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 February 6 - 12, 2014|Volume 56, Issue 18|carillonregina.com
cover
copy editor michelle jones copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor
alec salloum
carillonnewseditor@carillonregina.com
a&c editor robyn tocker aandc@carillonregina.com
Canada’s Supreme Court recently struck down prostitution laws in this country, deeming them unconstitutional. Now, the government has one year to draft up new laws that would regulate the world’s oldest profession.
sports editor autumn mcdowell sports@carillonregina.com op-ed editor farron ager op-ed@carillonregina.com visual editor emily wright graphics@carillonregina.com advertising manager neil adams advertising@carillonregina.com technical co-ordinator arthur ward technical@carillonregina.com distro manager staff writer news writer a&c writer sports writer photographers
taylor sockett paige kreutzwieser eman bare destiny kaus brady lang julia dima haley klassen apolline lucyk spencer reid
contributors this week sarah luyendyk, evan radford, ravi sakaran, aidan macnab, laura billett, dana morenstein, taras matkovsky, liam fitz-gerald, taylor rattray, john loeppky, john kapp
news
a&c
additional material by: the staff
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
Whistleblower chic.
page 6
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.
page 11
Talk of giving Edward Snowden the Nobel Peace Prize this year has resparked debate surrounding his circumstances. Is Edward Snowden the hero of the voiceless or a dangerous criminal?
After 20 years, Victor Sawa will be hanging up his baton at the Regina Symphony Orchestra. The RSO hopes to bring a fresh new audience, but it’ll be hard to dissociate Sawa’s grinning mug from our local symphony.
sports
op-ed
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.
Victor von Sawa.
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.
Three times the charm?
The men’s volleyball team recently won their second game of the season. With just two games left in the season the Cougars have officially peaked too late, but are hoping to crush last years win total, of two.
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 a belltower, 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.
page 15
Get it?
page 16
So, as it turns out, our graphics editor is just as angry as the rest of us. Gender inequality gets taken down a peg or two on page 16.
In other news: “Everything is fine,”reported a national news outlet on Tuesday. “There is absolutely no cause for alarm.”
news a&c sports op-ed cover
photos
squirrel83 Arie Molendijk Marc Messett Kyle Leitch Emily Wright
news
Editor: Alec Salloum news@carillonregina.com the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
Canadian prostitution laws under revision What route will our government take?
Emily Wright Prostitution laws are divisive in Canada.
sarah luyendyk contributor The Supreme Court struck down Canada’s prostitution laws. They struck down the laws that prohibited keeping a bawdy-house, living on the avails of prostitution and communicating in public with respect to a proposed act of prostitution. These laws increased the risks to sex workers, as they could not implement safety measures such as hiring body guards and drivers, working in private homes and talking with clients in public. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin cited, “it is not a crime in Canada to sell sex for money...these restrictions on prostitution put the safety and lives of prostitutes at risk, and are therefore unconstitutional.” The laws against child prostitution and human trafficking will remain intact. The court’s decision on prostitution overall is a contentious and complex issue. Sex workers, feminist groups, organizations, religious organizations and individuals hold some common views including decriminalising and reducing the risks to sex workers. However, there is polarization based on rights, views of sexuality, the domains of sex and the framework for harm reduction. There are those are who argue that prostitution is exploitive, dehumanizing and violating. Kathleen Barry described prostitution as sexual exploitation because it abolishes a person’s human rights to dignity, equality, autonomy and physical/mental well being, as the human being is reduced to a body, objectified to sexually service another, whether or not there is consent. Bridget Perri-
er, 37, an Ojibway, and former child sex worker, cried when she heard the news, but not tears of joy, she stated, “it feels as a survivor, someone commercially
as exploitive when she stated, “it’s a sad day that we’ve now had confirmed that it’s OK to buy and sell women and girls in this country, [however]...we ab-
Women’s Association of Canada stated “we want women to be free from the poverty and abuse that targets them for prostitution and stop being blamed for
chronicleherald.com Sex worker advocate Terri-Jean Bedford after the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling.
and sexually exploited, that it’s a slap in the face. A big slap in the face. We can’t put dollars signs on our bodies.” Also, Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and member of the Women’s Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution, views it
solutely object to the criminalization of women. Our position would not interfere with those women who truly made their choices.” Many enter into prostitution as adolescents, whether forced by family or relatives or due to circumstances of abuse, poverty, etc. For instance, The Native
their prostitution.” Dr. Alison Hayford, from the department of sociology, now retired, explained that it is more complex than just stating they chose this. She described it as a “fundamental philosophical problem in that women need to be recognized as rights-endowed beings who choose what
It is not a crime in Canada to sell sex for mon-
ey...these restrictions on prostitution put the safety and lives of prostitutes at risk, and are therefore unconstitutional. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin
to do with their own bodies. At the same time, you have the reality that the choices people make are often severely constrained by circumstances beyond their control, such as extreme poverty. We know this is true, that many people who go into sex work didn’t freely choose this. The issue is how do you protect the vulnerable? How do you protect people who do not have choices or whose choices are constricted, without denying the rights of individuals to make choices?” For many, one solution is to implement the Swedish model - opposing legalization. Aboriginal Women’s Action Network On Prostitution stated, “the available evidence suggests... [legalization] would expand prostitution and promote trafficking, and would only serve to make prostitution safer and more profitable for the men who exploit and harm prostituted women and children.” The basis of the Swedish model is to promote gender equality and end violence against women, therefore, the person paying for sexual services is penalized instead of the sex worker. On the other end, the court’s decision is seen as a victory as it established a person’s right to reduce harm when selling sex. Terri-Jean Bedford, one of the plaintiffs, former sex worker and a sex workers advocate, passionately stated, “it is a great day for Canada, great day for women across Canada...bad laws have fallen...now we can get down to writing new laws that help people, that are fair, safe and don’t put anyone in harms way.”
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the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
news
Emily Wright
vancouversun.com One of many sex workers who protested the current laws during the recent Supreme Court hearings.
The court’s decision was based on the individual’s right to safety. McLachlin provided the example of Robert Pickton. Pickton, a pig farmer in British Columbia, murdered 26 female sex workers. If these women were allowed the safety measures of talking to potential clients in public, hiring bodyguards and drivers and working in private homes, they may have been saved. Some advocate for the legalization of prostitution. If legalized, sex workers would possess the same rights and legal protection as people in other occupations. As one sex worker described, “sex workers should not have to stand in queue behind their clients for human rights.” They want police assistance if their boss refuses to pay, or if they are harmed, or a client leaves without paying. Some argue that prostitution is a form
of labour. As feminist Kamala Kempadoo says, “it is a form of income-generating labor, like other labours that involves using specific parts of the body, energy and skills.” Also, they strive to remove negative connotations. They use the term sex worker instead of prostitute as the term prostitute serves to dehumanize them. Dr. Darlene Juschka, Women and Gender Studies coordinator, stated, “I call them sex workers, I don’t call them prostitutes, [as calling them] prostitutes is a way of dismissing them as they no longer have human status.” Law enforcement ignored public complaint of a serial killer preying on women because the victims were prostitutes and drug addicts. Sex workers are still hesitant or refrain from enlisting police assistance due to these attitudes. One sex worker
explained, “they still expect to be treated disrespectfully, due to the stigma that still exists.” Sex workers want recognition as people who are capable, make choices and have the right to self-determination. Concerning the creation of new laws, sex workers want to ensure their voices and needs are heeded. Dr. Juschka holds this stance, that sex workers need to be heard “not the social body who is looking and judging the kind of work she, he is doing and not parts of the social body: the legal system, religious system, moral system...I want to hear from the perspective of sex workers (females, males, transgendered), what their needs are and what we should be doing to help them.” Many reject Sweden’s model, arguing it has increased risk, criminalizes sex workers and potential clients. Pye Jakobsson,
a former sex trade worker in Sweden, explained Sweden’s law has made an already risky line of work more dangerous as it forced them deeper into the shadows. New Zealand legalized prostitution, claiming legalization “safeguards the human rights of sex workers and protects them from exploitation and promotes the welfare and occupational health and safety of sex workers.” For example, sex workers and clients are required to use appropriate protection …sex workers are protected from forced work, they can refuse work and withdraw
transaction” The Supreme Court gave parliament one year to create new laws if they choose to do so. The Conservatives seem inclined to models such as Sweden’s as Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay reported that prostitution is too complex to be legalized outright and that they especially want to study the Nordic model. MacKay stated they want to “ensure the criminal law continues to address the significant harms that flow from prostitution to communities, those engaged in prostitution and vulnerable persons.”
their consent at any stage of the
I call them sex workers,
I don’t call them prostitutes, [as calling them] prostitutes is a way of dismissing them as they no longer have human status. Dr. Darlene Juschka
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
news
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Tories’ job growth evades youth
Youth unemployment jumped from 12.2 per cent to 14 per cent since 2006 evan radford contributor The logo for the federal government’s Economic Action Plan features three arrows, running forward on a horizontal plane, suddenly surging up onto a vertical axis. The arrows form one collective arrow presumably representing the Canadian economy. But the logo functions as a distraction, rather than affirmation, from the government’s economic record over the past seven years. While the Conservative party continues to tout its allegedly steady hand in managing and stimulating the Canadian economy, what is its record in creating jobs for young people? Data released by Statistics Canada shows Canadian young people still remain at high unemployment rates. Several Ottawa-based think tanks agree; Canadian youth struggle and fail to find work, while the federal government fails to create job opportunities for them, despite its claims to growth and prosperity. Consider the following numbers: the national unemployment rate in Jan. 2006 was 6.6 per cent. As of last month the same measurement was 7.2 per cent. The youth unemployment rate has jumped from 12.2 per cent to 14 per cent in this time period. For the record, Sta-
Evan Radofrd Peter Gilmer has been with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry for 18 years.
tistics Canada classifies youth as between the ages 15 and 24. What about numbers in the next age category? The unemployment rate for men and women aged 25 to 54 is at 6.1 per cent, as of Dec. 2013. The real kicker is the fact people who give up looking for work are excluded in the unemployment category for Statistics Canada. “They’re not tracked outside the labour force; four-fifths of the decline in the unemployment rate has been people dropping out of the labour force. People give up looking for work,” explains David Mac-
donald, senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “Youth are hit particularly hard. Youth today are no more employed than they were at the worst time of the recession,” Macdonald says. Peter Gilmer of the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry stresses that youth unemployment is an issue across Canada. Within Regina, he sees young single mothers, single youth, Métis youth and First Nations youth struggling most frequently with unemployment. Gilmer says financial cuts to valuable social programs have
hindered chances for these young people to find and maintain stable jobs. The programs originally provided support to young people in seeking employment. Why does this matter now? Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty announced the 201415 federal budget, dubbed the Economic Action Plan, would be tabled on Feb. 11. “The government has for the last few years tried to get the budget back into balance and out of deficit,” notes Brian Lee Crowley, managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
The manager of the non-partisan, Ottawa-based think tank believes this focus on eliminating federal debt is the priority that’s driving everything else. “The key driver here is a balanced budget in 2015, which would be in time for the next federal election,” Crowley says. As Crowley suggests, a balanced, debt-free budget will likely be a claim the Conservatives use to garner votes in the 2015 federal election. All governments want to portray themselves as good economic managers, including Stephen Harper’s Conservative party, Macdonald notes. The problem is the Conservative party will be campaigning for Canadian votes based on false claims of job growth fueled by tax breaks. Simon Lewchuk, a socio-economic policy analyst with the advocacy group, Citizens for Public Justice, clearly explains the problem for young people: “Current tax credits are policies that benefit people with high levels of income.” It follows that people with little to no income cannot use the tax credits the Conservative party alleges benefit Canadians, young or otherwise. One would hope that in 2015 young Canadian voters sift through the rhetoric and false claims of job creation to see the Conservative party’s poor record in securing stable employment for the country’s youth.
The underwear-hummus war Hanes Hummus vs. Hanesbrand Inc. eman bare news writer
Big business is suing little business - and this time little business is fighting back. Yohannes Petor, a Saskatoon native and the owner of Hanes Hummus says that on Dec. 11, 2013, he received a cease and desist letter from Hanesbrands Incorporated. Hanesbrand Incorporated (HBI) is a global brand that specializes in undergarments-very different than Hanes Hummus, or so Petor thought. “Immediately I thought it was ridiculous but I knew it needed to be addressed,” he said. Unfortunately, it was no joke. In a follow up interview with Petor earlier this week, he says that HBI is still insisting that he changes the name of his company. “The reason I chose to call my company Hanes Hummus is Hanes is my nickname that my close friends have called me for a very long time. Hanes stems from my first name Yohannes,” says Petor. He never imagined that anyone would confuse his local food business, for an international clothing brand. Though
Eman Bare Lovely local hummus
HBI thought very differently. “The mark HANES HUMMUS is essentially identical and confusingly similar to the HANES mark,” said associate general counsel Richard S. Donnell in the letter from Hanes. “Your client’s mark incorporates the distinctive HANES mark in its entirety and the mere addition of the generic wording HUMMUS does not distinguish the marks.” Petor says that at this point he has no intention of changing the name of his hummus. The story of Hanes Hummus began in Vancouver, where
Petor would make hummus for friends and family from fresh local produce. It wasn’t until 2009 that Hanes Hummus took off. Petor moved back to Saskatoon and word of his tasty hummus quickly spread. That year, he began preparing Hanes Hummus in a commercial kitchen and was selected as the official hummus supplier for the Greek pavilion at FolkFest. “This opportunity brought new retail establishments and Hanes Hummus we have never looked back. Until 2013, I physically sourced the ingredients and produced Hanes Hummus
myself,” said Hanes. Now, the company has four employees and is available at multiple retailors across the province. Earlier this month, Hanes Hummus was even available at the University of Regina. Maria Aman, a fourth year psychology student, has been selling Hanes Hummus on campus to support the shop’s local movement. “It was actually surprising how many people just stopped by to say things like ‘hey I read about this--keep fighting the good fight’ and other positive and uplifting messages,” says
Aman. For her, shopping and supporting local is important because of the business it gives small shop owners and also for health reasons. It’s just nice to know that the food you’re eating hasn’t been heavily processed and shipped for days to get to our plates. I also think that we always have a bit of pride saying ‘yeah, that was made in Saskatchewan.’ Warms your heart a bit knowing its not big manufacturers or companies trying to make a quick buck, but just good people making good products.” Aman says that she has seen a change in university students, to try and support more local businesses. Whether or not HBI insists that Hanes Hummus change their name or not, what is evident is that support for local businesses is flourishing in this province. For Hanes Hummus, this lawsuit has simply drawn more attention to an already growing business. For more information on how you can support this local business, follow @haneshummus on Twitter, or like their Facebook page.
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the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
news
The Nobel Prize, Angry Birds, and airport hacking A summary of recent Snowden-related events ravi sakaran contributor
Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden, is again in the spotlight as two Norwegian parliamentarians, Snorre Valen and Baard Vegar Solhjell, nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. According to Russia Today, the lawmakers from Norway’s Socialist Left Party announced their nomination on Facebook, stating that Snowden contributed to “transparency and global stability” by revealing the depth and sophistication of the global surveillance apparatus.” The MPs stressed that, “peace is more than simply the absence of war,” and said that Snowden had contributed to global security by revealing “the nature and technological prowess of modern surveillance. “The level of sophistication and depth of surveillance that citizens all over the world are subject to, has stunned us, and stirred debate all over the world.” This isn’t the first time that Snowden has been credited to such awards. In July 2013, the German branch of Transparency International awarded Snowden its Whistleblower Award. Swedish sociology professor Stefan Svallfors also nom-
squirrel83 Edward Snowden has garnered substantial fame across the globe.
inated NSA whistleblower, Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize for his “heroic effort at great personal cost.” He said giving Snowden the Nobel nomination could “save the prize from the disrepute incurred by the hasty and ill-conceived decision” to give the 2009 award to Barack Obama. In another relating story, the Guardian has reported that some of the documents leaked by Snowden suggest that intel-
ligence agencies have an ally in Angry Birds, a gaming app, and many other apps installed on smartphones around the world. The documents, according to the Guardian suggest that the mapping, gaming, and social networking apps, can provide America’s NSA and Britain’s GCHQ with huge amounts of personal data, including location information and details such as political affiliation or
sexual orientation. The size and extent of this program isn’t public knowledge, but the reports suggest that U.S. and British intelligence agencies easily get routine access to data generated by apps such as the Angry Birds game franchise or the Google Maps navigation service. There is speculation that there might be a backdoor in the code that allows these com-
panies to be vulnerable to such surveillance. Despite these revelations, more questionable intelligence gathering methods continue to surface. CBC News reported that according to some of the documents leaked by Snowden Canada’s Spy agency used information from the free Internet service at a major Canadian airport to track the wireless devices of thousands of ordinary airline passengers and obtained metadata for days after they left the terminal. The Communication Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), the Canadian equivalent for the NSA, has denied targeting or spying on Canadians. CSEC chief John Forster stated that, “I can tell you that we do not target Canadians at home or abroad in our foreign intelligence activities, nor do we target anyone in Canada.” The role of CSEC is still developing as the Carillon goes to print. Metadata reveals a trove of information including, for example, the location and telephone numbers of all calls a person makes and receives. The metadata apparently identified travelers’ wireless devices, but not the content of calls made or emails sent from them.
U of R book series
A gruesome look at state sanctioned killing aidan macnab contributor
In 1944, George Stinney of Alcolu, South Carolina, was electrocuted to death after being convicted of the murder of two young girls. Efforts are currently under way to earn a new trial in the hopes of exonerating Stinney, whom surviving relatives and supporters say died for a crime he did not commit. Stinney was fourteen years old when he was executed. On Jan. 14, 2014, Dennis McGuire was executed in Ohio for the rape and murder of Joy Stewart. According to some eyewitness accounts, he did not go quietly, quickly or painlessly. The BBC reported last week that, he was put down with a new “two-drug cocktail,” as the drugs traditionally used for lethal injection are in short supply. Anesthesiologists had warned that the new drugs may cause “air hunger,” an experience similar to drowning, that may account for the 10-15 minutes of gasping, choking and struggling that some eye-witnesses describe as McGuire’s final moments. University of Regina History Professor Ken Leyton-Brown says that because there is and may always be a debate about
CACorrections Lethal injection is merely a modern twist on an old method.
the merits of capital punishment in Canada, confronting these startling examples of the nature of state-sanctioned killing is important. As Prof. Leyton-Brown put it, “It’s not pleasant killing
people.” Leyton-Brown wrote, The Practice of Execution in Canada, which is a gritty, intriguing and at many points, nauseating account of capital punishment’s
near century of prevalence in this country. From when citizens gathered on the first anniversary of confederation to watch the hanging of Joseph Ruel, to 1976, where after 14 years without a single execution, the practice was officially abolished. Though, Prof. Leyton-Brown recognizes that many still view execution as a necessary aspect of being tough on crime, he did not write the book to allow Canadians to reminisce on a better time. “I would be happy if people read my book and thought about the death penalty and came to the conclusion that it’s a bad idea.” he said. This book would be an excellent read for those in favour of reinstating the practice, as it pulls no punches. It paints a picture in the reader’s mind of what capital punishment really looks like and depicts the moral quandary it presented to those administering the punishment. A judge who delivered a death sentence through tears and another who, in the same situation, dropped dead of a heart attack on the stand being two examples described. Also, aside from the guilt execution placed on those involved in the judicial process, the book shows that the slow
agonizing demise, experienced by Dennis McGuire was all too common. Ideally, the condemned would, with the noose around their neck, drop from the scaffolding, break their neck and die immediately. But often, due to the incompetence or inexperience of the executioner, a clean break would not take place and the individual would hang there for nearly half an hour being slowly strangled to death. Decapitation was another common mishap that took place. However it was clear from talking to Prof. Leyton-Brown, that he did not think that an accident was necessary to make execution a gut-wrenching, unnecessary and ineffective method of punishment. “There is a debate in the United States now about what is cruel, and whether having someone suffer for 17 minutes or 25 minutes is cruel. It seems to me that when you have someone in court and judge turns to them and says, ‘We’re going to take you to a place where you’ll be locked up in a little room, and then at some point in the future, we’re going to take you out and kill you.’ It seems to me that that is a bit cruel.”
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
news
7
Regina wins JDC West
Emily Wright The U of R had the JDC locked down this year.
Home field advantage for the business department paige kreutzwieser staff writer
For the first time in its history, the University of Regina held the most prestigious business competition in western Canada - and they won. The Paul J Hill School of Business dominated the Jeux de Commerce West Business Competition (JDC West), held Jan. 17 to 19, with one of the best performances by a school. The top 12 western business schools gather annually to compete against one another and title one group ‘School of the Year’. “It’s looking for the most holistically strong business school,” explained Mason Gardiner, co-captain of the Hill JDC West team. “It’s not just looking for academic school of the year. It’s a work and life balance. ” Gardiner admitted that it is a difficult to try and describe the competition to people who have never heard of it, but stated, “You are captivated by it when you experience it.” Amy Deibert, a fourth consecutive year team member on this year’s Hill JDC West Human Resources team, agreed with the difficulty of explaining the competition. “A lot of people don’t know what JDC West is, especially when you are trying to explain the sport and social aspect.” What differentiates JDC West from other case competitions, as Gardiner described, is that it is not just strictly academic based. Alongside ten academic teams, there are debate, sport and social teams incorporated as well. Though debate and sport are easy to describe, social is usually the most unfamiliar. “It is a mix of Fear Factor
and the Amazing Race,” said Gardiner. Teams from across the provinces of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba compete for points throughout the weekend. They participate in their associated sub-teams in a variety of areas such as case competitions, a parliamentary style debate, athletic challenges, social challenges and community involvement. Two of the biggest accomplishments for the 2014 Hill JDC West team were their ‘Academic School of the Year’ and ‘School of the Year’ victories. They also placed within the top five schools in 12 of the 14 other categories. The theme for this year’s competition was ‘Beyond Profits.’ “This theme encompassed three different pillars of success – ethics, environment and economy,” explained Emily McNair, external co-chair for the JDC West organizing committee. These three pillars were present throughout the weekend in the academic cases, the debate topics and the social competitions. The social competitions included a bottle collection, which all the money raised went to the Mother Theresa Middle School in Regina. Although some may think there was a slight advantage to being at home, Gardiner explained that there were certain rules. “You couldn’t contact friends of family, we just had to use business contacts.” The University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) was one organization that the Hill team contacted. Nathan Sgrazzutti, URSU’s president, was able to lend a hand. Around 1:00 A.M. Saturday morning, Sgrazzutti received a phone call from a Hill team member. It led to Sgraz-
zutti driving to the U of R campus bar, The Owl, to collect bottles and take them directly to the Delta Hotel where the social competition was being held. “I met a lot of wonderful people from across business schools in western Canada while wearing my P.J. pants,” confessed Sgrazzutti. “They’ve been really supportive,” said Gardiner of URSU’s contributions. URSU, along with the Ministry of Central Services and Crown Investment Corporation of Saskatchewan, helped sponsor the Hill team. “We have received so much positive feedback from students, alumni, participants, sponsors, faculty and community members,” said McNair. “We are confident that we have raised the bar for future competitions.” With the dominating Hill JDC West team success this year, they also raised the bar against their competitors. “People who didn’t perform as well from the various schools probably in the back of their minds may be thinking it was unfair that we had at home advantage,” explained Deibert. However, she knows that her teammates performed well, were prepared, and the home field advantage played just a small role. “I would say based on how much we dominated, there was a huge percentage point from the second place team, maybe a home advantage would play one, two or three percent max in scores.” Though being at home did have its perks. “Not having to acclimatize to a different place and presenting in our presentation rooms that we have been in all year [was an advantage],” said Gar-
diner about the familiar environment. Yet, Gardiner admitted that being at home did have its disadvantages as well. Competing for sponsorship between the Hill JDC West team and organizing committee made for extra work. As well, since the organizing committee is made up of both current and alumni students Gardiner said there were hurdles to overcome in forming the team. “It took a lot from our talent pool of people who could try out for our team.” For someone like Kirk Morrison, who is in his final semester as a Management major at the Hill School of Business as well as on the 2014 organizing committee, keeping separation between the committee and the competing team was a task in and of itself. “It was definitely an interesting experience being at the U of R, because we are a smaller school. Seeing most of the people who were on the team in my classes on a day-to-day basis, just because the school is so small, it was a little bit difficult with that.” But overall, the benefits of having JDC West in their hometown outweighed any disadvantage. “Having it in Regina, we were able to expose it to students who are maybe looking to be on the team next year,” explained Morrison. “I think that is going to be good for the school in the couple years to come.” Deibert agreed. “By it being at home there was a lot of local industry experts and business leaders that were able to see first hand what the competition was about and how excellent these students are.” For the city of Regina, McNair only sees positives. “It was a great opportunity to bring 630
of the best Western Canadian business students and our competition partners from across the country to our city and campus. I think everyone left with a new perception of what Regina has to offer.” Sgrazzutti had compliments for both the JDC West Hill team and the organizing committee on the huge success. “This year’s team has really done an amazing feat for really showcasing the University of Regina, and I think it is really important for people to notice that. People need to understand that these students really want to showcase their school and are really proud of what they are doing.” Although the competition is over, students and alumni on both the Hill JDC West team and the organizing committee still have work to do to wrap up the ninth annual competition. Next year’s meeting will be in Victoria, BC, so passing the torch over to their organizing committee is underway. Selecting the team members is also commencing as deadlines to apply for the 2015 Hill team are in February. Going into next year much of the current team has the same hopes for the future Hill JDC West team. “I hope we don’t become complacent based off the win, because it took a lot of work,” explained Deibert. “I just hope that the team runs off this high but uses it as motivation to continue trying to develop.” After being the only person in JDC West history to hold a consecutive co-captain position, Gardiner has a similar request, hoping the team will maintain “the success we had… [and] see them sustain that and the reputation we have, and continue with the momentum.”
a&c
Editor: Robyn Tocker aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
Profile: The Artesian Encouraging Regina’s art scene
Emily Wright The Artesian has a special place in Regina’s heart.
laura billett contributor The Artesian was designed to make music and voices sound good. Really good. As an intimate space that is simply and effectively designed, it is one of the only venues in Regina where performers are truly the centre of attention. Owners Marlo Gebhardt and Chad Jacklin wanted to create a space that was comfortable and intimate, where you could really hear and appreciate the music or watch a performance without the distraction of servers, food, and alcohol. Though, of course, there is a fantastic bar on the lower level, so fear not, your thirst need not go unquenched! Gebhardt and Jacklin are also owners of the Mysteria Gallery, which has been running strong for 18 years and was actually where the idea for the Artesian was born. Before the Artesian, they held smaller performances by actors, dancers, and musicians in the upstairs gallery of Mysteria. It didn’t take long before the team wanted to expand, to be able to showcase more. “All these little events that we did just got us thinking, what if we took this to a larger scale? [We thought] kind of naively; we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into,” says Jacklin with a laugh. Inspired and curious, the two began looking for a venue to transform into a centre dedicated to the performing arts. In 2009, they happened upon the Calvary Evangelical Church. Renovations began, and
the Artesian was born. Inspired by the 1920s and 30s when the decor of buildings was full of personality and contributed just as much to the enjoyment of the evening as the event itself, Gebhardt and Jacklin envisioned a place that was both comfortable and glamorous: a place that people would love to go to and love to perform in. The two were definitely successful in creating a place that draws people in with its character and warmth. In the renovations, Jacklin explained that they wanted to stay as far as possible from the newer style of building which can often look institutionalized and cold, so they ended up using a lot of recycled materials. In doing so, they not only managed to keep the intimate feel of the small church, but they added style and a bit of history to the building. The wooden beams in the entryway are taken from a grain elevator in Humbolt, the tin ceiling is from a building in Wolseley, and they kept the pews from the old church, using them as raised seating. Even the characteristic letters that form the sign outside the building were salvaged from a different site. The Artesian is a treasure box of repurposed items and materials from across the province, creating a venue with characteristic warmth and familiarity. “I always say there’s got to be at least three reasons to come out to an event, and if [you] don’t know the artist or the performer, just coming to a beautiful space should be one of the reasons that draws you out. We want to bring a little bit
of that glamour back to an evening out,” says Jacklin. Yet, it wasn’t just about the atmosphere of the building. Jacklin and Gebhardt needed to ensure every performance, and every type of performance would have the structural supports it needed to look and sound great. They went to great lengths to ensure the stage would be accommodating to all genres of performers. They spoke with musicians and people in the performing arts industry so that they could make changes to the building, like heavily insulating it, to improve the acoustics. Hidden under the stage they layered sand which also improves the acoustics, and they sprung the stage floor, saving the joints of performing dancers. Though Jacklin says he is surprised by the positive reactions he receives from performers and audience members, it isn’t astonishing to me. There is an immediate feeling of welcoming when you walk into the Artesian. Located on 13th Avenue, it keeps alive the unique and retro character of the Cathedral area. The bar downstairs feels like a friend’s living room; the couches make it easy to unwind before a show and there is always excellent reading material lying around that will alert you of the next awesome event happening in the city. One of the greatest things about the Artesian is the variety of events they host. There are comedians, musicians, dancers, and public speakers who use the venue, and it is built to accommodate all of them.
The small space limits the size of the audience and the space the performers have, but it adds a priceless element of intimacy to the performance that large venues like the Conexus Arts Centre lack due to their size. When watching a play, it is thrilling to be able to see the actor’s facial expressions. While listening to a speech or debate, audience members become more engaged because it is easy to actively participate as microphones are not necessary to hear comments and questions. Every type of performance is made more personal and authentic as there is so much more opportunity for interaction between the audience and performers. Jacklin described how musicians will, at times, even come off of the stage to play in the audience without amplifiers because the space is so welcoming and acoustically sound that the amplifiers are not necessary. Jacklin really believes in the importance of a healthy artistic community, especially for the survival of up-and-coming artists. Not only do Gebhardt and Jacklin run two businesses that promote artists, they have even had some of the artists from out of town stay with them to save them some money. “The part I really love about this,” explains Jacklin, “is that creation of community and bringing people together for things that matter.” Gebhardt and Jacklin have definitely been successful in nurturing the arts community in Regina. The Artesian has hosted numerous events and performances, including names such
as Sarah Slean, Wake Owl, Chic Gamine, New Dance Horizons, Graham Clark, FadaDance, and Martha Wainwright. It doesn’t matter who the artist is, or the type of performance they present; what Gebhardt and Jacklin love to see is people doing what they do because they love it, not because it will make them rich and famous. “These people are doing what they love to do and wanting to share that. In a culture right now where the performing arts isn’t really seen as a viable profession, the importance of the arts has taken a back seat in our resource economy. So, these people who choose to do these things, again, doing it for the love of it, and building community and bringing people together, it’s quite fantastic,” Jacklin says. No one can argue against the importance of the arts, and it’s encouraging to see the success of the Artesian in bringing people together for some really great performances. Jacklin says they are excited to keep the Artesian growing in the upcoming year, hinting at the addition of food to the bar’s menu. He is really excited to see the new developments and shows in store for the Artesian, saying that they like to have fun with it, to “see what new and interesting things we can bring to Regina.” On the venue’s website, Artesian is defined as a type of well that channels groundwater upwards, thus eliminating the need for a pump. They relate this to “our local wellspring of talent.” Fitting for a venue that builds community and sustains the arts in Regina, don’t you think?
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
a&c
9
Find your tribe
A new podcast launches in SK robyn tocker a&c editor
Podcasts are fast becoming one of the most popular ways to communicate ideas. With so many people flocking to them, is it any surprise Saskatchewan is jumping on the bandwagon? Farideh, one of the few podcast creators in the province, says she started her podcast series “Tribe Finder” to help artists connect with their fan base. “On my show, I have creative people talking about marketing in a way that’s really accessible for people of all backgrounds.” Farideh started this project when she was working on being a marketing strategist for entrepreneurs. She realized their struggles to build an audience base and wanted to lend a hand. “On a personal level, I was finding a new tribe for myself,” says Farideh. Besides being the creator of “Tribe Finder” and a marketing strategist, Farideh has a passion for music. Acting as the bridge between the art world and the business world, Farideh offers advice for anyone willing to listen.
farideh.ca Farideh doesn’t pull any fast ones with her podcast.
“You find quite a few podcasts for the arts and business world for a creative profession and then you’ll find 100 per cent marketing niche podcasts, but you don’t find one that bridges both ideas.” Her unique interests make her unusual podcast a necessity. While Farideh is glad she decided to make “Tribe Finder,” actually getting started was not easy. “I spent a whole month pro-
crastinating, talking to people about being my guests.” Some of the guests invited on Farideh’s show were, as she says, high profile and that made the nerves wash over her. Thankfully, that didn’t stop her from asking. With every new task, says Farideh, you always worry if you’ll be good enough. That same thought occurred to her, but as she recorded more shows, she grew more confident
in her abilities. “It’s always motivating when we can see ourselves grow and learn new things…It’s a challenge but I love that I’m getting better.” When it comes to the actual recording, Farideh says that was the easy part, but learning the backend elements of setting up the actual podcast was. Thanks to the wonders of the internet (specifically YouTube), she
learned all she needed to about making the technical side of her dream a reality. In the end, Farideh is just happy she has the chance to help people. Her goal is to be featured on the front page of iTunes where she’ll have the chance to build a bigger fan base for her show. By spreading the word to her friends, hopefully more people will tune in once it makes its premiere on iTunes. “I just hope that listeners gain the ability to gain insist into building their own customer base.” Farideh is still involved with music, specifically through the group Rosie and the Riveters, which she performs gospel/folk music with three other ladies. Being in the band reminds her of all the interesting things artist can now do to build their fan base. “Artists have an interesting role to play in business now. We’re expanding our ideas about what we talk about.” Farideh hopes more podcasts made by Saskatchewanians sprout up in the future, but for now she’s content with her place in the podcast world. “Tribe Finder” premieres on Feb. 7 with four episodes on iTunes.
That’s what she said
Her from Spike Jonze is possibly the oddest movie in existence (maybe) destiny kaus a&c writer
I recently went to watch the movie Her with three of my friends. One liked it, one hated it, and one didn’t even know what to think. But whatever. My opinion matters most, and I loved it. Written and directed by Spike Jonze, Her is nominated for best picture in the upcoming 86th Academy Awards. This dramatic romance movie showcases the life of a rather antisocial, solitary writer, Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix), who works as a letter writer: someone who writes letters to individuals’ loved ones because these individuals don’t have time to write their own letters. Sad. Oh well. While Theodore lives his lonely little writer life and deals with the process of going through a divorce, he falls in love with his newly acquired computer operating system named Samantha (the voice of Scarlett Johansson). Wait, What? Yep, I said it. He falls in love with a computer operating system. But, this operating system isn’t like any other operating system. It has the ability to not only help Theodore with any sort of technological issue, but it also talks to him about his problems and develops a mean-
www.cdn.screenrant.com Joaquin Phoenix (Theodore Twombly) contemplates how he got this role.
ingful relationship with him. Overall, despite the fact that this movie was unnecessarily lengthy, I loved it. Why? Because it’s so dang odd and so dang intriguing. There weren’t really any parts that I didn’t like. There were just parts that were way odder than others. For example, who has over-the-phone sex with a chick who gets turned on by getting choked by a dead cat? Theodore does! And, my gosh, the high-waisted pants that literally almost every man wears in this
movie are weird as heck. Like, what’s up with those? I’m pretty sure I laughed my face off at every appearance of those high-waisted trousers. Let me just mention the continuous close-ups of Theodore’s face as well. Yep, that mustache, and that face was plastered on the big screen so many times, it was almost unreal. Speaking of the mustache, I find it intriguing how Theodore’s mustache filled out as the movie went on. To me, this just shows how time realistically passes during the film. Atta be director Spike
Jonze…you paid attention to detail! While the brilliant and vibrant colours fascinated me, they also baffled me. Like, why did Theodore constantly wear red? This question drove me crazy until after the film when I came to the conclusion that Theodore usually wore red when life rocked and blue when life sucked. But then good ol` Theodore threw a wrench into my thinking when he popped up wearing a white shirt at the end. One day I will find out why. One day. Ultimately, even though I loved this movie for its sincere oddness and ability to deeply fascinate me, I think I loved it even more because of its significant, complex plot. Her depicts how society is moving towards a future where people could get so wrapped up in technology that they will stop socializing with humans and only have relationships with technology. With this in mind, what’ll happen if these technology systems crash? We’ll all be screwed. Royally screwed. This is our future. Sounds great doesn’t it? As a whole, Her made me leave the theatre wondering, “What on earth did I just watch?” But, in my opinion, that’s not a bad thing. Movies are supposed to make people think.
O verall,
despite the fact that this movie was unnecessarily lengthy, I loved it. Why? Because it’s so dang odd and so dang intriguing. Destiny Kaus
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the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
a&c
Get your hands dirty Wilderness of Manitoba needs more grit dana morenstein contributor
The first song that begins to play on the Wilderness of Manitoba’s latest studio album, Island of Echoes, evokes the sensation of sitting in on a Zen Buddhist retreat. “Balloon Lamp” is only about a minute long and it could be assumed that it’s meant to set the tone for the rest of the album. Suffice it to say, the “tone” of Island of Echoes is as mellow as Jerry Garcia burning incense while doing downward dog. Depending on your musical preference, this could either be really good, or really bad. “Morning Sun,” the next track, may take you back to Fleetwood Mac’s glory days (think Rumours). The focal drum beat and eclectic mix of both male and female vocals is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s classic The Chain. However, it lacks the raw, gritty vocals of Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, and as a result, is more hippy trippy than rock and roll beauty. Another track, “The First Snowfall,” is a little bit Simon
Killbeat Music Well, at least these guys are bundled up for the cold front coming their way.
and Garfunkel, but with the uniquely laid back, soft, whimsical sound that the Wilderness of Manitoba is known for. “Astral Sea” sounds like Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence,” but the electric guitar that comes in towards the middle gives the album a much needed push. The album’s seventh track,
“White Woods,” sounds a little bluegrassy, which provides the album the switch up it desperately needs by this point. If only the band’s lead vocalists could evoke the same country twang that the album’s obvious musical influence, the Grateful Dead, were able to do back in the seventies. At times, the album is
saved by its song-writing skills. However the lyrics, although poetic and unusual, don’t always fit together quite right. Island of Echoes shares the same downfall of many folk albums; too much emphasis on lyrical content, thereby sacrificing a melody that is sometimes best served simple. What set bands like the
Dead and Fleetwood Mac apart was their ability to push themselves and create a connection to their listener, while evoking the multidimensional sound that Island of Echoes is obviously striving for, but just falls short of. However, the album definitely has its gems. The stand out tune is “Echoes,” which comes together brilliantly to create a nostalgic, poignant quality that is evocative of a comfortably scratchy Zombies song on vinyl. Add to that the poetic beauty of the lyrics, and this track carries all the qualities of a classic. Island of Echoes needs a little bit more hardness, rawness, and grit; then, it could be pushed beyond the limits of the “typical” folksy sound. It doesn’t have enough rock ambiences, despite the album’s obvious classic rock and roll influences. Perhaps this wild bunch needs to pour a tall glass of Southern Comfort and lay off the nag champa. They have so much potential—if only they could get their hands a little bit dirtier.
Big problems and big money
Nintendo’s gaming consoles need a tune-up taras matkovsky contributor
In gaming news, the company Nintendo has seen a decrease in its sales. The Wii U, Nintendo’s entry for the current console generation, severely failed to meet sales expectations as only 2.2 million consoles were sold out of Nintendo’s estimated 9 million. Reports of this and lower than expected 3DS sales led to Nintendo posting a $240 million loss. On gaming sites, numerous theories and explanations as to why Nintendo is in its current state have been given. One of the most common complaints is that Nintendo does not have a good reputation with third-party developers and relies on its own brands, such as Mario and Zelda, too much. Nintendo’s main gaming consoles are too underpowered compared to their Sony and Microsoft counterparts, unable to play games that require high resolutions. Yet another theory is that Nintendo does not cater to the so-called “hard core” market, preferring to make kid-friendly games and ignoring gamers who like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and other types of violent games. Which, if any, have merit? On Jan. 31, I sat down with
Mike, an EB Games employee in Regina. He is at the heart of gaming market action in Regina, and he ended up providing a more optimistic picture of Nintendo’s fortune. Nintendo’s main problem with the Wii U was marketing, or lack thereof. According to him, “the fact that they added a ‘U’ at the end of Wii U threw everyone off, and the fact that they didn’t do a commercial sale on it [made people think] that the gamepad was another [Wii] controller or the system itself. It’s not; it’s the controller. People [thought] that they could use the gamepad to play on the Wii, and it didn’t work out.” He added that more people bought Wiis than the newer Wii U’s. When it came to selling the console in stores, he said that there was a “substantial difference” between how the original Wii sold and how the Wii U sold. On issues with third-party developers, Mike claimed that Nintendo is stronger in the children’s games area. This focus, according to him, has led the company to neglect the development of online gaming capabilities that third-parties nowadays look for. However, he viewed this as a strength for Nintendo rather than a weakness. When asked whether Nintendo had any difficulty reaching the ‘hard-core’
Arthur Ward Nintendo’s “newest” console, the 2DS, has sold 2.1 million units, the bright spot in an otherwise glum financial forecast.
gaming crowd, he said “in my store, I always find fanpeople who are associated with Nintendo willing to buy their products.” Though things may look grim for Nintendo now, they will not be taking this sitting down. On Jan. 30, the company released an official short-term business plan. The main thrust of it was that they would still support the floundering Wii U.
Top on their proposed actions list was to increase awareness for the gamepad and let consumers know just what you can do with it. However, the company is also planning bigger things such as advertising on and creating apps for smartphone customers, improving their online gaming service, investigating new merger and acquisition opportunities and releasing a
the Carillon: big in Japan since 1962
fitness-related add-on for their software. Mike from EB rated this positively with the quip “[Nintendo] may have a lot of problems, but they have a lot of money with which to fix them.” It seems that for now, Nintendo has some lives left in its counter. The question is, will it find more 1-Ups or run out completely?
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
a&c
11
Not Victor Frankenstein
Victor Sawa is leaving the Regina Symphony Orchestra
Arie Molendijk Frankenstein is cool, but symphony is cooler.
destiny kaus a&c writer While Victor Frankenstein is known for creating a monster, Victor Sawa is known for creating and performing beautiful music at the Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO). Though he’s been the music director at the RSO for the past 16 years, he will hang up his cool-conductor-stick-thing at the end of the 2016 season. What? There are seasons in music? Apparently! Music season begins in the fall of each year. I didn’t even know this until now. I am enlightened. Anyway, unlike some of the previous music directors who lasted at the RSO for 14 years or less, Sawa will beat them all out and end his career after 20 years. This deeply impresses me. What a champ.
“He really wanted to mark 20 years with us, so we thought ‘Okay, let’s enter into a contract that takes him to the 20 years’,” says the RSO Board Chair, Terri Harris. “[We] kind of mutually agreed that that would be a good time for him to pass the baton with the RSO.” Ah, that dang little baton. Well, in this case, “that dang massive baton” because Sawa’s musical director shoes will be extremely hard to fill. Harris says, “It is a loss. Victor will be missed because he is such a vivacious personality.” Though I’ve never actually met the man, I can imagine how much he will be missed, because, heck, who doesn’t miss someone with a vibrant, bubbly, cheerful personality no matter what the situation? In my opinion, the RSO definitely has their work cut out for them to try and find a new
music director. “We hope to have a new music director in place by the start of the 2016/2017 season… so the fall of 2016; that’s our goal,” Harris says. To me, this seems like a tough goal. Not going to lie, when I first heard this statement, I sincerely doubted that the RSO would be able to pull it off; after all, amazingly talented music directors don’t just pop up out of nowhere. Or do they? Harris says, “The office has had calls already from across the world from people interested in the position.” Goodness gracious, let me just scrape my gawking jaw off the floor as I try to comprehend the fact that people worldwide do actually want to come to Regina. And, while I’m at it, let me just erase all the doubts I had that the RSO could find somebody awesome to replace Sawa.
Though this all sounds fluffy and glorious, it doesn’t take away the fact that finding a new music director will be difficult. “It’s not easy,” says Harris. “There’s auditions and a worldwide search for a new music director.” Did somebody just say “auditions”? Sign me up! Oh wait, I guess the RSO does have some criteria in place; they need more than just a conductor. Harris says, “We need somebody with the skills. Not only the showman skills and the artistic skills to be a wonderful conductor and maestro, but also somebody who can handle the administrative aspects of the job.” In order to find this certain someone, the RSO will have to sift through a lot of applications and eventually narrow down the field over the next two years. “At some point there will be
applications received and then a short list of applicants determined,” says Harris. “And then, those people will be brought in not only for interviews, but to work with the orchestra and actually perform with the RSO.” At this point, the RSO’s own committee, RSO musicians, the public, and various RSO stakeholders will be able to give their input on the auditioning applicants. Dang. Sounds like I won’t be able to audition. Dreams crushed. Nevertheless, I really do hope the RSO finds a gem. Harris says, “We also have to be optimistic and hope that we can find somebody who will help the RSO move into the next decade…to bring a whole new audience again.” Change sucks. It’s not easy. But, it allows for something new and wonderful to be created. Dang, that’s deep.
half a century ago, with clowns in cars waving to the onlookers. Yet the image that stokes the most curiosity is similar to the first one described. Several traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs surround a black telephone speaker, creating the ultimate juxtaposition of family traditions and a symbol of modernity. Blair Fornwald, the assistant curator of the Dunlop Art Gallery, spoke about Baba’s House and the decision to showcase it. Fornwald, who met Durey in Bruno, Saskatchewan during one of his sojourns to the province, said she was drawn to the project by the artists’ desire to relocate from larger centres in BC to Saskatchewan. Durey told Fornwald of the project and the latter came out to Baba’s house during the previous winter. Fornwald comments that the artwork really commemorates the immigrant communities that came to Saskatchewan. Indeed, many individuals could find similar objects
in their homes. “That juxtaposition in everyone’s house speaks to the hybridized venture of being Canadian,” Fornwald says. Fornwald says the public has given very positive feedback about Baba’s House. She says that several people remembered their own Babas and the things they used to keep around their homes. “There were a lot of conversations about their Babas and common things,” Fornwald says, recalling that several people remembered canning rings and salt and pepper collections. Fornwald comments that she has been touched by the positive feedback from Baba’s House. Many individuals coming to see it have commented on how nostalgic the experience has been. In this time where it feels that some traditions are dying out, it is worth contemplating exhibits like Baba’s House and remembering our heritages.
Tradition meets modernity Baba’s House at the Dunlop liam fitz-gerald contributor
In January 2014, a new exhibition premiered at the Regina Public Library’s Dunlop Art Gallery at its Sherwood Branch. Baba’s House is the creative culmination of Vancouver artists Lucien Durey and Katie Kozak who travelled to Creighton, Saskatchewan in 2012 to create artwork out of the objects in Kozak’s grandmother’s house. Kozak herself is no stranger to art, having studied at the Emily Carr school of Art and Design in Victoria, nor to Creighton, where she grew up. Durey holds a MFA from SFU in Vancouver and is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, splitting time between Vancouver and Saskatchewan. Sophie Ostrowski, Kozak’s Baba (the Ukrainian word for grandmother), vacated her house so that Kozak and Durey could go to work scanning all of the objects found around the
Emily Wright We love our Ukrainian Babas.
house. Everything, quite literally, was scanned, things ranging from meal recipes to photographs to painted eggs to peanuts to salt and pepper shakers. These various objects were on a flatbed scanner and arranged in certain ways to create visually stimulating images. One of these images is a Canadian inter-province vehicle insurance card from 1966 scanned overtop of garden radishes. It is a curious merger of two worlds:
one where the fauna grows undisturbed and the other where regulations and licenses play a role in everyday life. Another image shows a family photograph of generations, with a baby, mother, grandmother and great grandmother sitting at a couch together, placed on top of peanuts, smashed, intact on a black surface. There’s an image of several pictures showing a parade from
sports ROUNDTABLE
Editor: Autumn McDowell sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
Emily Wright Imagine all of them sad now.
taylor sockett, kyle leitch, autumn mcdowell, brady lang
a fifth-ranked Thompson Rivers squad this weekend that the team will have no troubles righting the ship in the final few games.
The Cougars men’s volleyball team earned their first win of the season last weekend against Manitoba and brought their record to 1-17. How many more wins do you think the Cougars will get before the end of the season?
The Saskatchewan Roughriders recently released fan favourite Weston Dressler, who appears to be taking his talents to the NFL. Do you think Dressler will have a long NFL career, or will he be back in the CFL?
hoarding all-dressler chips
Sockett: Don’t ask Blang. He said the Seahawks wouldn’t win the Superbowl (we have video confirmation of this). How bloody sad is it that people are excited about a team being 2-18. I have no clue how many of these athletes are on scholarships, but explain to me why the University is cutting offered programs, raising tuition, yet they tolerate piss poor performances like these. Leitch: Wow, that sucks. When you’ve got the near-inverse record of the 2007 New England Patriots, there’s not much hope left. McDowell: Since I wrote this question the Cougars picked up another win, tying their win-total last year, of two. I hope the Cougars pick up at least one more win so that they can say that they had a record-breaking year. No one has to know what record they broke. Since 2008 they have had a total of 12 wins, including this year. Trinity Western has 13 wins this year alone. Lang: I think that they’re playing with a chip on their shoulders and I believe after knocking off
Sockett: I think he’ll be back. There are several younger, faster, stronger, more skilled players coming up from college. That’s what none of these players from the CFL seem to understand, nonetheless I would like to thank him for his time in Ridernation, wish him the best of luck and hopefully I’m wrong. Leitch: It seems that more and more CFL players are migrating south, and sticking it out. What the hell, I’ll be cautiously optimistic. Dressler is getting drafted to the Detroit Lions, and they’re winning the Super Bowl next season. McDowell: I just can’t see him lasting in the NFL; he’s just so small. I know the guy is talented but you can be someone in the CFL and be an absolute nobody
in the NFL. He’ll be back. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but definitely by the year after that. Hopefully he doesn’t go the way of Fantuz and suck when he comes back. Lang: I think he will have a long career in the NFL. We’ve watched him grow his game in Saskatchewan and we know what he can do as a player. It should be no surprise that he will be successful in the American game. Regina-born snowboarder Mark McMorris recently suffered a fractured rib during an X-games competition. Do you think this injury will affect his performance at Sochi? Sockett: I think anyone who says it won’t is crazy. There’s nothing that can be done for a broken rib – no braces, no casts, nothing. McMorris will feel the pain anytime he moves his midsection let alone if he falls. It will definitely be a lot for him to over come, hopefully he can suck it up and preform through it. Leitch: Hahahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Screw McMorris & McMorris! McDowell: I find it hard to be-
lieve that it won’t affect him. To get enough torque to twist your body so many times in the air has to put some pressure on your core and rib area. Hopefully he can power through it. Shaun White has been dropping out of nearly every slope style event anyway. McMorris, the gold jacket’s yours; Shooter’s gonna choke. Lang: Not to the extent that many people think it will affect him, yet it will be extremely painful for the Regina product. I do fully expect a gold medal for McMorris in Sochi. The MLB recently approved protective headgear for pitchers. Do you think this was a necessary change? Sockett: I hadn’t heard about this prior to today but I went and had a look online and although I think it’s a great idea to protect the pitchers, I don’t think that this new headgear will make much of a difference when the pitcher catches half a bat or a ball in the teeth. Leitch: After as many nasty batfracturing-and-coming-backin-pitchers’-faces videos as I’ve seen, I’m honestly shocked that this hasn’t happened earlier.
McMorris, the gold jacket’s yours, Shooter’s gonna choke!
Autumn McDowell
McDowell: I don’t think it will be that much of a difference. The padding barely covers their head, so them getting hit in the face is apparently a risk that the league is willing to take. A baseball can annihilate a bird into pillow stuffing, so I feel as though that small amount of protection is no match for a homerun hit. Lang: No, not necessary, but after all of the problems that they’ve been having in recent years, I have a feeling that more pitchers than expected will be wearing the protective headgear. The NHL’s trade deadline is just over one month away. Which player do you think most needs a change in scenery? Sockett: If the Jets don’t make a move, I will cry my eyes out. They have become far too complacent with narrowly missing the playoffs. Get rid of anyone but Ladd; he’s the most mediocre captain in the league, which is a pretty cool bragging right. Leitch: Gary Bettman. Time to put that old heifer out to pasture. McDowell: Any member of the Edmonton Oilers, or any member of the Buffalo Sabers. The most likely scenario is that those two teams will come to a deal together and just trade crapiness. They’re boneheads like that. Lang: Any player on the Edmonton Oilers.
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
sports
13
S-U-C-C-E-S-S
U of R cheer team spells success without funds Cougars weekend highlights After a shaky start to 2014, the Cougars were finally able to crack their fivegame losing streak, and earned two much needed wins last weekend against the University of Manitoba (9-11-4). However, they remain in an intense battle for the final playoff spots in Canada West. With just four games remaining, Regina (11-11-2) is in fourth place, but is only separated from seventh place by four points. The Cougars will need all the fan support they can get this weekend at the Cooperators when they face the top team in the conference. Rookie head coach Carly Graham is on a roll. The women’s basketball player, turned assistant coach, turned head coach picked up her third and fourth wins on the weekend and remains undefeated in her CIS coaching career while regular head coach Dave Taylor remains quarantined. The Cougars will finish off the regular season at home back-to-back weekends against Calgary (11-7) and Brandon (5-13). It was a huge weekend for the Cougars track and field team, as Regina owned the podium at the Bison Classic in Winnipeg. The Cougars had two new school record holders, two new CIS-auto qualifiers, five gold medalists, five silver medalists, and six bronze medalists. The Cougars will look to dominate two competitions this weekend as one half of the Cougars will compete at home at the Regina Fieldhouse while the others compete in Windsor Ontario at the Windsor Team Challenge. These will be the last competitions before the Canada West championships. The women’s volleyball had a record-breaking weekend as the team earned their third sweep of the season at home against Thompson Rivers University (0-20). Fifth-year outside hitter Desiree Ates broke the school’s single-season kills record with 286, which puts her on top of the entire league. As a result of their strong weekend, the Cougars (10-10) have officially clinched a playoff spot in Canada West for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Their final match-up of the regular season will be against UBC Okanagan in Kelowna this weekend.
uofrcheer.com We da best.
taylor rattray contributor On Nov. 30, the University of Regina cheerleading team won their fourth National Championship in six years. Due to their overwhelming success, the team was asked to represent Canada at the International Cheer Union (ICU) University Worlds Championships from January 17-19 at the Walt Disney World Resort., What should have been an amazing trip for all members of the squad turned sour when, due to a lack of funds, they were only able to send a small group of four athletes to the competition. For Head Coach Thomas Rath, who has been with the team since 2009, he was very excited about what his team was able to accomplish again this year. “In winning at PC Nationals, [the] Canadian arm of the International Cheer Union invited the top teams to attend Worlds, and all the first place teams at Nationals were extended a free bid to attend,” he said. But, while the registration and accommodations for all teams invited to attend was covered, the team could only afford a few flights and was only able to fundraise enough for a few girls to participate. While their success is obvious, Rath admits the lack of funding is frustrating for the team. “I think for any good team to function, you need finances. For us, in terms of being competitive, there are certain things we require. We bring in instructors and clinicians to come to us and to try to keep us up to date with what’s current and trending in cheerleading,” said Rath, whose squad won back-to-back national champions for the first time
this year. “We don’t really have the appropriate equipment at the school, so we actually have to go out and rent gym space and facilities to accommodate
is still considered a club, they do not receive the same funding that a CIS sanctioned team would receive. “This year, we had 30 plane
uofrcheer.com I wouldn’t be that happy if I was in the air like that.
what we do.” These things, along with the fact that the team must travel outside of the province to compete, cost the team a large amount of money. However, despite being so successful, because the cheerleading squad
tickets to fly out to Toronto [for Nationals], and just in that alone, you’re looking at tens of thousands [of dollars],” he said. “[These things place] a lot of pressure on the kids to either have to fork that out, over and
above what they’re currently paying for their schooling… They have to now pay out of their pockets to do something that represents the school, and [does so] very well.” The team credits their success, despite financial pressure, to the hard work and dedication they spend in practice. “It really just comes down to [the fact that] we have a really good core of veterans that keep passing down and instilling good values into the team,” he said. “We train a decent amount of hours in a fairly consistent manner, so I think that helps a lot too. We did tryouts this year in May, and we trained throughout the summer, so we train a long time before we even go out to Nationals.” In winning at PC Nationals this year, the team sent down a group stunt of four athletes to ICU University Worlds Championships, who represented the rest of their squad very well. “The group got second out of the division and was one of three different Canadian teams that were representing Canada at Worlds,” said Rath. Teams there included athletes from Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Porto Rico, Costa Rica, Japan, Australia, and many more, creating a truly unique experience for the U of R team. The team will go on to the World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida in April to hand out to some other competing teams. Before then, the U of R will host its own competition, the University of Regina Cheerleading Championships (URCC) on March 15th, with the hope of making the event even bigger this year than it ever has been before.
14
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
sports
Saying goodbye to Dressler
CFL fan-favourite tries his luck at the NFL brady lang sports writer
It is the end of an era in Saskatchewan. For the past six years, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have been headlined by North Dakota native, Weston Dressler. Unfortunately, Dressler will not be wearing the Green and White in 2014. Dressler has signed with Kansas City to join the Chiefs in the upcoming NFL season, pending a physical. Many fans shutter at the thought of the long-time Rider wearing something other than a green and white Rider’s uniform, yet we will have to succumb to the inevitable with Dressler. It is just the nature of the beast when it comes to the CFL. Dressler definitely isn’t the first Rider or CFLer that has decided to make the trip down south of the border. In the past few years, many Riders have tried their luck in the NFL such as Andy Fantuz, Kenton Kieth, Cameron Wake, and, of course, newly crowned Super Bowl Champion Brandon Browner. I have no doubt that Dressler can make it big in the NFL with the Chiefs. Despite
Arthur Ward “We’re losing Dressler?”
not being drafted into the NFL in his draft year in 2008, Dressler established himself as a mainstay on the Riders. In just his first year with the team, he amassed 1,123 yards en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award. Dressler was also named the most popular player on the Riders. During the six years Dressler was a Rider, the famed number seven posted incredi-
ble numbers. Over 6,500 yards, 43 touchdowns, and dressing in 98 games for the Green and White. Many could argue that Dressler peaked in his final season with the Riders, winning his only Grey Cup Championship and amassing his fifth 1,000yard season with the club. Even though Dressler’s impact on the field was outstanding, it was his work in the community that really made all of Saskatchewan fall in love with
the Bismark, North Dakota native. Dressler was a mainstay in the community and instantly became a celebrity within all of Saskatchewan. As his career with the Riders grew, Dressler became one of the biggest celebrities on the team and because of that, publicity grew his name in the states as well. A standout receiver in the CFL garnered much attention and at the start of the 2013 season and many fans in Sas-
katchewan knew Dressler’s time with the Riders would soon be coming to an end. With Kansas City, Dressler has released information saying that it was just the right timing with the right team. The receiver also announced that he had asked to wear the number 13 in honour of the 13th man of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. To think that an American coming up from North Dakota has offered something of this nature to the Riders and the city definitely is flattering and it should be taken with a sense of pride for all of Rider Nation. Every time he will put on the Chiefs jersey we will be reminded of great times in Rider Nation. But, from Saskatchewan, I think that we should all thank Dressler, even though his time has come to an end for the Riders – at least for now. Dressler has helped the franchise win a Grey Cup and participate in another during his time in Riderville. Dressler will be missed, but as I said before, it’s the nature of the beast in the CFL; it was his dream to play in the NFL and now he gets to live it. Thank you, Weston. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
Lackluster Bowl
Did the Broncos get the dates mixed up? what the balls? (formerly what the puck?) autumn mcdowell sports editor
Back by popular demand – just kidding, no one reads this – what the balls. This rare phenomenon happens only once a year. A time where I set aside my passionate burning love for hockey, and have an affair with football. The last time this happened was when something actually exciting happened and the Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup. And then there was this, a lackluster Super Bowl, at least if you are relatively impartial to either team, that’s what it was. Being a Minnesota Vikings fan, my season was over back in August. But that doesn’t mean I was going to miss out on the Super Bowl. I was going into the big game wanting a Seattle Seahawks win, but thinking it would be the Denver Broncos walking away with a victory – and I think many people thought the same. The only reason I was slightly on the Seahawks bandwagon was because punter Jon Ryan went to the same high school that I did. Everyone likes to see a Regina boy earn a major championship – unless of course your name is Kyle Leitch, and the Regina boy is Mark McMorris. Still, like any football fan, I sat down on Sunday night to watch the big game, but I had a major inconvenience that happened earlier in the week that
made this awkward and uncomfortable. My TV broke. Now many of you are probably thinking in your head, ‘why does that matter, just go to the bar.’ No, no I will not do that. Watching any kind of game at a sports bar is one of the most
game with the four main men in my life, my dad, brothers and boyfriend. My mom will make an appearance every once in a while, but if the teams are separated by 30 points or less, that is too close for her and she can’t take the pressure – you think I’m
Namath making an appearance in the Ikea monkey’s coat. After that it was slowly downhill. I was really only hoping for an exciting back and forth game, and that I most certainly did not get. From the start of the game it was Seahawks, and that’s how
English.cis-sic.ca Proof he was a Ram.
annoying things in the world. Everyone is loud, drunk, and thinks that they know what they are talking about and how they should be the head coach – despite barely making their high school squad. So yeah, the bar was not going to happen. Plus, I like watching the
lying, but I’m not. So with that in mind, I made my way to my brother’s room, grabbed a spot on the horribly uncomfortable hardwood floor, with my face half a foot away from the TV and began to watch. Possibly my favourite part in the entire game was Joe
it remained, which was slightly shocking – what am I saying, ‘slightly’. It was incredibly shocking. I really wasn’t expecting Nealon Greene to be quarterbacking the Broncos that day, but apparently that’s who showed up. Sure, Peyton Manning set a record for most com-
pletions, but most of them were garbage short routes and those glaring interceptions really took away from his game. They say defence wins championships, and they were right. With all that said, congratulations to Ryan. Even though you only had to punt once, you were one hell of a holder for field goals and points after, and without you, Seattle surely would have lost. Now go bask in your millions, would you. Now, back to hockey.
the Carillon: doing what Denver couldn’t do since 1962
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
sports
15
Too little, too late
Men’s volleyball team hits their stride as the season closes brady lang sports editor
The No. 5 seeded team in the country is no problem for our 1-17 Regina Cougars men’s volleyball team. After a rough start, the squad has now gone 2-2 in the past two weeks and the team is finally putting wins on the board after the lowly start they had at the beginning of the season. The reason? Fifth-year veteran Joel Legasse believes it was a matter of team aggression. “I think we’ve turned the corner as a team [after these two wins],” said the Regina native. “We’ve been more aggressive and everyone has been playing really well. We know that the end of the season is coming and we feel like we can leave it all on the table now. “We weren’t being aggressive enough early on in the season. Our new Australian [Brad Millers] has really helped us as well. We also played the best teams in Canada West in the first half, which didn’t help us at all.” With all of the past set aside, the team looked great this weekend and appear to have turned the corner going
Marc Messett Packed house.
into the final games of the season. Their hard work and ability to leave it on the court night in and night out definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed around those who have watched the club since the beginning of the season. They look like a new team
and really have nothing to lose as the season wears on. Playing in their final two home games last weekend, the Cougars grabbed one of two possible wins against No. 5 ranked Thompson Rivers and came very close to sweeping the weekend against the highly ranked team.
The club looks to be playing with a chip on their shoulder as of late and will try to build off of the momentum they’ve gained in recent weeks into their final games of the 2013-14 season. It’s obvious that the team is way too late on their recent winning ways, but setting a foundation for next year and beyond
has become the focus. Although they are a younger team, they will still be losing five key players in the offseason. But the younger players seem like they’re ready to step up and show what they’re made of in the upcoming seasons. First-year transfer student Millers has made a huge impact on the court, as well as many other young players that the team possesses. Third-years Rhondri Simmonds and Andrew Nelson will take over the team from fifth-years Legasse, Ryan, Nathan Cherwaty, Caleb Eschbach and Marco Vargas next season and the team is in a good spot to build off of and learn from the struggles early on in the campaign. After a 2-20 season in 201213, a lot of fans believed that this would be the year the squad would turn the corner. But, just like last year at this time, the squad is looking to build onto becoming a powerhouse in the CIS – something many believe will happen in the upcoming seasons. The Cougars will wrap up their season next week in Kelowna when they take on UBC Okanagan (4-16). The team will hope to beat last seasons win total of two.
The forgotten sport
Saskatchewan athletes shine bright at Nordic skiing paige kreutzwieser staff writer
With the 2014 Winter Olympics right around the corner and big names like Mark McMorris taking over the spotlight, Nordic skiing has fallen into the shadows. However, Saskatchewan has three athletes – Scott Perras (Biathlon), Colette Bourgonje and Brittany Hudak (Para-Nordic Cross Country Ski) – who will be travelling to Sochi, Russia to prove that the lack of hills in our province can still produce amazing skiers. “You said hills, and there is the giveaway,” said Judy Young, Communications Director for the Regina Ski Club. “When people think skiing they often think downhill skiing. There are 26 ski clubs in the province. Many of them focus on cross country skiing.” With a yearly average of over 500 members, Young explained that there is a significant increase this season. “This year we are breaking the 600 mark, which is really surprising because it is so cold,” she said, “Who is thinking of skiing when the wind chill is taking it into the minus 40s?” Young believes the increase is partly due to the general
ebsadventure.com Gr. 6 me was so frustrated with cross country skiing.
number of people moving into the city, but said it is may be due to the increasing popularity of the sport. “We have a pretty good website, and we publicize the thing and I think the word is just out there,” she said. The Regina Ski Club offers a great display of current information; updated trail conditions is one of the prominent features. “Because you want to know after it snows the state of the trails and if they have gotten around to grooming a certain
place. It is always current,” Young said. Some of the noted trails include Kinsmen Park and the Science Centre, but the most popular goes to White Butte Trails. “White Butte is very heavily trafficked,” she said. “Not just by Regina Ski Club members but by the general public and school groups.” Nordic skiing has trickled into both the public and Catholic school systems. “Some of the emails I get are from parents saying ‘I skied
in grade eight,’ and that is a pattern,” explained Young. “Just getting young kids out in the school environment gives them enough of an interest that they often come back to it as adults.” Young has been an active member for about 22 years and said that long-time commitment is a natural thing for many of the Regina Ski Club members. “Like any organization, we have dedicated people,” she said. “Our facilities director, he has been doing this for 10 or 11 years.”
But it is not just the members who are dedicated to making skiing a prominent activity in the prairies. Young explained that agreements with the City of Regina and the Provincial Government have aided the club in managing their facilities and equipment, but she also knows that the benefits of skiing promotes a healthy lifestyle that these organizations advocate for. “Nordic skiing is a terrific all-around sport. The benefits are terrific because you are using your whole body,” Young said. “It is a balance and coordination exercise and a cardio workout. And it gets you outside in the winter.” For a province that focuses largely on winter sports such as hockey, Nordic skiing can often take the backburner. But Young admits it is a very trans-generational sport. “We’ve got classes for four year olds. And our oldest couple that are skiing everywhere with the club are 80. And we’ve got everything in between.” So, the next time you are at home and contemplating your boredom – go rent a pair of skis and try out the trails, because maybe one day you could be heading off to the Olympics.
op-ed
Editor: Farron Ager op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
Can we talk about feminism? It’s fair to assume that I, as a member of our species who was born with two X chromosomes, would be all in favor of a movement that empowers and liberates people like me. Right? After all, there are many definitions of feminism, but at its bare bones in the dictionary, feminism is essentially just the crazy belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities in political, economic, and social situations. That doesn’t seem too crazy or too radical. But here’s the thing. As a female, I do feel equal in society. I have the right to vote. I have a job. I attend school. I’m a normal, functioning human being, just like everyone else. Am I the exception to the rule? Maybe. But I’m not just saying that I feel equal to men to support my opinion. It’s the truth. I study film and video production here at the U of R, a program that is largely dominated by men. Most of my classes have a lot of men in them, and I am almost always in the minority as a female. But being one of the only girls in a class doesn’t make me feel like I’m oppressed, or like I am a victim of “the patriarchy”. I have never once felt disadvantaged or looked down upon by my peers for being a woman. The guys in my program, or in any of my classes, have never excluded me from working on projects, or from social events, or from voicing my opinion in class. I never feel objectified or
sexualized just for being a woman in a room full of men. We’re all just students, and we are all equals. Shocker! My problem with feminism is not that I don’t believe in equal rights for men and women. Of course I do. My problem with feminism is the way that
the life that you were born into allows you a certain amount of privileges in the world. But what about female privilege? Was I really born at such a disadvantage just because of what’s between my legs? You rarely hear women being scorned for using their
high heels in an attempt to potentially score some free drinks, I’m empowered. When men fantasize about women with the bodies of Victoria’s Secret models, they’re objectifying women and setting unreal standards for female beauty. When women drool over guys with chiseled
inherent femininity to their advantage. A guy flirting with a female police officer to get out of a speeding ticket would be labeled as a sexist pig, but when I bat my eyelashes and giggle at a male cop and drive away with no ticket (true story), it’s just a cute anecdote. When a guy goes to the bar with the intention of finding a girl, he’s disgusting and sex-crazed. When I put on a push-up bra and mile-
jawlines and six-pack abs, they just have high standards, and know what they like in a man. Let’s not forget the day when half of the female population of Regina lost their minds because Channing Tatum was rumored to be in town – if guys got that worked up about the possibility of seeing a sexy female celebrity, they would be scorned for acting like sex obsessed cavemen.
Kyle Leitch
some people seem to go about seeking this equality. I do not believe that celebrating and liberating one group of people while ignoring or even going so far as to despise the other is the right way to go about things. We hear a lot of talk about things like male privilege, with the internet continually imploring white heterosexual males to “check their privilege”, or to remember that the body and
I’m sick of people telling me that I need feminism. I loathe the way that other girls look down on me for saying that I don’t really believe in feminism. I hate the looks that my female friends give me when I tell them I’m hanging out alone with my male friends. I despise the way that my female professor makes eye contact with me the entire time she talks about feminism in a class full of men, automatically assuming that my beliefs align with hers because of what’s between my legs. I can’t stand the stereotypes that all men are sexist, or rapists, or that acts like someone opening a door for me is offensive or misogynistic. Am I an advocate for women’s rights? Of course. But, I like to think that I’m an advocate for everyone’s rights, regardless of gender, orientation, religious denomination, race, or anything else. I believe that our society shouldn’t continually try to divide itself into “us vs. them.” I don’t hate feminists, or the movement of feminism. I just don’t believe in liberating one gender by disenfranchising other genders.
emily wright graphics editor
Maybe it is the outside that counts A University of Calgary study has proven that I am a complete sucker for pretty things. They suggested that wrapping food in a pretty package is as likely to influence a child’s food choice as a brand name. Well I’ll be darned, I think like a preschooler. They tested these children by placing the same burger in McDonalds’, Starbucks’, and plain white and colorful non-branded wrapping and asked them to chose between which burger they like best. This study claimed the children would not associate anything with the Starbucks logo, but we all know hipsters are starting to have children. So, I’d like to call their bluff on that one. Regardless, the little tots seemed to like the food in the more decorated wrappers. They tested this with carrot sticks as well and the Starbucks sticks were just as comparable as the McDonald’s sticks. This just reaffirms my theory of hipster off breeds but we will let that slide. What is interesting about this study is that I decided to look into my own lifestyle and see if I was subject to this type
Ninrate
of psychological marketing ploy. I realized the sad truth of my existence, and I wish I could take it back. I will start with the first thing that came to my mind after reading about this study – burgers. Did I really think I would be a fool to think packaging made a difference? Well it did. A&W had to be my favorite fast-food joint until they’ve
decided to “go green” and change their classic foil wrapping to a bag half the size that has the durability of their napkins. Their burgers just don’t taste the same when you can’t hold the item knowing it is going to drip all over you because their wrapping won’t contain their innards. Although that is more of a practicality complaint, my sec-
ond thought was cereal. We all know Corn Pops tastes way better than Corn Dunks – the President’s Choice brand. It’s not because the latter may be of lesser quality, but rather because the first has exploding goodness of corn cereal coming at you. And lets be honest – a poorly timed alley-oop by a green dinosaur just doesn’t make the cut for me.
I could go on about how it is possibly the brand name that makes the difference but it really does come down to the pretty packaging. Many things I buy depend on the packaging – pistachios, tampons, and cream cheese to name a few. However, I am sure many of you reading this don’t want to hear about why I think floss that comes in a futuristic container that would withstand a nuclear attack is better than the stuff that comes in a plain white plastic box. They are both containing pieces of string going between my teeth. It’s not to say that quality doesn’t matter. But sadly, what does matter a great deal to me is how something comes wrapped. That is why when girls see a little blue box with a white ribbon they freak out. Yes, there is likely a nice piece of Tiffany’s jewelry inside, but gosh, that box sure makes it a lot more pretty.
paige kreutzwieser staff writer
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
op-ed
17
The legacy continues Can I ask you one question? Since when did the Olympics morph from being a slightly dubious good-will engine powered by underfunded sports into an egotistical, underhanded, shady as all hell enterprise which specializes in putting dollar signs (or Rubles) before the safety of athletes? As an athlete in a major Paralympic sport (you’ll see why I added this preface in a few words), I am hoping that we don’t have more eligible athletes after the games than we did before. While it would be great for the sport, I do not want to see Roberto Luongo as the starting goalie for the sledge hockey team in 2018. I think that the statement “Well, Sochi will be the safest place in Russia for those two weeks,” is like saying “it’s safe, just don’t go near transportation hubs, avoid large gatherings, and make sure that you do not attract attention.” A safety plan with that many caveats is as faulty as a Russian figure skating judge’s evaluation of a long routine. This is to say nothing of the swift and hateful crackdown
on the LGBTQ community that the world seems to highlight occasionally. Hi, mainstream media. Could you please - for the love of all things good and sporty - mention the fact that people who fly rainbow flags at the games could be putting themselves in danger? This hostile environment flies straight in the face of “the moral beauty” of the Olympics that was described by the founder of the International Olympic Committee. I realize that culture is an important consideration here and that this hatred of certain groups is not something that has made a sudden appearance. Having said that, shouldn’t places where the equality that we, us know-it-all armchair bobsledders (or whatever you’re into), always champion, is denied also be stripped of the chance to hold this upstanding (read: corrupt) sporting event? This year it’s intolerance and lack of safety, and 2016 looks to be the year of the Olympic environmental disaster. This brings me to a new idea inspired by the Chinese
Sludge G
New Year. What if we name each Olympic year after its corresponding controversy? For example, London 2012 could have been the year of the lip-syncing,
2008 the year of underage gymnasts choking on air pollution (not as creepy as it feels to type) and 2014 the year of the terrorist threat. All that being said, if we
London 2012 could have been the year of the lip-syncing, 2008 the year of underage gymnasts choking on air pollution (not as creepy as it feels to type) and 2014 the year of the terrorist threat.
eliminated every single country with hate issues, we would be holding the event on the Moon. Maybe that’s the point of the excursion to Mars, to find a place where the events can be held without persecution or, you know, oxygen.
john loeppky contributor
The matter of mining metadata In a recently breaking story, American spy contractor turned whistle-blower Edward Snowden revealed that the Communications Security Establishment of Canada (CSEC) used information from the free Internet service at a major Canadian airport to track the wireless devices of airline passengers, even for days after they left the terminal. At this point, CSEC is doing massive damage control, saying that what was actually going on understanding airport Wi-Fi systems. The agency claims that they were collecting metadata, instead of the actual content of the messages. John Forster, chief of CSEC is going all out in attempt to stopple this leak. He has also gone on record saying that the data wasn’t collected in real-time nor was the collection an actual operation (i.e. actually tracking a person in real time). To top it all off, Forster even goes so far as to say that “[data collection] also helps us to make sure that we are not targeting Canadian private communications.” Basically, what CSEC is saying is that it wasn’t their intention to collect metadata of Canadians in the airport for the purposes of spying, but rather
dosdisparos.com
to “build an analytical model of typical patterns of network activity around a public access mode.” They were trying to find a way to determine communication patterns in places as public as an airport. I would assume then that this model would then be used in the future against
foreign ne’er-do-wells. But let’s consider what metadata is. CSEC is forbidden by law to target the private communications of Canadians without a judicial warrant. That part is cut and dried. However, metadata works slightly differently in that it’s information about
information and, therefore, is actually not considered private information. And yet, you can still find out a lot of things through metadata. Going down the list, with metadata, I can find out your location and telephone numbers of phone calls you make and receive, when you made those calls, as well as information about things you send, say an mp3 or jpeg from your phone. With metadata, I can easily find out that you sent a file roughly the size of photograph to your ex at three in the morning on a Saturday while you were at a bar, only after calling no less than nine times before and five times after. Your ex answered once and then proceeded to not answer the following thirteen calls afterwards. It was only after listening to “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” by Hank Williams six times that you visited a dating website for eighteen and a half minutes. I might not know what you actually said or what you texted, but I’ve got a pretty good idea. The one point I do need to iterate though is that, regarding this particular issue, CSEC has not broken the law. I wouldn’t even say they were bending the rules. The problem lies in the
rules themselves. Even though metadata will not betray you and reveal your message about how much you hate your boss, any person with enough metadata can draw the lines for themselves and come to that conclusion. It is at this point we have a fissure between the Canadian government and its citizens. Is there reasonable amount of information, meta or not, that we should expect to be monitored? While I wouldn’t say now is the time to start sharpening your knives and Google searching yourself, I think that Canadian citizens should, at the very least, become aware of what their privacy currently entails.
farron ager op-ed editor
18
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
op-ed
Pop is bottled in plastic too In September 2013, the University of Saskatchewan’s Environment and Sustainability Student’s Association began advocating the ban, with one of its representatives stating that “tap water is safe and it’s also the more sustainable way to consume water.” Indeed, the U of S has joined the ranks of several other universities and municipalities pushing for a ban on bottled water including the University of Toronto, Memorial, Ryerson, Winnipeg and on a macro-level, the New York City Council, U.K Green Party and Denmark. Opponents of bottled water also oppose the idea of capitalizing on a resource necessary to sustain life. If something like this can pass at the University of Toronto or any larger university in southern Ontario or the United States, then it can at the U of
S. However, is such a ban really the best policy option? Quintin Zook, the U of S’ director of consumer services, mentioned in discussions with Global News that such a ban may produce unintended consequences, one of them being that individuals may start consuming more soft drinks, which, if I’m not mistaken, are also bottled in plastic. I think that Mr. Zook is onto something. I’m not hearing a call for a ban on plastic soda beverages and I thought there was something about an obesity epidemic in North America. An unintended side effect that I’m worried about with bottled water bans are situations where water supplies become contaminated. Suppose that tons of chemicals wind up in a municipal tap water supply. Bottled water could help out in that situation. The mess that
Dumb TV
ABC
Ah, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette: two popular TV shows that showcase a bachelor or bachelorette searching for love amongst a horde of eligible sin-
gles. Now, let me be honest. I love watching these two shows. The drama makes me chuckle, and even though couples rare-
occurred in the state of Virginia a couple of weeks ago shows a situation where it could come in handy. Where there should be real concern is over the commoditisation of water. However, a more effective method to discourage bottled fresh water may be taxes. After all, what kills private interest in something quicker than a tax? Simply making it unprofitable to capitalize on fresh water could curb abuses of it. On top of that, let’s add a quota of who can sell fresh water and how much can be taken. The result is twofold, bottled water is now expensive and used less, but there is still a supply of it available in case of emergencies. I’m all for having more water bottle filling stations on campus, but I do think bottled water can serve a purpose during wa-
ly work out, there’s a part of me that hopes each season that the bachelor or bachelorette will find everlasting love. But, enough of that sap. Overall, I really do think these shows are exceedingly dumb and they shouldn’t exist because the process doesn’t work. Why are The Bachelor and The Bachelorette so dumb? Well, first of all, the drama (as funny as it is) gets ridiculous. Girls can be so catty and guys can be so deceptive that all the drama takes away from the whole purpose of the show. For example, in Season 17 of The Bachelor, Sean Lowe fell hard for Tierra LiCausi. This young lady literally made no friends on the show, argued her face off almost every episode, and burst into tears all the time.
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ter supply emergencies. I also think that having bottled water as an option, as opposed to just pop, also justifies its continued existence. If such an initiative comes up at the U of R, how about we chat in conjunction with city council and representa-
tives from provincial and federal governments about taxing rather than prohibiting.
Finally, nearing the end of the season, Sean sent her home. What an emotional rollercoaster that was. Additionally, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are nearly pornographic. Bikini clad ladies and shirtless men plaster the TV screen, taking the focus of the shows from watching someone search for love to watching sexy bods run around on the screen. Dumb. Google further showcases the utter dumbness of these shows. All I had to do was type in “Why is The Bachelor dumb?” or “Why is The Bachelorette dumb?” and I got bombarded by tons of blog posts and articles stating how stupid these shows are. And what do I get when I type in, for example, “Why is
The Bachelor awesome?” Nothing. *cue the crickets* Along with the sheer stupidity of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, I honestly don’t think they should exist because so many of the couples who find love at the end of the show do not end up together in the weeks, months, and years following; the process doesn’t work. According to Bachelor statistics, out of 17 seasons, 1 bachelor tied the knot with the young lady he proposed to on the final episode: Season 17’s Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici got married on Jan. 26 2014.
liam fitz-gerald contributor
destiny kaus a&c writer
Hands off Ukraine! US Secretary of State and failed presidential candidate John Kerry made a trip to Munich to visit Ukrainian pro-EU opposition politicians and business magnates this weekend. Among them, former-boxer turned centre-right politician, Vitali Klitschko. The only appropriate international response to the imperialism of the USA, the EU, and the Russian Federation is: hands off Ukraine! The economic imperialism of the EU and Russia has come to a head in the Ukrainian civil conflict. Russia has been gradually encircled by the Western world throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; this is the reasoning the West used to justify massive invasions of Korea and Indochina, as well as CIA intervention in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Rather than building up networks of loyal clients, the imperial powers should make an effort to better the lives of the global poor without attaching crippling debt to loans.
In late November, Ukraine suspended its signing of an association agreement with the European Union and cancelled the attached IMF loan which would have called for the freeing of political prisoners, drastic attacks on the welfare state, and a gradual 40% increase in consumer heating gas prices. Support for this agreement was strongest in the affluent west and derided heavily in the east and south where support for Yanukovych’s authoritarianism remains strong. In recent days, the opposition groups have attempted to downplay the influence of the far-right on their revolutionary moment; current photos still show large amounts of Svoboda propaganda posters and banners. Svoboda, or All-Ukrainian Union is a deeply reactionary, nationalist, and anti-Semitic party whose imagery is reminiscent of Greece’s Golden Dawn – the anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic party making major headway in
the world’s oldest democracy. If the Ukraine were to enter the EU, it would be as a junior partner and peripheral state with a less developed economy. We see what has begun to happen in Ireland, Greece, and Spain following their inability to keep up with Germany and the West: who on Earth would wish this fate upon themselves? Prior to the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych there were annual parades of Ukrainian SS collaborators who carried out Hitler’s genocidal policies on the Eastern Front: the murder of five to eight million Ukrainians – of those, 500,000 Jewish-Ukrainians. Under Yanukovych, these celebrations of genocide have been banned and rightfully so; it is likely these will return with a return to the reactionary politicians of the mid-2000s. To call what is happening in the Ukraine a revolution fails to describe what is actually happening. This is a violent political demonstration against one cor-
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rupt, autocratic regime in favour of another, kinder, gentler type of autocracy in the form of modern European capitalism: inventor of industrialized barbarism and racism. Ukrainians should attempt to plot an independent course rather than be forced to choose between two forms of imperialism; in the spirit of the Non-Aligned Movement the Ukraine should plot a course be-
tween the two opposing tracks as neither presented option offer freedom for the Ukrainian people.
john kapp contributor
the funny section
the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
Shit the Carillon says! the staff Two things are certain at the Carillon: hate mail and production night. As usual, we’ve collected some more snippets from conversations heard around the office to enlighten our dear readership of how messed up of individuals we truly are. Dive into another edition of Shit the Carillon says! Noticing a Youtube ad: Why is there mormon.org advertising on my video? Worst yet, why does it look like an NDP ad? I thought the NDP were more Hutterite with the way Thomas Mulcair rocks his beard. A whole tribe of Mulcairs? Jesus, we’re doomed. I feel like a piece of shit today. And that’s what you’ll be called from now on, Shit Piece! Ezra Levant is my enabler!
ing that story up, but I’d be just fine forgetting it. Remember when you could park at Luther College, even when it was 11:15 AM? Pepperidge Farm remembers. I think we need to have some Flash Gordon soundtrack in our lives right now. Looking at past issues from years back is both enlightening and depressing at the same time. I’ll be damned if you get a quote from me for your stupid humor piece! You’ve run this organization right into the fucking ground. I remember the days when administration said my opinion matters. Been waiting two years for that follow-up email.
You know, you guys keep bring-
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Farron Ager
Editor: Emily Wright graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
sincerely, the carillon
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the carillon | February 6 - 12, 2014
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