in sports broadcasting, from covering any NHL games – outside of regional games in Winnipeg and Montreal – and gives the company control over the profits and editorial content of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC).

Canadians should be outraged with this purchase. It signifies the end of competitive hockey programming in this country, furthers the monopolization of the entire Canadian sports and television industries, and effectively ends the relationship millions of Canadians have developed with HNIC since it began on the radio in 1931.

While other networks will still be able to provide commentary on NHL news and games, Rogers’s network of stations will be the sole Canadian broad-

Cee-Bee RIP HNIC

caster of NHL games.

This agreement destroys any type of competitive motivation for Rogers to produce effective and affordable hockey broadcasting.

The NHL has the right to sell its broadcasting rights to whichever company it wants.

But, when that broadcaster already owns the only National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball teams in Canada, as well as the exclusive

Canadian MLB broadcasting rights, they are selling more than just the NHL to Rogers. They are selling control over professional sports in Canada The repercussions of this agreement affect more than just sports fans. Sports broadcasting was Canada’s number one source of television revenue in 2012. According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, TSN and its French affiliate sta-

tion RDS generated more than $542 million in revenue for the broadcast year ending in August 2012, the majority of which comes from their extensive NHL programming. In comparison, the largest non-sports channel, the Discovery Channel, generated just more than $99 million.

With Rogers now able to limit the viewing of the majority of sports in Canada to only their customers, the competitive balance of the entire Canadian

television and Internet market is threatened.

The agreement also signals the end of HNIC as many Canadians have come to know it.

Rogers will now control the editorial content of HNIC, including all personal decisions – like whether to keep Don Cherry and Ron McLean at the helm.

The company has also announced that it will broadcast other games across its network of channels during the same time as HNIC. This will end HNIC’s coverage of marquee Saturday night matchups.

According to a sample schedule released by Rogers, fans of the Ottawa Senators can expect to find their team more often on CityTV than on HNIC. For millions of fans, HNIC is more than just a broadcast. It’s a familiar comfort every Saturday night, a tradition that has spanned generations, and a testament to the connection fans have with their favourite sport.

Rogers’s new agreement merits a response from Canadian sports fans, whose passion for sports is now tied to one company. But it also deserves attention from the Canadian Bureau of Competition, as it impends the end of a competitive television market in Canada.

World Junior countdown Just three more weeks, people. what the puck? autumn mcdowell sports editor

For hockey fans, Christmas starts on Dec. 26.

That’s when the World Juniors U-20 tournament begins, and Canadians gather to cheer on their favourite team to a gold medal victory – at least that’s how it used to be.

As I write this, I am gritting my teeth and squinting my eyes so that I don’t have to see myself type that Canada used to be good at the World Juniors.

Team Canada was on one hell of a streak from 2005-09, when they had won the gold medal five times in a row and were just one gold medal victory away from beating their personal best.

A team that sported the likes of future first overall draft pick, Taylor Hall, Pats boys Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert, and countless other future NHL greats were supposed to be unbeatable. In reality, everyone thought that we already had the tournament locked up with our junior star-studded roster, it was ours to lose, and that we did.

And where did that streak come to an end you ask? Why right here in Saskatchewan, in typical heartbreaking fashion because Saskatchewanians do

commons.wikimedia.org I smile for gold and nothing less.

not know how to lose any other way.

But, possibly an even more devastating, and definitely much longer, streak came to an end just last year in Ufa, Russia.

Since 1999, Team Canada has medaled in the World Juniors, but not 2013, as the team took home a measly fourth-place finish.

In total, there has been 36 World Juniors, and Canada

has taken home the gold in 15 of them, more than any other team.

And while we should still be proud of our boys for finishing as high as they do, Canadians expect nothing but gold.

But this year has all Canadian fans biting their nails; for once we are worried about not placing for a second-year in a row--something that hasn’t happened since 1979-80. Is our

hockey supremacy slowly slipping away? I sure as hell hope not.

This question was asked multiple times on Monday morning as the selection camp roster was finally announced, but Regina Pats fans were disappointed.

For the second year in a row, there were zero members of the Regina Pats on the roster, despite having sent the most

players to the tournament in its history.

However, the roster did have a few players worth mentioning; one in particular is 16-year-old Connor McDavid.

McDavid has the intense pressure of being touted as the next “great one” and is currently lighting it up in the Ontario Hockey League, and already racked up 45-points in 27 games.

Another notable, Matthew Dumba, the only current NHLer on the selection camp roster is someone that Canadian fans will be happy to have. His NHL club, the Minnesota Wild, have agreed to loan him to the World Juniors. In the past, members who have been on loan have not returned to their NHL club, and have been told to instead to return to their junior clubs after the tournament. It may suck for his NHL future this year, but it’s great for Team Canada’s.

Whatever the case may be, just two forwards, and one defenseman from the list of invitees will not make Team Canada.

And when the final roster is announced, and the tournament is underway, Canadians will come together once again, hopefully rejoicing at getting back to where we belong, on top.

op-ed

Editor: Farron Ager op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

Bloodshed in Bangkok has begun On Saturday, a 21-year-old university student was shot twice in the ribs during the increasingly violent Bangkok protests that have swarmed government institutions and city streets. Analysts were nervous about this day for a long time. They speculated for weeks about whether the protests would culminate in violence – like they have so many times in Thailand’s past.

In addition to the shooting, two more students were killed in brawls the next day. More than 50 people were injured in brutal clashes between the anti-government yellow shirts and the pro-government red shirts. A bus carrying protesters was ambushed with paving stones, and a taxi was mauled after a mob of yellow shirt protesters saw the passenger inside was wearing a red shirt.

By the time this article goes to print, I’m sure there will be another cascade of violence in Thailand’s capital. As I write this, almost one hundred buses full of red shirt supporters are on their way to Bangkok from rural Thailand to boost their numbers in the demonstrations. [Editor’s Note: as the Carillon went to press late on Dec. 3, the protests in Bangkok have seemed to calm, for now.]

Before things got violent, the protests in Thailand were an outcry against an amnesty bill that would have absolved several political figures of corruption and criminal charges – including the prime minister’s brother. The bill was preposterous, and the people knew it. Hundreds-of-thousands took to the streets. After weeks of passionate demonstrations, the government killed the bill.

Dietrich Neu

The government’s attempt to slam through a horrible piece of legislation under the population’s nose was a cheeky move, and the people responded correctly. They should be proud.

What happened in Bangkok was a real display of citizen power.

As Canadians we rarely wield our power with any vigor.

When Stephen Harper lies to parliament, Rob Ford smokes crack, or when senators abuse their expense accounts, Canadians tend to go: “meh.”

If we possessed even an ounce of Thailand’s passion for participatory politics, the landscape of Canada would be very different than it is now.

Just an ounce though, not more. Too much passion and things get hairy.

The Thais are taking it too far. What started as a noble effort to stop a horrible bill has morphed into a grotesque

bi-partisan struggle for control of the country. Yellow shirts have stormed and occupied government buildings and are calling for the government to be dissolved and the prime minister to step down. Violent clashes between protesters on both sides of the conflict are a daily occurrence. People are needlessly being maimed and killed.

Any notion of democracy was dropped weeks ago. The government has tried multiple times to negotiate with their opponents; all offers were refused.

When the military stepped in and ordered the opposition leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, to negotiate with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, things didn’t go so well. Thaugsuban told Shinawatra she had two days to do what he wanted and left the meeting.

This type of behaviour might be acceptable in a sit-

uation where the government is raining down tyranny on its people, but aside from the regrettable bill the government hadn’t done anything demonstrably wrong, and they won the last election in a landslide.

Yes, they have been marred by accusations of corruption, but so has every Thai government in history, and there is no reason to believe a new one wouldn’t be either. Corruption is a cultural phenomenon in Thailand, not a political one. Changing the people in power won’t change anything.

These protests are not about making things right, they’re not about instilling a better political structure (which is what some are claiming), and they’re not about ending corruption.

The protests are now just a power struggle between two groups on different points of the

political spectrum. The democrats lost the election, and they want control of the country anyway. The conservative red shirts want to stop them at all costs.

The main responsibility for this violent disaster lies with the democrats. Although the yellow shirts lost the election handedly, they won Bangkok and therefore have more people in close proximity to government buildings.

Images of thousands protesting at Democracy Monument and storming government buildings might make it look like the entire country is enraged, but in reality the government and the group that opposes them just live in the same neighborhood.

A new government is not what the people of Thailand want, and that’s why the democrats have rejected the idea of a snap election: they would lose again.

Instead, Thaugsuban called for the yellow shirts to keep fighting – and the blood will continue to drip. People are dead, more are injured, business investors (who notoriously hate political instability) are already pulling out of the country, and many tourists are planning trips elsewhere.

If these kind of protests keep happening year after year – like they have been – Thailand is doomed to destroy everything it holds dear, and become a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.

dietrich neu foreign correspondent

Alan Moore hates something?!?

So the great writer and even greater curmudgeonly ogre of comic books, Alan Moore, is rearing his social-services-worrying shaggy head once again in the media. However, his hatred is not directed at the filmmakers nor Hollywood money-grubbers this time, but the very people who sustained his livelihood when he wasn’t a deluded grumpy old man.

In an interview with Stuart Kelly of the Guardian, Moore postulates on modern comic books, saying “I don’t think the superhero stands for anything good. I think it’s a rather alarming sign if we’ve got audiences of adults going to see the Avengers movie and delighting in concepts and characters meant to entertain the 12-yearold boys of the 1950s.”

Something you learn with Alan Moore rather quickly is that he is a bit of a mouthpiece and not in a motivational speaker sort of sense. Time and time again, whenever he emerges

from his mossy skull-laden cave, more haggard than the last time he emerged, it’s to lambaste one person or another because someone ineptly attempts to appropriate one of his works.

Alan spouting off about the atrocities of the comic book world is nothing new to fans.

Usually, what he has to say is laughed off by the masses. Oh, look; Grandpa Moore is talking about his time where he gutted a DC executive just because he wasn’t allowed to use the word “fuck” 38 times on the same page. Let’s just wait it out ‘til he falls back asleep again and we can get back to enjoying the movie that triggered his violent flashbacks of his DC days.

Granted, it’s not like he hasn’t built himself a soapbox to stand on. After all, he’s written V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Watchmen, as well as helping to shape the Swamp Thing, Superman, and Batman mythos.

When you’ve got people like

decorated novelist Neil Gaiman saying that Moore, through his work in comic books, made a whole generation possible, you know you’ve done something right in your career.

Yet, no amount of capable writing can really save you in the unblinking public sphere. It appears that the inherent irony is lost upon Moore: a baseless claim denouncing out-of-touch adults for enjoying modern comic books and their respective adaptations, while at the same time proclaiming himself to be a wizard. That’s like asking The Joker how he would reform the mental health care system.

I’ll proudly stake my claim and say that, as a 24-year-old man, I enjoy comic books, primarily DC. Regarding his ideas about concepts and characters for 12 year olds, one only needs to look at the work of Canadian writer Jeff Lemire, particularly the “New 52” Animal Man, to see that modern comics can have as rich a story and remain dark. For

a man who says he hasn’t read superhero comic books since Watchmen, he seems to make some sweeping generalizations about the medium.

Alan Moore knows how to tell a story. It’s what he does. It’s only when he opens his mouth that fans want to put a pillow over his face and hold on for dear life until his is gone. Enjoy the works, but not the man.

farron ager op-ed editor

the Carillon: saying “fuck” on the same page at least 39 times since 1962.

16

op-ed

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

A final farewell to finals You exhale. All of it’s done. Your essays, your midterms, your projects, and all else, they’re done. Finally, you feel like you’re over the hump, but there’s one, or up to five things, that stand in your way. Finals.

After all that semester threw on top of you, professors have the gall to throw a final at you?

The idea of finals themselves is, in a sense, not intuitive. “Ok, students, sum up everything the course discussed over a whole semester in three hours.” Granted, not all finals are comprehensive, but in my degree, most of them have been.

Finals need to be seriously reconsidered. They are an unnecessary cause of stress for students who are already on the edge. I argue, rather that, some courses be designed in a different way.

This thought came to me as my Politics and the Media class was winding down. Rather than having a final where I study as hard as I can just to probably forget things later on, we did projects and presentations that demanded both critical thinking, and attention to the course material. Finals also focus on course material, but not in the same way. The feeling I have with this class is that I’m walking away with a different skill set than before. I can use this skill set in my other classes’ essays, and in my work.

This was the situation for my Politics and the Media course, because we got to do presentations on media stories on subjects we chose, but to get the marks, we had to use subject material. It was a perfect balance. Also, I don’t have to worry about conflict of interest.

I’m not trying to laud my prof, because by the time this article comes out, my course will be done, and I won’t have a final.

Yet, in the meantime, I have four other goddamn finals to prepare for. Good luck everybody.

Emily Wright

Also, after university, never will one have to do something like a final again, unless you go on with school, which may or may not have finals. Yet, should higher education have finals?

Now, don’t get me wrong.

Finals do certainly have their use, and I’m not arguing for their total abolition. At least in the humanities, they are useful in the 100- and 200-level courses. They are also practical at lower levels (more students, whereas 300 to 400 have far less) and these classes are usu-

ally less about critical thinking and more information retention. Furthermore, I’ve actually done really well on finals in my academic career, so I’m not just making this argument from bad experiences.

Although this might not work for certain classes, I believe that for most classes other sorts of assignments and projects might be more productive than cramming for a final. Language classes are obvious exceptions; it’s either you know the language or you don’t. Let’s

say I’m taking a class in, the politics of Syria, it would make more sense to do a in depth research project, more than a “term paper” cranked out the night before. I’ve learnt more doing research essays than anything else in my academic career. Research essays should be a choice, obviously within the subject field of the course, because then students will pick something that interests them, thus they will want to learn more, and end up doing a better job on the project.

michael chmielewski editor-in-chief

The dangers of social media Two weeks ago, a rumour appeared on Facebook alleging that a serial killer was running amok in the Queen City. The message asserted that the First Nations chiefs were informed by the Regina City Police that a serial killer was responsible for the murders of two First Nations women. An investigation is currently examining the murder of one woman in 2005 and another just this year. They are also investigating the disappearance of three First Nations women and one Caucasian woman.

The Facebook post alleged that Regina Police Services would not inform the public until after Grey Cup. Last Monday, Regina City Police stated on Facebook that serial killer rumours were inconclusive and may have had origins in discussions with First Nations chiefs about the murdered women. Police also said there no proof that the murders or disappearances were related.

They stressed that it was preposterous that they would hesitate to warn the public about such a threat. Their Facebook post stated that “[i]f the Regina Police Service felt there was an imminent threat to public safety we would issue a warning immediately.”

There definitely are positive aspects to social media, especially the real time transmission of important events, such as the Arab Spring. Citizens can use

Pandukht

social media as a check against abusive law enforcement. However, rumours, like the aforementioned serial killer one, do represent a real danger present from social media and can work against the public betterment by projecting fear. Regina Police Services were quick and right to respond to the rumours traversing Facebook. While the possibility of a serial killer was

not ruled out, the Police emphasized that they needed more evidence before the public could be warned against such a threat.

This is one of the central issues with social media; stories being transmitted in real time means that unfinished or developing affairs risk becoming a finished product.

Yet, what is most disconcerting about social media fear

mongering is that the truth may not be followed up on. An individual who hears an untrue rumour from Facebook or Twitter may react in that moment and not check for updates. In the case of serial killer rumours, some people may feel it necessary to take action into their own hands or jump to conclusions.

Both situations have the potential to end in tragedy. Suspicions

This is one of the central issues with social media; stories being transmitted in real time means that unfinished or developing affairs risk becoming a finished product.

Liam Fitz-Gerald

can be heightened, accusations can be thrown, and mob mentalities can develop. Last September, the Otago Daily Times interviewed a New Zealand sociologist who maintained that mass hysteria could be created from social media. He emphasized that the scale of mass hysteria created by social media could potentially rival that of the panic that gripped the people of Salem and their witch phobia in the seventeenth century.

However with more people connected around the world via social media, the damage caused by mass hysteria could be much greater.

What can be done about fearful, yet unconfirmed rumours floating around on social media? Active and critical social media users should immediately tweet or Facebook in response to such posts. They should emphasize that the story is developing, evidence is shoddy, or that the rumour is unconfirmed and individuals should wait before reacting. They should emphasize very strongly that the truth behind any posting be confirmed before any action is taken. Indeed, they should strive to avoid unwarranted mass panic or destructive actions.

liam fitz-gerald contributor

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

op-ed 17

Ye gods! op-ed roundtable!

theinspirationroom.com

How many people did you trample/stab to get those sweet, sweet deals at Black Friday?

Shaadie: None, thank you. That sounds like a venereal disease.

Excuse me while I go aggressively shop for no apparent reason. #GotPunchedInTheFace #HesNotPrettyNoMore Kyle: None. I trampled the weak and hurdled the dead on Amazon, instead. There was less of a chance of my dying/killing the animals that inhabit retail stores on Black Friday.

Farron: Well, with Cyber Monday a couple days after Black Friday, the only trampling/stabbing I do is just another regular Friday night for me. Seriously, if you got a problem, I can take of it. Just make sure you buy me a new pair of gloves each time.

Liam: None, actually. I didn’t go to Black Friday this year. The thought of dealing with crazy mobs of people, screaming and crying kids, unhappy and grumpy shoppers and store staff (I particularly sympathize with staff at these places this time of year) was enough to make this guy look elsewhere for Christmas gifts. I do hope my friends and family like Tim Horton’s gift cards!

Paige: Well since I am a student Black Friday really wasn’t in my agenda seeing as I am broke.

Saying that, however, I did spend way too much money at the liquor board on Friday. I now realize that they had zero Black Friday deals. I feel ripped off.

Target Canada has decided to not play Christmas music in its stores. How outraged are you?

Shaadie: I honestly don’t care.

And it’s not that I lack the Christmas spirit or capitalist drive, I just don’t care what Target does.

Autumn wishes the south end got Target. #QuietRiot #MuzakLikeInAnElevator Kyle: Outraged? Target Canada has become my new favourite place on Earth.

Farron: I really don’t care for Christmas music, but I don’t really care for Target either.

You know what would get me in stores to shop? I want some Hanukkah and Kwanzaa music.

That would be worlds better than I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.

Liam: Meh. We hear Christmas music in so many other places that it really doesn’t matter. If someone is that upset about Christmas songs not being played at Target, they can go home and YouTube Christmas songs! Better yet, we could pretend we’re shopping at Target while at home and listen to Christmas music at the exact same time. Maybe you could make it a sexy game with your significant other called Target Shopping! “Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!”

Paige: Wow. Christmas music is the best. Not only is this world becoming over sensitive about too many things, it is also going to start missing out on hearing the Feliz Navidad song on repeat. Sad times are upon us.

A professor from the University of Waterloo is saying today’s generation of young people are poorer than their parents, even when difference of education are taken into account. In other news, how’s that ramen tasting?

Shaadie: Self-righteous prick.

How dare he state the obvious?

My shattered dreams lie broken on the floor crushed by the reality of what this sad asshole had to tell me today. Sad face. #Drama Kyle: Well, I suppose my parents won’t mind if I crash on the couch for the next…forty years or so.

Farron: I tell you how it is after I’m finished begging at the junction between Adhum and the Library. It’s gotten to the point that I will proofread your work for food and give you a nuanced critique for a drink.

Liam: That stuff tastes fine!

However, what we should keep in mind is that many of us still have our whole lives ahead of us. I think we have to just stay optimistic, patient and start taking action. Things might not be so hot now, but give it some time, things could get better. It may suck for some of us now, but just remember, things can get better.

Paige: Oriental flavour is the best.

McMaster University’s President lost a best to our very own Vianne Timmons regarding who would win the Grey Cup. Is U of

R the best or what?

Shaadie: Did he give us a million bucks to pay for the new signs?

Wait a second, what did they do with the old sign? I keep missing the fucking turn. I hope the new sign is twice as big. Someone should put a petition together. #LookingAtYouURSU #Defeated Kyle: The U of R is better than McMaster. But that’s like saying stepping in dog shit is better than stepping in elephant shit simply because there’s less of it.

Farron: That’s just swell. We can count it among other achievements like our MacLean’s university ranking or how close we were to kicking out our President. The U of R is really the best and don’t you forget it.

Liam: Oh absolutely. The U of R is so good that it can spend one million dollars on a brand new sign. Wow! Not only that, it’s a great place to study for an Arts degree, pay increasing tuition for said degree, and have little to no choice for courses. Yup, we’re the best with a capital B! Paige: Look at you go, Vianne.

I really hope the wager was a million dollars since we kind of have a big tab to pay for that new sign.

Lastly, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Volvo teamed up to create a viral video called “The Epic Split.” How badly do you want to go buy a Volvo truck now?

better would have been Van Damme round house kicking that semi into the nether-verse.

Your move Norris…Your move. #FightMeIRL Kyle: I have four on order as we speak. I was told that if I ordered five, Jean Claude would place a personalized roundhouse kick on a person of my choosing, but it was just out of my price range.

Farron: JCVD will always have my respect. But now he has to step up his game. I’m thinking if he were to do epic splits between, say, fighter jets, I’m fairly certain that he would ascend to Heaven with a truly Herculean effort.

Liam: Well, seeing as how our generation is poorer than our parents, I’m never going to be able to afford a Volvo truck. In fact, as automobiles get pricier and more unaffordable we may have to downsize a little more. I propose we start riding donkeys wherever we are going to save money on gas. For all you entrepreneurs out there, shit on the road will become increasingly more common. I smell an opportunity here! As Fruit Loops’ Toucan Sam once said “just follow your nose!”

Paige: That commercial is spectacular. But what is even more spectacular is the edited Rob Ford version. Jean-Claude has nothing on Toronto’s mayor.

Shaadie: Not at all. But I do really want to do the splits between two semi’s now. Only thing

the Carillon trivia: after we lost our original software, the filler text for our articles was changed from Real Talk by R. Kelly to Overlord by Black Label Society. The more you know.

shaadie musleh, kyle leitch, farron ager, liam fitz-gerald, paige kreutzwieser belligerantly opinionated

the WORST While the Prairie Dog celebrates the “Best Of Regina” every year by way of a demo-

cratic vote, the Carillon chooses rather to highlight the worst through oligarchic means, entitled the “Worst of Regina.”

Also, we notice that quite a few former Carillon staff were responsible and credited for writing the feature.

We shudder at our future.

Worst Classmate in Regina Girls who bring their computers to class

I have no problem calling these ladies out.

They are the worst classmates ever. Not only do they distract you the whole time with their Facebook page up for the whole entire class to see because they sit in the front row every single time, they are also usually those girls with the long nails who you can hear typing from nine rows back. paige kreutzwieser

Emily Wright

kyle leitch, alec salloum, robyn tocker, paige kreutzwieser, farron ager, autumn mcdowell, michael chmielewski I fart on Regina Worst Reenactment of the War of 1812: The Third-Grade Class at St. Timothy Elementary School It’s like these kids didn’t know how the war was fought at all.

All of their costumes were completely wrong; I don’t think they had Velcro trainers in 1812. And all they did was run around, point at each other, and say, “Pew pew!” Let it be known that I never hesitated to correct awful war reenactments. I threw on my red coat, and taught those youngsters a history lesson. I don’t think I’m allowed back at the school, anymore, but it was worth it to do some educating, unlike their teachers. /kl

Worst Steakhouse: Green Spot Café Seriously. I tried ordering a steak here once, and they came back at me with, “Vegan this, no meat that,” and some other bullshit that I couldn’t hear over the deafening sound of my own awesomeness. When I started banging on the counter and foaming at the mouth, they gave me a cinnamon bun, and told me to get the hell out. I’m starting to think that the Green Spot Café doesn’t even serve steak. /kl Worst Public Library in Regina: the 7/11 on South Albert St. This once great house of knowledge and learning has taken a turn for the worse. I remember

walking through their doors, greeted by a CRT television’s grainy reflection of myself and then reading to my heart’s desire. Recently, however, my attempts at bettering myself have been utterly extinguished. I am now accosted by clerks demanding I buy something or leave! It saddens me that my tax dollars have been misused as such. In the future I will try the Macs at Kramer. Hopefully they are more civilized. /as Worst Wireless Connection: University of Regina Can someone please explain to me why a university doesn’t let me connect to the web? The fact that half the time the wireless is slower than piss or just doesn’t

work in general is astounding.

Like, come on guys. We’re an educational institution.

Let’s get it together. /rt

Worst drivers in Regina: Everybody in Regina I don’t care if you live in a town with one road or a metropolis with a million, Regina has hands down the worst drivers in the world. In Regina we have some sort of hybrid breed of horrible drivers. They are like a cross between Moose Jaw’s elder citizens, Saskatoon’s ridiculous speeders, and south Saskatchewan’s big truck riggers. Don’t get me started on those bus drivers either. /pk

I’m starting to think that the Green Spot Café doesn’t even serve steak.

Kyle Leitch

Worst Celebrity Appearance: Channing Tatum With the deftness reserved only for some sort of terrible creature of the night, Channing Tatum left the U of R just about as fast as he appeared. People claimed to see him in hallways, but they were no pictures of him to be found. I’ve read the stories; I know about how they don’t cast reflections or appear in camera. If anyone needs me, I’ll be sharpening my wooden stakes and sleeping in the office with a wreath of garlic. /fa Worst stadium: Mosaic Not even changing the name from Taylor Field helped this stadium. Since this stadium is so awful, the only thing really to do now is knock the whole thing down and build one from scratch, no matter what the outrageously ridiculous cost is. I wonder if the new one will still have tin foil for mirrors in the bathrooms? /amcd

of REGINA 2013

Worst Campus Newspaper In Regina The “Sheaf?”

I found something called the “Sheaf“ in the Carillon’s office. It says it’s the “University of Saskatchewan student newspaper.” This has to be the single-handedly worst campus newspaper in Regina. For fuck’s sake, it looks like a Carillon from the 90s, with as little pages.

See you in Edmonton! michael chmielewski

Emily Wright

Worst paper in Regina: Dollarstore loose-leaf

Worst super hero: Green Mile Spiderman

This is more of a warning then it is a rant: don’t buy your paper from the Dollarstore. I tried to be economical this year and decided why not buy 100 packs of loose-leaf for $2.00. Should have thought that one through a little more. No pen writes on these things because they are oddly coated in some form of wax. How is that even practical? /pk

I’m sure everyone has seen the video, if you weren’t lucky enough to see it live, of the guy that thought our Grey Cup victory gave him super powers.

One proud Rider fan decided to climb to the top of the traffic lights to celebrate. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember the Spiderman episode where he fell climbing down, was awkwardly suspended in air after his shoe got caught, and then landed in a pool of policemen.

Just your friendly neighborhood drunk. /amcd

Worst U of R Happening: flooding in the South Residence The fire alarms not only rudely awakened students living in the North and South Residences in the middle of the night, but they also signaled that the sprinklers had gone off in the South Residence tower from the 6th floor down. Some South Residence students were displaced until days later, a crap load of valuable/pricy items, such as laptops and textbooks, were ruined, and many students spent the rest of the night tired and angry …very angry. /dk Worst place to buy cool clothes: Sears at the Cornwall Centre If young adults, including University students, are searching for that perfect cocktail dress or cool, in-style clothing, they should not go to the Cornwall Centre’s Sears. This store prides itself in selling clothes from way back in the stone ages. The floral patterns, odd-as-heck material, and ultimately un-aesthetically appealing clothes would look much better on grandma’s couch, not on people. /dk

Worst Concert: band’s show

My

former

I don’t know how I did it, but I sold a lot of tickets for people to see a weird hybrid of a metal, blues, country, kind of folk, band with a trombone. People would come up to us and say, “you guys are good… but I don’t really get it.” The metal crowd looked at us weirdly, other people asked, “why are they ruining those songs with the metal?”

Weird guitar lines, death vocals, and many forgotten lyrics: that was a bad show. /mc Worst TV News: some program filmed in a blue room?

I found a TV newscast on one an old computer in the office that was really weird. Bad suits, grainy film, and it was recorded in some room with a horrible blue backdrop. They were factually incorrect, nervous, and very long-winded. If memory serves me correctly, it was called 301 or something. Don’t ask me, I can’t

find it again. /mc Worst Art Exhibit: Paintings in AdHum

Vaginal

I’m still fairly disbelieving of the old legend that is whispered in the hallowed hallways by professors and first years alike. They tell me that I can see flowers in them if I look hard enough, but as I leaned closer for further inspection, a passing dean called me a pervert. I’m going to stick to the internet for all my flower-viewing pleasure, thank you very much! /fa Worst Bank: U of R Parking Services After going for months on end, receiving countless letters advertising their service in the form of a mock bill, I finally caved in and opened up an account. Their terms seemed reasonable: entrust my money to them and they would make sure I would graduate on time.

However, once you deposit your money, they’ll never return your calls and they’ll say that it’s their money now. Their service fees are also getting ridiculous at 4K a semester. /fa Worst City Joke: “The city that rhymes with fun” We get it everyone, Regina kinda sorta rhymes with vagina.

Please stop saying this old and tired joke, it isn’t even funny anymore, now you’re just making yourself look stupid. You’ll thank me. /amcd

Worst Video Store Archer Library

Apparently the Archer Library at the University of Regina didn’t get the message when Blockbuster and Rogers Video left town (RIP), because they continue to rent out movies.

Not only do they still rent them, but they have made almost zero effort to convert their tired old VHS tapes to DVDs and Blu-Rays. Did I mention that their late fees are outrageous?

autumn mcdowell

the funny section

The Red Night Before Christmas

Twas the Red night before Christmas, when all through the state-owned house Not a creature was stirring, not even a petit bourgeois mouse.

The potato vodka was set by the chimney with care, In hopes that Comrade Marx soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their straw beds, While visions of hard labour danced in their heads.

sickled the sash.

And mamma in her babushka, and I in my fur cap, Had just settled our bodies down for a decadent nap.

When out on the field there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the hammer I flew like a flash, Tore down the shutters and

More rapid than Ovechkin in his skates they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Engles! Now, Trotsky!

Now, Guevara and Castro!

On, Stalin! On, Lenin! On, Zedong and Tito!

To the tip of Berlin! To the top of the wall!

The red moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of gold to the one nation below.

When, what to my wondering eyes that could not have missed, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny Socialists.

With a little old driver, so full of lively sparks, I knew in a moment it must be Karl Marx.

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As heads that before the coup d’etat roll, When they meet with guillotine, fall to the bowl.

So up to the onion domes the Socialists flew, With the sleigh full of bread, and Comrade Marx too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The focus of this holiday spoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney Comrade Marx came with a bound.

He was dressed all in suit, from his head to his foot, And the suit was all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of bread he had

flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

His eyes-how they blazed!

His manifesto he read!

His coal-coloured moustache illuminating the words that he said!

His droll hidden mouth speaking of proletariat woe, And the beard of his chin was white as snow.

The stump of a stogie he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He spoke the good word, then went straight to his work, And emptied his potato sack, then gave me a smirk.

And dug in his pockets and flipped me a nickel, And giving a nod, he told me to raise the hammer and sickle!

He marched to his sleigh, leaving me in seduction, I sat back down to reevaluate the means of production.

He had a broad face and a rich manifesto, That shone when he spoke, no worries of escrow!

He was chubby and plump, a right old commie, And his words hit me hard, like a tsunami!

A wink of his eye and a

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight, “С Рождеством, сука, and to all a Red night!” farron ager, kyle leitch shaadie musleh of the academy

U of R ascends to the stars A win in the Grey Cup proves to be a really big deal. michael chmielewski Investigative-Team Reporter/coffee maker Big things are coming for the University of Regina.

As the temperature gets lower, the U of R moves up.

Because of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’, of the Canadian Football League, win of the coveted Grey Cup, the U of R has skyrocketed in international prestige, and also in the less prestigious Maclean’s rankings.

All the while, enrollment at the disgraced Hamilton’s McMaster University has plummeted, and many students have stopped their studies altogether.

U of R enrolment is expected to skyrocket. Rumour has it that the U of R will finally get the budget increase it needs to grow because of the demand created by the big win…and projected astronomical enrolment.

The government of Ontario, on the other hand, has announced the 10 percent budget decrease of McMaster.

“It fucking sucks!” yelled the President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster Dr. Patrick Deane, when asked about the loss in a phone interview.

“How do you think I feel, moron? Also, who the fuck are you?”

Vianne Timmons, glorious victor, was singing a very different tune.

“O glorious day! Take that,

Many education students are now mandated to practice football.

haters! Who wants a shot?” This was overhead in the administration building the next day.

“Let this be a lesson to all Hamilton TiCat fans – never bet against the Green and White!” said an official press release on the U of R’s website.

In the same release, Deane echoed the same sentiment: “‘[h]ere in Hamilton we are very proud of our TiCats,” but at the same time, admitted that the Cats didn’t stand a chance

because “‘[o]nly a very strong team could have beaten them.

Congratulations to Saskatchewan on a decisive and historic win.’”

The Carillon used the Access to Information Act and shrewd investigative journalism to uncover what the Government of Canada thought about the ordeal.

“Really? They’re worried about that? I guess Rob Ford and the ‘big game’ did a job

of distracting people from the Senate. Winning!” said a staffer in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Anna DuStupide is a 2nd year pre-journalism student at the U of R. DuStupide talked to the Carillon about the win, after she had to be told that in fact the U of R does have a student newspaper.

“That’s strange. Anyway, going back to your question, yes, I do think that Ridernation is a huge part of the U of R com-

munity. Heck, I haven’t taken off my jersey since the game!”

“Going to an internationally recognized University is really huge for me, and it’s why I’m proud to go here,” said an Honours psychology student. “Go Riders!”

In the mean time, the University of Regina has completely overhauled its research focus.

Political science will study the impact Premier Brad Wall has on losing games, Business will measure the impact of Rider pride on right to work legislation, English will write inspiring literature, Engineering will figure out how to fit the maximum amount of Rider Priders in the new stadium with the lowest amount of material. Also, Religious Studies, teamed with Anthropology will study the belief systems and rituals of the Rider Nation, and soon to be released scripture of Darian Durant. Other departments and faculties will also change in their focus in what is dubbed by many here as “the great leap forward.”

One can truly feel the excitement around the halls of this institution.

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

hard work since 1962.

To commemorate the final issue of 2013, we thought we would give you a very special behind-the-scenes look at production of the Carillon. happy holidays.

17

the staff

Michael Chmielewski, Kyle Leitch, Emily Wright

graphics

All photos courtesy Dietrich Neu

Editor: Emily Wright graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

All photos courtesy Dietrich Neu

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the carillon | December 5, 2013 - January 8, 2014

As of Mon. Dec. 02...

Kyle Leitch

a big thanks to the Owl, who let michael “steal� some bread for this picture.

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1962 followers since 1962.