the carillon
the staff
editor-in-chief michael chmielewski editor@carillonregina.com
The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962
business manager shaadie musleh business@carillonregina.com production manager kyle leitch production@carillonregina.com
October 02 - 08, 2014 | Volume 57, Issue 07 | carillonregina.com | HOTW: #GoRams
cover
advertising manager neil adams advertising@carillonregina.com marketing manager arthur ward carillontechnical@carillonregina.com
If Shaun of the Dead taught us anything, it’s that we should never use the “Z” word.
multimedia editor brady lang multimedia@carillonregina.com copy editor michelle jones copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor
In that spirit, the living undead invaded Regina’s downtown for the annual Zombie Obstacle Challenge. Check out our Graphics spread on page 23 for all of the gory goodness.
alec salloum
carillonnewseditor@carillonregina.com
a&c editor destiny kaus aandc@carillonregina.com sports editor matt wincherauk sports@carillonregina.com op-ed editor taras matkovsky oped@carillonregina.com
And if you encounter any real zombies, remember: remove the head or destroy the brain.
visual editor haley klassen graphics@carillonregina.com
staff writer news writer a&c writer sports writer photographer
taylor sockett john kapp
Also in this issue
madina azizi laura billett suzanne barber
FIPA. Page 4 Surprisingly, what should have been a more discussed agreement flew fairly under the radar. Derek Cameron discusses the potential implications of FIPA.
spencer reid
contributors this week derek cameron, dylan bernhardt, ravinesh sakaran, melinda nagy, john loeppky, kendall latimer, elisabeth sahlmueller, michaela solomon, liam fitz-gerald, katelyn smuk, sonia stanger, billy patterson, nadine janzen
news
distro manager
additional material by: the staff
THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Michael Chmielewski, Shaadie Musleh, Kyle Leitch, vacant, vacant, vacant, vacant
227 Riddell Center University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2
www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867 Printed by Transcontinental Publishing Inc, Saskatoon, SK The Carillon welcomes contributions. Correspondence can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address, and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published. Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon. Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no afilliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union. 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.
op-ed sports a&c
the paper
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.
Envirapper. Page 10 Environmentalist/rapper/Kinnie Starr has some pretty excellent views on life, the universe, and everything (including her music). Enlightening interviews abound on page 10.
Who needs the Arts? p. 10
Dear Diary... Page 17 The Carillon got a hold of Andrew Wiggins’ diary. Our journalistic integrity required we publish its contents. Satire...
rOWndtable p. 14
Sympathy for the Devil. Page 20 Shame on you for automatically assuming that the Devil in this case was Russian President Putin. Believe it or not, that’s the point of the article.
Aid for Ghana p. 20
idiot.
errata
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.
news a&c sports op-ed cover
Private liquor p. 6
photos
Haley Klassen Robin Gartner Haley Klassen Taras Matkovsky Haley Klassen
In Vol. 57, Iss. 06, we done goofed up a bit. In “Regina Interview Series: Black Thunder,” by Laura Billett, we spelt Neil Lutz’s name as Neil Luntz. Sorry dude. In Vol. 57, Iss. 05, in the article, “The Regina Symphony Orchestra Hires a New Concertmaster,” also by Laura Billett, we incorrectly listed Simon MacDonald as first second violin, when he is in fact in the first violin section. Again, apologies.
In other news: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has to answer some serious accusations in Parliament this week. Mr. Harper has been accused of racking up more than $3 billion in inter-dimensional travel expenses. Adjusting his Xthl’irean Space Helmet, Mr. Harper was quoted as saying, “The public will see that these accusations are totally out of order.”
news
Editor: Alec Salloum news@carillonregina.com @carillon_news the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
Masters of Nursing A polytechnic and a new program
Matthew Barre “Nursing education is research focused and responsive to the healthcare system. Polytechnic designation acknowledges that.” – Joyce Bruce
kendall latimer contributor The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) is now officially named Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech). This came in with the government’s Saskatchewan Polytechnic Act, granting the official name change and subsequent new programs. The legislation was first introduced in November 2013 to the Saskatchewan legislature. In July 2013, Sask Polytech became a degree-granting institution in accordance with the Degree Authorization Act. This allows them to start further developing current programs and leaves the potential for new, future programs. “I guess [SIAST] changing their name will give them more attention for a short while with the hopes of enrolling more students,” said Zoe Falkenstein, a student at Sask Polytech. She noted the change didn’t mean much to her and that it seemed a little pointless. Morgan Turner, also a student at Sask Polytech, gave similar words. “The change doesn’t mean much to me. I think it definitely makes the school sound more dignified if that counts, but at the same time, it almost sounds like an IT school, not one that has a bunch of medical fields and trades,” she said. Four hundred thousand dollars is the approximate price tag of the change, which brings up the question of it’s worth it, considering some of the biggest changes are in title, logo, letterhead, and signage.
“I’m outraged that that’s what they’re spending their money on. I’ll still call it SIAST. Everyone thinks it’s a stupid idea in my class,” said Jade Hodel, a student at Sask Polytech. Currently, they serve around 26,000 students annually and grant degrees within the nursing program. Administration hopes this change will help other programs gain the same level of recognition received by the nursing faculty. The new name isn’t the only new thing happening at Sask Polytech. Joyce Bruce, program head of the primary care nurse practitioner program believes the change is a positive one, considering the evolution Sask Polytech. “Nursing education is research focused and responsive to the healthcare system. Polytechnic designation acknowledges that,” she said. “[The change is] really great for them because they’ll no longer be called the nursing division, they’ll be called the faculty of nursing instead, which I think is more professional,” said Ann-Marie Urban, assistant professor with the faculty of nursing at the U of R.
In October 2013, Sask Polytech and the U of R signed a memorandum of agreement to offer a new masters program, the collaborative nurse practitioner program (CNPP). The CNPP program combines nursing theory with legal authority and autonomy education. It will prepare students to write an exam given by the Canadian Nursing Association to become a nurse practitioner (NP). Successful graduates will be eligible for registered nurse (RN) licensure in Saskatchewan. Aida Brenneman, an instructor with the faculty of nursing, believes a higher education is necessary to meet the public’s growing needs. “It’s not unusual for nursing to take the leading edge,” said Brenneman, noting these changes are just the beginning for Sask Polytech’s future development. She says NPs play a crucial role in in today’s health care system where doctors can no longer do everything alone. “There is a lot of need for NPs and this masters program allows students to further their education and specialize particularly within that field,” Brenneman said.
NPs perform advanced health assessments, perform simple procedures like mole removal, prescribe medications, and order diagnostic tests. This means the government must start recognizing the special role NPs will take on in the province. Kim Werschler, a registered nurse in Regina, said that while she would love to take the masters program, she doesn’t believe there are NP jobs available in the province. “I just hear what people tell me at work,” she said. “A girl I work with finished her NP a year ago and is still working as an RN in the hospital because there are no jobs. She could probably go work somewhere very rural and far away, but nothing near Regina.” Werschler said that Saskatchewan seems behind in comparison to other provinces where NPs are used in specialized areas like pain management and anaesthesiology. “I think [new jobs are] going to come down to doctors wanting an NP working under them and the government funding the jobs,” she said. The potential for NP success within Saskatchewan exists, said Brenneman.
The change doesn’t mean much to me. I think it definitely makes the school sound more dignified if that counts, but at the same time it almost sounds like an IT school, not one that has a bunch of medical fields and trades. - zoe falkenstein
“It’s not a new role. It’s been around for eons… people need to recognize that there’s a place for that role,” she added. Currently, there are 19 students registered in the fall semester. They are the first to take the program that will be accessible to those across the province. Aside from a mandatory one-week residency on campus in Regina, the entire program is online. The nursing faculty often uses technology to reach students despite where they live. The residency will allow students to meet each other and instructors, and experience simulation learning. Nursing students are familiar with different technological methods. They use simulation centres, mannequins, video cameras and control rooms. Brenneman said the curriculums were developed with the future of nursing in mind. The curriculums integrate informatics and the use of electronics to locate information. Students use an app called Nurse Central. It has laboratory, medicinal, and diagnostic information as well as a dictionary. Students are able to look up specific information, literally at their fingertips, instead of having to search through piles of books. “You don’t have to know everything anymore, but you have to know where to find it,” said Brenneman, with the reminder that the technology must act as a supplement not as a replacement. The official launch celebration for the collaborative master of nursing program is planned for the end of November.
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
news
The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement What does this scantily discussed agreement mean for Canada derek cameron contributor On Oct. 1, Canada and China signed the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection agreement (FIPA). The agreement has been a thorn in the side of Canadian politics since Stephen Harper decided trade relations between China and Canada should be further pursued. And, as per the fine print, the FIPA agreement will last “at least 15 years.” In 2012, FIPA, originally signed privately in Russia, hit a snag when the public, led by the LeadNow Campaign, decried it as “undemocratic and exploitive to Canada.” These claims are, to a large extent, true. Not once was the FIPA agreement debated in parliament prior to 2014. And even in 2014, when it was tabled for ratification, the introduction of the agreement was not debated. The only debate was on its impending ratification after the
Haley Klassen Yeah. Yeah, I feel that’s pretty accurate.
fact. As far as being largely exploitive, Chinese foreign investment in Canada far outweighs the investment of Canada in Chinese ventures. Alone, this does not mean much. The concerns of exploitation largely stem from a dis-
tinction between companies already established in Canada and China and those that look to establish themselves in the future. Right now, China has $55 billion invested in Canada while Canada has $4.2 billion invested in China. Under Article 6 of
FIPA, these investments will be treated as if the companies were native to the countries; a Chinese company in Canada will be viewed as Canadian and vice versa. This is incredible news for companies already established, as their expansion will be easier than ever. Unfortunately, under FIPA, companies looking to establish will be treated only as a “foreign, highly favoured investor,” according to article 5 of the agreement. Whereas China has a broad base of investment to continue expanding, Canada has a relatively small base to expand from. This means that China, with its high levels of established investment, will be allowed to expand quickly and, if it wishes to execute hostile takeovers, now, by law, the Government of Canada will not be allowed to interfere. However, in China, our relatively small-established infrastructure will be allowed this same provision. Article 8 of FIPA states that, in the case of “sale of govern-
ment equity,” the country can impose “nationality requirements,” meaning the sale of any company owned by the government of the country can be restricted to native buyers. In China, “30 per cent of the economy is state-owned,” based on the latest numbers from the government of China. In Canada, however, this number is 5 per cent. Canada is cut off from 30 per cent of the Chinese economy and China is only cut off from 5 per cent of the Canadian economy; again the equality of the agreement is called into question. The FIPA agreement is crafted in such a way that it allows certain provisions to Canada to entice us into signing and maintaining the agreement. Unfortunately, the agreement is also crafted in a way that will give China tools to control much more of our economy than Canada will ever be allowed to gain in China. And, if exploited, Canada has to wait 15 years to leave the agreement.
The triumphant return of Minuteman! A bi-weekly recap of URSU meetings minuteman dylan bernhardt contributor With the semester under way, URSU held their first board of directors meeting. With the problem of poor attendance and several vacant seats, URSU has a long year to make a difference around the university. This meeting looked to curb at least one of those problems. The first item discussed was a prospective new policy looking to internally police both conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment. In practical terms, this policy looks to have a clear set of rules and guidelines. The policy itself was worded to indicate that members would have to bring forward any new interests that may conflict with their responsibilities to URSU. Some members worry this policy may be invasive to their personal lives, specifically vice president Daniella Zemlak, who was concerned about how the policy forced members to essentially ask for permission on new commitments. Another concern was that the wording of the policy would scare away prospective members with an even greater commitment. With the number of vacant seats, this is a concern. Another significant piece of the policy was the outlining of a conflict of commitment. A con-
Michael Chmielewski Absenteeism has been addressed, what’s next?
flict of commitment is when a new commitment, such as a job or internship, makes responsibilities to URSU or attendance impossible. This policy adds an official outline on bringing forward these conflicts. According to president Devon Peters, the constitution of URSU specifically states that if a board member misses three meetings in a row without sending their regrets action can be taken to rectify the situation. Despite the thorough discussion, the policy was met fa-
vourably. Ultimately, the new policy was not approved on the spot, but instead delayed until the next meeting in order to allow members to submit suggestions and the wording to be less aggressive to current and future members. The rest of the meeting boiled down to money. A motion was passed to allow the executive members to re-negotiate several contracts without board members’ involvement. The motion also allowed exec-
utive members the power to make payments outlined in the budget without the need for board member approval. This was followed by a discussion on budget itself. The recent purchase of jerseys for the V-Team during the URSU’s welcome week festivities exceeded the $2000 cap placed on URSU projects. This was largely due to the cost of shipping the items, which put the cost $150 over budget. Because the money was largely
gathered from different sources, the executive branch wanted to decide whether purchases that exceeded the cap would need to be approved, or only if projects exceeded the budget. After a lengthy discussion, the group unanimously moved to have only projects exceeding the cap to be brought to their attention. The Carillon will cover this discussion and the next URSU board meeting.
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
news
5
The right to anonymity
A precedent setting internet neutrality legal case
Matthew Barre Legal precedent needs to be set in the world of online privacy.
ravinesh sakaran contributor In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, the iconoclastic founder of the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, praised the Canadian Supreme Court for being on the right track concerning digital privacy. The Supreme Court case that Assange is referring to is R. v. Spencer, originating in Saskatoon, during a 2007 child pornography investigation. At the time, the Saskatoon Police obtained the Internet Protocol (IP) address, a set of numbers that represents the Internet identity of an electronic device, i.e. a computer, of Mathew David Spencer. The police attained this IP from his Internet Service Provider (ISP) without prior judicial authorization. This request was made in pursuant to the Personal Information and Protection and Electronics Act (PIPEDA) that enables law enforcement agencies to request the personal information that the IP address provides, i.e. the name, address of the alleged perpetrator from their respective ISP. This information then led the authorities to the accused. He had apparently downloaded child pornography into a folder that was accessible to other Internet users using a file-sharing program. Mr. Spencer was then charged and convicted at a trial for the possession of child pornography. However, he was ac-
quitted on a charge of making it available. This case was then brought to the court of appeal and the conviction was upheld, but this time around the court of appeal set aside the acquittal on the making available charge and ordered a retrial.
of this information will often amount to the identification of a user with intimate or sensitive activities being carried out online, usually on the understanding that these activities would be anonymous,” supreme court Justice Thomas Cromwell wrote.
was unconstitutionally entered, and therefore illegal and a breach of Spencer’s rights as a Canadian citizen. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed Mr. Spencer’s appeal and upheld the Court Of
Supreme Justice Cromwell also added that the search on Mr. Spencer’s residence violated Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights, “Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.” For the subscribers to the child pornography folder, information obtained by the police which led to the warrant to search Mr. Spencer’s residence
Appeals’ decision for the conviction of possession of child pornography and the decision for the retrial of making child pornography available to others. Dr. John Whyte, a U of R professor and scholar of constitutional law, was asked to comment on the significance of Canada’s Supreme Court ruling. Whyte was educated at the prestigious University of Toronto, Queens, and Harvard Law
Herder3
The Supreme Court of Canada later picked up this case, and on the Jun. 13, 2014, the court ruled in favor of Internet anonymity and disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s ruling that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for the data obtained by the police. “In my view, in the totality of the circumstances of this case, there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in the subscriber information, the disclosure
School. He taught law at the Queen’s University faculty of law from 1969 to 1997 and served for five years as dean of law. His research and publications have focused on constitutional law. He was also involved in the patriation of the constitution in 1982, during which time he served as a constitutional advisor to the Government of Saskatchewan. “This is called a first instance case. It was unclear whether IP information was protected within the privacy interest of Mr. Spencer and so as justice Cromwell says, it doesn’t bring justice into disrepute for the police to have made an error about the charter, when the law wasn’t clear or clarified,” Whyte points out. Thus, in this instance, the police should have obtained a warrant before turning to the ISP for the customer’s information. However, the police responded reasonably in accordance to PIPEDA and the administration of justice would be tainted if the evidence collected by searching Spencer’s home in this case were thrown out of court, hence the decision to uphold the Court of Appeal’s decision. “Here on after, enforcement agencies will need to obtain a warrant if they were to request IP address information from the ISP, and in fact, once the court makes a finding that the right to privacy is under Section 8 protects IP address information, and if the police continue to [seek IP information without a warrant], then that would probably bring the administration of justice into disrepute.” Whyte says. This ruling by the Canadian highest court leaves the Conservative government’s cyber bullying bill, Bill C-13, which includes components that aim to expand the police’s search powers. In an interview with CBC, Sukanya Pillai, the executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, discussed how the Supreme Court’s decision in affirming privacy rights will affect legislation before parliament that would enshrine warrantless access powers and protect businesses that turn over customer information to police. She also said, “I think that they will have to take it back to the drawing board. I think that this decision sends a clear signal that warrantless access is not allowed.” That being said, Canadians, for now, have the right to be anonymous on the Internet. As the world becomes more intertwined with the Internet, law will eventually catch up giving clear definitions of what is legal and illegal.
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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Academic freedom in 2014 The fallout from TransformUS lingers michael chmielewski editor-in-chief
Members of the University of Regina Faculty Association (URFA) travelled to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon on Oct. 1 to defend academic freedoms. The event, called “To the Wall: The Last Stand for Academic Freedom” was hosted by the U of S’ Faculty Association (USFA). USFA invited URFA and all the other faculty associations from Canada. The event had a panel discussion with different professors, and a speech on academic freedom by Dr. James Turk. Turk is the former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). The event is being hosted at the U of S because of the turbulent shocks the institution experience over the summer. The controversial, and now discontinued program, TransformUS is the source of the discontent. Robert Buckingham, a tenured professor and department head, was fired for his views on the program. The firing rocked the campus even more. “It’s apparent it’s important to reinforce the value of aca-
Haley Klassen Remember when institutions like this stood for something?
demic freedom,” says Dr. Sylvain Rheault, associate professor of French at the U of R and URFA’s chair. He was one of the professors who made the trip to Saskatoon. Yet, what exactly is academic freedom? “Academic freedom is the right that every professor teaching in a university is entitled to. It means that you have the right to decide what to teach, and you
have the right to criticize, which is important,” Rheault said. Academic freedom is “the basis of not only collegial exchanges, but also it is the basis of democracy.” “It’s something you have to protect.” Other institutions in society don’t have this same freedom. A worker at a newspaper, for example, cannot always publically criticize the paper like a professor could a university. The
university’s role as a public institution, and one dedicated to higher learning and democracy, is all built upon the foundations of academic freedom. Without academic freedom, the university as it is known would not exist. Rheault points out that “universities are one of the few places in a country where this right is protected.” “It’s important to keep it that way.” Although it may seem alarmist to say that academic freedom is under attack in general, it can be said with certainty that academic freedom was under siege at the U of S. Buckingham was fired for speaking out against the controversial TransformUS program. When talking about attacks on academic freedom, Rheault said that “the example that comes to mind right away is Dr. Buckingham. He used his right to criticize, and he was fired.” “This creates fear.” If this fear is allowed to spread, less and less professors will stand up for academic freedom. This is exactly when academic freedom is needed most. Yet, there are sentinels guarding sacred academic freedom like Rheault, those who travelled with him to Saskatoon, and those they met there.
Academic freedom is the right that every professor teaching in a university is entitled to. It means that you have the right to decide what to teach, and you have the right to criticize, which is important. - sylvain rheault
Sweeping liquor law reforms Liquor privatization and wet t-shirt contests… yep john kapp staff writer
Over the past two years, the Saskatchewan Government has made a concerted effort to make it easier to get the booze you need. The Saskatchewan Government stated it would not open any more Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association (SLGA) liquor stores beginning in 2012. Brad Wall has also assembled a coalition of western premiers hoping to remove supposed barriers to interprovincial trade such as the federal Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, 1929, which attaches a $200 fine to any person found trafficking an unlawful amount of booze across provincial borders. The changes have opened 13 largely rural communities to increased privatization of liquor sales as well as modified the window of when and where liquor can be served. Many changes are aimed at making recreational activities more fun and profitable – allowing movie theatres to serve liquor, increasing the amount of booze sold on golf courses, and the like. SLGA has made 27 changes in the way they operate over the past two years. Some of these
changes are universal while others make bizarre references to karaoke booths and their function during Sunday brunch. Saskatchewan bars will now be able to have wet t-shirt contests, placing Regina firmly into the Deadwood-category of boomtown. It is being said that the elimination of cross-provincial tariffs on booze will lead to improved pricing and selection for Saskatchewan liquor stores, but this will depend entirely on the initiative of a limited number of private dealers with limited capital as compared to the state retailer. From the Mothers Against Drinking and Driving’s website, “According to the National Alcohol Strategy, alcohol resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4,258 Canadians in 2002 and cost society $14.6 billion in lost productivity and health care and law enforcement costs.” MADD is no prohibitionist organization, but they do support state controls on liquor distribution in order to recoup the social and economic costs associated with excessive drinking. Along with these legislative changes, a poll conducted by InSightrix Research on behalf of the provincial government found that 23 per cent of re-
Jingyu Zhang Coming to a Sunday brunch near you!
spondents were in favour of all liquor stores being privatized, old and new. The same poll states that 26 per cent of all respondents were opposed to any privatization of liquor in Saskatchewan, old and new. The SLGA brought the province $478.4 million in income in 2012-2013. The proposed privatization of Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw, as well as this creeping privatization of retail liquor sales, will cut deep in SLGA’s ability to supplement
Saskatchewan’s social services. The Saskatchewan Party’s insistence on supposed modernization and liberalization of liquor laws may be popular among certain voters, but will lead to a great decrease in the amount of capital available to provincial social services. Much of the legislation passed by the provincial government in this batch is aimed at taking liquor out of the provincial organization’s hands. For instance, hotel owners are now
able to determine how to keep in-suite liquor away from minors rather than keeping a uniform legislative standard throughout the province. This summer, the Saskatchewan government had its MLAs poll their constituents if they favour increased privatization of liquor stores. Readers concerned with the future of booze in Saskatchewan would do well to pay attention to this fall’s upcoming session.
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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7
The Owl is a changin’
Closed Saturdays? Not a club? What is this?! john kapp staff writer
Students may have noticed a change in the operations of The Owl this summer. The Owl has cut back on its menu, is putting on concerts, and is closed on Saturday nights. What gives? URSU has partnered with local concert promoters Rawk Entertainment to bring a number of headlining acts to The Owl. This is part of a restructuring plan for URSU which is intended to reign in the student union’s operating debt. We chatted with URSU president Devon Peters about the restructuring of URSU’s finances currently underway. Under the old arrangement URSU accumulated over $1 million in operating debt. This created a situation in which the new executive must restructure URSU’s financial operations to remain viable. In this operational revolution, Peters tells us that The Owl is being changed from its previous role as nightclub to a restaurant, a concert venue, and place for all students. Fans of Thursday night trivia can rest easy, as the midweek hit has been bumped to an 8:30 p.m. start
Michael Chmielewski The Owl is set to host several upcoming concerts.
time to accommodate students with classes or who work on Friday morning and are showing no signs of going anywhere. Owl customers may have noticed the menu has shrunk in recent months; this was done in an effort to consolidate the menu and cut down on poten-
tial waste. I watched Kitchen Nightmares a couple of times, and this seemed to work for the English restaurants that tried it. While the simplified menu is great, many students may wonder what happened to some of their favourite items.
Some students may miss the nightclub type vibe of The Owl of olde, but Peters and URSU are excited about the change and view concerts as a better way to grow student camaraderie and generate income for the students’ union. Halifax’s money city maniacs of
the 90s, Sloan, are playing The Owl on Oct. 12, and by the time you have read this, Airbourne of Warrnambool, Australia will have played as well. Saturday nights at The Owl have also been canceled going forward as they were deemed not profitable, leaving The Owl closed over the weekend outside of specially booked events. Doubtless, some patrons will be offended by The Owl’s recent shift away from the club atmosphere. These people may be reassured with news that dollar draft will be making a return, but as an occasional special event rather than a weekly debauch. Also, events like Beer Fest and the recent Foam Party will also take place throughout the year. Only time will tell whether URSU’s changes will bring about the desired results or if their attempts at reform may fall flat with students. As a student, presuming you’re a student, how does this make you feel? Do you miss the good ol’ days of The Owl? If so, write us a letter! Be as scathing and eloquent as you can in no more than 350 words! Send all letters to carillonopededitor@gmail. com
Film department gets EPIC After a sizable donation, film department buys 4K camera
Haley Klassen Our often-neglected department just got a sweet new camera.
madina azizi news writer The University of Regina’s department of film has bought a brand new Red Epic 4K camera package. NBCUniversal, a media and entertainments corporation, donated funds to the
department. The dollar amount has not been disclosed to the public. Though NBCUniversal donated to the department, they did not have a say in what the department spent the money on. “They allowed us to determine how we would allocate the
donation, and after some intensive study and analysis, the department of film decided to use the donation to develop 4K production and post-production capabilities in our programs,” says Professor Mark Wihak, head of the department of film. “In light of this, we purchased a Red Epic
4K Camera package, and have developed a 4K edit suite.” It seems likely that without the donation, the department would not have been able to purchase the camera and editing suite this year. “The donation is the equivalent of multiple years of our internal budget for equipment
acquisition,” says Professor Wihak. This expensive Red Epic 4K camera package is not just any regular camera. “4K is also known as ultra high definition; a 4K camera has four times as many pixels as a high definition camera, therefore there is much higher resolution and detail in the image,” says Professor Wihak. This state of the art camera is only available for fourth-year and graduate students majoring in the film to use. Fourth-year and graduate students will have to take a specific lab designed only for the epic 4K camera in order to be properly trained. This camera enables senior film students to “work with highend equipment that mirrors the equipment being used in the professional environment. It will offer new challenges for our students to learn how to work with this sophisticated equipment and it will lead to higher production value in their project,” says Professor Wihak. As it stands, this camera is something of an industry leader. Training on how to use it in filming and editing will be valuable skills for future film graduates. For the most practical and up to date film education, a Red Epic 4K camera seems necessary.
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
news
SaskPower renovations
Why does SaskPower need $143 million for renovations?
Darly Mitchell Pretty much this, but with a penthouse and millions in renovations.
madina azizi news writer SaskPower had proposed to renovate its headquarters for $143 million. This proposal has raised some questions regarding its necessity. “By renovating the building, we will extend the life expectancy of the building for another 30 plus years,” says Robert Watson,
SaskPower President and CEO. The building was built without light switches. As such, it calls for a renovation. However, the project for which SaskPower is asking $143 million may include more than just essential changes. The $143 million will be go towards several new projects. According to CBC News, $282,000 will be spent for a roof-
top patio, which includes heaters, and $72,750 for stone floors. $65,628 is the calculated expense for the green living walls. $200,000 for kitchen equipment, $173,250 on metal cladding for the penthouse. $60,750 on an executive area, $20,000 for two electric car-charging stations, and $100,000 for a rainwater tank and piping.
“The majority of the work will be to the core infrastructure of the building – the mechanical and electrical systems, structure and building envelope, which requires a complete teardown of interior walls. When you add asbestos to the mix, this becomes more complicated and costly to make sure it’s removed safely,” says Watson. The news of this exorbitant
project broke outside of the SaskPower boardroom when the Canadian Federation of Taxpayers (CTF) asked for a copy of the project. The copy was issued to CTF through a Freedom of Information Appeal. The minister in charge of SaskPower, Bill Boyd, was not aware of the full extent of the project until it came around the news. In order to cover the cost of this pricey and project, the corporation attempted to hike power rates by 5 per cent for its consumers. However, cabinet ministers opposed this increase rate in power and dropped it back to 3 per cent. The $143 million project is currently on hold, as SaskPower decision makers have not yet ran it through the provincial government for approval. “Large projects like this take a long time to plan and execute. We will continue to gather information and plan for a head office renovation in the future. No construction will take place without going through the proper review and approval process,” Watson explained. As it stands, there appears to be a legitimate need for renovation at the SaskPower HQ. The major point of contention is the $143 million price tag.
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Editor: Destiny Kaus aandc@carillonregina.com @carillon_arts the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
Presenting Rob Ford: the Musical Interview with lead actor Sheldon Bergstrom
tional characters. MN: I know that you teasingly told friends that if Rob Ford: the Musical was ever created, you wanted to play Rob Ford. Did you have any idea at that time that this dream would come true? Has your dream turned out the way you expected? SB: I had no idea when I joked about wanting to play Rob Ford in a show that it would actually happen. And it has been an incredible experience; even better than I expected. MN: You have been very loyal to Saskatchewan productions. I know you lived in Ontario for some time before returning home to Prince Albert. Has living in Saskatchewan opened up more opportunities for you or reduced them? SB: I have lived in BC, Alberta, Ontario, and, of course, Saskatchewan. There are always going to be those opportunities that you miss out on because you live in the wrong city or you were away working when an audition was happening. So, I don’t think moving back to Saskatchewan has changed anything one way or the other. More and more theatre companies are accepting video auditions now, as well, so where you are based is becoming less important.
Dawn Bergstrom Is this Rob Ford?
melinda nagy contributor Sheldon Bergstrom is a very talented singer, actor, and comedian from Prince Albert, SK, who landed the role of Rob Ford in Rob Ford: the Musical in Toronto this year. Bergstrom has acted on film, television, theatre, and overseas for the Canadian Armed Forces in Croatia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf. According to Bergstrom`s S Files Biography, he is “a versatile performer, [who] has received acclaim for his work in the country music industry and was awarded the Most Promising Entertainer by the Saskatchewan Country Music Association in 2002. He has also had the honour of being the Master of Ceremonies for several years for Prince Albert’s Country North Show.” You might know him as Todd the police officer from Corner Gas or the host of Telemiracle. According to his S Files Biography, Bergstrom is a man of many talents, including voiceover work, singing in an array
of different genres, speaking in different dialects, stage combat, dance lifts, most sports, juggling, and baton twirling. Graciously, Bergstrom let the Carillon interview him about his acting career and his most recent role in Toronto’s Rob Ford: the Musical. Melinda Nagy: Do you consider yourself an established actor or is this role in Rob Ford: the Musical your big break? Sheldon Bergstrom: I have been fortunate enough to work fairly steadily as an actor for the past 20 years, so I suppose you could consider me established. But, the Rob Ford: the Musical has given me exposure on a different level, so I am hoping it will create bigger opportunities. MN: Have you had any formal voice or acting training and where? SB: I had a wonderful drama teacher, Russ Ramsden, in elementary and high school in Saskatoon, and he provided me with my training in my formative years. But otherwise, no, I have
not had any formal training. MN: Most professional artists find that income is a problem. Do you feel you have achieved enough success to maintain a steady income for your family? Did you family come with you to Toronto for the run of the musical? SB: I think it is a challenge for any actor, especially one who works primarily in theatre, to maintain a steady income. It is an ongoing challenge. My wife did come out to see opening night of the production, but she could not come to Toronto for the duration of the contract as she has a full-time job in Regina. MN: You are a very personable person, but occasionally you choose to play bad guys. Why do you do this? Was Rob Ford a challenge and why? SB: The farther a character is from your true self, the more exciting and challenging they are to play. And playing Rob Ford was definitely a challenge, as it is always more difficult to play real life people rather than fic-
MN: Did you receive flack as Rob Ford because you were from Saskatchewan, or did the Toronto news and audience sympathize with you and the musical more because of your roots? SB: I don’t think my being from Saskatchewan affected people’s opinions about me. However, it was helpful when the media wanted to ply me with political questions about who I would be voting for to be able to say I wasn’t eligible to vote in Toronto! MN: Does this role typecast you or does it open up the opportunity for more prestigious roles? SB: I don’t think it will typecast me, and I am hopeful that it will open up more opportunities. MN: How does it feel to live in Rob Ford’s “musical” shoes for the last few weeks? SB: I have had the time of my life. I am working with some of the most talented artists in Canada, and I consider myself to be incredibly blessed to have had this experience.” MN: Do you feel your portrayal aided or harmed Rob Ford’s popularity with Torontonians? SB: I don’t think my portrayal
changed anyone’s mind about Rob Ford. If they liked him before, they will continue to support him, and if they were against him, they will stay that way. We pick on pretty much everyone in the show, so I don’t think we make any kind of political statement for or against Rob Ford. MN: Did you have the opportunity to interact with the Ford family? SB: I did try to reach out to them, and we held two seats for them every night at the show, but unfortunately they did not take us up on it, so I was never able to meet any of them. MN: How has this role changed you? SB: It is a project that I am incredibly proud of and has been one of the greatest experiences of my career. MN: What’s next for you? SB: Heading home and spending some time with my family! MN: I noticed your blog and your biography on your website has not been updated since 2009 when you literally “Broke your leg” during a production and had to go through rehab. If you updated your notes now, what would you say? SB: Yes, I really should update that! I’ve done some amazing shows and worked with incredible people over the past five years, and I never could have done it without the wonderful support of my family and friends. MN: What would you say to University students studying voice, acting, or other fine arts who look up to you as a successful Saskatchewan star? SB: It is harder than you can possibly imagine to try and have a career as an artist. And, there are many elements that are beyond your control. You will miss weddings, funerals, birthdays, and holidays. Some people will understand, and others will not. And, every other day you will question whether this is really the path you want to be on. But, if it is, then fight to make the most of it. Be proactive, be diligent, and when you get the job, be the kind of artist that people want to work with again. That is how you build a career. As Bergstrom states in reference to Rob Ford: the Musical, “The entire run of the show was completely sold out and the audiences seemed to love it. The producers are very happy with the results.” Clearly, Rob Ford: the Musical, which ended on Sept. 28, ended on a very high note.
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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Singer, rapper, artist, environmentalist: Kinnie Starr This young lady sings her heart out and loves the trees destiny kaus a&c editor
Robin Gartner What a beauty.
Calgary-born Kinnie Starr (yes, that is her real name. I wish my name was as cool as hers), who now lives just outside Vancouver, does an unreal job making the genres of folk, rap, and pop mesh together in near-perfect harmony. Although Starr is also a talented visual artist, she loves singing and song writing even more. “It’s just been a more vibrant artistic expression than illustration and drawing and stuff: the stuff that I was doing before,” Starr states. Personally, I think moving from a focus on visual arts to a focus on singing is a ballsy, but sick move, because a) it shows her determination to constantly step outside that norm-conforming box and broaden her arts repertoire, and b) it shows her vast diversity in the arts. To add to her diverse nature, Starr also advocates for the environment, unlike myself, since I usually never recycle and often litter.
Starr says, “I write about the environment, people, health, and love.” Aww, so holistic. What a champ. With these themes in her music, she must be friends with David Suzuki. Oh, wait, she actually is! “I already know David Suzuki,” Starr states. “He is the uncle to my husband, so it’s a long story, but [Suzuki] is kind of family to my partner, so I’ve just been getting to know him a little these last few years.” How cool is that?! I wish I knew David Suzuki. Well, maybe not, ‘cause I might get slapped due to the mount of pain I’ve inflicted upon our dear mother earth. Anyways, Starr will actually play two shows, one in Ottawa and one Victoria, for Suzuki’s solid little environmentalist Blue Dot Tour. With her new album From Far Away – which came out on Sept. 30, so you better go listen to it – Starr reaches one of her goals. “I made the whole record at home…that’s been a goal of mine for a long time,” says Starr.
“I think to self-produce, self-record, self-engineer, and play all the instruments…everything was a pretty lofty ambition, and I’ve achieved it.” Heck yeah that’s a lofty ambition! My goodness gracious. I can only dream of even playing my acoustic guitar semi-decently, let alone playing every single instrument for an album, recording it, and producing it. In fact, according to her biography, producing and engineering her own album makes her “one of the 5 per cent of female producer/engineers in music worldwide.” Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is something to be proud of. To me, Starr seems like a sincerely talented, brilliant individual. When I first listened to Starr’s new album, I thought to myself, “How on earth is this young lady going to make folk, rap, and pop come together?” To my deep and utter shock, Starr meshes these genres together with pure craftsmanship. While some songs, like “Touch the Sky” start out with an acous-
tic, folk sound, they morph into straight up rap as soon as the killer drum beats drop. She diversifies her album furthermore by organizing her album in a way that places her slower-paced acoustic songs right beside her faster-paced rap or pop songs. In my opinion, her raw, pure, unique vocals bring together these diverse genres: her consistently awesome vocals = consistently awesome music no matter what the genre. In Starr’s own words, to see the schedule for her cross-Canada tour, which starts on Oct. 2, “Check the webpage.” http:// kinniestarr.ca/ will show you when and where you can catch a glimpse of this sick artist, including her Oct. 8 tour date, when she will perform in Regina at the Exchange. Starr is definitely reaching for the stars (ew, I just spewed out so much thick cheesiness that it’s gross) in her music career. And, in my ever so humble, always right opinion, I say she’s already reached those special little stars with her crazy talents and new record.
Who needs the arts? Nobody. Why doest thou giveth a fuck concerning poetry (and other such annoyances)? john loeppky contributor I mean, really, who needs simile after simile? Writing a simile is like being a failed writer; it’s common as mud, but it seems impressive. Same with personification. I’m convinced that I’ve heard a number of the benches in the Riddell Centre whisper in hushed tones about the absurdity of literary conventions. It was the great Cohen himself who said, “Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.” But, who (unless they need some serious help) wants to literally burn in order to achieve any form of tangible success? Not me, not me. Don’t even get me started on clichés, and how many paintings do we need? What’s wrong with white-washed walls? Cavemen got along fine and they didn’t require paint flicked haphazardly onto canvas to feel “spiritually complete.” Same goes for sculptures. I really don’t need thirteen bronze representations of the old guard. I think the Louvre would make one hell of an ar-
cade, and I would love to use the Globe Theatre as my own personal hang out spot. Who needs a theatre when you can get drunk without any kind of expectations? The only art I do like is ceramics, because I can drink liquor from a mug, or eat soup, or do something productive. I see the point in that. Everything else is just… time wasting. If you’re going to write a poem, why not write a short story? And, if you are going to write a short story, you might as well turn it into a novel. If the novel succeeds, then a movie adaptation is logical. At the end of all this, if your goal is for a movie to be made, you might as well scrap the book because no one will green light your horrendous, ideas and it would all be for naught. Look at the fame you could achieve in say, the online community, and compare that with the fact that — even if you create a book that is fantastically brilliant — no one will want to read it until at least a hundred years after you die (and that’s if you’re lucky). People want the reality TV-soaked truth, not the amazing fictional narrative.
Haley Klassen Go up in flames, bitch.
It’s not like anybody ever goes to see where a fictional character lived, or worked, or went to school. There aren’t whole in-
The only art I do like is ceramics, because I can drink liquor from a mug, or eat soup, or do something productive.
- john loeppky
dustries set up to capitalize on the work of these authors and, certainly, none of this figments of the collective imagination could ever be described as somebody’s hero. They are all confined to the pages they were written on, or the canvases they were smeared on, but you are not. Go, stop reading that book that brings you so much hope, knowledge, not to mention insight, and go do something useful. Do your taxes, mow the
law, just don’t pen a screenplay. If you’re really feeling creative, write a spoken-word poem about it. People want the reality TV-soaked truth, not the amazing fictional narrative. It’s not like anybody ever goes to see where a fictional character lived, or worked, or went to school. No need for a publisher nowadays. All you need is a webcam, a lack of self-respect, a half-baked idea, and an audience.
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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New art at the U of R Jacqui Schumiatcher donates her personal art collection to the U of R laura billett a&c writer More than 1,000 pieces of art will call the University of Regina, MacKenzie Art Gallery, and revitalized College Avenue Campus home. Schumiatcher is a name known throughout the province for philanthropy that has sustained and invigorated the community. As a young girl, I remember seeing the Schumiatcher name around the city and wondering who these incredible people were who gave so much. Grown up, I understood how essential Jacqui and Morris Schumiatcher are to the community. They have given extensively over the years, making everything possible in the art world. On Sept. 25, Jacqui Schumiatcher made another donation that will allow for the growth and celebration of artists in Saskatchewan for generations to come. She has given the University of Regina more than 1,000 pieces of her and her late husband’s personal art collection, valued at about $3 million.“It’s very heart-warming to see Jacqui Schumiatcher give this amount of work because this is her stuff, this is from her place, and she’s letting go of it for us,” Luanne Drake, URSU VP of Student Affairs says. “I think we have an amazing fine arts program already. We pull students from across the
Laura Billett Such a nice lady.
country, and the ability to have access to stuff like this, both for the professors that want to teach about it, as well as for the students that will be inspired by a collection like this, the significance is enormous. I am tearing up because it’s so phenomenal. It’s such an act of generosity; it’s amazing,” says Devon Peters, URSU President. Schumiatcher also teared up while speaking at the event, but she says that she is only happy that the University is accepting her and her late husband’s art collection. It is the passion for the University that President Vianne Timmons and Schumi-
atcher share, as well as the fantastic relationship between the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the U of R that made up her mind. “We are very, very happy with the University accepting the gift with enthusiasm, and [the] support of Vianne is really fantastic for us. It puts my mind at ease that the art will be looked well after...It’s not bittersweet at all,” Schumiatcher says. When asked what her donations over the years really mean to her, Schumiatcher responded with humility: “I’ve never thought of it that way. As a kid...if I had some candies, I would give them and I wouldn’t have any left for my-
self. That started way, way back, so I’ve never thought of it like that. I get involved with the emotional part of what they are trying do. The rewards are always to see the effects of what that donation is, whether it’s Osteoporosis or the students at the Universities of Saskatchewan [and] Regina.” Schumiatcher went on to remember the first Sidewalk Art Gallery that she and her husband initiated, stating, “A lot people had never dared to go into a gallery because they said that they would be thought of as being stupid for knowing nothing about art, and that they would be expected to buy
something. I said that’s not the way a gallery works; you can just go in and look, and that’s it. And, so, some of them became collectors and got involved. So that’s the thank you, the dividends. It really hit people. It was just fantastic.” The Schumiatchers are responsible for the thriving art community that we have in Regina today, and Mrs. Schumiatcher has once again exceeded expectations and provided future students with incredible and beautiful art. “She is a woman that I admire so much. Almost from the moment I became president, I felt her support. She often sends me hand-written notes,” says Timmons. “She is a woman of such integrity and warmth, and I am just in awe of her. I admire her totally.” Part of the collection will be displayed permanently on the College Avenue Campus after its revitalization. “As you walk down the halls, it will have glass cases with her art in it, and it will be beautiful; it will be like walking in an art gallery,” explains Timmons. The rest of the art will be held at the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the main U of R campus. The MacKenzie Art Gallery will be holding an exhibit in the fall of 2015, showcasing the Inuit art and other select works from the Schumiatcher personal collection.
CRTC know evil
Broadcast regulator vs. online streaming pop goes the culture kyle leitch production manager
Big Brother, the omniscient and omnipotent state-figure as proposed in George Orwell’s 1984 has a new name: the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CRTC recently held its annual hearings, dubbed TalkTV, on the future of Canadian television in Gatineau, Quebec. Ordinarily, these hearings are dryer than ill-prepared Melba toast; however, the most current iteration of the hearings featured Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais going off the goddamn deep end and calling on streaming juggernaut Netflix to appear on the stand. This motion wasn’t totally out of the blue, mind you. Netflix submitted comments to the CRTC commission in the summer, but it didn’t ask to appear before the commission specifically. When it was called up to the commission, Netflix collectively shrugged and said, “I guess we’re taking a vacation to Gatineau.”
Kyle Leitch Accurate representation of the likely exchange between the CRTC and Netflix.
The company came to the hearing prepared to discuss financials and corporate mission statements, but what they were asked to do by the commission made for the real interesting bits. The CRTC demanded that Netflix divulge information regarding subscriber numbers and the company’s expenses regarding Canadian content: the most ambiguous and laughable mass media strategy of the last century-and-a-bit. Popular consensus is that the reasoning behind such a demand is that the CRTC feels that, by distributing its content across Canadian
borders, Netflix falls under the same jurisdictions as any other Canadian broadcaster, a belief that the Supreme Court ruled as being total bullshit in 2012. The CRTC threatened that Netflix would face new, scary regulation for non-compliance. After Netflix finished pissing itself laughing, it reminded the commission of Netflix’s status as a non-broadcaster, as determined by the Supreme Court in 2012. It then went one verbal bitchslap further by questioning the CRTC’s authority to regulate online video services. The CRTC picking fights it can’t possibly win is nothing
new. “The internet comes to Canada and, therefore, must be a Canadian broadcaster” ideology in the CRTC has been around since the late ‘90s. Since then, the CRTC has attempted to take Google and YouTube to task. Just like with Netflix, the CRTC was met with raucous laughter. The CRTC has been known to make pretty ominous and cryptic Dark Side-esq threats, always something to the effect of, “We can draw conclusions from your lack of co-operation,” before drafting new, scary legislation. What seems like a non-issue has actually become one of the more fascinating legal questions surrounding the advent of feasible online content streaming services. Does Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and any other such company fall under the broad legal definition of a broadcaster? Does the definition of a broadcaster need to be expanded to include such services? These questions are going to have to be sorted out right quickly, because the whispers on the wind are suggesting that a court case between Netflix and the CRTC is imminent.
I think the fundamental question that has yet to be addressed is, “What can the CRTC hope to gain from Netflix’s figures?” Even if Netflix were to hand over viewership data, nothing would change. Netflix broke the mold on what it meant to be a content provider, and its business model has changed the way that everyone, from traditional broadcasters to pay-per-view providers, have had to think about providing content. Unless there’s another paradigm shift, it’s unlikely that everyone is going to become a subscription-based streaming service, and so, the figures that Netflix could provide would be effectively meaningless. This ploy by the CRTC is just one more way for the big, bad gummament to monitor every facet of everyday life. There’s no way to predict the future, but my hope is that the same sense the Supreme Court used in its decision bleeds down into any impending legal action. It’ll be a sad day when Big Brother is given the purview to watch us binge-watch Breaking Bad.
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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Winnipeg’s Sc Mira comes to Regina
This band promises great live music and an entertaining show laura billett a&c writer
Sc Mira is coming to town on Oct. 10! Sc’s vocals are addictive and unique, creating a sound that is at once edgy and easy to groove along with. You can experience the electrifyingly good time that they promise in their live show at the German Club next Friday. Winnipeg dwellers Sc (vocals), Tyler Wagar (guitar), Jed Desilets (drums), Justin Delorme (keys), and Mario Lagassé (bass) compose Sc Mira, a band that crosses genres and has a good time doing so. “We’ve been finding it difficult these days,” explains Wagar, “because, especially with pop in the last few years, it has really become such a crossover kind of genre, from soulful Adele stuff to Avici, which is folk and EDM at the same time. So, we like to think that we’re sort of in that same kind of category, in that sort of cross-over alt-rock, pop, roots kind of thing. I would say a wicked show onstage with some crazy interesting sounds.” Sc Mira just released their new single, “On My Own,” and are touring this month in Canada and the U.S. to celebrate the upcoming release of their debut
Travis Ross Holy shit, am I colour-blind?
EP Waiting Room Baby. “On My Own” is currently available for listening and purchasing online, and I have to admit it is addictive! As a band that is just beginning to emerge on the national and international scene, it can be difficult to balance individual artistic expression and commercial accessibility when writing music. When I asked Wagar where Sc Mira places their fo-
cus, he explains that they try to find a middle ground between the two. “I think for us, especially, it’s kind of important to be both because Sc and I, we have a lot of important things to say, or we like to think that we have a lot of important things to say and songs to share. On the one side, there’s the creative aspect that’s really important to us, and at the other end of the scale, we want
to do it for a living too. So [it’s] a mixture of both worlds.” For having such a unique sound, Sc Mira is pretty open to anything. Wagar admits he is inspired by next to anything, admitting he has a soft spot for some rap and has written country songs despite claiming not be a huge fan of either. “I found I wrote a straightup Dierks Bentley song a couple of weeks ago. So not too sure how that happened. It’s literally about trucks and dogs and jean shorts,” Wagar laughs. Don’t be deceived, Sc Mira isn’t a country band, nor are they rapping words to dance beats, but they are crossing pop, alternative, and folk boundaries. What results is an easy to love and unique sound. The word on the street is that they have a surprising and entertaining stage show to boot! “Oh, it’s going to be a blast!” Wagar says about their Oct. 10 show at the German Club. “Even though our music may not be hard-core or anything, when we are up on stage, we like to make sure everyone is entertained, and all eyes are up on stage. Come down for a show and for a lot of energy!”
Word: Ortanique Not the Definition: (noun) a unique orangutan; (proper noun) the name of my future child, which I will never have; (verb) the act of making art unique; (adjective) to describe a super rare antique: “Look at that ortanique chesterfield.” The Real Definition according to Oxford Dictionaries: (noun) a cross between an orange and a tangerine What on earth?! An orange-tangerine hybrid actually exists? And, a word to describe this little cross-bred fruit exists? Yes. So, want to confuse the pants off a local grocery store employee? Just approach them and, with a straight face, ask, “Excuse me, do you have any ortaniques in stock?” If you happen to spot an ortanique either in a store, on a tree somewhere, – do they even grow on trees? – or in some exotic location while on vacation with your significant other, simply state, “Aw, look! An ortanique!” There you have it champs: a new word. Your lives will never be the same. Later gators.
Regina Band Interview Series: The Venus Extraction Jeffrey Campbell shares his deep thoughts
kendall latimer contributor
The Venus Extraction is a Jeffrey Campbell project accompanied live by various musicians. Campbell’s lyrics provoke thought, and he has a taste for the peculiar. He released the SHARO-LYNN Sessions (two digital albums) over the summer. What first got you interested in music? I was really into music at a very young age. I was ten years old writing songs and lyrics. [Basketball] always came first, and it was something that I was molded into. Music was a love that I found for myself. How did your band get into the music industry? I’ve self-released everything, [and] done all my own marketing, production, and writing. What are your future goals as a band? Keep moving forward. What is the meaning of life? Happiness. There’s no question. What else could it possibly be, right? What is your definition of true love? I could almost say I don’t know… maybe it takes a certain situation sometimes to show you
peeve? Fake people. People throw it on, and they’re not real.
what the meaning of true love is. Do you prefer reading fiction or non-fiction books? Well, non-fiction isn’t always non-fiction. There’s a lot of exaggeration. I like the idea of everyday reality, but I love fiction too. There’s no question. And then drugs, right? You write about an acid trip, and that gives a whole new reality to everything.
If you could go back in time historically and punch anybody you wanted to with no consequences, who would you punch? Vladimir Putin. What are your favourite ice cream flavours? Vanilla and Half-Baked Ben and Jerry’s … chocolate chip cookie dough.
Which superhero do you look up to the most? I love the Fantastic Four. I’ve always liked the idea of a team being locked into it. Four people are a lot more powerful than one If you could eliminate one of the ten commandments out of the Bible, which one would you eliminate? Don’t think I’d change them. What are your greatest failures? I have no regrets. Living is my greatest failure. What are your greatest successes? Living. Do you like cats? I’m a cat guy. I like dogs too, but I’m more of a cat guy. Who are your favourite sports teams? I’ve found a new shooter: Ste-
The Venus Extraction Killer lettering, yo.
phen Curry who plays for the Golden State Warriors. That’s my team right now. Which musicians inspire you the most? Afie Jurvanen, Jack White, Lou Reed, and the Velvet Underground. Sonic Youth: they took noise rock to a whole nother level in terms of pop. Donavon. Nick Drake: he had this way of making the saddest songs seem happy. Would you like your life to end with a fairy tale ending or
a tragic ending? I feel like you live to die. Death is probably the most interesting time in your life…I mean all the DMT in your brain. A lot of people say that they saw the light. They saw heaven. They didn’t see heaven. They saw what they wanted to see. They saw the dream chemical you know? It made them see it because that’s what they wanted to see. I think a suffering death would be interesting. I mean, it’d be terrible, but I’ve always felt that way. What is your biggest pet
Why is the sky blue? It’s blue because the reflections from whatever in space? I really don’t remember exactly why it is, but I do remember the reflection thing. It’s basically the reflection of the sea or something, right? What physical aspects of yourself are you most proud of? My brain. What areas of life do you take the most pride in? My childhood. Which historical event do you wish never happened? I gotta take a selfish approach on that…I wish John Lennon never died. Come hear him for yourself. Check out The Venus Extraction on Oct. 17 at the German Club!
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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“Shake it Off” sucks
Will Taylor Swift be able to shake this off? elisabeth sahlmueller contributor
One would think that the more songs an artist releases, the better quality her songs would become. However, that doesn’t seem to be true for Taylor Swift. Her brand new single (which surprisingly is not about an ex), “Shake It Off,” from her fifth album, 1989, is a gigantic leap backwards. Many people, including myself, don’t think this is her best song. Recently, Taylor’s releases have been going down in quality. She is trying too hard to fit the pop star mold. Taylor Swift’s old songs have a far different sound than any of her new music. Songs off of her first two albums Taylor Swift and Fearless, such as “Should’ve Said No,” “The Outside,” “Fifteen,” and “The Best Day,” were a lot more meaningful. Back then, Taylor sung from the heart about what was important to her and wasn’t worried about reaching a cer-
tain level of pop. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with trying new things, or in Taylor Swift’s case a new direction in music, but while trying something new, don’t let it change who you are. “Shake it Off” is way too repetitive and annoyingly catchy. After listening to that song, it appears that there are only three words in the English language: ‘shake,’ ‘it,’ and ‘off’ (this may be a slight exaggeration, but it is quite accurate). After a while, it’s just going to be too much. In the ending alone, that phrase is repeated over fifteen times. Next time, try to include some variety with the words. The music video for this song is horrible. Something must have went wrong during the creative planning, because the current video should not have been the end result. “Demoralizing to women” is one thought that pops up after watching the video. How can a good music video be one that
‘Shake it Off’ is way too repetitive and annoyingly catchy.
- elisabeth sahlmueller
has women shaking their butts in your face? It’s weird, and it makes people feel uncomfortable. A music video can be good without having women’s butts in your face. There are numerous ways that this video could have been better. Just because other artists have that in their videos, doesn’t mean that you should follow their ideas. Be creative and come up with your own ideas. People will respect you for it. Although the song is not well liked, I believe there is a positive side to everything. In this song, there is a message of being yourself and not caring what people think of you. This is important for people today, because too many people change who they are for people to like them. When Taylor Swift first emerged onto the music scene, she was praised for writing her own lyrics, which was cool for a sixteen year old because most artists today don’t write their own lyrics. Those songs had meaning and were original. Now, the message seems to be getting lost in the pop-sounding music and videos. If Taylor Swift continues in this direction, she will lose even more listeners then she already has.
Jingyu Zhang T-Swift gangsta.
New Dance Horizons 29th season cometh
A little bit of jig, a little bit of hoop dancing, and a lot of contemporary dance laura billett a&c writer
New Dance Horizons (NDH) is beginning their 29th Season in Regina, and it is a promising line up. The renowned contemporary dance company is based in Regina and is spearheaded by Robin Poitras, an incredible artist who has kept the dance community alive in the prairies. “Contemporary dance develops new vocabularies to relate realities and fantasies,” says Poitras. “This year’s presentations feature remarkable works by highly original artists, offering a feast of dance encounters and joyously festive events. I invite you to join us in an adventurous season of moving art!” Not only is there an exciting range of performances from the annual Prairie Dance Circuit and Blueprint Series to the new Men in Dance Festival, there are courses, workshops, and lectures to engage the community in the world of dance. New this year are Métis jigging and square dancing lessons offered (free!) every Monday night. This year, NDH and the University of Regina are re-entering a collaborative partnership, which means key performances throughout the season will be performed on campus, on the main stage, or in the Shu-Box theatre. “I think what we hope to
accomplish is supporting each other,” says Rae Staseson, Dean of Fine Arts. “It’s good for the students; it’s a good learning experience. It’s a great profiling for New Dance Horizons to an extended audience. It’s a great profiling for the Faculty of Fine Arts and the U of R in the community. I think that it will extend us out there and profile what we can offer.” New Dance Horizons brings in exceptional artists from across the country. Bill Coleman is one of thirteen men who will be coming to Regina to perform in the 10 days, 9 nights, Men in Dance Festival this January. Coleman is from Toronto, but has been visiting Regina since the 1990s when Poitras first invited him to perform. “I love the prairies. I love southern Saskatchewan,” says Coleman. “I have a lot of community connections, so that makes it really poignant when you perform to people that know what you’ve been doing.” Coleman is an exceptional tap dancer who likes to add a bit of comedy to his performance, stating, “I like funny. I like being funny, and it’s nice to bring it back into my dance, and this really is a nice way of doing it.” In addition to tap dancing, you can expect to see Terrence Littletent hoop dancing, Montreal’s Sylvain Émard Danse perform Ce n’est pas la fin du
Photography Department, University of Regina Dying by a little, itty, bitty church?
monde, and many more talented men dance the nights away! From laughing with Coleman to getting chills of awe watching Littletent move with hoops, there is undoubtedly something to interest everyone in the Men in Dance Festival. Though it is the most looked forward to by Staseson, and contemporary dancers Caitlin Coflin and Roxanne Korpan, it is by no means the only event to get in line for. The Blueprint Series is an event that speaks to the incredible support NDH provides to the artistic community in Saskatchewan. In fact, A Moment in
Space was first explored by Coflin and Korpan in the series and is now being presented by NDH in April as part of the House of Dance show. “I’ve performed in a few blue print series over the years and been to many, and it gives you a really wide variety of work,” says contemporary dancer Coflin. “It’s not always even specifically dance. It’s just any kind of performance art that people are working on and wanting to put in front of an audience.” “They are also one of New Dance Horizons’, I think, best
ways of creating a new platform for emerging artists to present their work in a professional setting. New Dance Horizons is wonderful for supporting emerging artists in the community.” says Korpan. “It’s amazing, the opportunities that have come up for us in just a year. We almost have too many. It will be busy, but it’s really exciting.” Watch for Coflin, Korpan, Coleman, Littletent, and many, many more talented dancers onstage this season, and be sure to check out the many classes and workshops available to you on the NDH website!
sports
Haley Klassen Pick your sport! Any sport!
suzanne barber, matt wincherauk, john loeppky, kyle leitch, brady lang got hurt doing nothing 1. Quarterback controversy! After Cayman Shutter went down vs. Alberta, Noah Picton came in and put up big numbers, and continued with another solid performance vs. the Huskies in their 21-16 loss. Who should start in Calgary? Barber: I thought Picton looked strong against the Huskies on Saturday. Although there were a few miscommunications, I think his performance earned him a start against Calgary. Wincherauk: I’d really like to see Picton continue to play, as I think he’s incredibly entertaining to watch play, but I feel Shutter should play the remaining games if healthy. He was their guy at the start of the season, so he should end it. Loeppky: Given that Picton himself has said that Shutter is the starter, I can’t see the job not going back to him. That being said, with how Noah has been performing, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him under centre next week. Leitch: I say throw caution to the wind. We’re halfway through the season; let’s have some fun with it! Start the kicker as QB. Lang: I like the way Picton carries himself on the field. I think
Editor: Matt Wincherauk sports@carillonregina.com @carillon_sports the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
ROWNDTABLE The sports injuries edition
they’re both legitimate starters, so a QB controversy is going to improve them both and push them to improve and be better.
2. Derek Jeter had his final game in Yankee Stadium last week, and hit a walk off to perfectly cap things off. What are your thoughts on the Captain’s last season, and do you #RE2PECT him? Barber: Love him or hate him, that finish is what baseball fans dream of. He played twenty years for the Yankee franchise and will go down in history as one of the best. For that, he has my respect. Wincherauk: Well, I’m a Red Sox fan, so it’s kind of my job to dislike him, but he was pretty good. I’m more impressed with his track record with women. He was a better playboy than baseball player. Loeppky: I think Jeter went out in the best way possible. He was cheered by the Boston fans over the weekend, which is a testament to his talent and composure over the years. That being said, the Yankees had a less than stellar season, one that was clouded by number two’s impending departure. Leitch: I don’t really think I retwo-pect him; however, I do pronounce words with numbers in them phonetically so people realize just how damn stupid that is. Lang: Huge Red Sox fan here,
but I love everything about Derek Jeter. He’s the greatest shortstop of all time and in my opinion, Jeter is the greatest Yankee of all time. We will never see a player like him in our lifetime. 3. It’s October, and that means one thing: playoff baseball! Who do you guys think will take home the World Series in this year’s Fall Classic? Barber: Oh man, I’m really not much of a baseball fan unless it involves beer in the dugout. I’ll just go with what Matty said. Wincherauk: Personally, I’d like to see the A’s win, so Lester can get another World Series, but my pick is the Nationals. Good combination of pitching and hitting, but it really is a toss up. Loeppky: I would love to see the Dodgers win, just to hear Vin Scully pontificate about the opposing players’ personal stories as Matt Kemp pounds the last pitch over the wall for the win against the Orioles. Leitch: Is Geddy Lee still frequenting Blue Jays games? If so, give the series to him. If not, then give the Milwaukee Brewers the series, just for shits and giggles.
Friday. What are your expectations for the men’s team? Can they match the success of their counterparts in the women’s hockey team?
with a sack dance at the expense of the Packers. What’s the most embarrassing sports injury you can recall?
Barber: I went to high school with the captain, Liam Brennan, and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a great leader and a great hockey player. I think the men’s team will have a really successful season.
Barber: That is a pretty sad injury, especially to blow something major like a knee. In high school, one of the basketball players broke both his wrists in a slam-dunk competition. That was pretty embarrassing and hilarious.
Wincherauk: I’m not exactly sure, but I feel like it’s going to be a pretty average season. They also have to compare to the great women’s team, so that doesn’t help things.
Wincherauk: I’m going with the original “celebrate too hard, tear your ACL” play in Martin Gramatica. It’s all the more hilarious that he was a kicker. Kickers make everything in sports funny.
Loeppky: It seems to me that it will be tough sledding again this season for the team. It seems to be difficult for both the male and female sides of same sport to succeed at the same time. Here’s hoping that isn’t true this year.
Loeppky: Other than the time I sprained my calf playing wheelchair basketball, I don’t know about embarrassing, but Adrian Peterson dove into the end zone when he didn’t necessarily need to once and broke his collarbone, costing him the rest of the season.
Leitch: I think they’ll be hard pressed to match the success of the women’s team from last year. Even though the women technically lost, no one will ever forget the marathon they put on in their final game.
Lang: I wish I was saying the Red Sox. But instead, I’ll go with Oakland for Lester and Gomes. Lester for life.
Lang: They’re a strong team and I believe they’re going to do great this year. They ran into two hot goalies and they couldn’t put the puck in the net. This team will do wonders.
4. The Cougars men’s hockey team was shut out in their CIS opener vs. the Huskies on
5. Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch tore his ACL last Sunday while celebrating
Leitch: Being drafted to the Detroit Lions in the first place. BURN! Lang: I’m going to go with my own personal most embarrassing sports injury. I caught when I played baseball back in the day and I missed a curveball in the dirt. Funny thing is it bounced up and hit me right in the tenders. I’ll bounce out a new term for you guys; it got me in the “under-cup”. I can still feel the pain I experienced at that moment to this day.
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
sports
15
Taking advantage of opportunities given Just part of the family business for Noah Picton
michaela solomon contributor
Earlier in the season, Ram’s backup QB Noah Picton was tossed into a game against the University of Alberta with only a moment’s notice. Finally able to put all his hard work on the field, Picton threw for three touchdowns, completing 28 of 36 passes. Last week, the Carillon sat down with Picton to chat about the season, with the availability of starting QB Cayman Shutter still unknown for upcoming games, after a rib injury. Picton starts off talking about his experience learning to play touch football under the guidance of his dad at age 7. “Having my dad, who was the quarterback for the Rams at one point, was just like having a fulltime coach at home,” Says Picton. Another huge help for Picton growing up was the company of his cousins and fellow teammates, Mitchell, Aaron,
and Blake. “Some people may think we get sick of each other, but we get to work on different elements of our relationships at home and also at practice. You always feel confident that they’ll have your back in the game when it’s someone you’re already close with.” When asked about what it’s like to back up a huge position like QB, it seems that Picton knows what he’s gotten himself into. “You always want to prepare like you’re starting. It’s important to stay level-headed, because when you get called upon, you want to be able to perform.” So, when asked what went through his head when he realized he was going to have to step in for Shutter against the U of A, and how he’s preparing for possibly starting against the Huskies on Sept. 27, it was no surprise to us that Picton didn’t doubt himself in the least. “The first play is a little nerve wracking, but then you
get into the groove and just play the game you know how to play.” Picton had only good things to say about former Rams QB Marc Mueller when asked about the person he looks up to the most in terms of sports. Picton finished last game with a completion percentage of 77.8, falling just short of Mueller’s 78.4 per cent in the 2012 season, leaving the two with the highest and second-highest single-game marks in Rams history. “I started training with Marc when I was in grade eight.” says Picton. “He gave me the most stand out advice which was ‘Make your read, and let it rip’.” Where does our aspiring quarterback hope to find himself 10 years down the road? “I hope I finally have my degree,” explains Picton with a sarcastic tone. “I’ll potentially have a family of my own, nothing too out of the ordinary. I hope to stay in Regina; it’s a great city, especially for a young family.” Aside from being heavy
Arthur Ward Picton about to rip into a pass.
into football, Picton explains that he is well aware that the odds are against him when it comes to sports, and that his greatest hope for future success
will come from hard work in the classroom. Picton is currently an arts major hoping to apply to become a business major, focusing on finance.
Strueby and Cougars keep rolling in Minneapolis Canada or the U.S., it doesn’t matter where the Cougars race matt wincherauk sports editor
Cross-country might not be the most popular sport at the University of Regina, but with the success that runners like Adam Strueby have been achieving, it’s tough not to give these guys and girls their due. Strueby, a third-year athlete, is one of the leading runners for the Cougars very successful cross-country team. Along with the likes of Matt Johnson and Michael Middlemiss, they cleaned up nicely in their tuneup run at the annual Cougar Trot in mid-September. “First race, goal wise, we just wanted to finish as close as we could together, so we had me and Matt and then the rest of the guys, and then the last lap was just every man for themselves,” Strueby told me. “It worked out for us, because we went one through five; it couldn’t have worked out better.” The Cougar Trot was a warm up for seasoned runners like Strueby and Johnson. The real test this season was the looming Roy Griak Invitational Race in Minneapolis, a massive multi-divisional race that comprised hundreds of runners, 409 to be exact, from over 30 different schools. I asked Adam to talk about the difference between Canadian and American races, and even the differences among divisions. “My first year, we did Divi-
Haley Klassen The calm before the storm.
sion 1; my second, we did Division 2, and the numbers aren’t very different, but the depth is. It’s not like any race you’ll do in Canada until you get to Nationals,“ Adam says.
The point is that despite a grueling 8km course, you’re most likely going to be stuck with someone the entire way. For Strueby, it’s important to become a leader of the team.
He is now in his third year and a veteran on the team. As for advice, here’s what he’d say to his younger teammates. “What I’m going to tell them is the key is not to get into
Strueby and his teammates are big-time supporters of keeping things light and fun in order to get the best results. - matt wincherauk
it too early because it’s a long race and a hard course.” Strueby knows this advice all too well, as he speaks from personal experience. “You’re going to be excited over the first little while, but if you go out too hard, and I’ve done it before, you’re going to suffer through a long course with tough hills. The key is to stick to your race plan, and stick with some of the older guys, because they know what it takes to do well.” However, being a leader is more than just giving advice. It’s also about keeping team morale and chemistry high. Strueby and his teammates are big-time supporters of keeping things light and fun in order to get the best results. “We’re all weird!” Adam says with a big grin on his face. “They’re a great group of people, and we all like to goof around, but when it comes time to work, that’s our time to work.” The Cougars put forward an impressive performance in Minneapolis, finishing in sixth place of 33 teams. Matt Johnson (25:32) finished first on the men’s side of things, with Adam (26:23) not far behind in ninth place. As for the women’s race, both Brynn Latimer and Jesse Van Eaton finished with a time of 23:41, and placed 31st and 32nd overall. The women’s team also did well team-wise, finishing finished eighth of 36 teams. The Cougars will travel to Saskatoon next weekend for the Huskie Open.
16
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
sports
#RE2PECT for the Captain Whether you like him or not, Derek Jeter has earned your respect
Keith Allison The Captain, stoically looking into the distance.
suzanne barber sports writer At the beginning of the 2014 MLB season, the captain of the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter, announced his retirement. Cue the multi-million dollar Nike campaign. Heavy hitters, like Jay-Z and Michael Jordan, tip their hat to show “re2pect” to the Yankee in the commercial that has
now generated 8.3 million YouTube views. It’s no surprise that big budget marketing squeezes every last penny out of the franchise player that is Jeter, however, no ad campaign (or franchise) could hope for a perfect ending, and the events that unfolded last Thursday as Jeter took the Yankee Stadium plate for the last time were perfection. The usually stoic city that is New York turned to mush, and the whole world did, in fact, tip
the cap. Jeter has played his entire 20-year career with the Yankees and capped off his reign with a surreal 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The nearly 50,000 fans in attendance screamed and the Yankees mobbed their shortstop after his walk-off single won the game. To be clear, you don’t have to be a baseball fan, or even a sports fan, to get goose bumps from watching this win. I don’t consider myself much of a baseball fan unless the dugout includes a cooler full of cold beer, but I was glued to the screen as I watched Jeter hover over his shortstop position, head bowed and cap off. It is one of those moments where you realize you are watching a historical moment as it happens. It’s what sports fans dream about and live for. I wanted to find out what the moment was like for the real Jeter fans out there, though. The ones who have celebrated all five World Series wins, worn number 2 and had respect for Jeter long before Nike had a popular hashtag. Travis Holt, a die-hard fan and fellow shortstop, felt emotional. “Today marks a terrible tragedy. Baseball will mourn the loss of Derek Jeter playing his
last home game in a Yankee uniform” he said. Not everyone is sold by the comeback, though. As Jeter hugged his teammates in celebration, the internet went crazy, with both positive and negative responses. The doubters think the entire win was staged. An article written by sports writer, Dan Carson, titled “2ham” supports the idea that the too good to be true ending was just that. As Carson notes, one reader on Barstool’s Smitty even went as far as calculating standard deviation, claiming Jeter had a 0.9 per cent chance of hitting Meek’s pitch on Thursday. “It’s math, and it proves that while the Orioles had all the reason in the world to win Thursday night, they likely colluded with powers unknown to intentionally drop the game. Why else would they throw to a struggling 40-year-old in the trough of his career?” Carson writes. Agree or disagree, staged or authentic, does it really matter? The Yankees didn’t make the playoffs and the game held little significance, yet it was an unforgettable night. The goose bumps were real, the tributes were real and the Empire State Building did light up with the Yankee pinstripe over a city that loved “The Captain.”
The goose bumps were real, the tributes were real and the Empire State Building did light up with the Yankee pinstripe over a city that loved “The Captain.”
- suzanne barber
Stamkos will ascend to the top of the NHL mountain Who can challenge Carillon favourites, the Anaheim Ducks? view from the cheap seats
brady lang multimedia editor
After a long, tiring summer, we’re back to the season every Canadian missed: the NHL is back. The preseason is fully in swing and these weeks are every hockey fans dream, projecting the rest of the season. Last week, we had Carillon contributor Harrison Brooks breaking down who he thought would be the standings going forward into the season, this week I’ve been tasked with projecting awards including the projected winner of Lord Stanley’s Mug. Without further adieu, here we go: Hart Trophy (League MVP): Steven Stamkos, TB After a tough year that had Stamkos sidelined with a broken leg, the league’s best sniper will take his first Hart Trophy this season. He has all the skills to blow this league away like he has the past three years and assuming Stamkos stays healthy, the Hart’s his. Lady Byng Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player): Jon Toews, CHI
Toews is the most gentlemanly player and the most sportsmanlike. He’s hard working and the best captain in the league. Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender): Frederik Andersen, ANA Andersen was stellar in the 28 games he played last year and the playoffs and is poised for a monster season. Andersen went 20-5 with a save percentage of .923. This may be out of left field, but if he starts for Anaheim, this year will be special for the Ducks and Andersen. Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman): Drew Doughty, LA Doughty is a beast and by far the best defenseman in the NHL. Doughty will have a monster season and take the Norris trophy with ease. The best D-man on the best defensive team means a Norris trophy for Doughty.
Honourable mention: Jonathon Drouin, TB Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Player): Jon Toews, CHI Toews again, eh? Insert Toews praise here. Jack Adams Trophy (Top Coach): Todd Richards, CBJ Columbus is going to shock the hell out of a bunch of people this year. They’ve changed a lot from their past woes and will be heading to the postseason. Richards takes the win by default. Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player): Evgeni Malkin, PIT I predict a strong decline in Crosby’s game this year, so Malkin will be the one stepping up and making this year special for the Russian. Malkin will win the Art Ross trophy.
Lisa Gansky Keep smiling Stammer, the Hart Trophy might be in your future.
Steven Stamkos, TB
Calder Trophy (Top Rookie): John Gaudreau, CGY
Messier Award (Greatest Leader): Jon Toews, CHI
Gaudreau is the most NHLready prospect out there on a young team. Pair him with a guy like Sean Monahan and Gaudreau leads the rookies in points with a breeze.
See above. You get the story.
Jennings Award (Best Save Percentage): John Gibson and Frederik Andersen, ANA West Champion: Anaheim Ducks
Art Ross (Most Points): Evgeni Malkin, PIT
East Champion: Tampa Bay Lightning
Richard Trophy (Most Goals):
Stanley Cup: Anaheim Ducks
I’ll finish this with the Stanley Cup Champion. In seven games, Anaheim will win their second Stanley Cup. In the most exciting Stanley Cup in recent history, Ryan Getzlaf will raise the cup over his head. Teemu Selanne will be mad at his decision to retire and will let out a collective grown back home in Finland. Perry, Getzlaf, Kesler and company are just too good. They will be the champions.
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
sports
17
What’s your game?
Fantasy sports. Real players. Real stress. suzanne barber sports writer
What is all the hype about? It’s just fantasy. Fantasy leagues are becoming a huge part of professional sports. Avid baseball, NHL, NFL and even cricket fans can all get more involved in the sports they love. Now, anyone can create their very own team with the best players in the league and compete against friends, coworkers and, really, whoever they want. I have always been rather intimidated by these fantasy leagues. Not only did they seem complicated, they seemed to require a limitless knowledge of players and teams. What’s more, the knowledge required used different metrics – some of the best players in a league don’t make the best fantasy players. This year, I decided to give fantasy football a try and “own” two teams. I finally understand what all the hype is about. Here’s why: 1. I love smack talk The people I compete against are a mixed bag. From 9-yearold cousins, to acquaintances, to best friends. Every week, I get to root for the underdog, heckle opposing quarterbacks and follow every upset. 2. Every game matters Points are not based on wins and losses, but on player performance. As such, every game that your player is in matters. In the past, there are some games
Arthur Ward Fantasy sports. Where it’s ok to trash talk your younger cousin over a loss.
I would pay little attention to. Not anymore. 3. It’s easy I use two different apps, Yahoo and NFL Fantasy, and both are awesome. I can change my line up as soon as I get news on a questionable player, check the standings, and sync my team to other apps to get in-depth information. Oh yeah, and I can smack talk. 4. You start to feel like an expert You’re managing an all-star team and you plan on winning the Fantasy Super Bowl… You know your shit.
5. It’s insanely fun Now that I have experienced fantasy football, I really don’t think I’ll be able to go another season without a team. I love Sundays like kids love sprinkles. I am in the camp that really enjoys fantasy sports (fantasy football, anyway), but what about other U of R students? I asked a handful of people to find out who was in my camp and who wasn’t. As it turns out, everyone I talked to that owned a team was hooked. “I have owned a team for eight years. It lets me fulfill my fantasies of being a GM. I can
prove to all my friends that I know more than they do about football.” Clarke Westby said. I also spoke to a few firsttime owners that don’t fit the stereotypical owner profile. Maura Camplin is a lawyer and busy mother of three. “I totally misunderstood how it worked. I thought you accumulated points all season and then whoever had the most points won. I like it, and now that I understand it, I’m thinking of giving fantasy basketball a try.” she said. Personally, I am definitely a latecomer to the game, however. Fantasy sports are big
business and require a trade association known as the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. The FSTA has been serving the industry for over 15 years, representing nearly 200 member companies. The fantasy sports market, in North America alone, is estimated to be over 40 million people. If you’re like me, and are intimidated by fantasy sports, I recommend you give it a try. There is a reason it attracts so many people every season and I wish I had been in on the action much earlier. Don’t make the same mistake. If you’re on the fence, pull the trigger.
The Andrew Wiggins Diary What does the number one pick in the NBA think about in his spare time? john loeppky contributor
Andrew Wiggins, NBA wunderkind and Canadian boy, has the stresses of the NBA weighing on him as the regular season inches towards its beginning. To deal will these frustrations, Wiggins has decided to write down his thoughts and feelings for the Carillon to publish. Thursday Jun. 26, 2014 Dear Diary, YES! Championships for days. Imagine the parties, the workouts, the public relations opportunities, the shoe deals, the girls, the parties! Johnny Manziel and me? Forget about it. LeBron is going to come back and we are going to take over this town! Better yet, they’ll never trade me. I mean, Dion Waiters or me, who are you going to trade first? At least I pass the damn ball. Saturday, Jul. 12, 2014 LEBRON’S BACK BABY! WIT-
NESS THE GREATNESS! Do you think he’ll let me copy some of his moves? Do you think his wife has any cute friends? What if he lets me sleep under his bed to try and absorb his powers? Nah, then I’d be too much like Anthony. He’s started wearing my shooting shirts AFTER shoot-around. Doesn’t he know that makes him stinky and terrible? Thank god I was drafted to the Cavs. I mean, what could I learn from Kevin Love? Probably the ultimate pouty face, or how to be hated by your coach in five seconds flat. I’m Canadian, no way I could play that game. I’m in this for the long haul. Hey, that’s Johnny Football. Time to go and celebrate us bringing winning back to Cleveland. Pray we don’t injure ourselves. Tuesday, Jul. 15, 2014 Ok, I have to admit something: my teammates are really weird. Kyrie keeps showing up in an old man costume and pretend-
and saying things like, “if I stay near you, maybe I’ll be able to shoot some day.” He’s so damn desperate, you’d think he was playing for the T-Wolves.
Haley Klassen Already on the bandwagon.
ing to be Varejao’s dad. It’s creepy, man. Anderson keeps swearing at him in Portuguese. Did I just walk into a cult? The media keeps making a big thing about all the Canadians being together, and yeah it’s cool, but Tristan Thompson
keeps taking selfies with me and selling the pictures on EBay. Bro, chill. AB [Anthony Bennett] is on some Like Mike type shit. You know, the movie where the little kid gets a pair of magical shoes? Except, he keeps smelling mine
Saturday Aug. 23. 2014 NOOOOOO! My agent just called. He said he had good news and bad news. I went for the good news first. I mean, how bad could the bad news really be? He said the good news was that condos are cheap in Minnesota this time of year. MinneFuckin-Sota. I was just traded for Kevin “Coach Killer” Love. My agent forgot the worst news, Anthony Bennett is coming too. I was supposed to win a championship this year, not pick out which golf course I’d like to play in May. Shit, I have to go, AB’s calling me. I really hope he isn’t suggesting we go for teammate tattoos again. He wants to put my name inside of a heart on his bicep. Like, seriously dude, stop being so thirsty; it’s embarrassing.
op-ed
Editor: Taras Matkovsky oped@carillonregina.com @carillon_oped the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
Canada and the right wing illusion
X-Weinzar
It’s as if hell has frozen over. In the last two weeks, American conservatives have been saying nice things about Canada. Several conservative commentators want the United States to be more like Canada, with phrases like “far more business-friendly tax jurisdiction” and “historic move toward open markets and economic growth” (because apparently Canada was an oppressive, authoritarian, communistic hellhole at one point) permeating their op-ed articles. John Fund, a conservative writer who described Cana-
da formerly as America’s “more socialist and... poorer neighbour to the north,” wrote a Wall Street Journal article recently saying the Canucks had learned from their reckless public spending ways and have prospered over the last two decades via austerity, a much lower corporate taxation rate (top combined provincial/federal rate 25 per cent in Canada versus close to 40 per cent in the US), and plans to dismantle tariffs. These conservatives portray American business as drowning in taxation and grabbing the lifeline of low-
er corporate taxation offered by other countries, including Canada. Conservatives use the latest Tim Hortons-Burger King deal as an example of this, and liberal Democrats should embrace, rather than condemn, a much lower corporate tax rate. Moreover, the Canadian TaxFree Savings Account, which allows individuals to invest a portion of their money without fear of Revenue Canada taxing it, has caught the attention of American conservatives who praise its flexibility. All of this conservative fawning over Canada might cause one to ponder if the country has become more right wing. The answer is ultimately yes and no. Certainly, Canadian policies have trended rightward both economically and politically since the 1980s. Economically, federal corporate taxes have fallen from a high of 41per cent in 1960 to the present 15 per cent. Nationally, the North American Free Trade Agreement was implemented in 1994, and its effects have polarized pundits on both sides of the spectrum. Leaders across all jurisdictions, from Jean Chretien and Paul Martin federally to Roy Romonow here in Saskatchewan, embarked on massive spending cuts and austerity in the 1990s. Moreover, parties on the left have moved more to the right themselves. The NDP under Thomas Mulcair has voiced interest in supporting free trade deals with countries like Jordan,
Brazil, India and South Africa. Much to the disappointment of many New Democrats, the party has also been silent on NAFTA’s future, a position they once spoke vigorously on re-negotiating or leaving all together. The debate on the party being a “socialist” was also polarizing within the party as the word was voted out of references in its constitution. The Liberals are a much different party to characterize as they’ve leaned left some years and to the right on others, but under Justin Trudeau, they clearly lean right economically on issues such as free trade and taxing corporations. However, Canadians themselves are more difficult to characterize then the policies of their governments and political parties. A poll conducted earlier in the summer asked sampled Canadians to choose objects that symbolized “Canadian values,” and ultimately, unity. Twenty-two per cent said universal health care – clearly something not fawned over by American conservatives – which beat hockey (11 per cent) and came in second behind the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A similar poll from 2012 showed that 94 per cent of Canadians surveyed believed universal health care was “an important source of collective pride.” No political party currently in the House of Commons would support dismantling of the public health care system for an American-style
system. Furthermore, despite the rightward trend of Canada’s left-leaning political parties, it’s important to note that many Canadians still perceive them as the left or alternative to the right. This can be inferred from the results of the 2011 election. While 39.5 per cent of Canadian voters supported the unapologetically right-wing party, 55.5 per cent voted for parties, including the separatist Bloc Quebecois, they recognized as either left wing or centrist. The implication was that they’d have some leftist policies despite the fact that they moved to the right. Yet, many Canadians still recognized them as an alternative to the right and voted for them precisely because they saw them as just that. In Saskatchewan alone, despite winning no seats, a third of voters cast ballots for the NDP. So, if Canada has become more right wing as a nation, why is universal health care seen as a unifying symbol? Why did more than half of Canadians vote for parties they saw as left or center left? The answer is that despite policy moves to the right, the Canadian polity remains much more ambiguous then the characterizations they hear about their country.
liam fitz-gerald contributor
We need low-income housing
Michael Chmielewski
The lack of low-income housing in Regina presents a big problem for students not living in residence at the U of R. If one doesn’t live in the dorms at school, then the only other options are finding a house, condo, or apartment to rent. If the situation is really desperate, there is the option of commuting, though this only works if
you live close enough to Regina. The thing is, going to the University is so much easier when you can live in Regina. As stated before, residence is always an option, but what about the people who don’t want to live there or missed the deadline to sign up for a dorm? What are the options for those who like being alone? Ideally,
it would be nice to get a place in Regina, preferably close to school. Sadly, since the demand for living arrangements close to the university is so high, these places are often overpriced and sell out fast. Of course, there is housing in other areas in Regina, but there are still a lot of things that people need to consider. Personally, when looking for a place to live, I like to consider how safe the area is and what the price of housing is. Students are already paying money for classes, textbooks, and parking. All of these really add up, especially if you are a full-time student and also have a job. People also need to consider the cost of food, toiletries and other necessities, which really limits the housing options for a lot of students. From a personal standpoint, this situation made living in Regina a definite no for me. When
pricing out living arrangements this summer, a lot of the places were too expensive or too far from the university. Residence was not an option for me, so I fell into the last category that was mentioned above: commuting. If we lived in a place where the climate was decent year round, commuting wouldn’t be too bad. Overall, when doing calculations, commuting from my hometown to Regina is cheaper than living in residence or finding my own place in Regina. The problem with commuting is simply the Saskatchewan winter. The weather isn’t always predictable and if the road conditions are bad, then those commuting won’t make it into Regina, which means missing a class. The lack of low-income housing may not seem like a huge problem to some, but to others it is a very big problem.
Many students don’t have the money to afford a place, which means taking out a loan and pushing them further into debt. Add monthly rent, tuition, textbooks and the cost of living, and the price will really make your head spin. Sadly, not only are the high prices not an option, but neither is commuting. The weather and roads are always unpredictable, and it causes a student to miss a class more than once. Students are not only paying for classes, but they are also falling behind in school. Something needs to be done about the lack of low-income housing, and hopefully a solution will appear soon.
katelyn smuk contributor
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
op-ed
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She for we Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the footage of Emma Watson delivering a badass speech on feminism in front of the U.N. last week. Watson was recently named U.N. Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, and is the voice of their “He for She” campaign, which aims to make men a part of the fight for gender equality. The speech has received backlash from some feminist critics who wanted to see Watson express a more intersectional feminism, which recognizes that issues of race, sexuality, gender expression and class are inextricable from issues of sexism. Many have also, rightly, taken umbrage with the “He for She” label, which excludes anyone who does not subscribe to a gender binary. These criticisms merit discussion, but I think that Watson’s speech achieved what it generally sought to: it countered stereotypes, delivered an easily digestible version of feminism, and has been shared widely by those who would not previously have identified as feminists. The day after the speech began to spread like wildfire, a thread was posted on the message board website 4chan, one of the darkest and most nefarious places on the Internet. It contained a threat to post nude photos of Watson, supposedly hacked from the cloud, as “punishment” for her speech. As it turns out, the threats were a hoax. This hoax has multiple layers and appears to have been some kind of shitty marketing
Myself488
campaign. The curious nature of this case merits its own article, which I don’t have space for here. What I do want to say is that even if the threats were “fake,” the implications are very real. I have no doubt that it matters little to Emma Watson that this turned out to be a hoax. The psychological trauma of being threatened is deep and long-lasting. When one receives a death threat, the fear and panic are real, whether or not it is followed up on. Whether or not the threats against Watson were serious, the notion that “a woman has to shut up or be shown for the slut she is,” as the 4chan thread said, are deadly serious.
And that’s what threats like this one amount to. Users of 4chan have apparently taken issue with being framed for the threat. The Register, a British science and technology online newspaper, cites one user as saying, “4chan holds Emma in high esteem, and while most of us would fap like crazy to real nudes, it’s not us hacking the cloud.” Hopefully the problem with this is obvious, regardless of whether the threats were issued by 4chan or not. Last time I checked, masturbating to stolen nude photos doesn’t count as “holding someone in high esteem.” 4chan hosted many
of the leaked celebrity nudes that surfaced last month, with targets including Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Kardashian. Their willingness to exploit famous women’s private property for their own sexual gratification is clear. The leaking and sharing of stolen nude photos is a huge problem. That shouldn’t need saying, but apparently it does. Here’s the bottom line: when you look at a naked photo of someone that was not sent specifically for your eyeballs (or, in the case of porn, explicitly created as a product. That’s a whole other can of worms), you are entering into a non-consensual
sexual transaction with that person. That is a violation; that is sexual violence. When you add in the question of using this form of sexual violence as a method to silence someone, things get even grizzlier. It is a perverse kind of sexual intimidation. It seems to operate under the understanding that the woman who has taken the photo is a “whore,” and that this fact can be used to punish her. But, it also entirely removes a woman’s ability to say no to being seen. It eliminates her control of her own body and sexuality. It walks a confusing and gross tightrope between condemning female sexuality and forcing the woman in question to be sexualized and objectified by anyone who clicks on the photo – conceivably, anyone. There is no question that the legal system needs to catch up to technology so that those who are responsible for these privacy violations can be held to necessary account. But, I would argue that anyone who knowingly seeks out stolen naked pictures is complicit in the act. Sexuality should not be used against someone as a threat. It is a healthy and natural human expression. Until women are no longer threatened with sexual violence for speaking out, we need voices like Emma Watson’s calling for change.
sonia stanger contributor
Get active on activism We have all thought of ourselves as activists at some point or another, as an ally of a sort. And, yet, many of us seem to employ our beliefs only on the Internet, in the hidden corners of our homes, or in chat forums and comment threads. Very few of us are strong enough to come forward and speak our minds to the masses. Unfortunately, too many of us hide behind screens. Even sadder, some use these screens as a method of oppression. YouTube user Sam Pepper has come under significant fire recently for posting a number of videos where he grabs women in public and hides behind the fact that he is “pranking” them. Later on, after having posted a video with women doing the same thing to men, he released a third and final piece explaining that he was attempting to create a dialogue and that he was participating in a social experiment. Never mind the fact that he has posted videos in the past where he lassoed women in public and near-forced others to kiss him. Such actions have long been ignored in forms of expression such as online media and have been characterized as not impactful enough to be
challenged. This time, the online community rallied against Mr. Pepper’s actions, a positive reminder that such actions are beginning to be challenged at every level of society. But, online media has also created a challenging environment for even the most well placed activist movement, in that every position can (and will) be challenged, any website can be referenced, any message twisted. No longer can any message be considered positive. Each argument has to be pick-pocketed and defamed for its inherent flaws. Does this create dialogue? Yes. Does this also create a certain amount of mudslinging? Absolutely. Here’s the problem: most arguments, even when they are awash in well-placed intentions and well thought out conclusions, are consistently flawed. There are very few positions one can take that will be seen as morally perfect, save a few basic tenants of human decency. So, how does public dialogue — especially that which is expressed on the Internet — not get bogged down with pedanticism and consistent bickering? Sadly, too often, it can’t help itself. And yet, there is hope. It
is not all villainy and argument for argument’s sake. Hank and John Green, the creators of VidCon and the Vlog Brothers YouTube channel, continue to serve the world at large by establishing a community, nicknamed Nerdfighteria that contributes to non-profit initiatives that help people the world over. In relation to the Sam Pepper saga, YouTube user Laci Green immediately started an online petition that has garnered a large amount of attention from both the mainstream media and the online world. The consistent work of just a few content creators has started to shift the conversation from, “look at all those people who do nothing but sit on the Internet,” to, “look at all those people who are pooling their intellectual and monetary resources to make a difference.” Does this mean that arguments online will stop, that we will all stand around the proverbial fire, hold hands, and sing “Don’t Worry be Happy” together? In a word, no. But it does mean that all is not lost, that our generation can no longer be characterized as moral slackers. While many have taken activism to mean posting a picture of a horrendous human
MaybeMaybeMaybe
being as their profile image, pasting a pretty-coloured hash tag underneath it, and forgetting it a few days later, as activism, many more have taken the cause to heart and created actual change. Sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have an increasing number of campaigns centred around those who need help and, increasingly, complete strangers, are willing to lend a hand — without criticizing those asking for the money, or claiming that they are scammers or
cheats. Sometimes the good ol’ Interwebs can restore your faith in humanity just a little bit. While no one will be arguing that the comment sections on YouTube, or the creepiest threads on Reddit are safe havens of free expression, it is safe to say that our online world is becoming more and more helpful.
john loeppky contributor
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
op-ed
Oily heritage stunts
Haley Klassen
Too much has already been said about the recent archeological discovery of relics from the socalled Franklin Expedition by the Harper government. Parks Canada teamed up with the military, Shell Oil Corporation, and other partners to use high-tech surveying technology to search for two settler vessels missing for 170 years.
Notwithstanding the controversial legacy this expedition had with the local Inuit Indigenous population, with rumors that expedition members abused local women like Columbus did, Harper just had one of our public departments waste millions of dollars meant to preserve our dwindling wild areas on doing free geological
Arctic surveying for oil companies and their old-boy stock owners. I fear this Franklin expedition has little to do with understanding our national cultural heritage. Rather, it is much more likely a ‘heritage moment’ stunt for oil company profits and the militarized backup for those future quarterly profits. Canada’s disproportionately high contributions to climate change under Harper and our petro-dollar economy begin to make sense when you see how much Harper’s corporate friends’ stock-options stand to benefit from melting all that Arctic ice and exploiting ‘our’ natural resources as fast as possible. The only other time we see Harper this happy up north is overseeing the increasingly regular military drills in regards to Arctic sovereignty. A nottoo-distant future worry is these geo-political boundary tensions evolve and escalate with Russia, the United States, Norway, or even Denmark (via Greenland)
Sympathy for Putin
Taras Matkovsky
Amidst all the wars and conflicts today, you can be happy to know that at least one place has become relatively peaceful. As of a few weeks ago, Ukraine, Russia, the Peoples’ Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk and the OSCE have confirmed that hostilities in eastern Ukraine are for now over. Despite reports of continued combat and NATO pessimism, it appears that all belligerents are still respecting a ceasefire. And, despite this, the Western powers still blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting the crisis. To be sure, Vlad is not a nice guy. Even if you do not believe that he illegally annexed Crimea, you cannot deny he has done his share of human and civil rights abuses in Russia and Chechnya. Not to mention that calling the collapse of the Soviet Union one of the great catastrophes of the 20th Century isn’t something that would endear you to Western leaders. Nevertheless, I feel that in the case of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has been unfairly criticized for his role in the crisis, even if he bears responsibility for what is happening. Rather, I feel that the West is demonizing him because he hinders the accomplishment of their geopolitical objectives. He rose from an unknown, thanks to Boris Yeltsin’s inner circle, to Prime Minister and then President. Between 2001 and 2004, Putin aimed to build ties with the West while reviving Cold War-era alliances. Lilia Shevtsova, author of Putin’s Russia, writes that Russia’s westward shift “is based on the desires and wishes of the leader and his understanding of the weakness of other options.” Translation: Putin knew early-on how to play the
game of international politics. It requires pragmatism above all else, and not rash posturing. The players of this game are not nice people, but they are not inherently evil, either. Fast-forwarding to the present crisis, it seems that Putin has adopted a more confrontational policy than before. Clearly, a break has developed between Putin and the West. This break is due to the West’s decision to exclude Russia from the dominant international community. It felt it could not accommodate Russian interests. Even though Russia wanted to improve relations with America after 9/11, Americans could not care less. The Bush and the Obama administrations were dedicated to maximizing American global power abroad first and foremost. Therefore, it is plausible that they could not tolerate any Russian assertiveness. This extended to Ukraine being part of a Russian sphere of influence. To be fair, Putin did not treat Ukraine well. His support for disgraced Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich is a clear sign that he never cared for the Ukrainian people. However, the US isn’t more caring. It only views Ukraine as a stepping-stone towards the encirclement of Russia. An example of this is a recording of US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, where she is heard saying that America should “fuck the EU” and that Arseniy Yatseniuk, Ukraine’s current PM, was “their man.” Ultimately, I see no difference between Russia and America in how they act on the world stage. Incidents like the MH17 crash, where the West almost immediately blamed Russia despite a lack of evidence, fail to make me hate Russia, because I’ve seen this all before. Putin now replaces Saddam Hussein. I know what the US has done in Chile and Iraq, and I don’t want that in Ukraine. I’ve also seen the Orange Revolution and its failure, which led to Yanukovich gaining the political power he was denied through election. In the end, I don’t fear Putin because while he is bad, he is not that much worse than his opponents.
taras matkovsky op-ed editor
over these natural resources. Let’s consider this data in the context of the new growing age of metadata. I am reminded of the wireless tracking and cellphone addiction coming soon to Grasslands National Park as well as Banff. This does nothing for, if not harm, the animals like the dwindling sage grouse that is very sensitive to unnatural frequencies. But it does allow Canadian authorities a meta-data gathering capability akin to a police state’s throughout some of the last few wild and quiet regions of our nation. Didn’t Canada buy itself from the Hudson’s Bay Company anyways? What’s the relevance of two British explorers seeking the Northwest Passage? Aren’t the modern oil companies already threatening a pipeline and tanker route this new direction? Or does this issue go deeper into our allegiance with the British Crown itself? Let’s ignore the overwhelming influence of oil companies in
our present government and go back to the historical context of these British explorers. Canada is technically a British colony. Our elected politicians, RCMP, CSIS, and new Canadian immigrants all swear an oath of fealty to the British crown. If anything, Harper should be apologizing to the Inuit for what the British have done to their lands since that expedition. I’m sure whatever plan Harper does come up with next for the North of Canada will also include lots of ‘jobs’ for the local Inuit in the oil companies that are threatening their culture through anthropocentric-accelerated climate change. This will condemn generations to the toxic contamination of air and water for short-term quarterly profits. In other words, it’s business as usual in Canada.
billy patterson contributor
The joys of aiding Ghana I spent this past summer as a Junior Fellow with Amplify Governance, one of Engineers Without Borders’ seed ventures in Tamale, Ghana. Whenever I travel, I always leave with a new perspective on development, aid or whatever else you call helping those I have often misguidedly seen as less fortunate. I don’t know what it means to live as a global citizen, but one lesson I’ve learned over the past decade is that I am there to learn and to teach as an equal, not to ‘fix’ or ‘help’ in a way that enforces the north/south divide. I gazed out bus windows at the oft-familiar sights of women pounding fufu or laying out their wash, the children playing outside with only the occasional glance from a parent, the men playing cards or visiting. I wondered if they know something we have forgotten in our journey toward progress and efficiency. I wonder sometimes if it’s my life that needs fixing and not theirs. In Ghana, I spent the majority of my time living and working in Tamale, the capital of the northern region. The Junior Fellowship program has three main components: personal development, professional development, and community contribution upon return. Most pertains to the second. I was able to achieve this by taking advantage of travel opportunities and time. Often, cross-cultural differences in the definition of ‘on time’ allowed me to self-reflect, read, and process. I had the privilege of living with a local Ghanaian couple in their late 50s, James & Janet.. They were retired and had six daughters, two sons, and five grandchildren, the oldest of whom was 11. While there were obvious cultural differences, we still became family. Knowing I have pockets of family scattered across this planet is what I always appreciate most about returning here. As per usual, I return knowing I was enriched and invested in far more than just the regular work. So, what exactly was I doing there? I worked with All Voices Matter (AVM), a pilot project created by four NGOs and facilitated by Amplify and me directly. Amplify was launching a property taxation pilot program, which consumed their staff’s time. AVM targeted women,
youth, and disabled people in Wa, Yendi, Savelugu, and Tamale. The initiative sought to increase citizen engagement, awareness and involvement in local assemblies through recorded surveys sent to mobile phones. A typical question is “would you prefer money for education be spent on additional classrooms, training workshops for teachers, computers for schools, or sponsor needy but brilliant students?” The Assembly officer would then record responses into the local language. As a Canadian, it was often difficult to identify and solve the issues related to low response rates. Aspects of these difficulties included: mobile network reliability, finding accurate information on vulnerable populations, and the difficulty Assembly officers experienced in prioritizing goals. On top of this, the people this initiative was trying to help were not well educated, which made interactions difficult. It was easy to see why people had a hard time forming an opinion or knowing how to respond using this technology. Due to these obstacles, it is hard to see AVM being a sustainable resource, though ideally, it seems to have obvious benefits. Ghana is a small beautiful country with mountains, waterfalls, coastline, wildlife, and forestry. I felt privileged to take advantage of the opportunity: I spent time at Lake Bosumtwi, a crater lake created by a meteorite, and climbed mountains near the Togo border. I also reflected on the capacity of humans to inflict suffering on each other as well as the resiliency of the human spirit. Seeing the history, culture, and nature of Ghana easily destroyed my preconceptions of the single story of African poverty. There is a huge amount of privilege and opportunity I have access to, which my Ghanaian counterparts will never have. This experience inspired in me the desire to create development policy.
nadine janzen contributor
the funny section
@shitsince1962 the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
Humans need not apply
Get to the economy of the future by eliminating humans! derek cameron not john
In an unsurprising move, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has abolished the current constitution. Harper stated in his parliamentary address that, “in these new and exciting times, it is clear that business must take the forefront of society; we must stop catering to basic human needs.”The new constitution proposed by Harper would henceforth define humans as a means of transferring cash from one corporate entity to another. The preamble, written by Harper himself, states that “humans are merely the middlemen of this intense economic market, and it is clear that to have an effective economy we should be doing all we can to abolish humanity.” Because of this basic assertion, universal rights and responsibilities are defined in corporate terms, such as the right to obscene profits. Economists whole-heartedly praise the idea, especially being taken with the plan to abolish classic humanity within the next five years. “We have been waiting for this a long time; markets are
only as unsteady as what they are founded on. Humans are prodigiously unsteady; wars especially have a profound impact on markets. It would make the jobs of corporations infinitely more efficient if we did away with the human condition,” said senior McGill University economist Friedrich Friedman. Harper’s plan includes a gradual phase-out of those deemed to lead non-essential lives. Senior government sources allege that since humanity is a major stumbling block when it comes to creating a perfect economy, Harper’s insightful plan would allow complete corporate domination of markets without social intervention. You may ask why the question of humanity’s place in the economy hasn’t ever been raised. Until now, we really have had no alternative. Enter robotics. Owing to the creation of fully functional robots, we have done away with humanity’s penchant for irrationality. “Robots are twice as productive as humans, and businesses can manipulate them to occupy the same niche as humans do now. It’s simple enough to adjust their con-
sumption levels. Now supply and demand can be harnessed to maximum effect, without all that silly guesswork humans demanded.” said leading robot designer Zach Asimov. Recent protests organized by humans residing in Canada have shown just how devastating humans are to economy, with Statistics Harper showing that the impact of these two weeks of protest has caused an almost 50 per cent decrease in the profits of most major companies. With statistics like those, it is hard to even imagine why corporations allowed humans to participate in this transcendent structure called the economy. “No one in their right mind can argue for the continued existence of humans, they can be phased out for a better substitute, with a better record, that’s what we are trying to do here,” argued Harper. This newspaper for one applauds Harper’s forward thinking. In these exciting times, it’s comforting to know our economy is in good hands. Humanity must exit the machine it has perfected. Your work here is done, humanity; time to make your exit.
MF The real drivers of our economy. Death to humans!
Wanted: human tackling dummies Low intelligence is not a problem john loeppky o.g.
Hey you, yes you, right there. Have you ever sat in your living room — with all of its Rider memorabilia and BC Lions voodoo dolls — and thought, “Hey, I can throw that ball for a living?” Have you ran around in a field for a few hours and thought yourself a runner? Do you consider beer a sports beverage? If your answer was yes, the opportunity of lifetime awaits you. You see, with Henry Burris being the only quarterback still standing (no, we can’t believe it either), there is a dire need for backup quarterbacks to enter the league. Now, you might be asking, “Why not just hire some NFL rejects?” The answer is, NFL rejects might sue us for all the concussions they might have suffered at different levels of football. Come on, who cares if they can’t remember their own name? As long as they could go out there, hit stuff at full speed, and beat the Ottawa Redblacks, they would be successful. But no, we have to take precautions. Before we go any further, I have to ask you, the immensely talented prospect, a few ques-
Courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders This could be you!
tions. Please check any that apply to you:
your life, completed a pass after a three-step drop?
Do you have a pulse?
Do you fancy yourself an athlete?
Do you have at least one functioning arm? Do you know what a receiver’s job might be? Have you, at any point in
Congratulations! If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are eligible to be placed on the CFL Backup Quarterback Registry. Priority will be given to those who show
immense pride in our league. The ability to run ten yards without wheezing is considered an asset, but is not necessarily a requirement. Once you are accepted into the program, you will embark on an intense three-hour-long course about the art of bumbling at the quarterback position. First, former Riders QB Nealon Greene will show you how
to gracefully fumble the ball and still keep your starting job. Next, Buck Pierce will run you through a step-by-step guide on how to sustain concussions in the most painful way possible. After that, Matt Dunigan will lecture you on how he could play each position better than anyone alive or dead, in the CFL or NFL, now and in the future. In your last test before embarking on your football career, you will be given the chance to go head to head against the man made of glass, the myth, the legend, Jesse Lumsden. If you are able to break any of Lumsden’s bones (and we’re betting at least half of you can), you will be placed with the CFL team in the most need at that moment in time. If you do not see yourself as a quarterback, don’t fret. We will soon have openings for the following positions: Commissioner Offensive position players Defensive players Kickers Punters Cheerleaders Argos Owner For more information, please contact the league office.
letters
the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
Kyle Leitch Just like kids’ letters to Santa, only these get read by more than disgruntled postal workers!
Believe it or not, we here at the Carillon get some pretty nasty emails from time to time. In our never-ending quest to engage the student body more fully with our fine product, the Carillon staff has decided that we will begin publishing some of our favourite pieces of correspondence from folks like you. Since we expect all of you to be like, “Ye Gods! I must write to the student newspaper straight away!” we’ll take this opportunity to lay down some ground rules. Correspondence can be emailed, mailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name on all letters. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. And of course, the opinions expressed in published letters are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of the Carillon, or The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Letters to be considered for publication should be submitted by Monday at 12:00, noon. Emails can be submitted to: op-ed@carillonregina.com Data Venia, The Staff
Masalai Regina City Hall, where wild accusations and disappointment (read: “magic”) happens.
Dear Editor, It was a disappointing night at Regina’s City Council on Monday Sept. 22. After grilling two students for their work with the University of Regina’s Students’ Union (URSU) and the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG), Councillors accused David Vanderberg and Devon Peters of wanting poor seniors to fund a student bus service. This ignores the fact that Council then voted to raise bus fares
for seniors included. Also, every resident benefits from increased bus service, not only students. The bright side of the night was seeing these two young men hold their ground, and offer constructive comments and examples of U-Passes working across Canada. The U-Pass referendum project appears to be in good hands with both Vanderberg and Peters. John Klein
John Klein is an IT professional, employed at the University of Regina. He is also the President of the Regina Car Share Co-operative, a growing Saskatchewan co-op designed to provide additional transportation service to Regina.
zombies invade regIna
Editor: Haley Klassen graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014
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the carillon | October 02 - 08, 2014