the Carillon - Hebrew and UofR?

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 January 30 - February 5, 2014|Volume 56, Issue 17|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

In case you haven’t heard, the University of Regina is planning on partnering with the Hebrew University in a controversial deal that would see the U of R include programs that provide degrees in effective oppression.

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

Of course, this is psychotic. News writer Eman Bare reports on the ramifications such a deal would present in the news feature on pages 10 & 11.

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 liam fitz-gerald, allan hall, dana morenstein, david maher, laura billett, matt wincherauk, jessica bickford, john murney, ravinesh sakaran, john loeppky, evan radford

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

Vocal equality.

page 4

The Sasktchewan chapter of Equal Voice is attempting to change the old boy’s club that is Canadian politics by actively supporting female politicians.

Support the cause on page 4.

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 7

Liam Fitz-Gerald, resident expert in all things art, lends his considerable reviewing skills to Bruce Springsteen’s new album.

The Boss reviewed on page 7.

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.

JUICE SPRINGSTEEN!

sports

op-ed

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

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

the manifesto

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

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

The University never got 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.

Awful plate.

page 14

The Carillon had the no-so-bright idea that we were going to predict the outcome of the Super Bowl.

Most people would just write downsomewhat intelligent predictions on a piece of paper, but we decided to predict the game using Madden, because we are Playstation nerds.

Tweet on, you crazy diamond.

page 15

Fangirl Jessica Bickford combatted social anxiety with social media. From hermit to Tweetups, read the amazing transformation of our favourite nerd on page 15.

In other news: ich bin ein Berliner.

news a&c sports op-ed cover

photos

Allan Hall Bill Ebbesen Julia Dima socialnicole.com Emily Wright

news

Editor: Alec Salloum news@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

No easy answers

Japanese dolphin hunting has garnered great controversy, but is it justified?

Mikol International attention has been focused on the slaughter of dolphins.

liam fitz-gerald contributor Every year, the tiny village of Taiji, in southern Honshu, Japan, becomes the center of international controversy stemming from an annual dolphin hunt.

Village fisherman use metal poles with long flanges at the end of them to scare dolphins, who rely on sound and acoustics to navigate in their aquatic environments, into a nearby cove. Some dolphins are sold into captivity by the fishermen, who profit from exporting dolphins to aquariums worldwide.

For most of the dolphins that remain unsold, the fate is death.

An environmental organization called the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) told Metro UK recently that the dolphins are killed by having “metal rod[s] stabbed into their spinal cord[s], where they [are] left to bleed out, suffocate and die.” The organization further commented that the death is not instantaneous and the process can last up to half an hour.

The SSCS has pointed out that 50 dolphins have been sold into captivity The Taiji dolphin hunt has received increased attention and criticism in recent years after a 2009 Academy award winning documentary film called The Cove recounted an environmental organization’s successful infiltration of events at the village. Camera and sound equipment smuggled into the cove captured the dolphin hunt on film and showed it to audiences around the world. Conservation groups such as the aforementioned SSCS have protested the hunt, as well as celebrities like Yoko Ono, who fears that Japan’s reputation could be damaged by such a practice. High profile political figures like am-

bassadors Caroline Kennedy, of the United States, and Timothy Hitchens, of the United Kingdom, have taken to Twitter to condemn the practice. Furthermore, the recent film, Blackfish, highlighted life for Orcas in captivity has also added to the climate, with the film crew of that production calling on SeaWorld to denounce Taiji.

Japanese officials have regarded the protests against the dolphin hunt as biased and hypocritical. Indeed, the fisherman and several public officials have pointed out that Westerners have no problem killing and consuming cows, pigs, and chickens every year, while vehemently objecting to Japan’s cultural practices. Not only that, but dolphins are not classified as an endangered species and the prefecture of Wakayama, the site of Taiji, has quotas and regulations over how many can be killed yearly. The fishermen also claim that this is an indigenous tradition and their way of making a livelihood, which, due to the economic situation in Japan, is getting harder and harder to come by. Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister defended the practice, saying that the local economy prospers from it.

Still, the question is daunting due to how intelligent dolphins are perceived to be. Dolphins, which include several species like orcas and bottlenose, have been observed partaking in activities that highly intelligent animals would do, such as caring for their elderly. Some scientists have even advocated the notion that dolphins can recognize themselves and are thus self-aware although recently the scientific community has debated this assertion. However there remains the idea that they are intelligent, self-aware animals.

Several University of Regina

professors shared their opinions on the Taiji cove dolphin hunt.

Philip Charrier, a professor of history specializing in modern Japan, maintains that while it is right for violent and inhumane treatment of animals to be questioned, he says that Westerners are all too quick to claim the moral high ground and there should be serious consideration for other cultures and their points of view on animals.

“Cultures across the globe have different understandings to what extent animals can be thought of as human-like in relation to how they might feel and experience pain,” he said, emphasizing that Westerners should be careful before judging other societies and pointing out that animal abuse around the world is widespread. Charrier says at times the championing of animal rights can come at the cost of being too respectful to other cultures. “[The perspective on dolphins] is a very modern Western perspective applied to practices that exist in quite a different cultural and historical context,” he said.

Charrier says that while many urbanized Japanese feel that the dolphin hunt “tarnishes [Japan’s] image abroad,” there is a real concern over the disappearance of local customs in Japan and nobody wants to take responsibility for abolishing such traditions.

Charrier points out that Westerners should not pretend that horrible things don’t occur in their own cultures. Indeed, whaling and dolphin hunts occur in the West as well, with the Faroe Islands of Denmark being one such place. In Canada, there has been controversy in recent years over the seal hunt, which has been condemned by animal rights activists but supported by

the Canadian government as a form of cultural tradition.

Herbert Korte, a professor of philosophy at the University of Regina specializing in animal rights, isn’t as convinced by the notion of animal rights being balanced with cultural traditions.

“Legal and moral rights trump traditions, cultural and/ or religious practices and institutions; and moral rights even trump legal rights. For example, child labour, female circumcision, various forms of subjugation of women (e.g., bride burning, honour killing) is justified in some countries on cultural and/ or religious grounds, but is outlawed in most Western countries, because such practices constitute an egregious violation of human moral rights,” he said via email.

Korte added that an argument appealing to tradition and cultural practices is inadequate if non-human animals possess moral rights. Such a move would mean a re-evaluation of morality as it currently stands.

However, he upholds that people are inconsistent when it comes to standards for protecting animals.

“Pigs, for example, are more intelligent than cats and dogs, and they are very clean and social in their own natural habitats. We are horrified when we learn that some Asian restaurants eat cats and dogs, yet we eat bacon and ham, not giving it a second thought. We cherry pick the animals we love and care for. Animals such as sharks and, in some cases, wolves, are deemed unworthy of our love and respect.” Korte continued by highlighting that trapping is still “a legitimate and celebrated industry in North America.”

Mark Brigham, a professor of Biology, had similar conclu-

sions, saying that the dolphin hunt produces such outrage because the animals are considered cute as opposed to pigs, which are considered “tasty.”

“It’s absolutely no different from the attention the east coast seal hunt has attracted. In any given year there are tens of thousands of baby seals killed,” he said, emphasizing that humans value animals based on their looks.

Brigham, who studies bat ecology and behavior, points out, “Most people think that bats are vermin and have no problem killing them.”

On balancing cultural traditions and conservation of animals, Brigham said the answer is not so straightforward.

“Just because something has been practiced historically, doesn’t mean from a conservation perspective that it’s okay. It doesn’t mean it’s wrong, but it doesn’t mean it’s okay. It needs to be evaluated,” he said, meaning that the specific situation matters for certain animal practices.

Still, Korte maintains that even if individuals are inconsistent by supporting greater protection for dolphins as opposed to other animals, it still is beneficial for them to speak out against such practices.

“I think it is appropriate for us to protest against the dolphin hunt in Japan and any other atrocities committed against animals on our planet, despite our own moral shortcomings with respect to how we treat animals. To be concerned about some animals but not others, while inconsistent, is clearly more desirable than not being concerned about any animals.

At least there is some hope that people will eventually realize their inconsistency and as a consequence make some lifestyle changes.”

4

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

news

Equal voices must be heard Sask. Equal Voice chapter supports women serving in federal and rural offices. paige kreutzwieser staff writer

With only 18.9 percent female representation in the Saskatchewan Legislature, Equal Voice is looking for change.

The organization is focused on promoting women who are interested and involved in Canadian politics.

Unfortunately, the Saskatchewan chapter started off a on a dormant foot. “[In 2010] it never really took off…In part because the type of women who were attracted to trying to make sure women got elected into parliament were all super busy women,” said the chapter’s interim chairwoman, Tina Beaudry-Mellor.

A major focus of Equal Voice is to support women who are currently serving in public office.

“Once they are in office, they need someone to stand up and defend them,” explained Beaudry-Mellor.

A recent example of the support needed is with Conservative MP Michelle Rempel.

Beaudry-Mellor explained that Rempel was the target of crude and violent Twitter messages.

“Those are examples where Equal Voice needs to standup and say ‘this is not ok and how should the public deal with these sorts of things?’”

What the Saskatchewan

Allan Hall The Saskatchewan chapter is also looking to involve the younger generation.

chapter is specifically looking to do is bring the focus to rural politics. Beaudry-Mellor attended the national Equal Voice strategic meeting in Ottawa last October. There she noticed a lack of support for the western provinces.

“It is very eastern Canada centric, and they organize events with this is in mind. If we really want to reach out to other women, we really need to think about rural municipalities, and we also really need to reach out to Aboriginal women in band councils and tribal councils.”

Along with the western presence at the national level, the Saskatchewan chapter has other focuses for the upcoming year. Lobbying government and organizations is one of these.

“We ask [all levels of government] ‘what are you doing to try and attract female candidates?’ And, we pressure them to consider female candidates,” explained Beaudry-Mellor.

The Saskatchewan chapter is also looking to involve the younger generation. Beaudry-Mellor knows what type of experience young women can

get from being involved in an organization like Equal Voice.

But Equal Voice is more than just about experience.

“It is also about changing different models of leadership and how we celebrate and support leadership.”

Beaudry-Mellor would like to see the image of popular women to change from the Kardashians of the world to the Beverley McLachlins or Belinda Stronachs of our country. “[Society] doesn’t know who those women are and those women are really contributing in

really substantive way. Getting young people involved in Equal Voice creates a culture where, especially women, we shift away from thinking how we look and what we wear is not the measure of success and rather there are other measures.”

For Beaudry-Mellor, the networking opportunities with something like Equal Voice is one of the most invaluable features.

“If I could go back to my younger self and find that environment, I wonder where I would be today,” confessed Beaudry-Mellor.

Men are also targets for Equal Voice. “I have long believed that women-only networks will never get you there. If it’s true that men rule the world, then we need male partners in order to change the model of public leadership that is out there.”

If students are looking to get involved, Beaudry-Mellor said Equal Voice has many opportunities. Research, volunteer work, and social media are just a few of the ways.

Although there is still much work to be done, Beaudry-Mellor is pleased with where women are in our country.

“There is an increasing trend in women’s representation and in women’s decision making in society. And I see that as really positive.”

U of R books series

James Pitsula explores the cultural and social history of the U of R in the 1960s michael chmielewski editor-in-chief

Have you ever walked the halls of the U of R and wondered who has gone there before you, what events took place, or what the important issues were on campus decades ago? If you’ve had time to think of anything besides your daily, or semesterly, grind, most likely this thought has come across your mind. Now, with James Pitsula’s book New World Dawning: The Sixties at Regina Campus, it is possible to gaze back to an amazing time period in this institution’s history.

New World Dawning explores the so far most interesting post-WWII decade, the 1960s, and it analyzes the infamous decade in context of the Regina campus of the University of Saskatchewan. This institution was a part of the U of S until 1974, but before that it was a red (in alignment)-hot liberal arts and sciences college of the U of S. The campus provides an interesting focal point to spring off Pitsula’s study. Pitsula, a retired professor of history who taught at the U of R from 1978 to 2013, used the Carillon as a primary source.

Emily Wright James Pitsula provides some interesting history on the Carillon.

“The Carillon was an excellent source. The quality of the writing was good, and the articles opened a window to the 1960s,” said Pitsula. He also mentions the conflicts the staff at the time had over their vision of the paper, in terms of what journalism should be. Some thought the paper should be

“objective,” while others argued for “advocacy” journalism.

The paper at the time was controversial. Some more notable incidents include publishing the FLQ Manifesto in protest of Pierre Trudeau’s imposition of the War Measures Act, talking to the famous Black Panther, Fred Hampton, two weeks before

he died, running a two page spread of, as Pitsula writes, a political message that depicted “a womb, a penis, pelvic bones that look like skulls (or vice versa), seeds (or drops of blood?)” that contained the message “Happy New Year From The Carillon.” It turns out, the “figure both in and emerging from the womb is Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Vietnamese independence movement and president of North Vietnam. Pretty cool.

The then Board of Governors tried to shut down the paper.

As you can see, the Carillon survived the Board’s efforts. Read more about ridiculous life and times of the Carillon in New World Dawning.

There was more of the 1960s here than the Carillon though. Pitsula explains that the campus “experienced major growth in the 1960s, and both reflected and expressed the spirit of youth, innovation, and idealism that was characteris-

Be sure to read our feature news piece on pages 10 & 11.

tic of that era. It took the lead in such things as the anti-war movement, women’s liberation, Aboriginal rights, and student power.”

Obviously, there has been quite a change since then, and it seems now that there is a huge difference in student politics amongst generations. Pitsula explains that the change isn’t in student politics “per se,” but more so in the “general social and economic climate in which student politics operate.”

“The youth of the [1960s] viewed the world through rose-tinted glasses.

They thought they had the answer to everything, but now we see that perhaps they did not.”

There are many more interesting facts to learn from Pitsula’s book, such as the fact that the same designer who designed the World Trade Center also planned this campus.

Once, I was sitting in the classroom building and reading New World Dawning when a man with bad teeth, fatigues, and a big military style backpack yelled at me “that’s a bad book.” When asked why, he responded “because of the cover.

I don’t like it.”

Don’t listen to that guy. He’s wrong.

a&c

Editor: Robyn Tocker aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

Philosophy’s tears Big hearts but missing the bucks

Michael Chmielewski Hey U of R, let’s not cut philosophy, okay?

destiny kaus a&c writer

When I took a philosophy class last year, I realized that I sincerely lacked the ability to think critically (so discouraging). Thus, because of my bitterness, I deemed philosophy as a useless field of study.

Over the last little while, I have come to discover that philosophy is actually pretty cool.

And, thanks to Dr. David Elliott, an associate professor for the University of Regina’s philosophy program, I now know what philosophy is.

“Philosophy, I think, is a rational discipline that focuses on critical thinking and that develops at least two different kinds of skills…analytical thinking and, secondly, evaluation,” says Elliott Boom. There it is. At the beginning of his career, Elliott taught philosophy to gifted teens who were not in high school but who wanted to pursue university and a career. Sadly, this was probably one of Elliott’s worst experiences.

“That experience decided for me that I was a terrible teacher of non-adults,” says Elliott. “I had absolutely no skill or confidence in that and found it one of the most painful experiences of my life.”

This statement makes me chuckle because it speaks the truth. Teens can be difficult little critters to teach.

Nevertheless, Elliott moved on from this disaster, bounced around for a few years with contractual appointments, and finally found his groove when the University of Regina offered him a position to teach.

Dr. Elliott says, “I was very fortunate. I think that’s the way to put it. I was very lucky.”

By saying that he got lucky landing a job as a professor of

philosophy, does he perhaps allude to the fact that finding a job relating to philosophy in Regina is ridiculously hard? I think so! The man says so himself: “The jobs aren’t here.

There’s just a limited job market.”

Dang. Poor little Regina’s limited job market crushes the dreams of budding philosophy students. Heck, in bigger, less isolated areas like Vancouver or Toronto, philosophers could probably find an ideal job no problem. But, what kind of jobs are actually out there?

Well, according to Elliott, many students who get their BA degrees in philosophy move on to law degrees or various other MA programs.

Other potential jobs include government positions or civil service positions in communication or policy or becoming noted academics. Yay! You can actually do something with a philosophy degree besides teaching other people philosophy.

But, let me clarify. Just because Dr. Elliott chose to solely become a philosophy teacher, it does not in any way mean that he did not make something out of himself. He loves teaching; that is his passion, so power to him.

In my opinion, while taking higher education in order to get a higher paying, ideal job is totally legit, studying a subject that you actually enjoy despite job opportunities is more important; philosophy students have the heart to do this. Many of them do.

In fact, according to Elliott, people who study philosophy do so as “a kind of labour of love.”

Judging from this statement, it seems to me like these students study philosophy simply because they love it. I can understand this ‘cause, heck, I

write because I love it. Making millions off of an article or getting a million-dollar book deal is not my main goal.

In reality, writers and philosophers need to put in massive amounts of work just to take one little step forward.

As Elliott says, “You don’t get to be a philosophy major who’s done well…you’re kind of a unique kind of person who makes your own way and so you’ll make your degree work when you get out.”

Such champs. I sincerely admire these unique people for making something of themselves no matter what obstacles come their way.

However, a new obstacle has recently popped up that causes both philosophy professors and students great concern: the University of Regina’s philosophy program may get cut. Yes, I said it. Cut. Since there are only roughly 20-40 philosophy majors at the University and even less in the honours program, the program is at risk. “[The] program is under fire,” says Elliott. “It’s not looking very promising for us.”

Unfortunately, the University may choose to allocate resources and funding to other programs that are more popular by demand. This honestly makes me sad. It’s never fun to see a valuable program at risk.

“We just hope something isn’t lost in that, especially for students and for their education.”

I don’t think anybody wants to see a program get cut because every program has value no matter how many students are enrolled in it.

“We think that what we have is valuable,” Elliott says, “And, we hope that we’ll be able to maintain that in some sort of way.”

I hope so too! Heck, any-

body can benefit from critical thinking skills, especially philosophy students, because they actually like learning that stuff.

The President of the Philosophy Students Society and current philosophy honours student, Jocelynn Marsden, has definitely benefited from the University of Regina’s philosophy program.

Though she started university interested in the political science and sociology programs, she ended up choosing philosophy. Why the heck did she do this? “[I] realized that the things about those programs which I found most appealing were things which fall in the philosophical realm,” says Marsden.

With this choice of study, Marsden often gets less than desirable reactions from people that, for the most part, line up with my initial thoughts and questions about philosophy.

“People often react as though you must be either very smart or very impractical,” says Marsden. “People frequently turn it into a question about my personal philosophy, a joke about never getting a job, something about God, or just end the conversation immediately.”

People can be so rude. But, when Marsden reaches her goal of obtaining her PhD and teaching, she can just tell those rude people to shove it.

As a passionate philosophy student, Marsden echoes Elliott’s thoughts on pursuing an enjoyable field of study rather than a career.

“I think there is a rather pervasive myth going around that the only way for a person to succeed is to get a hands on degree, do mediocre at it, and then get out into the world, instead of studying something difficult and being passionate about learning.”

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement; a passion for learning is key and is worth more than the big bucks.

Jordan Pod, a political science major and philosophy minor, shares this same passion.

He first became interested in philosophy when he read some old book by some guy with an odd name.

“When I began to read a dusty novel written by Nietzsche, the odd language seemed both formidable and enjoyable all at once,” Pod says.

“It was a unique read that I’ve never laid eyes upon before.”

Sounds to me like love at first read. Like Marsden, he, too, gets some interesting reactions when he tells people of his philosophical studies.

“Most people find it boring, or too “Old English” of a style to really absorb the material at hand or what I have to say about it.”

Yes, some people may not find philosophy interesting, but they could at least pretend and have the guts to pursue a decent discussion.

Ideally, Pod seeks to become a diplomat. Will he ever accomplish this goal?

Pod simply says, “It depends on how much one wants it.”

If you want something bad enough, you will, without a doubt, get it sooner or later.

In an eloquent statement, Pod sums up just why philosophy is so dang awesome, quoting Socrates: “Because an unexamined life is not worth living, to be enlightened is to be new.”

All in all, in my opinion, philosophy is an area of study that requires passion, heart, and the ability to think critically to an incredibly deep level. I have all those abilities except for the latter. Thus, I will stick to Secondary English Education.

6

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

a&c

Masks and musicals: not

Daffily Ever After makes its debut robyn tocker a&c editor

One year ago, Rebecca Lascue and Dakota Hebert stood in front of a group of the Globe Theatre’s finest and pitched an idea for a play. They were nervous and didn’t know the whole story. All they had was Herbert’s idea of a character named Conrad, and this idea got them to where they are now: a play being performed in the Globe’s Shumiatcher Sandbox Series.

Conrad-Roy: Daffily Ever After, directed by Ruth Smilie, is about a small town young man who wants to be an actor.

Conrad, played by Hebert herself, starts telling the story as a boy growing up and his journey to be an actor. Lascue says it’s also about having those art tendencies in a small town environment.

“He goes to a conservatory acting class, meets a girl, and experiences trying to fit in and do what he loves.”

The co-writers both grew up in small towns so they drew from personal experience when coming up with the story for the play.

“We wanted to write a story that was fun and not too heavy, but something people could re-

The Globe Theatre There are no masks in the play anymore, but it will still be awesome.

late to, something people who had never seen a show could come and enjoy it.”

Being Lascue and Herbert’s first play since their graduation in 2012 from the Globe Theatre’s Conservatory class, Lascue says that while she is excited.

“It’s a pretty terrifying process. There also hasn’t been a shortage of challenges,” says Lascue.

“The first version of the script was almost a cartoon version of [Conrad]. Through all the drafts the story has developed.

It took longer than we thought to get a rendition of a story that felt right.”

During the first week of their two-and-a-half-week rehearsal time, Lascue says they did a big rewrite that, although common for plays, was not expected.

Making sure the story didn’t sound corny was another concern for the ladies. And while having someone else to bounce ideas off of, when one of the two writers isn’t feeling it, or ideas just aren’t clicking, the process can be difficult.

“You and another person have to be on the same page.

You come up with things you’d never have thought of on your own, but sometimes you aren’t on the same page and those are

slow moving days.”

With challenges come successes, and Lascue says there have been some great times while getting this play onto the stage.

“Getting a script everybody liked. It’s no small feat to get something everyone likes. They all were really happy with. It felt really awesome.”

The hilarity that ensues during rehearsal, says Lascue, is another success for the team working on Conrad.

“Dakota plays Conrad and she made [Ruth Smilie] laugh so hard she was actually crying.”

Conrad isn’t only a comedy.

Lascue, who has a background in music (along with an Honors in Psychology), has some of her music in the play. While it’s not a musical, the songs incorporated should make the play even more entertaining than it already sounds.

After seeing how the turnout is during its run from Jan. 30 until Feb. 8, Lascue says the play may go on tour up north. “[Hebert] always wanted to take it to Meadow Lake and smaller communities up north.

We would do more of a small town tour.”

Tickets for Conrad-Roy: Daffily Ever After are available now.

Conforming to the man

Jordan McIntosh holds on to his roots dana morenstein contributor

“I know what I want to do with my life,” Jordan McIntosh says self-assuredly. Relatively new to the country music scene, McIntosh is at home in Ontario where he’s been prepping to begin touring Canada, on what has been aptly entitled, “The Young Guns Tour”. McIntosh joins headlining acts Brett Kissel and One More Girl as they saddle up in Regina on Feb. 5.

At only 18, McIntosh (along with the other young stars on tour) could be considered fresh meat to the industry veterans who, legend has it, eat up young stars for breakfast before spitting them out. However, McIntosh would beg to differ with this cynical assessment.

“I think the best way to deal with that is to always remember what your true values are in life.

For me, that’s family and friends.

They’re always going to keep me grounded.”

One example of a young star led down a seemingly destructive path would be Justin Bieber, who achieved fame at a young age, and is now facing legal charges among allegations of vandalism, drug use, drunk driving, and drag racing. According to TMZ, people around Bieber have been urging him to seek help.

“It’s unfortunate,” McIntosh sighs. “Because he is obviously a really talented kid and has proven that. Unfortunately, he’s

Strutent Entertainment Such a sweet, wholesome kid.

fallen into the lifestyle that a lot of people fall into with fame. At times, you feel sorry for people who have such a great talent, but the people he has around aren’t the best people to have around him...I wish him all the best.”

McIntosh has faith that his family wouldn’t allow him to end up in a similar situation, but proving how reflective and selfaware he is he admits, “I’m sure maybe [Justin Bieber] said the same thing when he was starting out.”

McIntosh has been keeping himself busy recording music, spending time with friends and family, and preparing for the rigorous schedule that accompanies touring. Any sort of pressure to conform to industry standards seems to be the last thing on his mind and when asked about it, he dismisses the notion that he has to change himself or relinquish his creative freedom in order to acquire mainstream success.

“I don’t think so. A lot of my music I get to write comes from personal experiences. I just graduated high school last year, so I’m still young and the things that I sing about and write about are very relatable. I don’t think there’s much pressure, because with country music, you hear a good song and you know it’s a good song, and so the fans will stick with it.”

McIntosh has no reservations about stating his opinion and honestly sharing his experiences as a country artist, which is refreshing. When asked about the notion that many mainstream country musicians are forced to adopt a certain “image”—big, blonde hair for the women and jeans, buff body, baseball cap for the men— McIntosh says, “There is a lot to do with branding.”

He is confident that mainstream success can be achieved without losing any artistic or personal integrity; here’s to hopin’.

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

a&c

7

Let’s talk about vaginas The Vagina Monologues in Newfoundland david maher

the muse (memorial university)

CUP (Newfoundland) - The Vagina Monologues is not a show about vaginas. Sure, they’re a large part of the subject matter, but director Sandra Mills hopes that the show can help create conversation and help women get comfortable talking about their bodies.

Mills has been involved in productions of the show since 2008 as an actor and as the director since 2011. After seven years of involvement, Mills understands the importance of the show.

“The show has such a history. It’s coming up on 20 years of Monologues. [Vaginas] are still not something that people feel comfortable discussing. A lot of people think the show is ‘anti-male propaganda’—which it is not at all,” said Mills. “We’re trying to make it okay for people to talk about their bodies. The Vagina Monologues suggests that we’re talking at you. We’re not. We’re talking to you.”

Initially, there was concern the show would not be able to happen. The Women’s Resource Centre decided against being directly involved in this year’s production, though they offered Mills support should she be able to get a group together to do the show. Mills was able to pull together support from past organizers of the show to ensure the 2014 production could take place.

nickyfern/Flickr Creative Commons The Vagina Monologues opens discussions of women’s bodies.

“There’s a plethora of people who want to see this show done every year,” said Mills. “I put out a call asking if anyone wanted to be involved and people came at me like a bullet.

Very quickly we were able to get a group together to ensure this year’s production would happen.”

One of the more controversial monologues featured in the

show is a stark, frank, and rhythmic monologue called “Reclaiming Cunt.” Unsurprisingly, the piece gets a lot of attention for trying to get people to talk about the word and making it okay to use the word when referring to a vagina.

“I have to say, I love the word. I understand how it can be contentious. I don’t think it’s

meant to be malicious, though I do know why people may not like it,” said Mills. “It’s an awesome word. We’re trying to make it okay for both men and women to say it. As long as you’re not being derogatory in any way, it’s not a bad word. We don’t want you to think of it in a bad way. It’s a cunt. It’s a vagi-

na. It’s a word. It’s ours. It’s awesome, and we’re going to take it back.”

Mills wants you to feel okay using words and talking about subjects that are otherwise seen as taboo. So get out there. Go to the show. Help women of all creed and colour reclaim the right to talk about their bodies.

Rage (not) against the Springsteen A new album for the new year liam fitz-gerald contributor

What better way to ring in 2014 then with a new Bruce Springsteen album? Thirty years after the release of Born in the USA and following hot on the heels of his 2012 album Wrecking Ball, the 64-year-old Boss is back with his new album, High Hopes, which is his first album of covers, outtakes, and old songs given new twists — and twangs!

That’s right, Tom Morello of Audioslave, Nightwatchman, and Rage Against the Machine plays guitar on seven out of 12 tracks on this album, bringing his characteristic playing that made his name in Rage. Morello and Springsteen are no strangers to each other. The former covered the latter’s song “The Ghost of Tom Joad” in the 1999 Rage album Renegades and in early 2013, Morello filled in for the E-Street Band’s Steve Van Zandt while touring in Australia.

As aforementioned, the songs on High Hopes include covers, titles never released, and creative spins on songs already released. The song opens with

Bill Ebbesen Bruce Springsteen performing at the Roskilde Festival 2012.

the title track, “High Hopes,” a song originally recorded for Springsteen’s 1996 EP Blood Brothers and a cover of a song

by Tim Scott McConnell. When the light drumming kicks in with Morello’s guitar magic, the listener knows they’re in for a treat.

This is one of the highlights of the album, Springsteen’s style meshing with Morello’s.

This is exemplified well in the

song “Harry’s Place,” a song that never quite made it into the 2002 album The Rising. Other Springsteen-Morello highlights on the album include “Heaven’s Wall” and, of course, “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” where Morello contributes his singing voice.

Yet, the best Springsteen-Morello collaboration

track on the album is the moving “American Skin (41 Shots).”

In an era where racism is still hugely problematic in North America, Springsteen tells the story of being non-white in the United States and how simple actions, such as reaching into a pocket to get a wallet, can get one killed.

Originally written in re-

sponse to the police shooting of a young African-American man named Amadou Diallo in 1999, Springsteen dedicated the song to Trayvon Martin at summer concerts in 2013. This is the highpoint of the album and shows the sheer passion of Springsteen and Morello, not just to music, but issues of social justice.

Beyond collaborating with Morello, Springsteen also does a couple of cover songs on this album. “High Hopes” is one of them, as is “Just Like Fire Would” (originally by Chris Bailey) and “Dream Baby Dream” (originally by Martin Rev. Alan Vega). “Frankie Fell in Love,” an E-Street and Springsteen tune, stands out as one of the better soundtracks. What makes the album stand out is the Morello songs, and the other songs don’t quite get to that level.

However, let’s keep this in perspective. What’s not quite level for the Boss is still yards ahead of most music these days.

The tunes with Tom Morello take this album off the fence between purchasing and not purchasing. Buy it, it’s well worth the listen.

8

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

a&c

Art for days

Ian Johnston moulds an exhibit destiny kaus a&c writer

Moose Factory-born artist, Ian Johnston, takes his artwork all the way from his home in Nelson, British Columbia to display in Regina’s own Dunlop Art Gallery from Jan. 31 to Apr. 15.

On Feb. 1, the University of Regina’s ceramic department will host Johnston; there, Johnston himself will teach individuals a new technique for forming ceramic: vacuum forming.

How on earth does one form ceramic with a vacuum? I have no idea. But, I bet if I went to this workshop I’d sure as heck find out.

Interestingly enough, Johnston didn’t recognize his mad passion for art until about 10 or 12 years ago, after he spent a large portion of his life working his butt off in the architectural field.

“I studied architecture for seven years,” Johnston says, “And after I decided not to be an architect and after I’d taught art for 10 years, I decided that I wanted to be an artist.”

Serge Hagemeier Ian Johnston, Between the Lines (Light) (detail), 2010. silkscreened stoneware.

Thank goodness this man eventually found his knack in the art world, because his art is pretty sick. Like somebody sweet once said, “Better late than never!”

Over the last three years, Johnston has put together his body of artwork, Reinventing

Consumption, to share with the public’s eyes. But how the heck did he land an art show in Regina when he hails from B.C.?

Well, according to Johnston, once he got to the point where he could propose his art exhibition to various galleries.

He offered it up to a number of

galleries across the country, including the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina.

Johnston says, “It’s almost like a lottery to actually be able to fit into someone’s programming, like an institution’s programming, because there’s so few spots. It’s a lot like winning the lottery.”

I cannot help but ask this question: How does Johnston know that winning the lotto feels like landing a fantastic art gallery showing? Has Johnston actually won the lottery before?

Probably not. But what do I know? He could secretly be the richest artist in Canada.

Super rich or not, Johnston does a phenomenal job of using material thrown out from the Salvation Army and from the Regina Public Library to create the pieces of art for his exhibit.

“My artwork has always had an underlying kind of current of concern around the environment and material re-use and use,” Johnston says.

This, coupled with his own fascination with materials, clay, and ceramic adds up to a threepart exhibition. According to

Johnston, the third part of his exhibit “is almost like a performance.”

I think that by adding a performance-like element to his exhibit, Johnston will create a unique experience that will more actively engage individuals with his artwork. Brilliant.

To those out there who wish to someday display their own brilliance in an art exhibition, Johnston advises to “try to spin anything negative into something positive.”

This includes *cue daunting music* rejection.

“You get a lot of rejection because there are so many people who are trying to do the same thing,” Johnston says, “[but] sometimes you even get a letter back that’s nice.”

Gotta love some encouragement in the midst of discouragement.

Yes, rejection sucks. Even I know that and I’m not even an artist. But, screw it.

Johnston learned from criticism and went on to create art and share it with the public, all while sincerely loving what he does.

Gone too soon

Danse Lhasa Danse honours a great talent laura billett contributor

On the night of Jan. 22, the University Theatre was intoxicated with the music and movement of Danse Lhasa Danse, a performance organized by the Quebec dance company PPS’s director Pierre-Paul Savoie in memory of musician Lhasa de Sela. The theatre was full, and everyone eagerly stood to applaud, thanking the extremely talented troupe of dancers, singers, and musicians who put on a remarkable performance.

The 90-minute production was so moving, it is difficult to describe without resorting to the cliché of “a haunting, powerful performance,” but it truly was. The lighting and set were seductive; the room was filled with smoke, and the dim lighting was warmed with red tones.

Sitting in the audience, it felt as though you were sitting in a smoky, suave jazz bar. Dancers, musicians, and singers interacted on stage to create seductive, intense, and introspective scenes.

The program was a collaborative effort by seven choreographers and has been touring across Canada, beginning at the Luminato Festival in Toronto last summer. The performance has definitely made an impact, moving many to tears, and making

Emily Wright Danse Lhasa Danse was performed on this very stage. So cool.

an impression I know I will not forget.

If you are anything like I was a couple months ago, you may be wondering who this woman is who has made such a lasting impression on the world of art, and why so many artists were

moved to honour her memory. If so, I urge you, YouTube her immediately.

Lhasa de Sela was a unique singer-songwriter, creating music in English, French, and Spanish. With a range of influences, her songs are classified as any-

thing from upbeat Latin, to melodic and brooding.

She was born in America to hippie parents, and grew up travelling across the United States and Mexico in a converted school bus. Her unconventional upbringing and educa-

tion greatly influenced her life and her music. She was taught through books, music, philosophy and discussion. Lhasa was an eager student, and developed a very philosophical approach to her life and music.

In her music, she was remarkably and unusually candid, working solely on what she wanted and felt was important.

She maintained that artists must create for a reason, must have confidence in what they are doing, and must never wear a mask or create simply to please.

Lhasa was never sensationalized in the media, but those who knew her were enraptured with her talent. She had a hypnotizing voice with powerful depth. When watching videos of her, and upon hearing comments from those who have been fortunate enough to see her perform, it is obvious how unique and talented she was.

Her performances radiate with truth and emotion. As PierrePaul Savoie said of her influence upon him, she makes you feel her honesty and integrity; while listening to her, you feel the need to create.

Lhasa passed away Jan 1, 2010 of breast cancer at the young age of thirty-seven. Despite her premature passing, Lhasa had, and continues to have a great spiritual and creative impact.

sports

Editor: Autumn McDowell sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

Julia Dima The Carillon office doubles as a gaming center.

R O U N D T A B L E taylor sockett, kyle leitch, matt wincherauk, brady lang, allan hall, autumn mcdowell hail mary

On February 2nd, the Denver Broncos will square off against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII. What is your score prediction for the big game?

Sockett: 34 to 28 for Seattle just to disagree with my colleagues.

Hopefully fellow north-ender Jon Ryan brings home the Lombardi trophy to the frozen tundra of Saskatchewan.

Leitch: 21-12 for Denver. End of the world theorists will lose their collective minds.

Wincherauk: Well, I’d prefer that neither team win, but I’m going to take the Seahawks. I don’t like a high powered passing offense in the cold and snow of Metlife Stadium.

Lang: 35-32 Broncos. Sherman may be the best corner in the game, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for Seattle in 2014.

Hall: As a Peyton Manning fan, I’ve been emotionally preparing myself for the Broncos to lose since the playoffs started. I’m going into this game with an Old Yeller-esque mindset (great journey, depressing ending).

I’m expecting that this will be a relatively low scoring game, and that Seattle will win 24-17.

Hopefully, I’m wrong and it’ll be

more like watching Air Bud 2 than Old Yeller.

McDowell: I want Seattle to win, simple because I want former Sheldon Spartan, Jon Ryan to lift the Lombardi Trophy, thus solidifying the south end school’s dominance over the north end.

Final score: 27-19 Seahawks.

Last year’s Super Bowl had a blackout. What will this one have?

Sockett: Jay Z guaranteed if the game’s in New York. Jay will be there; hopefully he doesn’t bring that little turd, Kanye, with him.

Leitch: With any luck it’ll have an appearance by the Fan Man’s son, Logan. You’re 11, kid. Time to put on your big boy parachute, and have a twentieth anniversary commemoration of your father’s Denver-LA stunt.

Wincherauk: We probably won’t see a blackout this time, but we might see some serious weather problems. The cold air of New York meeting the hot air of Richard Sherman could cause some problems.

game based off the amount of times that Payton Manning says “Omaha” was a good idea.

ly offered to sing some of their own songs. They quickly turned the lights on.

have set foot in Canada. I think a lot of guys have CFL potential, but no NFLers. Terribly sorry.

McDowell: I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say not another blackout. But I hope someone streaks. Those are always funny.

Former Regina Ram Jon Ryan will have a shot at a Super Bowl ring this year. Which current Rams player do you think has the best shot of one day playing in the Super Bowl?

Will this be 37-year-old Peyton Manning’s last game?

Do you think this year’s Bruno Mars half time show will top last year’s Destiny’s Child reunion?

Sockett: Who cares about the half time show? That’s the time for smoking cigarettes and mixing drinks.

Leitch: Bruno Mars is playing half time? Jesus. Unless he actually catches a grenade for us, I‘ll be changing the channel.

Wincherauk: Nope. Bruno Mars is not nearly as good as Beyonce and the addition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is just odd to me.

Lang: Well, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are playing this year alongside Bruno Mars, so obviously this year will trump last year’s halftime show.

Lang: Snow! Hopefully inches of snow on the field, just to make it interesting.

Hall: I say yes, but with a giant asterisk. I’m cautiously optimistic that the inclusion of The Red Hot Chili Peppers can top last year’s half-time show.

Hall: I’m going to predict that it’ll be in the news the following day that several dozen Broncos fans ended up in the hospital because they were foolish enough to think that playing a drinking

McDowell: A Destiny’s Child reunion was cool and all, but really I just felt kind of sorry for the two members that weren’t Beyonce. Rumour has it during the blackout Michelle and Kel-

Sockett: I can’t see any of them getting to the NFL. Sorry, someone had to be the guy to say it.

Too real?

Sockett: I doubt it, he has completely dominated defenses this year, if he was showing signs of mediocrity he might, but really he’s still at the top. Plus there’s no way he will retire with that lack luster little brother of his having more rings than him.

Leitch: *Looks up current roster, and finds the first player in Fine Arts* Michael Kiapway. Yup, mark my words. This dude’s going places.

Wincherauk: I’ll go with Addison Richards because the guy is a freak of nature.

Leitch: If Peyton wins the ring, he’ll retire the next day. If not, I’m sure he’ll give it a shot next season. I think most pro footballer’s desire for championship glory is almost always outweighed by the realization that these guys have a shelf life.

Lang: Defensive Lineman Ryan Wellman definitely has the size for the American game, so if I had to choose one it would be Wellman.

Wincherauk: I think it might be.

If he wins, he’s done. But he also could be forced to retire, depending on how much his neck has deteriorated.

Hall: Tevaughn Campbell would probably have the best shot of playing in the Super Bowl someday.

Lang: Win – yes he’s finished.

Loss – One more year.

McDowell: Let’s be real. It’s highly unlikely that any of them will make it to the big show. People are probably whining right now about how Akiem Hicks and Stefan Charles played for the Rams and are currently in the NFL. Realistically, Hicks wasn’t even supposed to go here and if he wouldn’t have been banned from the NCAA, never would

Hall: I doubt it. I’m pretty sure that he’ll spend the next two years trying to pass Brett Favre’s records for touchdowns and passing yards, or (figuratively) die trying.

McDowell: If he wins, yes. Retiring on top should be the goal of every athlete’s career. If they lose to the Seahawks, I would give him one or two more seasons.

A blatant disregard The U of R seeks a controversial academic partnership

Justin McIntosh Palestinian graffiti echoes the sentiment of a nation.

eman bare news writer The University of Regina Faculty of Business Administration is considering a controversial partnership in the Middle East with Hebrew University, as well as several other Israeli institutions. Although finalizations of any partnerships have yet to be made, many professors at the university are raising concerns with the ethics behind partnering with a country that is accused of violating several international laws, including illegally occupying Palestinian land.

The proposed partnership with Hebrew University, specifically its policing and homeland security studies program, could be part of an MBA in public safety management developed for police service professionals here in Saskatchewan. The Department of Justice Studies is part of the discussions to establish the MBA. A letter written by professors at the university reads that an academic exchange with Israel would legitimize the continued occupation and colonization of Palestine. Additionally, they also stated that the U of R, “should not be collaborating directly or indirectly with the Israe-

li security apparatus.”

The partnership was initially brought up during a business faculty meeting in the winter semester of 2013. In addition to Hebrew University, possibilities of partnering with a number of institutions in Saudi Arabia, China and Hong Kong were also discussed.

This past academic year, Andrew Gaudes, the Dean of Business travelled to the Middle East, where he visited with academics in various Israeli universities including Hebrew University, Recantai Graduate School, University of Haifa, Ben Guiron and Achava Academic College.

The partnership with Hebrew University raised the most concerns because of the universities alarming affiliation with the Israeli security establishment, including Shin Bet and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).

Classes offered at the university include policing terrorism, political violence and protesting violence, minorities and law enforcement terrorism and crime and terror and society. Additionally, the university also conducts workshops and training programs for police and homeland security executives.

One of the biggest concerns in partnering with a school that works with the IDF, is that

they have been accused of several crimes including the torture of Palestinians, imprisoning civilians - including children without a fair trial, as well as willfully causing great suffering to a specific ethnic group. The Israeli peace group B’Tselem even published a report in 2013 criticizing the use of crowd control weapons in the West Bank.

Dean Gaudes insists that although these classes are offered at Hebrew University, they would not necessarily be the courses that University of Regina students take.

However, the question remains, why is the University of Regina considering a partnership that so much of the world, and even its faculty members oppose?

In protest to these crimes against humanity, many organizations including the European Union, Teachers Union of Ireland, and American Studies Association have agreed to an academic boycott of Israel, as well as a boycott of any company that is built on illegally occupied Palestinian territory.

Gaudes insists that this partnership is staying out of politics, and is based solely on the intention of furthering academic interests.

“We get a lot about the

national narrative, we hear a lot from our politicians and other politicians about what is going on. Very seldom do we ever hear from the personal narrative. What’s happening on the ground level? What we really want to look at doing for the MBA and public safety program is developing leaders who understand the technical aspect of public safety. We see this as a great moment for the students to explore and observe and to synthesize on their own, not to be spoon fed, what does this [mean to] someone else, but to observe and synthesize,” states Gaudes.

The question remains, what does a university have to learn from such an institution? Some U of R faculty members are entirely unsure.

Andrew Stevens, a business professor at the university says, “At this point, it’s not really clear exactly what Hebrew University is going to offer us, other than the possibility of curriculum in the broad area of policing and public safety.” Stevens added that the faculty currently has a number of international partnerships in Europe and Asia.

In 2012, Dr. Vianne Timmons went to Israel along with several other Canadian university delegates to explore potential academic opportunities in

the state of Israel.

In an interview with Canadian Jewish (CJ) News, Timmons was quoted stating that, “for the University of Regina, there is interest in the area of justice and police studies. There is much we can learn from the work undertaken by [Israeli] academics.

Israel is a leader in innovation, and Saskatchewan has identified innovation as a priority. We can learn from the investments made in this area. I was impressed with the work being undertaken in academia in Israel.”

However, when interviewed in regard to the public safety program, Hirsch Greenberg, the Head of Justice Studies, states that, “I was invited to a meeting with the business people, where I very clearly said at the core of our program is social justice. That we don’t teach how to fire guns, how to handcuff people, surveillance, how to spy on people. That is not what we do here.” There is no indication that justice studies is working to establish partnerships in Israel.

It is unclear what Timmons meant when she said there was an interest in justice studies.

When approached for an interview, Timmons stated, “I have no direct role in this partnership,” and suggested that Dean Gaudes be contacted instead.

of ETHICS

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

Marius Arnesen A destroyed mosque in the Gaza Strip.

Classes offered at the university include policing terrorism, political violence and protesting violence, minorities and law enforcement terrorism and crime and terror and society.

Eman Bare

However, when the Regina Public Interest Research and Independent Jewish Voices of Canada wrote her a letter stating their disapproval of the partnership, she wrote a letter that stated that, “It is important to note that the faculty of business administration has no plans for a joint MBA degree with Hebrew University, or any other institution for that matter.”

But the next paragraph in the letter says, “You will be interested to know that the Faculty is exploring a study tour that may entail University of Regina students being in Ramallah for one week and in Jerusalem for a second week. Students would participate in sessions led by faculty members of a Palestinian university and faculty of an Israeli university, and gain perspectives from public and private organizations with a presence in both regions.”

It is unclear what Timmons meant when she stated that the faculty of business administration has no plans for a joint MBA degree program with Hebrew University.

Dean Gaudes himself says, “It’s also important for a university to have connections beyond our campus. We look at exploring other opportunities that satisfy the MBA in public safety and one of them is exploring the possibility of relationships within the area of Israel.”

Additionally, the proposed partnerships between the business faculty and Hebrew University, and other Israeli institutions have been discussed with faculty members as early as February, 2013.

In November, Dean Gaudes met with faculty to discuss the concerns raised about the var-

ious partnerships in Israel, specifically the connection at Hebrew University. The Dean left for Israel later that week.

According to minutes from a December faculty council meeting, Dean Gaudes and the associate dean of graduate programs met with representatives from several Israeli universities earlier that year, including a representative from Hebrew University.

These minutes also state that after meeting with a UN representative [Haya AbuSaleh], “ she offered to support it [the programs] by providing an office-based humanitarian briefing to students by the OCHA [a UN branch]. The briefing would be on the general humanitarian situation in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza strip.”

However, although drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza seems like a balanced approach when in the Middle East, there is still the concern professors have raised about this justifying the colonization of Palestinian land.

When asked about the fact that Hebrew University was on illegally occupied territories, Dean Gaudes states, “If I start responding to a question like that, I get into something that is beyond the academic inquiry. It is taken into consideration, but my understanding is different on that. I do believe that since about 1945 Hebrew University’s location is within territory that has been recognized as part of Israel.”

However, the US Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel argues, in a letter titled Open Letter to Boycott Hebrew University, “The Hebrew University of

Jerusalem is complicit in the unilateral annexation by Israel of occupied East Jerusalem, the arbitrary application of Israeli domestic law to the oPts, and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel—all illegal acts under international law.

On September 1, 1968, nearly one year after Israel militarily occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israeli authorities confiscated 3,345 dunums of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem, which was designated, occupied territory under international law. [1] Avraham Harman, President of the Hebrew University from 1968-1983, used this confiscated land to expand the university’s Mount Scopus campus. By relocating Israeli staff and students to work and live on occupied Palestinian land, Hebrew University directly contravened the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

Although the original infrastructure of Hebrew University may have been on land legally given to Israel, the university has expanded on land that is illegally occupied by Israel under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

As Stevens said, “I think any partnership established by the University of Regina should take into consideration the question of academic interests as well as ethics, and how the connection will reflect on individual faculty members and the institution as a whole. Institutional partnerships are deeply political. There is reason to believe that a partnership with Hebrew University, especially in the area of public safety and policing, could do damage to our reputation.”

The questions remains, why is this partnership being considered since there is such wide opposition to it, both from with-

in the university, from the Regina community, and from organizations across Canada?

“Internationally”, Stevens continued, “there is a growing movement amongst scholarly associations and within academic institutions and civil society organizations to consider the human rights question when partnering with companies and post-secondary institutions in Israel, specifically those that do business in the occupied territories.”

Dean Gaudes, however, against states that as an academic institution, the importance is focusing on academics alone.

“Everyone has personal beliefs, personal ideas and that is part of who we are. When I do hear expressed concern, I do acknowledge it and it does become part of the dialogue and internal consideration. I am also very mindful of the fact that the moment we start moving beyond an academic inquiry, we open up a whole different area in any relationship we decide to explore. If we look at Israel, I would be naive to think that there are not issues and there are not concerns on both sides. I know they are there, and I know they carry a lot of emotions and strong feelings. I also know full well that any place we go, if we want to explore any kind of relationship in anywhere we go, including Canada and abroad we can probably, if we extend the reach far enough, we will find reason to have reservation beyond the scope of the academic inquiry. So, having said that, I work with maintaining the focus and the scope of this exercise in looking at which courses

and which schools are the most appropriate to the level of the academic inquiry.”

However, this still does not explain why so many academics, including Stephen Hawking himself have pushed for an academic boycott of Israel because of it’s continuous violation of human rights and international law.

Although Gaudes insists that creating relationships with schools in the Middle East is purely academic, with the recent speeches given by Stephen Harper in the Israeli Knesset, and Canada’s unwavering support of Israel, one starts to question whether or not politics does play a role.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Prime Minister, along with an entourage of 200+ people visited the Middle East, in the prime minister’s first official visit.

Among his party were university delegates from campuses across Canada.

It seems coincidental that now more than ever there is a strong push for Canadian universities to strengthen academic ties with Israel.

Already this month, Dalhousie University signed a partnership with Ben-Gurion University in Israel. Ben-Gurion is one of the universities that the University of Regina is considering as well.

This potential academic partnership with Israeli universities remains both unclear and undesired by many faculty members. What seems evident, however, is that Canada is currently moving against the international world in strengthening ties with Israel, even parts of Israel that are illegal under international law.

12

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

sports

Climbing the charts

Women’s volleyball team gains steam on the quest for nationals

Cougars weekend highlights In her CIS coaching debut, former women’s basketball player Carly Graham earned her first two wins against the University of Manitoba. Graham made it look easy and is currently undefeated in her young career, while the team awaits head coach Dave Taylor’s return. Taylor is currently on a three-week hiatus from the team due to a possible exposure to the measles virus.

Arthur Ward Ates. Doin work.

brady lang sports writer The Regina Cougars women’s volleyball team has seemed to hit its stride at the right time.

The Cougars have won five of their last six games and look to be headed in the right direction going into nationals in late February. Their success, however, can’t be pinpointed on specific players; they’re winning as a team.

“There really isn’t one person that is getting it done on our team,” said Regina native and fifth-year Cougars star Desiree Ates. “We rely on each other – like all team sports. If one of us is struggling in the game another player steps up and pulls them out into the direction we need to be as a team.”

The ladies split their two games this weekend against the University of Manitoba Bisons (11-7), but their recent success just goes to show that the pieces are falling together at the right time. Ates attributes all of the team’s success to their teamwork, and a willingness to be there for each other.

“The team is coming together and relying on each other when were struggling. We always have someone we can look to and our girls pick it up,” she said. “Overall, everyone has stepped up their game. With nationals coming up we need to prepare the best that we can to help our chances in the playoffs.

Going into the second half we learned what has been working for us and what hasn’t. In these

five games [that we won] we’ve come out, have been practicing hard and preparing well and it has showed on the court.”

Ates, who graduated from Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, is now in her second season back

to be back playing in front of a home crowd.

“It’s really exciting coming back to Regina,” she said.

“When I graduated the first thing I wanted to do was to leave Regina. I never thought

Arthur Ward

at the University after spending three years down south in the US at New Port Richey, Florida and at the University of New Hampshire. But after her time spent in America, Ates is happy

twice about playing for the University [of Regina]. Now I’m so happy being here. It’s something different about playing in front of your friends and family.

Even seeing some of my old

high school teachers come out and cheering you on. You get kids recognizing you around town and they will say ‘oh my god you play for the Cougars!’

It’s a really good home feeling.

It’s awesome having the support of the community.”

It may be the added support that the Cougars have been getting around Regina, but they have been pulling themselves out of a rough start. The team now sits at 8-10; good enough for a tie for seventh in Canada West standings with cross province rivals the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Going into the second half Ates and the Cougars know what they need to do for their success to carry over into the ladder part of 2014.

“With nationals coming up we need to prepare the best that we can to help our chances in the National playoffs,” said Ates. “Going into the second half we learned what has been working for us and what hasn’t. In these five games [that we won] we’ve come out, have been practicing hard and preparing well and it has showed on the court.”

The ladies will now turn their attention to the winless Thompson River squad in Regina this upcoming weekend. If they stick to what they’ve been doing right the ladies have the chance to climb the standings and build up as much momentum as they can heading into Nationals, which the team is also hosting Feb. 28- Mar. 3.

With nationals coming up we need to prepare the best that we can to help our chances in the playoffs.

Desiree Ates

The men’s volleyball team finally got the goose egg off of their record last weekend and earned their first win of the season against the University of Manitoba (7-11). The three set win was earned by strong play from all members of the Cougars including fifth-year outside hitter Joel Legasse, who had a season high nine kills on the night.

The women’s hockey team snapped a four game losing skid last Friday night against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Down by one with just under two minutes left in regulation, second-year forward Tori Head went to work. The teams leading scorer did what she does best and notched the game-tying goal with 1:29 to play. Overtime solved nothing and third-year forward Brooklyn Moskowy scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Cougars the victory.

The men’s hockey team had a well-deserved bye week last week and used it to prepare for the downto-the-wire finish that is quickly approaching them.

The Cougars currently sit fifth in the Canada West conference, holding just a one point lead on sixth place Mount Royal and a three point lead on seventh place UBC. With only the top six teams making the playoffs, and a tough schedule ahead which has the Cougars playing two of the top three teams the team needs to be on top of their game.

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

sports

13

Old time hockey

Canucks Vs. Flames drama sparks hockey fans brady lang sports writer We need more nights in hockey like Jan. 19 at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver.

Since the “New NHL” came into effect post-lockout, we have

in the tunnel on the Flames, reportedly trying to get at Flames head coach Bob Hartley.

Tortorella was sub sequentially given a 15-day suspension from the NHL, including six games.

Watching this game, you could feel the rivalry that these

definitely not the majority.

The NHL is obviously its own brand of hockey, yet at times it seems senseless to long-time fans of the game. Everyone loves playoff hockey because every game matters and the players definitely play like it.

In junior hockey, you see players

The first shift seemed like a scene from the classic hockey movie Slap Shot. And, honestly, who wouldn’t want this when these two bitter rivals face off?

It’s what hockey fans love and what we all crave. Before the game even began, the players knew that something of this

could have been put at fault if he decided to start other players on his side, yet if these players were so tough on the other side of centre ice why wasn’t Canucks tough guy Zack Kassian on the ice lining up against them?

Both teams can be put at

playing like every shift could be their last, which is why hockey fans love the World Juniors.

The brawl did, however, spark controversy all over the Twitterverse due to fans either complaining or marvelling over the game in which the Canucks topped the Flames in a shootout 3-2. With all of the speculation earlier in the season about possibly taking fighting right out of the game we all know and love, this was an interesting sample of hockey to watch.

magnitude would arise, simply by looking at the opening lineups. When Flames centre Keith Westgarth lines up for a face off against Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa, obviously something is about to happen.

Even though the general census of the fans loved the fighting, the intensity that Tortorella showed was unacceptable. Charging the Flames’ dressing room is something an NHL coach has no right to do at any point in time. Tortorella

fault for these actions in this game, yet it was refreshing to watch an NHL game that felt like it meant something. With the tempers flaring it was really unpredictable watching the rest of that game.

The NHL should learn that fighting will put people in the stands and more games like the Canucks versus Flames Saturday night tilt gives a new level of excitement that the NHL has been missing for years.

Figure it out, Bettman.

o.canada.com Whoever can lean further over the bench, wins.

become accustomed to watching boring, dull, and senseless NHL hockey. When the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks met on the night of the 19th, we saw a different brand of hockey that fans love.

It was madness as the game began, 188 penalty minutes in the first period alone headlined by an opening faceoff line brawl.

The biggest story coming out of the game was Canucks infamous head coach John Tortorella absolutely losing his mind

two teams share. It was so nice to see something different, something with substance compared to the empty style of play we fans have become accustomed to watching night after night.

Since the lockout in 200405, it has seemed as if hockey has become a sport where physicality has become somewhat frowned upon. You don’t see the physicality; you see the flash that some fans love, but

Dinosaur Mode

Who needs Beast Mode when you have the power of a dinosaur? paige kreutzwieser staff writer

For an athlete who has hit the national standard every year, throwing the auto-qualifier distance three months before nationals doesn’t really seem like that big of a deal – considering he throws it on a regular basis.

Chris Pickering, shot putter for the University of Regina Cougars, is going to be competing at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national track and field competition for his fourth – and final – time.

“I’m one of the oldest athletes on campus,” laughed Pickering. “I’m a dinosaur. I’m an old breed.”

But for a sport like shot put, being an “old man,” as Pickering likes to call himself, can actually be a good thing.

“I like to call myself a dinosaur, but throwers in general compared to other track and field athletes actually do get really old,” he said.

For throwers, Pickering explained that old-man strength is a real and extremely beneficial thing.

carillonregina.com Another medal, as per tradition.

“You can be 35 or 36 and still be a world class thrower,” he said. “It takes that kind of time to just develop the technique you need to be a world class thrower and the physical abilities and the habits to do that.”

But for Pickering, that talent has always been natural for him.

He has been competing at

an exceptional level since his teen years, and has only gotten better since.

With two silvers and a gold at the Canada West competition and one bronze medal in CIS nationals on his resume, Pickering is looking forward to another chance at both meets this season.

“Canada West is trying to come in and throw as far as possible to get ready for CIS,” explained Pickering. “That’s when it’s important and I want to deliver at those two meets.”

Head coach Bruce McCannel is proud of his senior thrower.

“For an athlete of Chris’ caliber it is nice to be able to get the CIS auto-qualifier out of the way early in the season,” he said. “Athletically, my hope is for Chris to enjoy and be proud of his last season on the Cougars.”

Pickering has set quite high expectations for himself in his final season, and like most student athletes, has the pressures of school right alongside them.

“I’m at five and five [classes a semester] and a pre-internship in a two-three split class,” Pickering said. “I miss sleep; sleep is so good.”

The education student admitted finding time to balance school, track and relationships can be a struggle, but he knows people are there to support him.

McCannel has confidence in

Pickering’s abilities as a teacher, and with a nickname like “Kindergarten Chris” – thanks Tory Shewfelt for that – and the body of a giant plush teddy bear, you can only imagine the success he will have in his future career.

As far as his athletic future, he is looking towards big – and realistic – dreams.

“I went to Kamloops at the beginning of October and want to go back,” said Pickering.

In Kamloops, Pickering trained under “the best coach to ever live,” Dr. Anatoliy Bondarchuk.

“He is one of the people who invented lifting weights to make you a better athlete,” he said. “He knows more about throwing and training that I could never even learn in three or four lifetimes.”

With the 2016 Olympics as a distant goal and the 2015 Pan Am games as an approaching target, Pickering is hopeful.

“Pan Am games are in Toronto next year, so we will see where life takes me.”

But, for now, Pickering has four weeks before he heads to Edmonton for the Canada West championships on Feb 21.

14

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

sports

An open letter to Oilers fans What Daryl Katz was really trying to say what the puck? autumn mcdowell sports editor

Just when I thought the Oilers couldn’t possibly get any worse, they showed one more thing that they suck at: apologizing.

Last week, Oilers owner Daryl Katz wrote an open letter to fans of the struggling NHL team, apologizing, in a sense because they have been a disappointment once again this year. Although Katz’ letter was written with a sense of false hope, if you read between the lines of politically correct bullshit, this is what I believe his letter was meant to say.

To Oilers fans everywhere:

huffingtonpost.ca

We all knew that this was going to be another terrible year for us. Another year where we didn’t turn the corner. Obviously, that happened again, and everyone saw it coming except for us, and that is what hurts the most. For all of the fans that have yet to discover any good hockey teams worth cheering for, for the players that are forced to go to work everyday in the basement and for the Edmonton community, who everyone secretly laughs at

for formerly being known as the city of champions, we all share a common bond centered around this swamp donkey.

This will most definitely be the eighth season in which we do not make the playoffs, which is a really disgusting – yet not surprising – fact. The reality is that we are multiple years into a rebuild and we have seen absolutely no progress since we drafted Taylor Hall. The good news, if you can call it that, is that other teams have gone

You know you suck when you have to write your fans a letter.

through rebuilds and found success – but they did it in much less time than we have. That doesn’t make it fun for anyone; it just means we are truly terrible.

Yes, everyone knew we wouldn’t be any better at all this year – there’s no question about that. Some say that we have been active in rebuilding our team, including hiring a new GM who was previously arrested for DUI causing death, signing free agents that no one has

heard of and shipping off our only decent goalie for a 4-pointper-season player. And we’re not done.

It’s clear that we have already sacrificed our future by making these mistakes in the short-term. If we are going to rebuild, we should have started the process roughly five years ago. But, here we are.

A lot of people question the accountability of this team, and let’s be clear. We are all accountable for this dismal ex-

cuse for a team. Many people have targeted personal attacks at Kevin Lowe, and rightfully so.

After all, he is the president of this sinking club. But, when it comes down to it, this is McTavish’s team. He is the one that everyone should be chasing with pitchforks. He is responsible for creating a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup – which is why he has already been fired from this team once.

That’s our vision, and we are sticking to it – though it will throw us horribly off track.

Our fans are so stupid not to have left this team a long time ago. At the same time, we are asking you to hang in there, as Sam Reinhart and Conner McDavid are supposed to be really good.

I’ll tell you this, despite being in second-last place in the entire league, people surprisingly still wear their Oilers colours, even though we will never be back on top.

We value our idiotic fans, we know how awful you think we are, and we appreciate that you still allow us all to be filthy rich despite always being at the bottom of the standings.

Started at the bottom, and we’re still there.

Autumn McDowell as Daryl Katz.

The Carillon predicts the Super Bowl

This might be the worst article I have ever written autumn mcdowell sports editor

Simply writing Super Bowl score predictions would be far too easy.

It was collectively decided during a drunken state of mind that the Carillon staff should take our athletic talents to Madden in what we hoped would be an epic battle of trash talking to make a far more accurate prediction of Super Bowl action.

We call it, 2014 Mock Super Bowl.

Everything sounds better when you’re drunk.

Rookie member of the Carillon team, sports writer Brady Lang, though a San Francisco 49ers fan at heart, elected to represent the Seattle Seahawks while Editor-in-Chief Michael “I sleep in the office” Chmielewski represented the Denver Broncos by default.

During pre-game interviews the two traded relatively terrible lines of trash talk that they had previously heard on TV. “I am going to mop the floor with him,” said Chmielewski.

While Lang chose to take a line from a local volleyball team.

“I want to kick the shit out of him,” he said.

With conditions set optimistically to pro level with a

Julia Dima We need a PS3 in the office all of the time.

heavy snowfall, the simulation started off perfectly accurate, but it would quickly begin to falter.

Under Lang’s control, the Seahawks were off to a quick start and jumped up to an early 7-0 lead with just two minutes left in the first quarter. After easily getting the touchdown, fans questioned the decision to go for one.

“Everyone knows any real man would go for two,” said production manager-turned-commentator Kyle “Questionable Sports Knowledge” Leitch.

After struggling in the first quarter, the Broncos appeared to have been given some light, and despite Manning’s incredible arm, Chmielewski opted to never throw the ball. It was almost as if he was playing as Mi-

chael Vick [he is an Eagle’s fan].

Just when fans, aka the remaining staff members, were about to leave the small room that we were playing in, the Broncos managed to convert a fourth and 13, making the gutless choice to kick a field goal, still, showing a little bit of life at the half.

After trading sacks, the Seahawks took back their control

that was momentarily lost as running back Marshawn Lynch put the team on his back with two minutes left in the third and walked with swag into the endzone to put Seattle up 14-3.

But to everyone’s surprise, the Broncos weren’t done yet as they finally got across the goal line to wrap up the third.

Down by four heading into the last quarter, Chmielewski began to feel the frustration, as the seasoned Madden player expressed his displeasure with the game, in which he is controlling.

“No players are making tackles,” he yelled obnoxiously.

Unfortunately, his players wouldn’t make any more tackles; they would only throw interceptions.

The Broncos went on to throw two picks in the remaining moments of the fourth quarter only after a spin in the wrong direction by their star running back led to a massive loss of yards. To be fair, he did sneak for a first down with Peyton Manning, but then only to throw a pick.

“Should I run up the score?” asked Lang, bragging about his superior Madden ability.

He missed a close-range field goal the very next play.

And, with that, this horrible game came to a close.

The Carillon’s collective Super Bowl prediction: Seahawks 21 Broncos 10.

op-ed

Editor: Farron Ager op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

Putting the social in media There was a time not too long ago that the prospect of walking into a room full of strangers and knowing that I would have to interact with them filled me with the kind of dread usually reserved for basements when the power is out. I was petrified, frightened, nervous, and, frankly, sweaty about social interactions in which I was decidedly not the one in control. I’m sure many of you recognize this as a form of social anxiety, or as I refer to it, immense crippling shyness coupled ever-so-pleasantly with unresolved self-esteem issues.

But, I’m sure many of you also know that to get anywhere in this world, at some point, you are going to have to talk to, maybe even make a good impression on others. I mean in person. Face to face. A handshake might even be involved.

If I could live my life entirely behind a screen, I’m fairly sure I would be happy and well-adjusted, but that is just not the way things work.

So, I dealt with it by joining Twitter. Not only joining but actively participating, sharing content, talking about my interests, linking to articles I liked, and joining in conversations. I worked at it and forged online

hands, it will be hard and sometimes you’ll stare at your shoes for a bit too long and make everyone slightly uncomfortable.

This is okay, you’re trying, and soon, soon you’ll be having an animated conversation with a stranger about why Donna was clearly the best Doctor Who companion, like, ever, and you’ll forget to be awkward.

Twitter was a bit of a saviour for me. It helped me gain a lot of self-confidence and through the tweetups, a lot of practice meeting strangers and holding conversations. Unfortunately, if you want to get good at making first impressions, you have to practice and work at actually making first impressions. Do I still have anxiety? Absolutely!

Do other people realize it now?

Hell no. They think I’m a confident young woman who is utterly sure of herself, and I plan to keep it that way. socialnicole.com

connections with local people, and then I went to my first YQR tweetup (an in-person meetup of local Twitter users).

Your first tweetup will be exactly that horrifying situation of a big room full of strangers, with one notable difference: you have talked to some of these people before. You’ll put on

your nametag with your Twitter handle and people will squint at your terrible handwriting before going, “Oh! It’s you!” with a thrill of recognition and suddenly you won’t be quite as nauseated about this whole situation. Some of these people already know your shameful secrets about eating nachos at

2am, and that you really are the world’s biggest nerd, and they are still happy to meet you.

You can also take comfort in the fact that many, certainly not all, but many other Twitter users possibly feel as socially awkward in person as you, and they’re making an effort too. You will make small talk, you will shake

jessica bickford contributor

Are you offended or an offender?

Have you ever been offended?

That’s a stupid question when you think about. I’d be willing to bet that everyone has been offended at some point in their life. How did you end up reacting to being offended? The reason I ask is because I think it’s high time we talk about the apparent dichotomy between the person who offends and the person who claims to be offended.

I honestly could not tell you when this rift started, but swiftly and suddenly, it became the case that you were placed into one of two categories: the offender and the offended. Worst yet, it became commonplace that you could only be in one of these two categories. You could be an offender or you can be offended. Especially now, the former title demonizes you while the latter canonizes you. Care to guess which one is more desirable?

If it wasn’t bad enough, this artificial gap has since then been abused as a vessel to promote hate-addled speech.

Let’s give this some context.

The most prominent example I can think of today is the “Thank an Indian” sweatshirt scandal that has been circulating around the province. One of the loudest voices among the dissenters is Michele Tittler, a pentage-

Carlos Latuff

narian who proclaimed that she was “immensely offended” and “was going to do everything in [her] power to have that shirt banned from that school.” Using her claim to offense as a platform for her argument, Tittler has gone on a tirade about her own beliefs and values.

Now, if it had been done properly, Tittler could actually say something meaningful and contribute to long-running and

seriously-regarded conversation. But no, that doesn’t happen. Most people who probe deeper into Tittler’s online footprint (including the End Race Based Law Inc. initiative) realize how brutishly, viciously, and, for lack of better phrasing, offensively she treats other people, especially through social media.

For someone who is offended by a screen-printed sweatshirt, Tittler appears to have no

qualms about offending other people as she “voices” her concerns.

Granted, Tittler is probably one of the worst recent offenders out there, but her reactions are something seen daily on a much smaller scale. Examples I can think of in the past include pictures of patriotism proudly depicting slogans such as how a country was founded on a specific and, arguably, archaic belief

system or encouraging people to learn the a specific language or promptly leave. Basically, it’s a just a smaller scale of cyber bullying. More often than not, it’s not against an identifiable person, but the sentiment remains the same: “I have taken offense to what you said/did and now I cannot be in the wrong. Oh, by the way, since I can’t be wrong, let me spout a litany of hateful comments back at you. You’re the offender, don’t cha know?”

I think Ricky Gervais said it best with “just because you’re offended, it doesn’t mean you’re in the right.” By absolutely no stretch are you absolved for what you say after you shout out “I’m offended,” especially when you’re touting your own hateful little agenda immediately thereafter. It’s people like Tittler that actually help to show that the simulated fissure between the offender and the offended is slowly dissolving away, one hateful remark at a time.

farron ager op-ed editor

16

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

op-ed

Criminal negligence: as bad as shoplifting?

Remember the BP oil spill? The one in 2010 where 11 people were killed from an explosion, 794,936,500 liters of crude oil gushed into a 180,000 km2 area and caused massive irreparable damage to the surrounding ecosystem?

Well Halliburton, a massive US oil company operating in more than 80 countries with a history of interest piquing lobbying, recently had one of its former higher ups sentenced.

Now sentenced might be a bit harsh of term considering the then manager, Anthony Badalamenti, was slapped on the wrist with a year probation, 100 hours community service and a $1000 fine.

What Badalamenti was found guilty of is destroying evidence, ordering two employees under him to do so, in an investigation into the blast and subsequent leak. Halliburton was the concrete contractor on the project and were tasked with securing the pipelines.

The deleted information pertains to a post oil spill report focused on the concrete used. It’s easy to speculate what damning evidence was deleted,

Tim1965

but Badalamenti got his.

A year’s probation is the same punishment one would receive for having too many speeding tickets, shoplifting or, in the US, a first charge of possession of a controlled substance. The point of bringing up these examples shows how fucking innocuous one year probation is.

This court ruling was marred

by other farcical nonsense, like the judge saying, “I still feel that you’re a very honorable man.”

Seems a bit irrelevant since at no point was the moral character of Badalamenti in question.

Even more absurd is the next comment from the judge.

“I have no doubt that you’ve learned from this mistake.”

This isn’t a child being scolded for disobeying a teacher or

Western alienation

Emily Wright

“Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.” – Rudyard Kipling I don’t think Kipling had Canada in mind when he phrased this great quote, but it applies equally here. Canada is a land defined by its geography, among other things. And you don’t really get to appreciate this unless or until you live in Western Canada. I am a proud Western Canadian, born and raised.

Five generations on both sides of my family have called Saskatchewan home.

My perspective within Confederation is definitely from the Western hinterland, on the outside looking in toward Central Canada.

Western alienation has long been an underlying part of the political culture in this part of the world. It has flared up many times in the past. It first emerged during the Red River Uprising in 1870 and again at Batoche in 1885. This phenomenon last erupted in 2008 when then federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion proposed a carbon tax for Canada. If Dion had become Prime Minister during the Parliamentary crisis of December 2008, we could have seen a full-fledged Western Separatist movement explode onto the national stage. The idea of having the Western provinces separate from the East was very popular at the time. The only thing that diffused it was when Prime Minister Harper suddenly prorogued Parliament.

That break gave the Liberals enough

time to replace Dion as Leader, and the threat of Western Separatism melted away overnight.

The prospect of new Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau winning the next federal election has the potential to resurrect Western alienation again with a vengeance. It was Justin’s famous father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, whose National Energy Program crippled the Alberta oil patch for a decade.

The backlash against the NEP was immediate, with the rise of a serious Western Separatist party called Western Canada Concept. At its peak, the WCC won a provincial by-election in 1982 in rural southern Alberta. Then Premier Peter Lougheed was so alarmed by the WCC by-election victory that he called a snap provincial election. Lougheed’s Tories went on to win another landslide government, and the WCC was limited to 12 percent of the vote and won no seats. But Lougheed was so spooked by the prospect of an elected Western Separatist opposition that he felt forced to go to the polls early.

Since he was elected as federal Liberal Leader last year, Justin Trudeau hasn’t spent much time talking about policy. One of the reasons for this might be that as Prime Minister, he might introduce policies that would prove to be extremely unpopular among Western Canadians. Trudeau might even be planning to impose a carbon tax. In any case, if Trudeau the Younger becomes our next Prime Minister (and that is still a big if), we in the West will have to watch for signs of Western alienation in our part of the world.

john murney contributor

for drawing on the walls with markers getting some conciliatory talking to. No, this was a judge making a total mockery of justice, enabling and exhuming someone who knowingly attempted to obstruct justice.

Badalamenti intentionally destroyed evidence, which in self is a criminal offence known as Spoliation of Evidence.

The simplest explanation

I could find for the leniency granted to Badalamenti was that Halliburton cut a $55 million deal with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and paid $200,000 to the Justice Department.

Even more absurd in the resulting court proceedings from the Gulf Oil spill is the trial of Kurt Mix. Mix was a BP drilling engineer also charged with trying to obstruct the federal justice process. Unfortunately for Mix, he doesn’t have massive corporate interests keeping him out of jail. March 26 will be the day he faces potentially 20 years in prison and $250,000 in damages due.

I’m not calling for Badalamenti to be sentenced to life in prison. All I want is a fair trial and inquiry. All I want is for some form of justice to exist that permeates all people equally, regardless of wealth and status.

alec salloum news writer

How not to hate Justin Bieber Listen, folks. I hate Justin Bieber as much as anyone. His music is awful; he’s an over-privileged, rich, white boy; he’s fat-shamed fans; and yes, he was just arrested for a DUI while drag-racing a Lamborghini. Of course, the Internet and celebrity culture reacted in clever and original ways: by emasculating him, infantilizing him, and making prison rape jokes. Oh, wait, that’s not clever and original, it’s petty.

Some of the most popular memes shared show Bieber’s mug shot photo-shopped with heavy brightly coloured make-up, or him just straight up morphing into Miley Cyrus. I’ve also heard about five too many “drop the soap” jokes. You can almost hear my eyes rolling.

So, why take this seriously? Why not just laugh because I think Biebs is a shame to my country, to music, and to all living things? Because the way people are executing their attacks is about much more than Justin Bieber.

The jokes do two scary things. The first thing that happens is the feminization, and the trans jokes (he was DRAG-racing, guys). That may seem like a harmless by-product of Bieber being pretty effeminate in his body type, and the long running jokes comparing him to a lesbian. But what it’s saying is that being effeminate, being gay or trans, and dressing in drag are shameful and embarrassing. It reinforces the notion that a man is not a ‘true man’ if he’s comfortable expressing stereotypically feminine expressions. It also devalues femininity, and implies that being feminine or female is shameful. To quote the famous line from Cement Garden, “For a boy to look like a girl is degrading, according to you, because secretly you believe that being a girl is degrading.”

Making fun of Justin Bieber for being effeminate is akin to using ‘gay’ as an insult. That’s clever, right?

The second issue is the rape jokes.

I would not wish sexual assault on my worst enemy. Anyone who understands

redoneleader.blogspot.com

the trauma and difficulties involved with being a survivor would not wish it for anybody. But Justin Bieber makes your eardrums hurt, and it’s okay to suggest he should be raped? Anyone who thinks that’s an appropriate punishment for anything has some severe issues of their own that extend far beyond not liking a celebrity. And that’s pretty scary.

The biggest issue, however, occurs when you think about what you’re saying when you imply that Justin Bieber is effeminate and deserves to be raped.

This is about more than Justin Bieber.

It’s about gender relations. Thinking it’s okay to make a joke about a “pretty boy” being assaulted says a lot about what you think women and trans people deserve. You’re saying that Justin Bieber deserves to be hurt not because he’s a crappy dude who makes terrible music, but because he’s effeminate. And being a woman is not worse than being Justin Bieber. So, get your crap together world, and stop hating Justin Bieber for his excellent eyebrows and ability to pull off bright pink eye shadow like a boss.

julia dima photographer

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

op-ed

NSA reform = PR stunt

EFF

Obama’s administration has enacted reforms to the National Security Agency (NSA), however the reforms are viewed largely as PR stunt according to famed journalist Glen Greenwald.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said, “The mission that [Obama]

set when he created this review panel, when he started this process, was not to reform the NSA in any meaningful way. It was to restore public confidence, meaning to prettify the process to make it seem more palatable.

It’s really just a PR gesture, a way

to calm the public and make them think there’s reform when, in reality, there really won’t be.”

I have to agree with Greenwald. Whatever trust that I had in the Obama administration to preserve civil liberties and to maintain a vibrant liberal democracy was lost the day the Obama’s administration vehemently prosecuted tech prodigy and activist Aaron Swartz.

In my humble opinion, when a superpower like the US has access to insurmountable power to surveillance almost anyone on the planet, they will never let go of it. They will not resort to the old/ethical methods of intelligence gathering when they have been used to a much easier and comprehensive method by gathering mass phone and email data, which in my opinion is unconstitutional as it violates the 4th amendment: the right of the people to be secure against unreasonable searches without

probable cause.

Thus, Edward Snowden’s whistle-blowing legacy will remain façade that did not bring upon any meaningful change.

Recently, Snowden has gone on German TV, saying that the NSA is also involved in industrial espionage. He cited German engineering firm, Siemens to be one of the targets.

“If there’s information at Siemens that’s beneficial to US national interests, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with national security, they’ll take that information nevertheless,” Snowden said in the interview.

Snowden also talked about substantial threats on his life after leaking the documents, however Snowden remains upbeat that he did the right thing.

“These people, and they are government officials, have said they would love to put a bullet in my head or poison me

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when I come out of the supermarket and then watch me die in the shower,” Snowden said.

According to the Guardian, Snowden was referring to a report on a US website that he said quoted anonymous US officials saying his life was in danger.

These allegations are appalling and frightening; it also goes to reaffirm my distrust in the Obama’s administration for change. Obama’s promise to protect whistleblowers when he ran for office in 2008 also seems to be nothing but an empty promise, not only for Edward Snowden, but also Chelsea Manning. Chelsea Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified information to Wikileaks.

ravinesh sakaran contributor

To the victor, the spoils, or so they say Seattle Seahawks’ now infamous cornerback Richard Sherman has been in the news lately for his viral post-game interview, and the criticism has come from all angles, now including a fine from the NFL. He’s fined for “unsportsmanlike conduct/taunting,” referring specifically to the choking symbol he made towards the defeated 49ners after Sherman made the NFC Championship winning play, which takes his team to the Super Bowl.

The backlash was insane, and sickening for a couple reasons.

Firstly, why are we, as a society, discouraging success?

Sherman won the game, and it’s a product of a lifetime of hard work for him to get to where he is today. So he bragged, so he taunted, so what? As the vic-

tor, he deserves it. He, in large part due to his efforts, is about to play in the biggest game of his life, and we’re worried about what the 49ners feel? They’ll be fine, and if they’re really that hurt, perhaps they should have played better.

What’s wrong with a passionate person? It’s a required part of being successful, and even more so in physical competition like football. Achievers are usually passionate.

The next awful part is the media and their coverage. Firstly, the word thug was used copiously and liberally to detract him, just because of his skin colour in the context of his post game comments, I assume. If Peyton Manning, after his win over the Patriots, did the same thing, I doubt that he would be described as a “thug,” maybe “uncharacteristic.”

Sherman, whose alma mater is Stanford, responded very graciously. This man is more talented than the “journalists” on traditional media and armchair quarterbacks on social media who either called him a thug or, on social media, the n-word. He said “[w]hat’s the definition of a thug, really?... there was a hockey game where they didn’t even play hockey, they just threw the puck aside and started fighting.

I saw that, and said, ‘Oh man, I’m the thug? What’s going on here?’”

“The only reason it bothers me is because it seems like it’s the accepted way of calling somebody the n-word nowadays.”

These answers, which came during a press conference, are perfect. Sherman is not a thug.

He is a successful, hard-working and passionate man, and it’s

nfl.com

something that should be celebrated, not fined, nor criticized, and especially not by backwards racists hiding behind a twitter handle.

Either way the Super Bowl goes, there will be a revival of

unfair criticism directed towards Sherman. Count on it.

would make for a great opinion piece. That’s when I came across another opinion piece in the Globe and Mail, written by Marketing Reporter Susan Krashinski. She tore the mini-film to shreds, calling it “long, preachy and deeply misguided.”

Krashinski goes on to say that “selfies [have] created an environment wherein girls and women are exposing their physical selves to even greater scrutiny than they already experience on a day-to-day basis.”

She also says that, “If brands like Dove do not start talking about women’s worth beyond their appearance, they should be cut out of the conversation.”

It looks like we’re right back at square one. What she’s missing here is the fact that Dove is countering a daily battle that we are fighting over our body

image. No one is attacking our personality. We are faced with being conditioned to hate our physical appearance.

Dove has a good campaign.

They are fighting for something worthwhile. They have taken something that nearly every teenager does and are encouraging these girls to see the way they look in a positive light, instead of posting a selfie and pointing out their flaws. No other beauty company is doing this.

Perhaps Ms. Krashinski needs to get down off her soapbox, because at this point, she’s part of the problem, not part of the solution.

michael chmielewski editor-in-chief

Selfie and self-image

youtube.com

Self-image has always been an issue among women. We know this. The majority of us deal with it on a daily basis. Some of us can’t even stand to look in a mirror because we hate what we see. The sad part? We’re being conditioned to think this way.

The fashion industry en-

sures our insecurities through comments about who can and cannot wear their clothing, having half-starved models on the runway, and Photoshopping the hell out of models in magazines with huge print on the cover beside them saying, “If you don’t look like this, you are not attrac-

tive.” Don’t even get me started on “thigh gap.”

This was seen on Cosmopolitan magazine’s website a few weeks ago when supermodel Robyn Lawley was labeled as “plus size.” After a huge backlash, Cosmo removed the photo from their website, but are still publishing articles on “how not to look fat.”

In the wake of this atrocity, Dove celebrated the 10th anniversary of their “campaign for real beauty” by launching a film at the Sundance Film Festival entitled, Selfie.

The mini-film encourages high school girls and their mothers to take selfies as a way of showing what real beauty is, flaws and all. The photos were then exhibited and people left comments on sticky notes about the photos.

I started researching the film a little more, thinking it

michelle jones copy editor

the funnies

the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

UR guide to residence!

A quick guide to residence life john loeppky contributor

to mediate a drunken argument between someone who cooked some one else’s mac and cheese and some one who ate the deliciousness in question, but wouldn’t have if he had known he was chowing down on his planned lunches for the week? On a related note, ramen and pop might sound like a good diet on day one, but by day 101 you - and your body will be thinking otherwise.

We Interrupt Your Scheduled Programming....

Hello, this is your U of R residence Public Service Announcement . You could say UR about to be informed!

1. Lock your door: I feel as if I should create a shirt that says “it’s all fun and games until someone steals your food or your flat screen.”

4. Space where I am probably supposed to write a section about how we should all sit and sing “With a Little Help by My Friends.”

2. Socialize with your roommates or neighbours: Ok, story time guys and girls, on my first day living in residence I wandered down to the food court. There was no one there, I’m pretty sure a tumbleweed almost got stuck in the spokes of my wheels. Anyway, I ordered chicken fingers from BYOB, waited the obligatory and slightly exaggerated waiting time of half a decade, and sat down. Now, did I pick one of

5. Don’t leave your windows open with the heating off.

Emily Wright

the empty tables (of which there were plenty since there was only one other person in the food court)? No, I chose to sit with that person, because you don’t truly know someone until you’ve approached them awkwardly and asked to be their friend.

Note: this is why my circle of friends is small and close nit.

Only certain people can handle this method of social interaction. For those of you who are social butterflies and have the collegiate superpower of thousands of comrades, please write an article for The Carillon so that we can steal your secrets.

Shit the Carillon says

3. Talk to your RAs: No one knows residence like the wonderful people who are such gluttons for punishment that they offer their services to the rest of us. Seriously, would you like to wake up at three o’clock in the morning

Actual conversations heard around the office the staff

Another Monday means another production night, which means another round of Shit the Carillon says. Once more we jump into the fray and enter that collective urine-soaked hellhole that is our staff’s thoughts. Enjoy yet another edition of Shit the Carillon says!

I’m like Peter Pan except I’m going to kick your ass!

We should do a podcast on the semantics of hate mail.

I am fucking punny!

It would take 124 Warren Buffets at least to pay off Canada’s national debt at this point.

My pants are covered in science!

to do: “Drop Page. Warbucks continues.” Except in this case, it reads “Mr. Chmielewski. Assmunch!”

Answering the phone: City Jail. No, this is Bob….McKenzie?

Wait, there’s only three people in your class? Are you guys are all uber competitive? You should thunderdome that shit.

Why does everything you touch turn to shit? You’re the like the Shit-Midas.

Did you buy all those markers and crayons? You’re like the crazy cat lady for Crayola.

You were in Muay Thai? Why aren’t you a ninja?

I was better at just punching people.

Bow before the might of the Great Wall of Henderson’s sandwich counter!

I’m going to start putting legal contracts with all my articles that say by reading the following, you agree not to sue.

On birthdays: My grandma bought a flask for me for my sixteenth birthday.

Grandma knows where it’s at.

I just had a Clerks moment there.

On the phone: No, nobody threatened me.

That email you just got reads like that scene from that Annie. You know, where Daddy Warbucks reads aloud what he’s supposed

This is why you’re in Political Science. You artistic value to life is nil.

You guys really have to stop singing in the office or start paying for vocal lessons.

Farron Ager

This message has been brought to you by a Rezzy who dislikes evacuations, but loves a place where you can wear sweatpants all year round. Oh, and meet awesome people who you will either love or hate for the rest of your life. Now that UR informed, has anyone seen my pop? Are you still recording?

Islam Awareness Week

Editor: Emily Wright graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

Last week was Islam Awareness Week. We here at the Carillon feel that there isn’t enough recognition of the Islamic religion on

campus, and applaud the efforts of the Muslim Students’ Association. Contributor Evan Radford was able to document the activity.

All photos courtesy Evan Radford

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the carillon | January 30 - February 5, 2014

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