The Fulcrum - Vol 75 Issue 3

VOL. 75 ISSUE 3 | SEPTEMBER 5 ,2014

Starting off

strong

P.17

CFS condemns actions of Israel

P.5

Pony Girl rides into Folk Fest

P.10

The value of an arts degree

P.22

IN THIS ISSUE Dishing out U of O history P.7 Hundred-year-old artifacts found at Tabaret

Who, what, where, when P.8

Campus Grids helps students connect on campus

Getting some radio time P.10

CBC offers promotion and exposure to new bands FEATURE

Not wasting time How using social media can help you find a job

Pitching for recognition P.18

Fastball team looks for more funding from university

Till death (or contract) do us part P.21 Point/Counterpoint on fixed-term marriages

Corrections From last week’s issue, the article “Philosophical Sh*t: Is it better to be liked or respected” was credited to Kyle Darbyson, when it was really written by Eric Wilkinson. Sorry dude!

NEWS

CFS votes to boycott Israel Ontario student unions move to boycott Israel Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi

T

News Editor

he Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) unanimously voted to boycott Israel at their latest general meeting following ongoing conflicts in the region.

The proposal to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement was put forward by the Ryerson Students’ Union.

Anna Goldfinch, an executive member of the CFS, said the motion was passed “to condemn the current actions of the state of Israel in Gaza including the bombing of two universities,” and to pressure the Harper government to “stop supplying arms to Israel and the Canada-Israel free trade agreement.”

Conflict in Gaza was revived this summer as 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed.

Seventy Israelis were also killed. A cease-fire was established Aug. 27.

Each student union will decide to what extent they will implement the boycott.

Anne-Marie Roy, president of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), said they don’t currently have a student mandate on the BDS, but the SFUO supports the motion because they already have a mandate for solidarity

work for Palestinians.

Roy referred to the Right to Education campaign, which U of O students voted to join in 2009. The campaign “addresses the specific challenges around access to education for Palestinian youth,” she said.

Members of the Jewish community on campus are troubled by the CFS’s decision.

Chaim Boyarsky, rabbi and co-director of the Rohr Chabad Student Network of Ottawa, said he was “not surprised, but extremely pained” by the boycott.

“America killed hundreds and thousands of people fighting in Iraq, and no one is boycotting America,” he said.

Boyarsky said the students he has spoken to have expressed “shock, disbelief, and pain, but a strong sense of determination.”

“It’s very disappointing to see any type of activity from groups that are supposed to be representing our students on campus adopting any type of element that makes it hostile and uncomfortable on campus,” said Scott Goldstein, executive director of the campus Jewish community Hillel Ottawa.

However, Roy said it’s “not a religious issue, and we’re willing to support Jewish students on campus in any way.”

The BDS movement began in 2005 when Palestinian civil society called for the boycott of Israeli products, divestment from Israeli cor-

NEWS EDITOR

Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

“People don’t want to be on a campus environment that is not promoting peace and not promoting dialogue.”

— Scott Goldstein Palestine protest

porations, and sanctions against Israel “until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights.”

Goldfinch said it’s a tactic that’s been used historically “in a number of political campaigns— everything from ending apartheid in South Africa to opposing the tar sands.”

Goldstein said that “people don’t want to be on a campus environment that is not promoting peace and not promoting dialogue,” and that the BDS “does not promote peace.”

“This type of motion, to me, shows why and how disconnected (the CFS) is from the general student body on our university campuses,” he said.

Photo by Eve Panagapko

Last March at the U of O, the Muslim Students Association asked students to boycott Sabra hummus because of its connections to Israel.

More recently, the University of Regina cut ties with Hebrew University in Israel last month, following protests from students and community members. However, U of R president Andrew Gaudes said the university ended the relationship only because the “course content offered by Hebrew University did not meet our needs.”

Gaudes told the U of R’s campus newspaper the Carillon that “as a university, we do not agree with a blanket exclusion of Israeli institutions from these types of conversations.”

Ottawa to become centre for innovative medical technology $14.9 million federal grant to allow for further innovation of medical devices Jasmine van Schouwen Contributor

The University of Ottawa recently announced that Ottawa has been chosen by the federal government to become the country’s leading authority in medical device commercialization.

The university’s Medical Devices Commercialization Centre (MDCC) will receive $14.9 million for further development and commercialization of medical devices.

The term applies to any tool used in healthcare, explained Tofy Mussivand, a surgery and engineering professor at the U of O, as well as director of the university’s Medical Devices Innovation Institute and the cardiological devices division of the Heart Institute.

“Your dental implant is a medical device. So is your pacemaker, your MRI machine, your wheelchair, your thermometer,” said Mussivand, a 25year veteran in medical engineering.

“They are essential to healthcare, needed by all of us at some time. They save lives and reduce suffering and pain.”

They also offer significant economic benefits such as “sustained market growth, economic diversification, employment expansion and global export markets,” according to a 2011 National

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Research Council report.

Mussivand believes this grant will help the U of O tap into that $327.7 billion global market.

“The global market is growing very fast and Canada could have more exports for medical exports than any other sector,” he said.

A 2013 Industry Canada report listed the Canadian medical device market as the ninth largest in the world.

The MDCC has more than 600 partners across Canada, and a support system at the U of O that includes faculty members from engineering, medicine, science, and law.

The centre began applying for grants this time last year. The government awarded the investment through a granting competition launched by the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, a program which aims to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization, offering funding on a competitive basis.

“Support is needed to ensure that the result benefits all Canadian patients,” said Mussivand.

The MDCC will focus on the development and marketing of reliable medical devices, which Mussivand hopes will “reduce cost, improve healthcare… create jobs and economic activities, and bring investments to Canada.”

“The global market is growing very fast and Canada could have more exports for medical exports than any other sector, ” —Tofy Mussiv

There is a $327.7 billion global market for medical devices

photo courtesy of Fleep Tuque CC

NEWS | 5

Serving up a plateful of history

Nineteenth century artifacts reflect ups and downs of U of O’s history Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter

Over the summer months workers have been busy revitalizing the iconic Grande-Allée in front of Tabaret Hall— until work was halted in late August following a striking discovery.

In the torn up earth lay a collection of kitchen goods, which would have been used more than 100 years ago in the university’s main building.

In 1903, a fire destroyed the main building on campus, which would later be rebuilt as Tabaret. Despite being charred and slightly damaged, the various tin and porcelain plates, bottles, candlestick holders, and cookware are rare remnants of that time that provide insight into the university’s past.

“It’s a wonderful addition to the archival heritage of the University of Ottawa,” said Michel Prévost, the school’s chief archivist.

“These artifacts are significant for

The discovery not only makes for a good story, but it also helps create a more vivid picture of the school’s longstanding past Archivist Michel Prévost and artifacts

photo by Spencer Murdock

the history and the heritage of the university because after the fire of Dec. 2, 1903, we have very few documents and artifacts from the 19th century,” he said.

At the time, the main building included classrooms, residences, and dining halls, as well as administrative offices. Most students, including those who lived nearby, would stay on campus to attend classes from early September to June every year.

These artifacts would have come from the kitchen, and now, they’re much more than just some old dishes.

“You can see many things in these plates,” said Prévost.

For example, he explained, the fact that most of them are made of tin is an indication that the university didn’t have much money at the time. Later, after the building had been destroyed and rebuilt, the school was able to afford nicer, porcelain dishes with the university’s coat of arms.

The cookware and cutlery are a symbol of darker times at the U of O. The quality of the food served on those plates was questionable, Prévost said, and that almost caused students to strike in protest of the food.

The discovery not only makes for a good story, but it also helps create a more vivid picture of the school’s longstanding past, Prévost said.

“Now when I do a presentation about the history of the University of Ottawa, I will have a choice of over 40 artifacts to present,” he said. “As an archivist I’m very, very pleased to add these artifacts to our collection.”

The university’s archives will hold the set and many of the items will be restored. The artifacts join an exhibition by Saint Paul’s University on the history of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious congregation that founded the University of Ottawa in 1848. The artifacts will be on display to the public next fall.

Primitive fish could explain how vertebrates moved onto land U of O physiologist’s experiment could explain missing evolutionary link Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor

A fish available at your local pet store may hold the secret to how water-based vertebrates were able to climb onto land and evolve into the species—including humans—we know today.

Physiologist Emily Standen is a new addition to the University of Ottawa, whose latest evolutionary biomechanical research could explain the missing evolutionary link between fish and walking vertebrates.

The lead author of a recent study published in Nature, Standen worked as a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University alongside professor Hans Larsson and fellow PhD student Trina Du, examining the African bichir fish and determining if it had the ability to survive on land.

Four hundred million years ago, most organisms were living under water. Those creatures who managed to make it to the surface had a big advantage, said Standen. Fossil records suggest that some fish were able to move onto land. However, little is known about the exact physiological adaptations that allowed the move to be permanent.

Standen said the idea for the experiment began because she was “interested in how fish might use their fins in a new environment.”

Bichirs, members of the Polypterus family, resemble the ancient “fossil fish” that stumbled out of the water 400 million years ago. Because of their similarities, the researchers were able to raise them outside of the water, noting any physical and

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The researchers were not expecting the drastic changes they found.

Polypterus senegalus walking sequence

behavioural changes.

“They have similar bodies to these fossil fish,” explained Standen, “We raised them on land and saw how they would change.”

The bichirs were placed in a tank with a thin layer of water spread across the bottom; enough to keep the fish hydrated, but too shallow for them to submerge or swim. Misters along the top of the aquarium prevented their backs from drying out.

After eight months, the researchers compared the bichir fish raised in their normal aquatic environment to those raised in the tank.

They found the “land” fish in the tank had developed enhanced structural support necessary for a terrestrial lifestyle.

“Due to environmentally-based plasticity, their anatomy and behaviour changed to survive. Their fins were planted more firmly on the ground and closer to their midline to reduce friction so they wouldn’t slip when walking,” Standen

Photo courtesy of Antoine Morin

explained.

“Most fish don’t have necks, due to the water supporting their heads. But they would raise their heads higher off the ground than normal, and bones across their chest got longer and stronger, which gives them more head support and mobility.”

This is an important adaptation for land-based creatures who need the extra mobility to find food.

The researchers were not expecting the drastic changes they found. “We were surprised it survived on land, even with the misters, but it was exciting to see the changes,” said Standen.

This study could give insight on the evolution of land-walking organisms because “all of the changes mirror the fossil record we already have,” she said.

Standen said she is already raising more bichir fish. “I want to continue with the same experiment model and compare muscle changes this time,” she said.

NEWS | 7

Student-built app meant to make campus life more lively Campus Grids aims to increase student engagement

Students on campus.

Jasmine van Schouwen CONTRIBUTOR

With an endless number of university clubs and organizations, and an overloaded engineering schedule, Elias Fares wanted a tool to know just what was going on.

“I felt like I was missing out on events,” says Fares. “I always had tons of schoolwork and I didn’t know what was going on, or where to go when I had free time.”

So, the University of Ottawa master's student in human–computer interaction created Campus Grids, an app that helps students find out about activities, clubs, and student gatherings on campus.

"Campus Grids is the home of all campus activities,” he says. "Our mobile app engages students in class discussions and helps students connect with each other.”

The app, which began as a website, allows university or college clubs and organizations to post their events on a harmonized calendar and allows users to view information about all campus clubs, chat and share pictures.

It can even help them create study groups to build on their in-class experience by suggesting connections with other users in the same program of study, or with similar interests.

Most schools post club and event information on their websites, but you have to go to each organizer's individual website, Fares explains. “It was very tedious to find out what was happening."

As the demand grew, Fares began collaborating with three other students and childhood friends: fellow U of O students Ryan Elias, marketing, Robbie Elias, computer science, and Tedy Tadi, an accounting graduate from the University of Quebec.

The website was taken down last summer and a beta version of the app was developed.

The four released the final version of the free app on Aug. 26.

"A major roadblock we had was that this was everyone's first time doing something like this," says Fares. "As first-time entrepreneurs, we all had so much to learn.”

The team reached out to Startup Garage, a business accelerator program that provided

8 | NEWS

Photo by Brianna Campigotto

logistical support and helped them find funding. Before then, Fares had been paying for the project all on his own.

“Startup Garage really helped us when it came to learning how to approach a school and what to talk about with them,” he says.

So far the project has been well received by students, he says.

"Our mobile app engages students in class discussions and helps students connect with each other.”

— Elias Fares U of O alumnus Melissa Aboudeid says the app helped her get more involved on campus.

"I was able to see what events were going on and learned about some new clubs," she says. "As a result, I have made new friends and got more involved in the university life, like watching shows and fairs down at UCU.” The team takes feedback very seriously, using feature requests to direct their expansion of the project. They worked with student unions at the U of O and Carleton to “make the app more useful to the students and groups they represent,” says Fares.

For Campus Grids, the next frontier is nationwide access to the application.

“Last year when we had a testing version, someone visited Carleton from the University of Saskatchewan and they really wanted it," says Fares. “So now we want to take it to

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Join us for our annual Fulcrum BBQ on Morisset Terrace!

Networking event for young entrepreneurs comes to Ottawa

Conference promises to bring students together with business leaders Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor

BEFORE our weekly volunteer meeting at 631 King Edward

The Gee-Gees take on the Carleton Ravens on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m.

Be there courtesy of the Fulcrum by answering, “What year did the Panda Game first start?”

Send your name, phone number, email address, and answer to panda@thefulcrum.ca or fill out the contest form on our website thefulcrum.ca

by Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. to enter. thefulcrum.ca

Local tech startups will have an opportunity to meet with global investors, advisors, and panellists at a business networking event to be held at Algonquin College.

On Sept. 9-10 At the event called Axis Ottawa 2014, students and other local entrepreneurs will be able to present their startups to more than 150 Canadian and international delegates, including companies like SanDisk, Motorola, and IBM. The event is organized by Axis Innovation, an international company that connects startups with investors, and Ottawa-based JS Communications.

Ottawa was selected because of its creative economy, its established place in the technology industry, and its strong entrepreneurial culture, said Axis communications manager Melis Abuaf.

According to a 2012 Industry Canada report, 48 per cent of Canada’s total workforce was employed by 1 million small businesses in 2011.

These small businesses are also responsible for 25 per cent of total exports, and 30 per cent of the total GDP. The University of Ottawa sponsored Axis Ottawa as part of its initiative—along with events like Entrepreneurship Week, the on-campus Entrepreneurship Hub, and the recent opening of the Business Law Clinic—to support students who create their own businesses.

U of O president Allan Rock said in a press release that supporting entrepreneurial students is essential, and that the university “remains fully committed to ensuring that its students receive first class training as well as all the resources necessary to go from ideas to action and from the classroom to their business.”

Six Ottawa-based business and financial advisors will attend, including Milan Topolovec, the founder, president, and CEO of TK Financial.

Topolovec played for the Gee-Gees football team in 1978–79 and graduated from the Faculty of Arts in 1985.

He plans to speak about estate and insurance planning for corporate clients.

“This is a fabulous opportunity for business to get funded,” he said, which will hopefully lead to “some big growth in Ottawa.”

Topolovec said networking events are vital to the success of any business. “I advise all grads to create their own business with structure and get mentors as well as advisory teams,” he said.

“When I started my career and business later, I had no mentor and learned things the hard way.”

But he warns current students not to start a business just for the sake of creating a job.

“It has to be a passion and desire to create or give something to the world.”

Photo courtesy of Milan Topolovec (above)

“I advise all grads to create their own business with structure and get mentors as well as advisory teams.”

— Milan Topolovec

Tickets can be purchased at www.axisottawa.com or at the event.

NEWS | 9

ARTS &CULTURE

A&C EDITOR Jessica Eritou arts@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Rocking your way to radio

What big-name competitions have to give and gain from young bands Celina Feng

I

Contributor

f you know someone who’s in a band, or you’re in one yourself, you probably know how hard it is to get discovered.

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to play, record, and sell music, but that also means the music scene is more saturated. After all, you can only post so many links to your Bandcamp page and invites to your show at the local dive bar.

Many young bands make use of big-win opportunities like the Big Money Shot competition run by Ottawa radio station Live 88.5. This month, CBC Music launched its own version of battle of the bands with Rock Your Campus, a contest that promises the winning artist or group $10,000 in cash, free production of a music video, a headlining concert, and CBC airplay.

“At CBC Music, part of our mandate is to support young Canadian talent and expose that talent to the rest of Canada,” says Judith Lynch, associate producer of CBC/Radio-Canada. “We love discovering great new music and it’s really important for us to help new artists out,” she says.

Much like other contests of its kind, Rock Your Campus relies on fan voting through social media websites, which often means the most popular band, regardless of talent, is crowned the winner.

Are these branded, sponsored competitions the best way to promote Canadian talent? Sean Callaghan, co-founder of Ottawa’s E.L.E Festival, says he wholeheartedly supports them simply because they help promote Canadian music. But he says those that give wider and more consistent help to young Canadian talent are more commendable.

“I do like to see events that are more rewarding to a group or the

Rock Your Campus Poster

Photo courtesy of the CBC

Canadian music scene in general, as opposed to a single individual or band,” such as the CBC Bandwidth program run by Amanda Putz, which “consistently promotes up-and-coming Canadian talent,” he says. “It’s these types of programs that really help build the foundation for Canadian music to grow.”

Catching your “big break” through major competitions like these are rare, he says, and there’s always room for local festivals that promote multiple artists to a larger Canadian audience.

“I am noticing more and more events like ours that are about mutual promotion and bringing the music community together, where everyone benefits as opposed to only the ‘winner,’ which I think is a positive thing for the music community that will ultimately yield more long term success stories,” he says.

Greggory Clark, a local musician and the media director of Ottawa-based label Pop Drone, says the promotion that comes from radio play and big competitions is a two-way street.

“Where there are keen listeners can be a great place to play.

CBC’s Searchlight 2014, and Live 88.5’s Big Money Shot have contributed plenty to artists,” he says.

“Bands, though, are directing audiences to the station and a few will see the return in new listeners from the station. In participating, you’re promoting the CBC to your existing audience.”

Clark suggests that bands look at how the radio station will benefit from them, not just how they can benefit from the radio station.

“Bands could ask what the radio station is doing for them, if only a handful are going to benefit from promo and prize money,” he says.. “For $10,000 the CBC has hired hundreds of brand ambassadors who are willing to put in work for nothing, or a slim chance at something. A marketing manager somewhere is smiling.”

Ottawa Folk Fest: U of O alumni band plays at major festival The Fulcrum chats with local band Pony Girl about their modern folk roots Janoah Willsie Contributor

With another fresh set of world-famous headliners, the Ottawa Folk Festival has come a long way since its modest origins at Carleton University. One week after classes start, the city will host the Ottawa Folk Fest, which has stayed with its name and grown to accommodate hugely popular international acts in recent years. This year’s events will run Sept. 10–14 and feature big-name artists such as Lorde and Foster the People. The festival will also include local band Pony Girl, with members who have roots at the University of Ottawa.

The annual festival was started 20 years ago by Carleton University’s community radio station, CKCU. At first it was a success, but after a few years of bad weather and low turnout, the festival began to struggle. In 2010, it recruited Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan and formed a partnership with Ottawa’s biggest summer festival to provide financial help.

In recent years, Monahan says he wanted to make the festival more relevant to the cur-

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rent music scene. This meant inviting wellknown modern rock and pop artists, like other 2014 performers The National, Serena Ryder, and The Gaslight Anthem, and previous headliners like Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, and Kendrick Lamar.

He also decided it was best to move the festival from Britannia Park in the west end to Hog’s Back Park, which is more accessible for those who live downtown, including students, but also has the right atmosphere.

“It’s a rural park,” Monahan says. “It has a country vibe but is also central in the city.”

Pony Girl, slated to perform Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m., is composed of eight musicians, many of whom are alumni of the University of Ottawa.

“My favourite memory of the University of Ottawa was meeting likeminded people and playing music,” says Pascal Huot, the band’s singer and guitarist.

In 2012, before Pony Girl formed, some of the band members participated in the Ottawa Rock Lottery, an event that takes 25 musicians and randomly sorts them into five bands who are given 24 hours to create and perform 30 minutes of music.

“My favourite memory of the University of Ottawa was meeting likeminded people and playing music.”

– Pascal Huot, Pony Girl

Band members of local band Pony Girl

Through this event, they connected with others and created the project now called Pony Girl. The band released its debut album Show Me Your Fears last September.

One year later, the band will take the Hill Stage at Folk Fest. Though modern iterations of the festival are “folk” mostly by name, Huot says his band owes its roots to the genre.

“We start as folk,” he says, “because of the storytelling nature of the lyrics. But we don’t limit themselves to the label of folk.”

Photo courtesy of Greggory Clark

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The ups and downs of celebrity feminism How feminism in pop culture took one step forward and another step back this summer Jessica Eritou

Arts & Culture Editor Beyonce performs “Drunk in Love” for “The Mrs. Carter World Tour” this year

Viewers of the celebrity award show double-header in late August will surely have a lot to say about what went down, but perhaps most important to the conversation is how the VMAs and Emmys contributed to the conversation around feminism.

Let us remind ourselves what the VMAs were like last year. Miley Cyrus. Robin Thicke. Foam fingers. Twerking. It was embarrassing, to say the least. Flash forward to this year, and we have Beyoncé accepting her 2014 MTV Video Vanguard Award and making a whole other statement.

Beyoncé made the news by flashing the word "FEMINIST" behind her as she stood there with her hands on her hips, hair blowing in the wind machine, while she performed a snippet of "***Flawless." The song features a

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sampling of writer and activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TEDxEuston speech, “We should all be feminists.” Like many others, if it wasn't for "***Flawless," I would not have found Ngozi Adichie and broadened my knowledge on the subject of gender justice, so I thank her for that.

Beyoncé's media team was smart to have her husband and daughter join her on stage to shun away her supposed divorce rumours. But what it also achieved was a projection of herself as an independent, feminist woman who still feels comfortable in the traditional maternal role.

Jump to the next day at the Emmys. Not even 12 hours later we have Sofia Vergara on a rotating pedestal, who along with American journalist Glenn Greenwald, spoke for a pseudo-PSA about diversity in the media.

Jokes aside, the display of Vergara promotes sexism in the entertainment industry, rather than changing it. On the contrary, Vergara disagreed.

She told Entertainment Weekly, "I think it’s absolutely the opposite. It means that somebody can be hot and also be funny and make fun of herself.”

But this is not the case for Vergara’s skit. It is not like we cannot joke about feminism - we certainly can. Despite its attempt at humour, Vergara and Greenwald’s skit was tawdry and in poor taste regarding diversity. As the viewer, it was extremely uncomfortable to watch her be spun around for us to view all her assets ever so slowly pretending to be the Male Gaze. There can be other ways of entertaining people, besides pretending to be oblivious. This

Photo by Raz Birkshaw

style is quite tiresome.

Celebrity culture has finally entered the feminist conversation. As the Guardian's Jessica Valenti wrote, "Feminism is no longer ‘the f-word,’ it’s the realm of cool kids: Beyoncé, Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, Kerry Washington, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all call themselves feminists." Recently, Christina Hendricks of Mad Men collaborated with the White House and Funny or Die to spread awareness about the wage gap for female employees. Celebrities are continuing to spread feminist messages.

Let's hope those messages are a proper representation of feminism, rather than vanity and objectification in disguise. Celebrity gossip certainly isn’t the best way to talk about it—but at least it gets the conversation going.

ARTS & CULTURE | 11

Obvious Child: more than your average pregnancy rom-com Jessica Eritou

Arts & Culture Editor We’ve seen pregnancy films like Juno and Knocked Up have box office success, but there has yet to be a progressive and successful movie about abortion that you can laugh along with.

The Economist referred to Obvious Child cleverly with a pun citing the movie as a “one-night stand up”, and it enjoyed a glowing reception at the Sundance Film Festival this past year. The terse Jenny Slate (of the “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” skits, Bored to Death, Kroll Show) plays Donna Stern, a college graduate who finds herself dumped, laid off, and ac-

cidentally pregnant from a onenight stand all in the same week.

After immediately deciding she’ll have an abortion, Donna has to decide whether to tell the father she is having the abortion. Slate's character is witty and outshines her love interest Max (Jake Lacey).

But like any romantic-comedy, you wishfully think the two will end up together.

Outside of the harsh toilet jokes, there are plenty of laughs with situational humour for those who do not enjoy deliberate fart jokes.

There’s also more to the plot than the protagonist having an abortion. There are times when you feel sorry for Slate having to deal

with her distant mother and overbearing father, whom she's afraid to disappoint. Her problems and tough encounters are not candycoated, like many other romantic comedies out there. For once, a character in a romantic-comedy is relatable and can poke fun at herself in her own skin, which is why the film works so well. You grasp a sense of Slate's real stand-up sets when she’s shown doing her comedy routines, much like how FX's Louie captures Louis C.K.'s own writing in his show. This film's best audience would be for those who enjoy HBO's Girls (and they’ll also appreciate Gaby Hoffmann's casting in the film).

Actress Jenny Slate

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Photo courtesy of Mingle Media TV CC

Don’t pass on Purdy’s

Shop proves knowledgeable on chocolate-dipped delights Tori Dudys Contributor

You know when you walk into a clothing store and the sales associates immediately approach you with what seems to be an endless string of product knowledge? Purdys’ new location in the renovated Rideau Centre Dining Hall proves to patrons that the same can go for chocolate.

I walked up to the counter because my friend wanted to get some ice cream. The associate approached us and my friend gave her order. Next thing I know, two workers are pedalling their chocolate-dipped ice cream bar on us. So naturally, without much product pushing, we got one to share.

Purdy's offers a vanilla ice cream bar dipped in different types of chocolate. We ended up doing one dip in white chocolate with two dips of milk chocolate on top. They finished it off by rolling it in California crushed almonds. They told us to take a few tastes right away before the chocolate cooled, and then see the difference in taste once the chocolate shell had hardened. Both were different yet equally delicious.

Besides ice cream, you can choose from a variety of different chocolate products. Their vanilla fudge is impressive as well. The staff really knows their line of sweets, but though the knowledge of Purdy's products is appreciated, the sales tactics are very noticeable and one can feel pressured.

In the end though, the most important part of the store, their chocolate, is Purdy darn good—I had to.

Chocolate Fountain at Purdy’s

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Photo by Marta Kierkus

Photo by Andrew Hawley

Andrew Hawley General Manager

F

or most students, “Tequila Sunrise” probably refers to the time they pounded back shots and kept the party going until dawn.

While the Mexican spirit is effective in this use, it is also a great base for making cocktails. One such mixed drink is a sweet and easy-to-make classic, known arguably more for its visual appeal than taste.

WHEN TO

DRINK:

RECIPE: 1.5 oz (45 ml) tequila 3 oz (90 ml) orange juice 0.5 oz (15 ml) grenadine

Watch the video tutorial online with Hawleywood himself!

INSTRUCTIONS: Pour the tequila into a highball glass filled with ice. Add the orange juice and stir. Pour the grenadine slowly into the drink and let it settle. Garnish with a slice of orange.

The tequila-to-orange-juice ratio is 1:2, though some recipes allow for more of the latter. Regarding brand, search out tequila that has “100 per cent agave” on the label. This means the spirit was distilled entirely from blue agave juice, versus a mix of agave juice and added sugars. While mixed tequilas Sauza ($29.95 for 750 ml) and Jose Cuervo ($33.95) are serviceable, I prefer the smoother, 100 per cent El Jimador ($30.95). Rose’s Grenadine is $5.59 for 739 ml.

With breakfast or on a warm, sunny day. Also, every Sept. 16 for Mexican Independence Day.

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Movie you should have seen:

A Clockwork Orange

Jasmine van Schouwen Contributor

Why it might be tough to get through:

The screen adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ dystopian novella offers an electrifying, satirical, and intentionally disturbing comment on violence, psychosis, and free will. It also features a pitch perfect performance from a young Malcolm McDowell.

A Clockwork Orange is decidedly intended to generate a reaction. Teetering somewhere between grotesque satire and obscenity, it does require a certain level of patience, especially if you did not read the book first. Though the levels of violence remain low in comparison to pretty much any action thriller, your stomach will churn watching it, and you will not always know if and when you are supposed to laugh.

Famous lines:

Why you should see it anyway:

Alex: I jumped, O my brothers, and I fell hard but I did not snuff it, oh no. If I had snuffed it, I would not be here to tell what I have told.

Alex: I was cured, alright.

Alex: It's funny how the colours of the real world only seem real when you viddy them on the screen.

The things that make this flick hard to get through also make it great. Like a Bukowski poem, it’s about life. It is grungy and real, and it will certainly make you feel.

Why it’s famous:

Fun Facts: •

Why you haven’t seen it: You started it. You probably got through the first 10 minutes feeling uneasy, got to 20 wondering why anyone said you should watch it in the first place. By the time you hit the 30-minute mark, you had better things to do. Like bingewatch Breaking Bad.

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• •

The doctor standing over Alex as he is being forced to watch violent films was a real doctor ensuring that Malcolm McDowell’s eyes didn’t dry up.

The Korova milk bar in the beginning was the only set built for the film.

The snake, Basil, was introduced into the film

by Stanley Kubrick when he found out Malcolm McDowell had a fear of reptiles.

ARTS & CULTURE | 13

"For any job that has an interpersonal component and/or is client-facing, a LinkedIn profile is a must.”— Michelle Kedem

The new resumé

How social media can become a tool to land a job, not lose one

Alexandra Dean Contributor

W

e hear it every day: This is not a good time to be looking for a job. An epidemic of unemployment and underemployment has been on the rise for years, and students in particular are feeling the pinch. With so many veterans of numerous industries suddenly finding themselves jobless, competition for the few jobs that are available when we graduate is all the more rigorous.

It’s already difficult to enter the workforce as a student with little relevant job experience, but it's even harder now that you have to compete for an "entry-level" job against someone who’s been working in the field for 10

What employers want You may already be vaguely aware of your mastery over the World Wide Web, as does anyone who has tried to explain Facebook or Twitter to their parents. Whether we like it or not, the age we live in demands us to be all over it. But we’re not always benefitting from it as much as we could be.

For a project in a 2012 communications research methods class, I conducted a study about hiring methods in the communications industry.

After interviewing a group of hiring managers, I came away with some insights that can be applied to a wider sphere—and a few years down the line, I was surprised by how well they worked.

Those hiring managers had a lot of techniques in common, but there were a couple things in particular they unanimously agreed upon. They wanted two things out of their candidates: 1.

They want to know who you are, not just the skills you have. Employers don’t just hire based on skills. Those can be taught or outsourced. How well you’re going to fit in with their existing team matters just as much. Your skills and qualifications might unlock the door, but it has to be you that walks through it.

2.

They want someone who’s reliable.

For the interviewees, this translated to something called “proven ability”— proof that you’re capable of doing the job, being independent and accountable, and acting with integrity.

If you don’t have much job experience, the proven ability part may seem difficult. But the Internet can help you work around it. The trick is just to be there.

Changing the social media paradigm There’s been a lot of talk and a lot of advice, particularly for students and young people, about how to prevent social media from ruining your career, but not quite as much for how it can help you build one. Parents, teachers, and others are constantly telling us, “Be careful what you post because your employer might see it.”

What they should be telling you is that what you post can also give you a competitive advantage.

According to a 2012 survey by Jobvite, a recruitment software development company based in the United States, 92 per cent of employers use or planned to use social media for recruitment. Perhaps more importantly, 73 per cent of the 1,000 recruiters surveyed said they look up candidates’ social media profiles, even when they aren’t provided to them. The study found that 93 per cent of recruiters use LinkedIn to find talent, 66 per cent use Facebook, and 54 per cent use Twitter.

It’s simply not realistic for students today to think their online presence won’t affect their future career in one way or another.

When I was studying hiring methods, one of my interviewees told me her first place to look for more information about job candidates is Linke-

According to the Jobvite survey, posts on Twitter referencing drugs were likely to be viewed negatively by 78 per cent of recruiters; sex, 6 per cent; and alcohol, 47 per cen

years and has six professional references to your… none.

How can we win this game when we’re at such a clear disadvantage?

There’s only so much advice any one person can offer to a student body as large as the University of Ottawa.

We’re all in different programs with different aspirations, and every industry is different. But there's one unique advantage most of us have as millennials that gives us an advantage over the more experienced competition: We grew up with the Internet.

dIn, to see who they know, where they’ve worked, and what people have said about them. Essentially, this is where employers are going to find out who you are.

In a contribution to Forbes, career advisor Alison Cheston said LinkedIn is “pretty much ground zero for discovering your right career” and for making a specific job inquiry. Cheston spoke with recruiters and career search firms who stressed the importance of a broader professional social media presence.

Michelle Kedem, a partner at the recruitment firm On-Ramps, told Cheston that having a wellmaintained LinkedIn profile allows potential employees to be sought out by employers, rather than constantly having to try to sell themselves.

With nothing more than a Google search, an employer can find out about your relevant work history, saving you the effort of trying to say everything on a resumé or in an interview.

According to Kedem, “for any job that has an interpersonal component and/or is client-facing,” meaning the employee and customer maintain a one-on-one relationship, “a LinkedIn profile is a must.”

There’s a good chance your future employers will be looking you up, so instead of hiding all traces of yourself, make sure there’s something—and something good—to see.

Get active It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the advice is the same: Get out there, be obvious, and be active.

Make a Twitter account, use your real name, and start

“When your employer Go you someda do you want see: a locked Facebook pr with nothing name, or a p a dedicated professional active, engag and enthusia

following everyone you can find who’s industry. Find articles and information terests and industry. Retweet them. content and put it out there, even if nob Tweet at your professors, at infl in your industry, at random people streams. The same goes for blogs good at writing? Are you mediocre have a friend who can edit your wor Write about anything. Write about w in class, write about your interests, w class projects, post your essays, po post your homework.

LinkedIn? Same deal. Put up a resu best to make it flawless. Put up anythin of that makes you look impressive.

The truth is that even if no one’s loo right now, someday they will be. Link a and presences together and you’ll ma hesive online identity of you. “Brand catchphrase goes. In the process, you veloped some of the experience emp ing for.

When your potential employer Goo day, what do you want them to see: Facebook profile with nothing but y picture of a dedicated young profess tive, engaged, and enthusiastic? One have much in the way of traditional w but who has an online presence full projects about their education and may not have that element of prove the Internet is the perfect platform to and relevant portfolio of projects an been working on.

m, partner at the recruitment firm On-Ramps

s ly 67 nt.

potential oogles ay, what t them to d-down profile but your picture of young who’s aged, astic?”

’s related to your n about your inMake your own body’s reading. fluential people in the hashtag s. Are you any e at writing but rk? Start a blog. what you learned write about your ost your studies,

umé and do your ng you can think

oking at all of this all these projects ake one big, coyourself,” as the u’ll also have deployers are look-

ogles you some: a locked-down your name, or a sional who’s ace who might not work experience, of thoughts and progress? You en reliability, but o build a diverse nd ideas you’ve

Separating your private and public online presence

Don’t overdo it You don’t need to tweet every hour on the hour or make a blog post every day, particularly if you don’t have much to say.

Avoid making filler posts just to stay active, and be careful you’re not spamming people’s feeds with too much information.

Become an expert on privacy It’s amazing how much stuff can get out on the web that you thought was locked away. If you’re planning on moving your Internet usage into the professional sphere, the first step is to go through your personal accounts with a fine-toothed comb. Read privacy agreements; untag, delete, or hide anything that might jeopardize future employment; and max out your privacy settings.

There are some very obvious caveats to this advice. We’ve all heard horror stories of people who have lost a lot through online mistakes—or we’ve seen the screenshots on comedy websites. One of the most preventable disasters was that of a girl who posted a long (and poorly written) Facebook status about how much she hated her job and her boss, apparently forgetting that she had added that same boss as a Facebook friend and he had full access to her status updates. She did not keep the job.

According to the Jobvite survey, posts on Twitter referencing drugs were likely to be viewed negative-

Watch your spelling, grammar, and tone Writing isn’t everyone’s strong suit, and not every post has to be of essay quality, but the way you write is going to make a lot of first impressions. If you’re worried about your writing quality, pass it through a friend first, or take time to read it over two or three times. Writing is a useful skill in just about any field. Being careful with your writing is just like being careful with your speech during a job interview. Make sure your writing stays professional, and do your best to keep your typos to a minimum.

A picture tells a thousand words If you want people to recognize you, use a picture of your face—but again, only the face you’d want to show your boss. Got a picture of yourself doing something related to your industry? Wearing a suit? A professional portrait? Use something that shows professionalism, not just your most attractive features.

My own success story I’m still a student at the University of Ottawa, and my own career hasn’t quite yet begun. But last summer I experienced first-hand the way social media can open up opportunities.

It started off with a blog post I wrote about the great experience I had with the U of O’s co-op program. I posted it, then tweeted it, and tagged the co-op office’s Twitter account. Within minutes, they retweeted it. By the end of the day, that blog post had more than 70 views, to the usual three or four. Within a few hours, I got an email from the co-op office asking if they could feature it on their website. It’s also been turned

ly by 78 per cent of recruiters; sex, 67 per cent; and alcohol, 47 per cent.

Much like you don’t want your grandma to see the embarrassing pictures of your birthday at the bar last year, there are some things your potential employers do not need to know about you.

That’s where a professional social media presence comes in. Don’t post anything on your public profile that you wouldn’t talk to a boss or a colleague about in person. Keep your personal life for your personal accounts, and bump up the privacy.

Most people should know better than to post embarrassing, accusatory, or inflammatory statements about their employer, or photos of themselves in particularly not-safe-for-work settings, where their employer is sure to see it. But almost as important is putting the same time and energy into your professional presence as you are into your personal one.

If you’re going to make a business social media account, keep it moving. Don’t just make it and leave it blank, or hardly ever update it. Even if it’s only a short post every week or two, maintain your presence. An account that hasn’t been updated in six months looks unattended, and won’t impress anyone.

Similarly, take time to reread your writing before posting online. The Jobvite survey also found that 54 per cent of recruiters had a negative reaction to grammar and spelling mistakes.

into an article for the university’s online newspaper, the Gazette.

It’s a relatively minor success story, but it really was an eye-opening moment. It’s easy for employers and universities to acknowledge your successes and achievements, but you have to be the one to put those accomplishments out there, whether it be your co-op experience, work or volunteer history, or just some cool video you made with your friends. They can all help land you a job someday.

Employers want to know who you are, so show them. Just make sure you’re showing the right features. The Internet can be your enemy or your friend. My advice? Make it the latter.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Sarah Nolette sports@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Gees fired up at football home opener Team’s powerful offence a huge threat, as long as they avoid penalty trouble

Spencer Murdock

T

Last season the Gees posted a 5-3 record that led to a squandered playoff berth with a first-round exit.

Their offseason was one of change, as they lost their starting quarterback to graduation, and their star running back to the Canadian Football League draft.

It’s hard to predict what the team will do this season, and plenty of eyes are fixed on the men in garnet and grey to see what they can accomplish.

Spirit was running high at the Labour Day home opener as, fans eagerly filed their way into the stands of Gee-Gees Field on a rare Monday afternoon and sold out the stadium.

The Gees wasted no time satisfying their supporters, as they scored their first touchdown just minutes into the game on a short pass from newly appointed Gee-Gees starting quarterback Derek Wendel. The new signal caller would go on to have an impressive game that’s sure to put

him on the list of the most dangerous QBs in the conference.

“I wasn’t even thinking about my passing during the game, I was just hoping everyone else did their jobs and we all wanted to excuted,” said Wendel.

Particularly in the second half, the defence was a stonewall as they held the Lions to single-digit scoring in the first half, and was particulary strong in the second as they pitched a shutout in the second. For the game they limited York to fewer than 200 yards. The defence created a lot of turnover chances, nabbing two interceptions and forcing four fumbles.

On the offensive end, the GeeGees racked up just under 600 yards of total offence, and the game was peppered with electrifying plays.

This year’s team is stocked with offensive threats, including receiver Nick Dagher, who caught seven passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

The team was firing on all cylinders, as long as they weren’t hin-

Staff Reporter

he Gee-Gees football home opener saw a bewildered York Lions team stumble into an unexpected 51-7 routing at the hands of a promising new U of O squad. dered by penalties. Head coach Jamie Barresi was disappointed in his team’s 20 penalties, and began to take players out of the second half to prove his point.

“We can’t do that against the teams coming up,” he said. “We can’t take those penalties. When we make a big play, we cannot afford that … you get that opportunity, you can’t let it slip by. I’m pleased we won the game, but I won’t tolerate it.”

The game lost some heat in the fourth quarter, but if it’s a glimpse of what’s to come there should be plenty of excitement on this season.

“It’s a pretty good game overall for us. I think we did some good execution, but we’ve got to be a little more disciplined for the next couple weeks,” said Wendel.

“We got some tough teams coming up. So we’ve got to take it easy on the penalties. We’ve got to take the positives, put it behind us, and move on to next week.”

Photos by Marta Kierkus

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SPORTS | 17

Women’s fastball club looks for support

Hannah Sunley-Paisley inducted into Gee-Gees Hall of Fame

Players say more funding and recognition Basketball star was among best in OUA will help them hit it out of the park rankings for points and rebounds Sarah Nolette Sports Editor

Fast pitch ladies: Bailey Gigloyk and Jean Cardona

Sarah Nolette Sports Editor

The women’s fastball club has struck out on national playoffs this year, not because they didn’t make the cut—but because they can’t afford it.

“We’re supposed to be going to Calgary for nationals because we qualified, but we can’t go because the school refuses to give us any money for it,” says pitcher Jean Cardona. “A big thing would just be recognition.”

Cardona, a psychology student at the University of Ottawa, is one of many on the team who are crossing their fingers for more support, and soon. The club is constantly looking for more players, but the players say few come out to play because they don’t even know about it.

“We just want the school to know about us,” says Cardona. “Not even the students, but the school doesn't recognize us as a thing.”

She and teammate Bailey Gigloyk, a chemistry student, have been playing their whole lives. They wanted to pursue softball in postsecondary, but weren’t sure where to go.

“I always wanted to do an American school, but it seemed out of the picture because of the cost,” says Gigloyk. “So, I did my research on Canadian schools and I found the University of

Photo by Marta Kierkus

Ottawa had a team.”

The school’s proximity to home and the team’s supportive coach attracted the ladies to play. But since the team doesn’t receive a lot of funding from the school, it comes with a steep price tag.

For the two-month season, each player pays $400 and practices are held at a free-to-use field out in Orleans from 9 to 11 p.m.

“Women’s fastball team fits in to our competitive club structure of which we have 19 teams we support,” says assistant athletic director Colin Timm. “And they have similar access and similar funding to those 19 teams to move forward.”

“The competitive clubs were not set up with a target of performance, they are an opportunity for a competitive nature on campus to allow student athletes to pursue their sports,” he adds.

The team holds an “awareness weekend” each season, when they compete against Carleton. It’s meant to attract new faces to the game and also raise awareness for a community issue such as homelessness, mental health, or LGBTQ issues.

This year’s game is set to take place mid October.

“We get shirts that aren’t normally our jerseys, and people will ask us about them, and that’s when we get to say what we are supporting,” says Cardona. “It kind of puts our team out there a little bit.”

To see the fastball schedule check out: www.oiwfa.org/wb/pages/schedule.php

18 | SPORTS

Hannah Sunley-Paisley played every year of her Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) career with the Gee-Gees women’s basketball team, and will be recognized for her efforts Sept. 27 when she becomes the newest member of the Gee-Gees Hall of Fame.

At the age of 25, Sunley-Paisley is also one of the youngest players to be inducted into the hall of fame. Three years after graduating, she joins Olympic basketball players Coleen Dufresne, a 1975 All-Canadian who was inducted in 2010.

“I wasn’t expecting to be inducted at such a young age, but it feels good,” Sunley-Paisley said.

Sunley-Paisley graduated from the University of Ottawa with a bachelor of arts in 2012.

On the court, she dominated as a post player throughout the country. She was ranked second in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) for most rebounds in her career with 993, and seventh for most points in a career in the OUA with 1,483.

She also racked up the awards during her career, including three OUA East Player of the Year recognitions and three appearances on the CIS all-star teams. In her final year, Sunley-Paisley was named the Nan Copp CIS Player of the

Hannah Sunley-Paisley plays for the Gee-Gees.

Year, as she led her team to an OUA championship, and a CIS bronze medal, the best in GeeGees history.

“It’s always nice to be recognized,” she said. “I am proud of what many people around me over the five years I spent as a Gee-Gee helped me accomplish.”

The year after her graduation, she pursued a professional European basketball career playing for Quakenbrueck, Germany, but later switched to coaching.

Last year, Sunley-Paisley coached the under-15 boys Ottawa’s Next Level club team and the Algonquin Thunder women’s team. This year, she’ll coach the Next Level under-16 boys and play in a couple of leagues herself.

“Unfortunately there isn’t anywhere for me to go, playing-wise, in Canada,” she said, “but hopefully there will be for future generations of players.”

For Sunley-Paisley – a CIS player of the year, not having any options to play competitive basketball in her own country raises concerns.

Canada has many possibilities to expand a professional basketball league for women, just as they introduced the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) to men. As the hall of famer said, there is still hope.

photo courtesy of geegees.ca

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Women’s hockey gets full ride CIS ramps up scholarships for female post-secondary athletes Josh Beneteau

The Eyeopener (Ryerson University) TORONTO (CUP)—Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) will allow post-secondary schools to give female hockey players fullride scholarships in an effort to keep more talent at home.

The Women’s High Performance Hockey pilot program will be in place for five years, and will allow CIS to collect data on how effective scholarships are in recruiting athletes in Canada.

“Is the scholarship the difference or is it something else?” CIS CEO Pierre Lafontaine told the Canadian Press. “We’ll have a better understanding of all of that within the pilot.”

Lafontaine said there are almost 4,000 Canadian athletes in the NCAA, including 400 women’s hockey players. Of the 22 players on the under-22 national women’s hockey team, 20 play in the NCAA. In addition to tuition, teams will also be able to cover living expenses for players under a cap. That cap is 70 per cent of the total tuition and living expenses for 14 players, so the number will be different for each school.

Ryerson University women’s hockey team in action

Stephanie White, Ryerson University’s

package, not just scholarships,” she said. “Re-

associate director of athletics and founding

sources such as full-time coaches, equipment

coach of the women’s hockey team, said that

managers, quality of (facilities) … will influ-

while the team will be participating in the

ence athletes’ decisions to stay in Canada or

program, no players on the current roster

go to a Division 1 school.”

will get the scholarship.

“We will only be looking at this type of higher funded scholarship should we iden-

if the initiative is worth continuing. White

tify an athlete that is representative of the

did not specify what this data included, and

talent the pilot is targeting,” White said in

Lafontaine did not respond to requests for

an email. “(These) players are typically na-

comment.

tional or provincial level under-18 athletes.”

In a similar move last year, CIS changed

White said she thinks the scholarships

the rules for players wishing to transfer

will help keep some players in Canada but

from the NCAA to a Canadian school. Pre-

added that programs need more than just

viously, those players had to sit out a year

money to lure players.

before they could play up north. Now, they

thefulcrum.ca

Photo by Olivia McLeod/The Eyeopener

Once the program is complete, White said the collected data would be studied to see

“Canadian schools must offer the full

do not.

SPORTS | 19

Get your head in the game A look at sports psychology

Cascades men’s volleyball team digging the ball

Emily Rybak

The Cascade (University of Fraser Valley) ABBOTSFORD, B.C. (CUP)—Spectators are often envious of professional athletes. The player has gotten to make a living out of doing something they love, and they’re also getting way overpaid for it. However, they may now groan at doing what used to be something they loved in the morning after their routine sawdust-flavoured power shake. This is what we call intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation occurs naturally by doing something simply because you love it and are passionate about it, like becoming a volunteer coach as your way of giving back to the community. When you are only willing to do something if you’re compensated for it, you are motivated by an external source, such as money, and are therefore extrinsically motivated since there is something in it for you.

A problem occurs once extrinsic and intrinsic motivations cross paths. A basketball player may sign on with a team for all of the right reasons: they love the sport, are passionate about it, and have potential. After long enough, if their compensation is retracted, they will likely no longer enjoy their once-beloved sport—at least not nearly as much as they once did. What they were once motivated to do by passion has been influenced externally by money. It is difficult to find it enjoyable once the extrinsic motivation is gone.

Ever notice after a victory, your uncle won’t stop saying “we won” and “that was a great win for us.” This is called BIRGing: basking in reflected glory. A fan will personally identify themselves

20 | SPORTS

Photo courtesy of Flickr/University of Fraser Valley

with a team of their choice, and hold themselves responsible for the team’s success. They associate themselves with triumph without having to do any of the work, leaving them to bask in their unearned glory. BIRGing is an impression management technique personally designed to protect one’s distended self esteem to counteract any threats toward it. The downfall of the mechanism occurs once a person realizes that they play little to no role in their cherished team’s victory.

Now, heaven forbid, your uncle’s favourite team loses, it turns into him saying “they lost,” and “they did terrible last night.” This is CORFing: cut off reflected failure. Suddenly, a dedicated fan doesn’t want to be considered part of a losing team. They use words like “they” instead of “we.”

Whether a person participates in CORFing exposes either a true or a fickle fan. Using both BIRGing and CORFing, we can come to understand a person’s behaviour over a victory or failure. A true fan will buy all the memorabilia and will wear the team jersey the day after an embarrassing loss, or even during a losing streak. A CORFer may go as far as to deny they watched any of their team’s games.

When your voice starts to give out in the final quarter, ask exactly who are you cheering for. If they lose, slightly or exponentially, will it change how you feel about your beloved team? Will you quietly remove that bumper sticker, or feel proud when you see another person with the same one?

Whether you’re a team or fan club member, adrenaline and score are not the only things that matter, because a sport always has been—and always will be—more than just a game.

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OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Kyle Darbyson

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Point/Counterpoint: Fixed-term marriages

A couple of weeks ago, University of Ottawa student Véronique Laliberté made the news with her thesis proposal that offers an alternative to the traditional model of marriage. By proposing to study the subject of fixed-term marriages for her master’s thesis, Laliberté is promoting the idea that marriage could be improved by treating it more like a work contract. For example, if a couple agreed to be married for five years under this model, their marriage would automatically dissolve after this period of time and their union could only be maintained if they chose to renew their contract. So, is this a practical alternative to “till death do us part,” or is this fixed-term model an insult to the very idea of marriage?

Fixed-term marriages miss the point Practicality trumps tradition

Happy Wedding

Justin Dallaire Contributor

W

e’re lucky in Canada. People of all ages, races, and sexual orientations are married civilly and religiously every day, while others decide to wait or forego marriage entirely. For the most part we think nothing of it, because our mantra is relatively simple: “As long as they’re happy.”

In a country with such liberal views on marriages why not allow fixed-term marriages? Véronique Laliberté has suggested that it essentially boils down to a question of happiness. “It’s not for better or for worse, it’s for better,” she said in a recent interview with the Fulcrum.

Laliberté is right about one thing. The concerned couples’ happiness and well-being should be our main consideration when debating marital laws. She just happens to be wrong about the long-term impact that fixed-term marriages will have on married couples.

First of all, unlike the legal recognition of common-law marriage—and same-sex marriage more recently—the non-existence of fixed-term marriages does not hinder anyone’s freedom. A couple that wants to split up or get divorced after a period of five years is still free to do so. They can even plan it ahead of time for all we care. Therefore, it’s hard to see the necessity of implementing a fixed-term model.

Secondly, it may not be immediately evident,

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Rachel Kramer CC

but fixed-term marriages would only serve to make couples less happy in the long term. Although I admit that hypothetical levels of happiness do not form the basis of many good arguments, I nevertheless feel they should be taken into consideration here.

The truth is that fixed-term marriages would have a profound impact on the level of trust between spouses and partners. Every time the end of the marriage term approached, couples would be forced to re-evaluate their situation and decide whether they were having enough fun, or if their sex life was still satisfactory. Divorce rates may go down, but “dissolution rates” as they would be called, would skyrocket into their place.

In today’s world that is constantly in pursuit of the next best thing, the ideal “good” is always just short of being good enough. It is not contentment, but true happiness we seek. “I have a partner who genuinely cares for me, who is faithful, and in whom I can trust,” one might think. “But am I really happy?”

“Oftentimes, people think that things should come easy and so if it’s hard maybe it’s not meant to be,” said local Ottawa therapist Judy Kiar in an article for Metro News. “But the reality is, there’s something to be said for working at something and seeing it evolve into something better, rather than just having a change-partners mentality.”

In the end, Laliberté’s proposal is but a quickfix solution to a more fundamental problem, and one that risks doing more harm than good.

Wedding contract

Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter

M

arriage is one of the oddest facets of our modern culture. There is so much weight placed on a couple of little rings that are supposed to signify this eternal unbreakable bond between lovers. Seems pretty solid, right?

Well, not quite.

The widely held understanding in North America is that roughly 40 to 50 per cent of marriages end in divorce. We live in a world where it’s about as likely for you to call a coin toss correctly as it is to have a successful marriage.

Furthermore, our society no longer encourages people to stay in unfulfilling unions just for the sake of the commitment. The 1950s model of the husband rolling home in his new Chevy to be greeted by his adoring homemaker wife is undoubtedly antiquated.

The fabric of the early stage of our adult life is also being stretched with every passing year. More and more people are getting educated instead of jumping right into the workforce to support a family. The hasty decisions of generations past saw many people getting hitched at 18 or 19 years old, way before they could have grasped the complexities of what makes a mature relationship work.

Marriages are big decisions, so why not treat them like any other big decision in life. Why buy the sports car, when you can just rent one for a

Benjamin Rennicke CC

while and see how you like it?

Véronique Laliberté has been studying an idea that may solve the issues people face when they decide to get married. She proposed the idea that marriage could be more like a work contract, where you can decide at the end of a fixed term if you want to renew it or not. If everything is going well and you’re happy, just re-up. However, if things are falling apart, just end your contract amicably and move on with your life.

Some may say this is a needlessly cold way to go about a relationship with the person you love, but it might just make more sense than the traditional way of thinking that encourages two people to be trapped in an unhappy union forever.

This new fixed-term marriage model is almost like renewing your vows, but in a way that is a little more financially sound.

It could be particularly beneficial to careerdriven individuals, who are often scrutinized for not wanting to settle down, maybe because they are primarily committed to their work. Of course they could always choose not to get married, but if they felt compelled to tie the knot, a fixed-term marriage system would offer them the security and flexibility that traditional marriage could never provide.

In this weird world of marriage and love, a shakeup is exactly what we need. If we want to see more happy couples and fewer unhappy or failed marriages, we might have to start looking towards a dotted line rather than a diamond ring.

OPINIONS | 21

Arts degrees in jeopardy at the U of O Program restructuring only strengthens myth of the useless arts degree Eric Wilkinson Contributor

Arts programs are under attack at the University of Ottawa.

Near the end of the 2014 winter semester, the Faculty of Arts held meetings regarding the “restructuring” of its programs, where it was revealed that program requirements were to be relaxed and some previously mandatory courses were to be made optional.

Responses to the proposed changes were overwhelmingly negative. Students and professors protested, saying these changes will lessen the value of arts degrees by watering down the requirements. From a broader perspective, it seems like these recent program restructuring plans are part of an ongoing attempt by the university administration to convert our liberal arts institution into a vocational school.

This development ties in the U of O’s recent decision to sign specialization agreements with the Ontario government, in which they plan to focus on developing management and communication, science and engineering,environment, public policy, and health programs.

The emphasis on these “practical” programs begets a narrow view of education being workforce training, rather than a means to human enrichment.

Contrary to what many believe, studies have shown that an arts degree is as financially sound as any other degree. For example, in 2013 the Association of American Colleges and Universities published a report that found the vast majority of employers are looking to hire candidates with the capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems—qualities typically found in a liberal arts education.

Nonetheless, a myth persists that degrees in other faculties like business and engineering are more practical. This myth corrupts the thinking of university administrators, causing them to neglect the arts and instead focus most of their attention on other, more “practical” programs.

What other explanation could there be for Dean of arts Antoni Lewkowicz consenting to the emaciation of his own faculty? At the restructuring meetings, one could have mistaken the dean of arts for the dean of Telfer, given his preoccupation with balance sheets. It is probably true that the myth of practicality has hurt enrolment in the arts, but this only makes the weakening of our arts programs even more absurd.

Instead of pushing arts to the side, the university should invest in this faculty and promote our excellent programs to the multitude of high school

Heckles

It seems like the recent program restructuring plans are part of an ongoing attempt by the university administration to convert our liberal arts institution into a vocational school.

Photo by Brianna Campigotto

students who are unsure of what to study in their postsecondary education and are at this point looking for an education more than they are looking for a job.

What’s truly frustrating about this situation is that despite the vastly negative

feedback surrounding these changes, we don’t have a real say in the matter. The university has sent its message loud and clear: it is going to embark on a course that will devalue our arts degrees and degrade the quality of our education, whether we like

it or not. This is completely unacceptable.

All students have an interest in ensuring that they receive the best education possible, and it’s our responsibility to speak out against the direction the current administration is taking.

China’s “bullet screens”

Kyle Darbyson Opinions editor

Outside of talking with your mouth full, the act of texting in a movie theatre is easily one of the most obnoxious social habits ever conceived in the history of human behaviour.

In fact, my own personal vision of hell prominently features this particular custom, with rows and rows of lit faces and chiming ringtones continuously interrupting my $11 movie-going experience for all of eternity.

Luckily for me, a select number of theatres in China are working to make this nightmare a reality, since the advent of “bullet screens” are already being tested in cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

“Bullet screens” are a truly diabolical piece of technology that not only encourages an audience to text during a movie, but also captures each message and projects it onto the screen while the movie is playing.

So, basically, bullet screens are some kind of weaponized trolling device that gives asshole moviegoers everywhere the power to undercut my enjoyment of a movie by posting snarky, unfunny commentary throughout the film’s running time.

From what I gather, this new kind of gimmick is making waves in China because mobile devices are the most popular platform to watch movies on in that country. As such, production companies want to capitalize on this potential market and use this new format to create some kind of large scale social media experience.

There’s nothing wrong with mixing social media

22 | OPINIONS

and film together, since letting people stay connected through sharing and reliving their varied movie-going experiences is an inherently positive thing. However, there is one specific time and place where this sort of behavior is completely unacceptable, and that is when the lights in the movie theatre go dark.

If you decide to pull your phone out and start texting at that point, you are not doing so to contribute to a communal movie experience. Instead, you are doing it to feed your own ego and satisfy your need to stay connected to your Twitter feed like a goddamn addict.

Call me old-fashioned, but I always viewed going to the movies as an opportunity to get away from texting, social media, and everything that has to do with the Internet. But nowadays, more and more people are using this sacred time as an opportunity to check how many likes their latest selfie has on Instagram.

This already happens way too much in Western society, and I’m terrified that the hypothetical adoption of something like “bullet screens” in North America would only encourage and exacerbate this kind of bad behaviour.

I’m not usually the kind of guy who calls for boycotts when it comes to movie news, since I find most of these movements to be childish and petty. That being said, if “bullet screens” somehow become the hottest new thing in Canadian cinemas, you bet your bottom dollar I’d be leading the picket line.

There’s no way I’m letting my night out to the movies turn into “Facebook Scroll: The Movie.”

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Burger King-Tim Hortons merger causes national culture shock Canadian identity threatened by influx of Angry Whoppers Ryan Mallough

or Co ntri but

Canadians from Beaver Creek, Yukon, to Cape Spear, Nf ld., have been taking long, deep looks into their morning coffees as news of the Burger King-Tim Hortons merger has hurtled the nation into a major identity crisis.

The merger comes at a time when Hockey Night in Canada no longer airs on the CBC, the country’s largest export is Rob Ford news stories, and pleases and thank-yous are down more than 70 per cent nationwide.

“Tim Hortons used to be a place that embodied everything about small-town Canada and quintessential Canadian values,” said Andre Deveraux, a U of O sociology student and part-time Starbucks barista. “It was the easiest answer to the question, ‘What is Canadian?’ Now it’s just another coffee chain.”

He continued, “It’s one thing when you culturally dominate our film, music, television, automotive, fastfood, news, clothing, retail chains, and technology industries, but coming after our national coffee is crossing the line.”

The Burger King-Tim Hortons merger is another sad chapter in a series of defects and defeats Canada has suffered at the hands of corporate America, on par with the departures of Wayne Gretzky, Paul Anka, the Montreal Expos, and Ryan Reynolds’ abdominals.

Rumours continue to circulate about the changes that could be coming to the Canadian institution, including the beloved “double-double” order switching from “two cream, two sugar” to “two sugar, two cream.”

“What about the health impact?” asked Deveraux. “Timbits, danishes, and honey crullers are one thing, but now I hear they’re experimenting with Reese’s cups. Where does it end?”

The menu isn’t the only cause for concern among Canadians.

“It’s a question of sovereignty,” said U of O political science professor Janet Mackenzie. “They could have sent a burger ambassador, a burger minister, or even a burger lieutenant governor, but they sent a monarch instead—a clear challenge to our national autonomy.”

“Burger King has been in Canada since 1968 and that’s ample time to learn our ways and customs,” Mack-

Obama says goodbye to Florida American landmass to be literally shipped back to Spain Kyle Darb yson

Tomato Editor

“Sometimes, you just can’t fix crazy.”

—US President Barack Obama

Original image from NASA’s Earth Observatory, Edits by Marta

thefulcrum.ca

enzie added. “It’s quite possible that this corporate invasion will be so seamless that average Canadians won’t even notice it’s happened, and by then it may already be too late.”

Further research reveals that foreign operatives have been cultivating Tim Hortons for nearly two decades.

The iconic Canadian company was purchased by the Canadian-esque, if American-owned, fast food chain Wendy’s in 1995, and sold its centralized baking operation, Maidstone Bakeries, to Swiss investors in 2010.

Admittedly these Swiss investors hail from a nation that shares several Canadian values, including choice of flag colours, so many will be able to at least pretend that Maidstone is still a Canadian-owned company.

Since Tim Hortons holds more than 60 per cent of the Canadian coffee market, Burger King has plans to expand the quaint Canadian company into an international coffee chain.

“It’s manifest destiny for the 21st century,” said Mackenzie. “You think you’re entering a nice Canadian store and then bam—you’re hit with an Angry American Whopper right between the eyes.”

In a move that has shocked the world, the United States government has officially separated from Florida, effectively severing all economic, political, cultural, and even geographical ties with the country’s now former fourth-most populous state.

The news came to light Monday when President Barack Obama addressed the American people from the oval office, stating that the country can no longer bear the cultural burden of being associated with the Sunshine State.

“Let me assure you that this decision was not made lightly,” the president said in a televised address. “But the simple fact is that the state of Florida is going to cost our nation crippling financial and cultural capital in the long run, especially with what has been going on in the last couple of years.”

President Obama backed up his claim by listing the various insane and unbelievable news items that have recently become synonymous with Florida, including bath-salt-induced cannibal attacks, crazed assaults on Walmart employees, and general acts of debauchery that are committed by semi-nude drunks almost every day.

The event that finally pushed the US government’s patience over the edge was committed on Aug. 14, where a St. Petersburg man was arrested for allegedly trying to pick a fight with a fire hydrant.

However, the US government is not too keen on allowing Florida to form its own independent government, since they are afraid that this new sovereign state will devolve into chaotic, sleazy anarchy. Instead, the Obama administra-

Photo by Brianna Campigotto

“It’s one thing when you culturally dominate our film, music, television, automotive, fast-food, news, clothing, retail chains, and technology industries, but coming after our national coffee is crossing the line.”

— Andre Deveraux, U of O sociology student tion is intent on selling Florida back to Spain, which originally ruled the state as a foreign colony before ceding it to the United States in 1819.

Even though Spain hasn’t been a colonial power for a couple hundred years, the country’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of reclaiming Florida.

“These are very interesting times, indeed,” Rajoy said during a Monday press conference in the nation’s capital of Madrid. “We can’t wait to see what a massive influx of rednecks, pornographers, spring breakers, and decrepit old people will do for our culture and economy.”

The US is also looking to unburden itself of the state in a much more literal sense.

With the help of some new, state-of-the-art laser technology, the US State department is in the process of slicing through Florida’s landmass in the hopes of severing it entirely from the mainland United States. The piece of land will then be floated across the Atlantic Ocean until it reaches Spain.

Despite the insistence of the media, Florida Governor Rick Scott could not be reached for comment, since he was too busy outfitting his mansion with personal flotation devices.

“We will definitely be sad to see Florida go, as every American enjoys its sunny beaches and wonderful theme parks,” said President Obama. “So, I hope all of you watching at home will join me in saying goodbye to the Sunshine State.

Sorry Florida, it was fun while it lasted, but sometimes you just can’t fix crazy.”

THE TOMATO | 23

DISTRACTIONS

Dear Di,

Since I broke up with my girlfriend in July, I can't seem to maintain the same standard of sexual performance with other girls as I did with her. I've tried going solo 30 minutes to an hour before, but it doesn't seem to help. Do you have any suggestions that could improve my stamina?

—Cummin’ to the Finish Line

Dear CFL,

I’m sorry to hear about your summertime sadness with your exgirl. I wouldn’t worry though—there are many men who can’t conjure up that racehorse stamina. Here are a couple of things that might perk up your performance and have you strong in the sack in no time.

There are a bunch of quick fixes you can try to last longer if you’re in the one-night-stand department, like desensitizing creams for your member or extra-thick condoms to downplay your stimulation.

Thinking more long-term and depending on your level of intimacy with your partner, one of the best ways to keep your cum

is to focus on pleasuring your girl; make sure you’re giving her the right amount of pressure how and where she wants it. Foreplay is important at the best of times, but in this case really draw it out. To truly be a tease to both of you, tell her she can stroke your hair, caress your back or chest, but not touch your package. By bringing her to orgasm first with your hands, mouth, or a vibrator, you’ll last longer once you finally do have sex. And when you do begin to seal the deal, change your positions frequently. Positions where you control the speed and depth (think slow and shallow, guy on top) will help you stay in charge. Position changes cause breaks between your stimulation, ultimately slowing you down and helping you last longer.

Perhaps the most unglamorous but tried-and-true method is hitting the gym for your pubococcygeus (PC) muscles. These are the muscles you use to stop yourself from peeing, but they also get a sexual workout by contracting while you orgasm. By doing daily exercises to strengthen these muscles (check my Twitter for some links), you’ll make your O that much more powerful, but it will take you longer to get there.

I hope this helps! It sounds like you might not be totally over your ex, but try not to let your sex life suffer. There’s no reason you can’t keep going—and cumming—long and strong.

Dear FF,

You’re among many a gal who had her first deflowering here at the U of O. There’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of for admitting to your first time. In fact, some guys really get off on that. There is this perception that virginity is either sacred until marriage or it's something to be shed like a used condom—as quickly as possible. I don’t agree with either.

Sex means different things to different people, and fostering healthy sexual relationships is just like a good friendship (with some added benefits). It’s up to you to decide how you feel about sex, and one of the best ways is to continue exploring.

I encourage you to experiment solo and get a feel for your body. It will help you know what you like and give your confidence in bed a boost. If you’re curious about positions check out the Kama Sutra, which is widely regarded as the (unholy) bible of sex.

Don’t be surprised that the sex was less than stellar. For many girls, the first time doesn’t pack much of a

FEATURES EDITOR Jesse Colautti

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260 punch, even as your partner moans in pleasure beside you. Those fairytale stories about losing it are pretty rare.

Your first-time man might not have even been aware that you were a newbie if you let him take the lead, and you know what? There's a chance he wasn't much of a rocket either.

I’m assuming you used protection, but either way I strongly recommend booking an appointment with your physician to look into the many options for contraceptives that will keep you safe if you’re planning on continuing your sexing. It’s also a great time to get a baseline sexual health checkup, just to make sure everything is perfect down there.

For your emotional side, which might need a bit of nurturing, choose your confidante. Talk it over with someone you're truly comfortable with and make sure you’re mentally healthy about sex.

Other than that, relax—the sex only gets better.

Love, Di

Love, Di Dear Di,

I came into university a virgin. I had a

boyfriend in high school but we only made out, felt each other up, and he fingered me once—which I thought was kind of weird, to be honest.

Recently, I had sex with a guy during frosh week after one of the events. But I totally pretended like I had had sex before, because I was too embarrassed to tell him I was still a virgin. So now my virginity is gone, he isn’t texting me, and I feel really mixed up about it. I mean, I guess I’ve officially reached womanhood and the sex was OK, but I also feel kind of worthless and like I missed out on that special first time or whatever the books always say. I don’t even know if I was good at it or not—I was confused the whole time, but went with it. How many positions are there and how do I go with the flow a little smoother?

24 | DISTRACTIONS

—Flummoxed first-timer

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THRYLLABUS MUSIC

Friday Sept. 5 House of PainT, Urban art festival

House of PainT has everything you could want in a hip-hop festival. The extremely popular festival is in its 11th year, and features a block party, community BBQ, street art celebration, music festival, and workshops throughout the weekend. Most events are free only for Carleton students, but the final performance on Monday night, Fresh Elements, is free for everyone and located right on the U of O’s campus.

For more info, check out houseofpaint.ca

Boyhood begins showing at Bytowne Cinema Rock Tha House, Concert and Popping Battle (as part of House of PainT), Under the Dunbar Bridge, at Brewer Park – 5pm Ottawa Redblacks vs. BC Lions, TD Place – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 6 Women’s soccer vs. U of T, Matt Anthony Field – 7:30 p.m.

Come out and watch the home opener for the U of O’s women’s soccer team for free! The squad is currently the ninth best team in the country, and put simply, can kick like very few others can. Upset in last year’s OUA quarterfinals in penalties, this year’s squad is searching for redemption. If you can’t make today’s game, there’s also a game tomorrow, also free.

Sunday, Sept. 7

arts Sports FUN Thinking

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Women’s soccer vs. Ryerson, Matt Anthony Field – 1p.m.

night at the U of O’s campus bar, 1848, and opening night is the craziest of them all. Make sure to come with your pockets loaded with change, and come early to assure yourself a spot, as opening night gets filled to capacity very quickly.

Wednesday Sept. 10 Ottawa Folk Festival begins, Hog’s Back Park Snowpiercer begins showing at Bytowne Cinema M.Ward and Foster the People (as part of Ottawa Folk Festival), Hog’s Back Park – 7 p.m.

Thursday Sept. 11 Lorde and Serena Ryder (as part of Ottawa Folk Festival), Hog’s Back Park – 8 p.m.

This is the largest animation film festival in North America, and offers film buffs, art lovers, and aspiring cartoonists the chance to discuss and watch films, network with people in the industry and develop their talents in a variety of workshops. Tickets are available for week-long passes, day passes, and individual screenings. For more info, go to www.animationfestival.ca

Pioneers of Animation (as part of Ottawa International Animation Festival), 2 Daly Ave., Suite 120 – 12 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 18 Young Liars, Mercury Lounge – 9 p.m.

Friday Sept. 12

5K Foam Fest Fun Run, Wesley Clover Park

The National (as part of Ottawa Folk Festival), Hog’s Back Park – 9:30 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 13 Men’s Football vs. Guelph, Gee-Gees Field – 1 p.m.

Electric Pow Wow, Babylon Nightclub – 10 p.m.

A monthly club night dedicated to showcasing Aboriginal DJ talent, and featuring A Tribe Called Red, Electric Pow Wow is one of the best and unique club nights in the city.

Sunday Sept. 14

Fresh Elements, (as part of House of PainT) Morisset Terrace – 11 a.m.

The Gaslight Anthem (as part of Ottawa Folk Festival), Hog’s Back Park— 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday Sept 9

Monday Sept. 15

Modern Baseball, I Am The Avalanche, Beach Slang, and Neighbours, Maverick’s Bar – 7:30 p.m.

Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States and an Epic History of Misunderstanding, Faculty of Social Sciences Building - 12 p.m.

Toonie Tuesdays are the most popular

Ottawa International Animation Festival begins

Comedian Lewis Black, National Arts Centre – 8 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 8

First Toonie Tuesday, 1848, UCU – 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday Sept. 17

Friday, Sept. 19

Saturday, Sept 20 Panda Game, Men’s football vs.

Carleton, TD Place – 1 p.m.

One of the Gee-Gees’ oldest traditions, the Panda Game was brought back last year with the return of Carleton’s football team. The game is a great time even if you aren’t into football or sports, as you can get a look at the newly renovated TD Place and bask in some school spirit.

Monday, Sept 22 Debate: Should Canadians be compelled to vote in federal elections? Faculty of Social Sciences Building, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept 23 Equity in the Greenhouse – Fairly Sharing Canada’s Climate Change Mitigation Effort Among Provinces and Territories, Faculty of Social Sciences Building, 11:30 a.m.

Friday, Sept 26 Ottawa Redblacks vs. BC Lions, TD Place, 7 p.m.

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The eed 26 | DISTRACTIONS

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EDITORIAL Volume 75, Issue 3, September 5, 2014 Keepin’ on truckin’ since 1942.

Phone: (613) 562-5261 | Fax: (613) 562-5259 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this or we’ll run you over.

staff

Sabrina “canopy express” Nemis Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcum.ca Adam “sedan delivery” Ashby Gibbard Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Adam “pickup” Feibel Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Marta “mini” Kierkus Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “sport utility” Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Jessica “cutaway van chassis” Eritou Arts & Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Jesse “cab-forward” Colautti Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Sarah “tow” Nolette Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca

Rogers kinda sorta brings some competition to online streaming

T

he last time a company decided not to take competition with Netflix seriously, Blockbuster went out of business and it changed the entire movie-watching industry.

Kyle “military light” Darbyson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “firetruck” Van Dyk Online Editor online@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “panel” Murdock Staff Reporter Lindsay “recreational” MacMillan Associate News Editor Savannah “flatbed” Awde Staff Proofreader Brianna “bottler” Campigotto Staff Photographer Moussa “delivery” Sangaré-Ponce Associate Online Editor Annalise “concrete transport” Mathers Associate Features Editor Chantale “crane” Streeting Webmaster Ashley “log carrier” O’Connell Ad Intern Deidre “semi-trailer” Butters Ad Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca Andrew “ballast tractor” Hawley General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors Ryan “refrigerator” Mallough Jasmine “tank” van Schouwen Janoah “lorry” Willsie Celina “minivan” Feng Tori “multi-stop” Dudys Justin “heavy hauler” Dallaire Eric “motorhome” Wilkinson Alexandra “medium standard” Dean

In 2011 the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) looked into claims by larger media companies that Netflix was providing “over the top” programming services, which were having a negative impact on their own premium services.

At the time, companies like Bell and Rogers were more interested in stifling the competition than stepping up.

Three years and over a million Netflix customers later, Rogers and Shaw are trying to get into the online streaming game. Their new service, Shomi launches in November. It looks like Netflix without the red, provides similar programming, and will initially be available only to existing Rogers and Shaw customers for $8.99 a month.

It seems that Shomi might be missing the point.

Cover art A. marta Kierkus B. Eve Panagapko C. Greggory Clark D. Brianna Campigotto

A B

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Their initial launch is only available to those already paying for television and Internet packages. While it’s true that customers require Internet to use online streaming services, the attraction to Netflix is the low price and this new deal is an

add-on to some of the most expensive Internet service on the market. Competing with the low prices and extensive bandwidth of companies like Teksavvy and providing cable customers with something they sort of already have, they’re not even pretending to provide something better or new.

The truth is, both Netflix and Shomi are competing with the lower-quality but completely free practice of Internet piracy. These companies aren’t necessarily asking potential customers to choose between each other, but between paying money and not paying money. Existing Rogers and Shaw Internet customers can already torrent shows using their connection or they can pay for Netflix if they want better streaming and quality. Suggesting they add another $10 to their bill for an unproven service is hardly enticing. Especially for students, who are often on a tighter budget than most.

Competition can definitely improve service and Netflix certainly isn’t perfect—there’s a reason more than 200,000 videos come up when you search for “how to get American Netflix” on YouTube. There’s an opportunity to provide a better service than the existing one, and with its extensive resources, Shomi should be able to do it.

While Rogers and Shaw

have been busy creating a service that appears to be subpar to what’s already available in terms of price and convenience, Netflix has been busy preparing for this moment by creating an arsenal of quality, exclusive content without commercials.

HBO has been playing this game for a long time, but its content is only available in Canada through premium cable and satellite packages.

Netflix allows customers to binge-watch shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black for a price that’s considerably lower than any package that includes HBO. It’s a much easier sell to convince someone to pay under $10 for exclusive content than convince them not to illegally download Game of Thrones every April because getting cable is expensive and inconvenient (how many students are still waiting for the day the cable company arrives to hook up their connection?).

but it still seems like a slow reaction to a fast-changing market. It’s great that they’re joining the online streaming world because as consumers we can only benefit from the competition, but they’ll have to adapt and quickly.

Refusing to meet the needs of customers as they arise is short-sighted. It’s almost apocryphal that Blockbuster refused to work with Netflix on providing a streaming service to their customers and then failed spectacularly. With Internet, cell phone, and TV service under their umbrella, Rogers and Shaw are capable of absorbing new technology and there’s a lot of potential with their new service. Let’s hope they can live up to it.

The Rogers and Shaw business models are changing and that’s for the better. Trying to cling to the expansive cable packages that were profitable in the ‘90s is to pretend most of their customers don’t have a constant Internet connection available in their house and on their phones. The exclusivity of their service is supposed to only be the beta version,

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