The Fulcrum - Vol 75 Issue 9

P14

Stitching community together

Anti-U of O campaign P.5

In it to win it P.10

P.17

IN THIS ISSUE Making it official P.6 UOSERT seeks to become SFUO service

Student strike vote P.7 General Assembly slated to decide

ISIS hacks UNB P.9 Student union site one of 100 hacked

Karen O debute solo album P.13

Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman’s officially release

Like father like son P.16 U of O alum Lumsden and son’s athletic achievements

Bring on political correctness P.20

National anthem needs more inclusivity

Movie science fail P.21 People definitely use more than 10 per cent of their brain

Selfie world record P.23 U of O student set to win

The Queen’s English P.24

Cross-Atlantic dirty talk

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

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

Student group issues top five reasons not to go to U of O University denies claims listed on flyers distributed by student group Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi NEWS Editor

H

igh school students and their parents who checked out our campus on Oct. 17 were handed a flyer that listed the “top five” reasons not to attend the University of Ottawa.

After being given the go-ahead from Protection Services, members of the Student Rights Centre (SRC) handed out the flyers “to alert potential students to the types of problems they face as they come here,” according to SRC director Mireille Gervais.

The SRC is a division of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) that helps students appeal decisions made by the university administration that they find unfair.

“It’s always been important at the Student Rights Centre to make sure that we inform the community of worrying aspects of our university’s administration. Our role is to defend students,” said Gervais.

Chris Hynes, the SFUO’s vice-president of university affairs, said the goal of the flyer was to speed up the university’s implementation of an official accommodations policy for students with disabilities and to bring attention to what the SRC believes are other problems the university needs to address.

In a statement, the university administration said the flyers “contained information that is either incomplete, inexact, or based on outdated data.”

According to the flyer, 84 per cent of students lose their scholarships after one year. The university refuted the claim by saying it allocated $72 million for scholarships and bursaries in the current academic year, and that 75 per cent of students lose their scholarships. Students are re-

quired to maintain a certain grade point average to keep the scholarship.

“This is at no fault of the university,” said Vince Kang, a fourth-year history student who was a volunteer at the campus tour.

“I lost my admission scholarship, but it was because my grades dropped. I knew I was going to lose it.”

Other issues the SRC addresses on the flyer include the university not having an accommodations policy for students with disabilities; not punishing professors who have plagiarized students’ work; not accepting “diarrhea, colds, and menstrual cramps” as valid reasons for deferring an exam; and not heeding recommendations made by the ombudsperson.

The university’s statement said it’s in the process of developing a specific accommodations policy in collaboration with the SRC. In regards to the fourth claim, the university said students retain the right to get a doctor’s note for a deferral if their medical condition prohibits them from sitting an exam.

Kang said he was “shocked” by the group’s action, and was one of many students who opposed the SRC’s efforts and claims.

“As of right now, I am extremely unhappy with the way I am being represented as a student,” he said.

“I am proud of my school and I love being at (the U of O). If anyone were to ask me why I loved being here, I’d promptly try to convince them why, and show them how amazing it is here, rather than try to repel them away from the school.”

Kang said the SFUO has damaged relationships with the university administration. He used the SFUO’s tuition hike protest at the unveiling of the Advanced Research Complex on Sept. 30 as another example.

Hynes commented on the negative response:

“I really appreciate that students are taking their time to share their opinions. To be perfectly frank, I don’t have time to go and babysit social media for everything people want to talk to us about,” he said.

However, the SFUO makes sure to respond to direct inquiries, Hynes added.

At the time of publication, the SFUO had received three formal complaints, Hynes confirmed: two from members of the Undergradu-

“As of right now I am extremely unhappy with the way I am being represented as a student.”

—Vince Kang, fourthyear history student ate English Student’s Association and one from an alumnus.

In the last student election, Hynes said that as vice-president of university affairs he would work to improve the SFUO’s relationships with the university administration.

“Since I’ve been in office we’ve begun to have regular meetings with… the associate vice-president of student services (Lucie Mercier-Gauthier),” said Hynes, also citing strong relationships with the library administration and the office of Strategic Enrollment Management.

The issue was also brought up at the latest Board of Administration (BOA) meeting Oct. 19, where several students showed up to address the flyer, including Lucy Ellis, a fourth-year

Image courtesy of Student Rights Centre

English major, as well as the vice-president of finance of the Undergraduate English Student’s Association (UESA).

Ellis who issued a formal complaint to the SFUO said she was “extremely disappointed with yet another SFUO stunt.”

“I wholeheartedly believe that the tactic of forming positive relationships leads to better change,” she said, “than constantly trying to undercut and embarrass the university.”

University finds $15M budget surplus for 2013–14

Surplus accounts for 1.5 per cent of budget, total long term debt sits at $177.2M dated financial statements conducted by an independent accounting agency identified the surplus. According to associate vice-president of financial resources Denis Cossette, the money came from positive returns from the investment income with “similar results for the pension fund.”

Although positive news for the university, Cossette said the surplus is not a major development. “The business of the university is $1 billion, so we have a surplus of 1.5 per cent of the total activity of the university,” he said.

The U of O’s investment policy outlines the permitted investments falling under three main categories: equities, fixed-incomes, and alternatives.

Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi NEWS Editor

The University of Ottawa completed the 2013–14 fiscal year with a $15.3-million surplus, according to a late-September report from the finance and treasury committee to the Board of Governors.

The budget had projected an $11-million shortfall; however, the university received an additional $26 million from positive returns from investments. Currently the u niversity has unrestricted operating net assets of $7.1 million, with a total long term debt sits of $177.2 million.

An audit of the university’s consoli-

thefulcrum.ca

News of the surplus was presented to the BOG in the Tabaret Hall Senate Room on Sept. 29.

Photo: Marta Kierkus

Cossette said all decisions made were in line with the investment policy.

Government grants to universities in Ontario have steadily decreased, putting pressure on post-secondary institutions to compensate by procuring investments and raising tuition fees. Cossette said the university has balanced these reductions by increasing tuition for international students.

The province limits domestic tuition fee increases to three per cent per year, but there’s no cap in place for international student fees. In May 2014, the BOG voted to increase domestic tuition fees by three per cent, and international tuition fees by 10 per cent.

NEWS | 5

SFUO president slated for CFS exec position Anne-Marie Roy wins deputy chairperson seat for next year Sabrina Nemis Editor-in-Chief

After three years as a member of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) executive, president Anne-Marie Roy will be moving on next year to work for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

At the CFS annual general meeting on Oct. 17, Roy won the position of deputy chairperson for the 2015–16 school year.

“When I came to university, I wasn’t at all politically charged. University did that to me,” said Roy. “I feel like I’ve discovered a new passion for issues relating to social justice.”

The CFS is a student organization that lobbies at the federal level for issues of concern to post-secondary students. At the general meeting, member

student unions from across Canada discussed campaigns to address sexual violence on campus, blood transfusion accessibility, the availability of water, and fossil fuel divestment.

Roy said that as an SFUO executive, she’s most proud of the establishment of general assemblies, the first of which will take place Nov. 17. “I’m really hoping that GAs are going to be a tool that continually forces the SFUO to do outreach, to work on issues that matter to students,” she said.

Before finishing her term this year, Roy hopes to mobilize students on issues like the war in Iraq, possibly bringing back the Student Coalition Against War, and to continue discussions surrounding decolonization, racialization, miss-

Anne-Marie

Photo: Sabrina Nemis

ing and murdered aboriginal women, and rape culture.

One of the biggest campaigns coming to campuses this year is the federal election-focused “It’s No Secret” campaign. Current CFS chairperson Jessica McCormick said

Student responders seek SFUO service status Club’s motion backed by nearly 3,000 students Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor

UOSERT

Courtesy of Zoom Productions

The student-run emergency response team at the University of Ottawa has called for a referendum in hopes of becoming the next official service of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO).

The University of Ottawa Student Emergency Response Team (UOSERT), founded in January, currently has club status, but hopes to attain service status and the additional funds and outreach opportunities that come with it.

UOSERT collected 2,820 petition signatures Oct. 6–7, nearly double the target number.

“It’s thrilling to see such an enthusiastic interest for this service,” said Imroze Shaheen, the club’s president. “Many doubted we could even hit the minimum signatures needed to trigger a referendum.”

The team consists of 50 student volunteers, with open recruitment sessions to be held on a yearly basis. Members are required to have standard first aid, CPR level C, and certified first responder training, similar to the requirements of the Canadian Coast Guard and municipal fire departments.

When an emergency situation is reported, both the student response team and Protection Services are dispatched. They provide

6 | NEWS

medical support until paramedics arrive.

Beginning in January 2015, the team will be dispatched 24/7 to help student emergencies. The team can’t sustain that on a club budget, said Shaheen.

“It’s really important we become a service, since we’ll be really busy come January, with or without the student levy,” she said.

The Ottawa Paramedic Service has provided some of the equipment, while members are required to finance their uniforms and any other necessary equipment.

“It would be unfair to ask (members) for funds,” said Shaheen. “They volunteer so many hours of their time already.”

Student fees will increase if UOSERT becomes an official service. The SFUO would collect 75 cents from full-time students and 40 cents from part-time students per year to fund it.

“The levy we’re asking for is quite small in comparison to every other service on campus,” said Shaheen.

For example, in the 2014 winter semester, full-time students paid $4.26 each to the Canadian Federation of Students and $10.29 to the Agora Bookstore. Undergraduate students each paid $92.27 to the SFUO for the Fall 2014 semester.

The SFUO supports the referendum.

“We’ve had a good relationship with it as a club. Our collaborations have gone very well,” said president Anne-Marie Roy. The two organizations collaborated over 101 Week. Over the past five years, an average of 15 to 20 ambulances were called during 101 Week. This year, only three were needed.

Student response teams have been a fixture on Canadian campuses since 1982.

The U of O is “an exception to the rule,” said Roy. The referendum is scheduled for Oct. 29–30.

the CFS intends to bring education and outreach about the upcoming federal election to campuses across Canada.

The group wants to have a student-centred question brought to one of the televised leaders’ debates, and McCormick said they have “the very ambitious goal of increasing voter turnout.”

Roy hopes to make use of her time at the CFS to increase visibility of national campaigns.

Joining Roy on next year’s CFS national executive are Bilan Arte, who is now the deputy chairperson, and former president of the Kings’ Student Union at the University of King’s College, Anna Dubinski, who will take over the vacant treasurer position immediately and resume the role in the coming year.

BRIEF

Canada grants citizenship to activist Malala Yousafzai

Photo: Torbjørn Kjosvold, CC

Recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai is also one of Canada’s newest citizens. The 17-year-old education rights activist visited the capital Oct. 22 to receive honorary Canadian citizenship.

Since 2009, Yousafzai has opposed the Taliban rule in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.

On Oct. 9, 2012, she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for speaking out against the ban on girls attending school.

She recovered from the shooting in a British hospital. Since then, Yousafzai has ramped up her activism, travelling around the world.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 10, 2014, alongside Indian rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.

“I was very pleased to congratulate Malala Yousafzai who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on children’s rights,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an official statement.

Harper met Yousafzai when both were in New York for the United Nations summit in September 2013. Soon after, he vowed that Yousafzai would receive honorary citizenship.

Yousafzai had already been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of King’s College in Halifax, N.S. Yousafzai is only the sixth person in Canadian history to receive honorary citizenship. Other recipients include Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

—Spencer Murdock

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SFUO to pilot general assembly next month

Revolutionary Student Movement to call for student strike

GAs are popular in Quebec, like this one at Mcgill University.

Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor

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The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) first general assembly (GA) is slated for Nov. 17, after a year of campaigning.

GAs now act as the highest decision-making body of the SFUO. Discussion and voting at the GA will be based on student-submitted motions. To have their motion discussed, students must organize a petition with 100 signatures and submit it to the SFUO office in the University Centre by 4 p.m. on Oct. 30.

“It will be a very open discussion,” said SFUO president Anne-Marie Roy. “Any issues students want to talk about will be heard.”

The GA effort was introduced by the Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM), then known as the Marxist Student Association, and was backed by the SFUO. It saw two referendums before it was passed; the first referendum held last October failed to meet quorum, while the second held in February saw the motion pass with 69 per cent of voters in favour, and 9.1 per cent of the overall student body casting a ballot.

For a motion to be successful, one per cent of the undergraduate population—400 students—must be present.

The SFUO has been meeting with the RSM during the process of setting up the GA. “It’s a way of getting support,” said Roy, “and I hope to see other student groups come to us in the coming weeks for discussion.” “(GAs) are an important step toward a more democratic and politically active campus,” said

Photo: Robert Smith,courtesy of The McGill Daily

The motion passed with 69 per cent of voters in favour, and 9.1 per cent of the overall student body casting a ballot.

RSM chairperson Alex Lépine.

“We can be more democratic, more militant, and ready to challenge the administration on important issues.”

GAs have a strong tradition on Quebec campuses, and the University of Toronto and Ryerson University are a couple of Ontario schools that have implemented them.

Alex Boettger of the Board of Administration (BOA) led the formalized campaign against the GA last year.

“It’ll be hard to mobilize students and there aren’t that many spaces that can accommodate these students,” he said in a previous edition of the Fulcrum, adding that 400 people still does not adequate-

ly represent the student population of the U of O. “The best way to be represented at a General Assembly is to show up,” said Roy. “The SFUO will not prevent anyone from participating.”

Cost and space availability were other issues during the campaign, as there is no building on campus large enough to house 400 students.

“Space is an issue,” said Roy, adding that options offcampus were carefully considered. “We want students to be able to actually attend, so it should be close.”

The first GA is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 17 at the Shaw Centre (formerly the Ottawa Convention Centre).

RSM petitions for STUDENT STRIKE The Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM) will call for a student strike at the first general assembly to address the cost of tuition and a code of conduct proposed by the university administration that “will hurt students,” according to RSM chairperson Alex Lépine.

The RSM hopes to initiate a one-day strike in the near future “to build up the culture of militant action,” said Lépine.

Unlike a formal strike initiated by a union, the student strike is not binding. Students who choose to attend class would not be “crossing the picket line,” said Lépine.

However, she conceded that the motion would not be suc-

cessful without the majority of students.

“We imagine it looking a lot like it works in Quebec,” said Lépine, “and it may be the case that only certain faculties go on strike.”

Student strikes have been called several times in Quebec since the Quiet Revolution in the late 1960s, with the most recent having taken place in 2012.

Dubbed the “Maple Spring,” the strike was called in protest of the provincial government’s proposed 82 per cent hike in tuition fees.

The strike lasted from February to September 2012 and drew international attention.

—Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi

NEWS | 7

New app aims to restore doubters’ faith in Tinder

More options means more matches, says creator Diyyinah Jamora CONTRIBUTOR

A University of Ottawa grad has developed a new app that gives more options to users of today’s hottest matchmaker.

Tools for Tinder allows more flexibility for Tinder users such as choosing locations, searching results, mass liking, and viewing multiple profiles at the same time.

Users can also view previous results and save favourite profiles.

Mike Cowen, the CEO of iCM Dev, Inc., began toying with the idea of added features to Tinder while on vacation with friends in May. Upon his return he began developing the app and released it in the Apple App Store on July 22.

“How would you feel about swiping right just to everyone in the area automatically, instead of taking the hours it would take to swipe right on 10,000 people?” he said.

First launched in 2011,

8 | NEWS

Tinder was originally piloted on university campuses and boasts millions of users. In Canada, the app is most popular in Ottawa.

On average there are about 1,500 people using it daily within a 10-kilometre radius of the university, according to Cowen.

On average 1,500 people use Tools for Tinder daily in and around the university, according to Cowen He said one of the most popular features of Tools for Tinder is the ability to change location settings. If you go on vacation, for example, the app allows you to line up dates ahead of time. The app also lets you automatically like all the results in your area.

“One of our users emailed in to tell me he was on a flight flying from Los Angeles to New York that was equipped with Internet access,” said Cowen. “They turned on the automatic mode and by the time they had landed they did over 1.3 million likes.”

Several students from the U of O have tested the app.

“The app is great. It makes it much easier to mass match with a bunch of people instead of constantly swiping left or right,” said Karyssa Nielsen, a second-year student in classical studies.

“Much more practical for people who are constantly busy and don’t have the time to be swiping.”

“The setting location feature is nice and it’s cool that I can search for people and keywords,” said second-year communications student Shanel Dear. However, Dear said she liked the original app better.

Some users are crediting the app for a renewed faith in Tinder, said Cowen.

“We’ve been getting a lot of

feedback from people saying thanks for making Tinder fun again,” he said. “People say they didn’t get matches before and that’s why they stopped using Tinder.”

Cowen graduated from the U of O in 2008 with a degree in computer science and marketing, which he says gave him the skills to create and market the app.

“It gave me my programming background, and I learned a lot about marketing as well while I was in school, and that’s really helped drive social media interaction and helped gain (the app’s) popularity so far,” he said.

The app is free to download in the Apple App Store with the option of paying up to $2.99 for additional features, such as removing ads. The app also recently launched for Android in the Google Play Store.

Photo: Rémi Yuan

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National News

UNB student union website hacked by ISIS supporters Sam Laidman, Sean McCullum, Emma McPhee Canadian University Press

FREDERICTON (CUP)—The University of New Brunswick Student Union (UNBSU) website is back online after it was overtaken by an organization supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) for a short time Oct. 13.

The website was one of hun-

dreds around the world that appeared to have been targeted by a group called Team System DZ since Oct. 4. For several hours the UNBSU website fea-

tured the organization’s name, the words “i love you isis,” and anti-American rhetoric. It was restored to an earlier form by 10:30 p.m. that night.

UNBSU vice-president external Nicole Saulnier said the union was in contact with Fredericton police, who are investigating.

“We are very concerned and upset about what has happened

to do with the hack, said officials with the website provider.

The website provider is Informative Computer Solutions, a company based in Saint John, N.B. One of their servers was compromised by a group called Team System DZ, affecting between four and six websites.

Jon Quinn, director of public relations at Informative Computer Solutions, said the server

to our website and we will be doing our best to rectify this situation as soon as possible,” she said.

wasn’t targeted specifically. On the Team System DZ Facebook page, which has since been

websites they’d hacked.

“The list was thousands long so this wasn’t targeting against UNB or the student union or Canada,” Quinn said.

“They scan through the different sites and say, ‘This one’s using this plug-in, this platform, or this software. We know how to compromise that so we’re going to target the site.’ It has nothing to do with UNB in particular.”

One post on the page references “server Israelian sql injection.” An SQL injection seeks to add a command into a website’s code to gather hidden information like passwords and in some cases can overwrite the existing code.

Below that, in a separate post, is a link to a file hosting and sharing website with a link for KompoZer, a website design tool.

Below the title on the UNBSU website was an Arabic phrase that roughly translates to, “God’s law is in progress. The Islamic nation is coming and god’s law will be applied. You have been warned.”

The website then featured

Neither the student union nor the university had anything

taken down, the organization posted a list of at least 100 other

a scrolling-text-box, that in part read: “This time is a time

which takes place at venues across Ontario.

The OUF is a crucial recruitment opportunity for Ryerson and is the site of many young people’s first interaction with the school.

“I just find the advertising and

the way that I feel they really exploit young women just completely antithetical,” Smith said.

“I find it particularly ironic that at the university fair, here I am talking to the same demographic of young women who I feel are being exploited by American Apparel while wearing an American Apparel T-shirt.”

Ryerson sources its merchandise from a number of manufacturers, and the Campus Store makes most of those buying decisions.

Campus Store manager Kelly Abraham said in an email that the office of undergraduate admissions and recruitment bought the American Apparel T-shirts on special order, specifically for the OUF. Smith said she reached out to Soeun Outh, manager of student recruitment, and that Outh took responsibility for placing the order with American Apparel.

Outh did not respond to the Ryersonian’s requests for comment.

Marisa Modeski, assistant director of student recruit-

ment, said their office was given options and that they considered cost, design, fabric, manufacturing, location, and past feedback.

American Apparel supplied the T-shirts for last year’s OUF, and Smith expressed her displeasure then as well.

“The message I got back last year was, ‘Thanks very much for your input and we’ll consider it,’” she said.

Smith took a different approach this year, getting her colleagues to email Outh if they shared her concerns over Ryerson doing business with American Apparel.

This time around, “All I heard from Soeun was that they took the concerns seriously and would explore other options,” Smith said in an email.

“To me it just seems so obvious that this is a company that has chosen to brand itself using this kind of exploitive misogynistic advertising, so why on Earth would we attach our name to it, much less give them money.”

of Islam and victory and lift the injustice for Muslims and the elimination of America and the allies of the infidels…”

Quinn said only one file on the server was compromised, so it was a simple fix.

The UNBSU website went back online about two hours after the hack was first noticed.

“The people who defaced the website also did the same thing to a number of other websites across the continent,” said union president Greg Bailey.

“It was a case of someone taking advantage of whatever web pages were vulnerable at the time, not a target attack against us specifically.”

Ryerson faculty members want university to end business with American Apparel Sidney Hannah Cohen The Ryersonian

TORONTO (CUP) — At least 18 faculty members are calling on Ryerson University to stop sourcing Ryerson-branded clothing from American Apparel because of what they call the company’s sexist advertising.

In the email that started it all, Joyce Smith, an associate professor in the journalism department, said its advertising “ranges from tasteless to semipornographic.”

Emails have been circulating since Sept. 27, rallying the support of faculty universitywide to pressure the administration to stop buying clothing from American Apparel for Ryerson branding.

Faculty representatives were asked to wear American Apparel T-shirts emblazoned with Ryerson’s logo at September’s Ontario Universities Fair (OUF) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Prospective students and their parents turn out in droves for this annual event,

thefulcrum.ca

Photo courtesy of wikimedia commons

NEWS | 9

ARTS &CULTURE

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

Sewing communities together

Local boutique pushes an eco-friendly approach to fashion Menrika Christian and Jessica Eritou

A

Contributor and Arts & Culture Editor

university-affiliated sewing program wants to keep the environment hanging by more than just a thread.

The EcoEquitable fashion boutique is affiliated with the University of Ottawa’s Enactus program, which brings students together to promote sustainability initiatives as well as producing business-related experience for every participant involved.

The boutique, created this past March, began as a charity in 2002— a sewing co-op for immigrants arriving to Canada. It was established to help women learn sewing skills (though everyone is welcome) as they enter the Canadian workforce.

It also helps new Canadians sew together socially,

creating a community sharing their experiences in a safe and comfortable environment.

The on-site boutique sells merchandise such as recycled fabrics, bags, scarves, clothes, and purses. The purpose is to teach people how to be more environmentallyconscientious and to Green garments are a win-win. make recycling more fashionable.

Anyone’s welcome to volunteer. EcoEquitable coordinator Lola Ahmed started off as a student and gradually worked her way up. “It’s a winwin situation to gain experience,” she says.

Ahmed says her prized possession from the boutique is a Totem bag made out of recycled

promotional banners, truck tarpaulins, seat belts, and the inner tube of a bicycle tire.

EcoEquitable encourages the public to be more aware of the environment and help to improve our carbon footprint. The organization reinforces the idea that Photo edits: Marta Kierkus the environment does not belong to one sole individual but the whole community.

Enactus fills out the business side of EcoEquitable boutique, providing marketing and social media, which helps out the company and gives members hands-on business experience.

Enactus member Daryo Cummins says Eco-

Band photo courtesy of The Royal Streets

Getting the royal treatment

One-time U of O music student’s band The Royal Streets hit it big Jessica Eritou

Arts & Culture Editor It’s not always easy telling your folks you want to take time off of school to pursue your dream. For Eric Stirtzinger, he followed his passion and it paid off.

Stirtzinger is the guitarist and backup vocalist of The Royal Streets, and studied music at the University of Ottawa from 2011 to 2013. As a student he wrote and played music in his free time, performing at open mic nights and coffee houses. At the end of every semester, his friend Algernon Friolet, from Kitchener-Waterloo, would say they should start a band together. “‘Eric, drop out of school and come play music with me. It’s going to be sweet and going to be way more fun than school,’ he would say,” Stirtzinger recalls, “I would always laugh it off.”

Friolet kept it up by sending him music to study while Stirtzinger was back in Ottawa. The two eventually met up with their childhood friend

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

Michael Demsey to form a band and record some songs.

In time, they added more members, while Stirtzinger communicated from afar.

“They would send me links to all these new songs from Dropbox and tell me what kind of shows they had,” he says. The band released some demos over the Christmas break last year.

While he was back in his hometown over the summer and had an incredibly successful tour across Canada, Stirtzinger knew what he had to do.

He decided to leave in third year to pursue his dreams of playing music full-time with his friends.

“Finally I had to approach my parents diplomatically and tell them I’m not going back to school to finish my last year right away.

I want to do this,” he says. His parents, both musicians themselves, were supportive and understanding.

Much like the qualms of working with family in a professional setting, Stirtzinger knows how to handle the catch-22 scenario

of working alongside childhood friends—it can result in some of the worst fights..

“We have fought over the stupidest things, so you know the best ways to approach someone to talk about something,” he explains. “You know them so it’s good because there’s no fear of them being like, ‘Fuck you, you’re not in the band anymore,’ and having all these hatred feelings. There’s a mutual respect and comradeship with all of us.”

The band released its first full-length album Kings & Queen this past March. Stirtzinger says that due to the overabundance of streaming websites like SoundCloud and YouTube, it’s best to tour as much as possible and have listeners see their name in as many cities as possible. It’s crucial to show people how much you love and appreciate the craft of making music, he says.

But it’s also due to social media that they got to play at one of Canada’s most coveted musical festivals this year: Osheaga in Montreal.

Molson Canadian held an online contest and with the help from fans using Twitter hashtags and Facebook mentions, The Royal Streets won the opportunity to play their set at the prestigious summer festival this past July.

“It was so cool to see and to get that much support,” says Stirtzinger. “We were hanging backstage with the Sam Roberts Band, July Talk, and Foster the People. It was just so cool seeing our name and people we grew up listening to all the time. It was wicked.”

The Royal Streets on Oct. 18

Equitable not only helps the environment, but society as a whole.

“It’s a cool initiative that empowers students to empower marginalized immigrant women in order for them to find their footing,” says Cummins. “It’s neat to see because we as students are pretty fortunate, and are even more fortunate when we get to share with others.”

Students will benefit from the entrepreneurial experience and also help bolster the Canadian economy, he says. As more and more businesses go green, it’s become more of an expectation to be eco-friendly, especially with student-run startups.

“Eco-friendly businesses are definitely the way to go,” says Cummins. “It’s 2014 and we are starting to realize that we can’t keep hurting Earth, because it’s ultimately hurting us more in the end.”

Royal rock at the Rainbow In front of a packed audience, The Royal Streets invigorated the tired crowd at the Rainbow Bistro on Oct. 18 with their catchy chords, seamless harmonies, and boundless energy.

The Streets’ blends of acoustic folk and electric rock is intriguing enough, but what’s fantastically obvious are the mesmerizing vocal talents of lead signers Algernon Friolet and Jillian Dowding, that make the band shine. The two singers’ vocal styles could not be more different, with Friolet’s cautious precision countering Dowding’s luxurious rasp. Yet coupled together, and as sharp as they both were Saturday night, the result is near flawless harmonization and a very unique sound.

The crowd seemed to be blown away. If you’ve never heard of this local band, Google them immediately. Unlike Bono from U2 says, these Streets do have a name.

—Jesse Colautti

Photo by Jesse Colautti

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Writers Festival free for students this fall U of O partnership recognizes value in getting students involved Chloee Detchou Contributor

Reading enthusiasts take note. It’s that time of year again for those of us who love to read for fun, not just for our grades.

After demand from students, the University of Ottawa has partnered up with the Ottawa International Writers Festival this fall to offer students free admission to all events and workshops.

For more than a decade, the festival has been celebrating writing and literature by bringing authors and audiences together to share experiences and ideas.

“The University of Ottawa has decided to encourage students to attend the festival,” says art director Sean Wilson.

“It sees the value of having university students participate in the cultural activities of the city. It’s also the first time in many years that we have French-language programming.”

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Wilson is responsible for selecting the local and international authors who will present at the festival. “It’s really just about finding the best mix we can of writers and different topics to have a comprehensive festival and to include every type of writer that we can,” he says.

If you aren’t an English major, it doesn’t mean you’ll have nothing to gain. Whether you study political science, engineering, or something else, the festival will have something to offer for some extracurricular learning.

Justin Trudeau’s sold-out event, Common Ground, will look at how political figures go about writing a memoir.

History and international affairs students may want to attend Nick Gray’s discussion of his book Escape from Tibet, on the escape for freedom, and challenges of the Chinese repression.

The idea is to create an environment in which readers and writers alike are engaged and

encouraged to participate in a conversation similar to upperyear university classes.

Wilson says he’s most excited for students to attend an event called Riveted. Jim Davies, an author and a professor at Western University, will lead a discussion on the underlying reasons why we are fascinated by and fixated upon certain things. Understanding what captivates us is, according to Wilson, fundamentally useful in all areas of study.

Rachel Fernandes, vicepresident of literary and publications of the Undergraduate English Students’ Association, says the festival offers a lot of opportunity for students to broaden their minds.

“They have a lot of international programming,” she says.

“There are poets from Australia, various places. I think it’s really cool because it opens up and gives students the opportunity to see something and learn about a different culture.

“It’s exciting because students will be able to come and

Photo: Marta Kierkus

see the author in person … and see them in action. They can ask questions and interact with them,” says Fernandes, adding that the interactive element is a welcome break from the one-way lecture style common at school. It’s a great way to see different approaches to writing, she says, which can help a student broach a style or genre they

haven’t attempted yet.

A series of master classes will include Patrick Lane, David Bergen, and Chris Turner who will speak about poetry, fiction, and writing for social change. This year’s festival has also paid special attention to science and technology.

American behavioural neuroscience professor and author Daniel Levitin has been invit-

ed to discuss how technology affects our lives, and how to manage information overload in an age of data.

“Whatever you are interested in, you get an author as well as an audience who are sharing the same interests as you,” says Wilson. “People continuing the conversation long after the festival is over is our biggest indicator of success.”

ARTS & CULTURE | 11

Jasmine Van schouwen STAFF Contribut or

Why it’s famous: A landmark counter-culture movie, Easy Rider captures the essence of a seemingly long-lost era.

Telling the story of two bikers exploring the American southwest, this movie transports the viewer into a time most of us try to capture without much authenticity. Many of us will admit to naively buying vintage records and using the 1977 filter on Instagram, and yet have no real truth of what that era was like except hearing excerpts from our parents.

Famous lines: George Hanson:They are not scared of you. They are scared of what you represent to ‘em.

Billy: Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.

GH: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.

GH: I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace.

Why you haven’t seen it: You saw the poster, you watched the preview, and you came to the conclusion that it looked like a lame trip down memory lane for your baby boomer parents.

Why it might be tough to get through : Easy Rider hits you with the double-whammy of a slow pace and little to no storyline, which keeps you scratching your head thinking, where could this possibly be going? For a movie where most scenes involve riding, it doesn’t really go the distance in terms of storytelling.

Why you should see it anyway: This isn’t a flick to throw on when you’re tired and want to chill out. It’s a movie that has to be experienced. The point is not so much to keep you on the edge of your seat with excitement, it’s about bringing you into the whole mentality of a different place and time. The film achieves this through beautiful cinematography, flawless performances, and delightfully light dialogue,

counterbalanced by heavy underlying themes. It remains a very profound social commentary that at any given point might strike a chord somewhere inside your cold, institutionalized, modern heart. So sit back, grab a beer, weave some macrame, and enjoy the ride, man.

Fun Facts: • Peter Fonda wore the Captain America jacket and rode his chopper a week around Los Angeles before shooting to give them a broken-in look and to get used to riding the radically designed bike.

• It was one of the first films to make extensive use of previously released musical tracks rather than a specially written film score. This is common with films now but was quite unusual at the time.

Most of the movies mentioned in Movies You Should Have Seen are available for loan at the Morisset Library!

Pints with Ponyboy Jesse Colautti Features Editor

Baltika 7

Where to find it: Moscow Tea Room I’ve never been able to say I’ve had St. Petersburg’s best of anything, so it was with great excitement that I tried my first Russian beer at the stylish Moscow Tea Room.

The Baltika 7 is a pilsner that’s richer than most, with hints of vanilla amidst its pale malt flavour. But even at its relatively higher alcohol by volume percentage of 5.4, it still manages to deliver the light taste that’s expected of pilsners.

Think of finding this beer in Ottawa as

the Russians’ answer to the 1972 Summit Series loss to the Canadian hockey team: This beer embarrasses our more lauded domestic pilsners, such as Labatt or Steam Whistle, right on our home turf.

Going to the Moscow Tea Room to order a beer may be like asking for poutine at a fourstar Michelin restaurant—this place is clearly better known for its wide selection of vodkas, but the smooth flavour and clean finish of Baltika 7 is well worth the social stigma.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Want us to review your favourite beer? Tweet @PonyboyColautti

12 | ARTS & CULTURE

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ALBUM Review Laura Molinaro Contributor

It seems odd to call Crush Songs the debut solo record from exuberant front-woman Karen O. She has a prolific body of work outside the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and this album has lived online nearly in its entirety under the Native Korean Rock moniker for at least six years now. Only last month did this collection see its official release on Julian Casablancas’ label Cult Records.

That being said, this is not a case of reworking old material, but rather the opening of a time capsule stuffed with crumpled love notes.

Crush Songs is a skeletal album, as frank of a reflection on love as the title implies. As she promises on “Visits,” the words come out slow.

Most of the album’s tracks end by the twominute mark and fittingly, the lyrics are only a few lines long. That the simplistic repetition manages to be evocative is a testament to the craftsmanship at hand. It features a simplicity quite readily matched in production style, or a lack thereof.

After all, these songs are hardly removed from their demo form. It would be easy enough to polish this album and churn out a few radio ballads on strongly melodic tracks like the dark waltz “Beast” and the triumphant “Day Go By.” But to digitize this collection of songs would taint the nostalgic, relic-from-the-past treatment that really lends to the emotional

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Karen O

Crush Songs | City Records weight of the record. Though the raw nature of these songs contains a certain magic, many tracks are left feeling underdeveloped. “Comes the Night,” “Other Side,” and “So Far” fall prey to this half-bakedness, and make the middle of the album sag.

Lead single “Rapt” succeeds as a tip-off to listeners about what to expect from Crush Songs on the whole. The point-blank bluntness exercised in the pre-chorus: “Love is soft, love’s a fucking bitch” might as well be this album’s thesis.

Every squeak, missed noted, count-in, and drift-off shyly makes their way into the mix.

For an album so full of love, as O confesses that her “heart was never interested in lasting,” one has to wonder if that isn’t a bit of a lie.

ARTS & CULTURE | 13

When I woke up at 6 a.m. on Oct. 4 to join the legions of the undead, I wasn’t expecting much of a turnout.

Outside of the fact that the second annual Zombie Run for Humanity was held in the middle of nowhere (alright, it was only in Nepean), the weather that morning was cold, wet, and entirely miserable. I figured most people would rather stay alive in their beds.

But when I arrived to get my zombie makeup done, I was far from alone. In fact, there were at least 30 people already there, anxiously waiting for some blood and guts.

The excitement circulating around the makeup tent was infectious, and the bad weather was as bothersome to these zombies as it would be to real ones (that is, not very).

The event ended up raising around $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity, and afterwards, when all the infected had lumbered their way through the five-kilometre obstacle course, the 300 or so participants walked away with a thoroughly memorable experience and no lingering effects.

As I walked to the bus stop in full zombie attire to make my way home, I couldn’t help but think to myself: How has our appetite for all things undead become so great that people are now willing to sacrifice their Saturday morning to re-enact the coming apocalypse?

A cultural pandemic Over the last five to 10 years, community events like this one have become commonplace all over the world.

Organized zombie walks originated worldwide in Toronto and Vancouver in the mid-2000s, but they quickly spread across the globe, becoming yearly re-occurring events in places like Stockholm, Rio de Janeiro, and Sydney. They regularly attract growing numbers of participants of varying ages and backgrounds, all united under the common goal of shambling through major urban areas looking like a corpse.

The popularity of these events has also given rise to even more undead shenanigans, such as zombie car washes, zombie fashion shows, and even zombie-themed weddings.

The surging popularity of these cultural events can certainly be attributed to the meteoric rise of zombies in mainstream fiction. Recently, these decaying monsters have come to dominate movies, television, video games, and even literature.

The most glaring example is AMC’s The Walking Dead television series, based on Robert Kirkman’s best-selling graphic novels, whose recent season five premier garnered 17.3 million viewers, making it the highest-rated show in cable television history.

On the less gruesome side of the pop culture spectrum, kid-friendly mobile games like Plants vs. Zombies also dominate the marketplace. When this free-to-play tower defence franchise released a sequel in August 2013, it became the most successful mobile games launch of all time, reaching 16 million downloads in just five days.

In a seemingly unlikely success story, zombie culture is steadily spreading throughout our collective zeitgeist.

There must be certain factors that make the living dead so appealing to so many different people.

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Kyle Darbyson | Opinions Editor

hod behind the madness

ticipants I talked to at the Zombie Run for Hud their own ideas of how zombies have reached this of popularity and why people bother to dress up ng corpses in public. like Jessica Marie-Jamer, an early childhood emphasized the social aspect of these kinds of aying that they are a great way to “make some new iends.” believe the subculture’s overlying appeal lies in d escapist quality, a position taken by Jonathan part-time Carleton student who came to the sed as a zombified Thor. a lot of people who like zombie stuff really like f, ‘Oh, I wish the world would end for like a day so ry it out,' and I think this (event) is a little bit of that.” re are those who just like to take these opportunleash their darker side, as is the case with Kirsten , a financial worker for the city who was sporting a e undead nurse getup. screamed more than I thought. Turns out I e scaring people.” sor Sean Moreland, who teaches horror fiction niversity of Ottawa, has his own theories about es appeal to our apparently sick, depraved hus. the things that I think makes zombies fascinatthe point-of-view of cultural criticism, is that eally capacious as a kind of metaphor, as a way of to a wide range of human experiences that are erwise very difficult to address and to articu-

cursory glance at the history of zombie cinema his expression of diverse cultural fears and For example, in the 1932 film White Zombie , Bela ars as an evil voodoo master who brainwashes an tian plantation into doing his bidding. Not only is considered the first feature-length zombie film, striking meditation on the poisonous legacy of nd colonialism in the 20th century world.

A. Romero often used zombies for the purvert social commentary in his renowned series r films. In Dawn of the Dead (1978) the director his shambling, mall-dwelling undead as a subverque of uncontrolled American consumerism in ld War Two America. ays, directors have portrayed zombies that can breakneck speeds, such as those that populate ke 28 Days Later (2002), Zombieland (2009), d War Z (2013). These creatures spread fast and controllably, tapping into our contemporary rounding the spread of infectious diseases. Such especially apparent today, as the rapid spread of virus has driven many into panic. le all these films draw on fantasy, there is evit suggests such extreme manifestations of our nxieties might be more possible than you’d think.

Getting down with the sickness If you were to turn on the news or casually flip through a science textbook, you would see that zombie-like behaviour is all too real.

The mind-controlling parasites found in video games like Resident Evil 4 may seem like ludicrous flights of fancy, but these kinds of organisms already exist in nature. Species of parasites like cordyceps attack the brain directly, influencing the actions of various insects—often driving them to their deaths. Although the influence of parasites on humans isn’t nearly as severe (not yet, anyway), the implications are still unsettling.

Dr. Earl Brown, an expert in virology and immunology, explains how parasites like toxoplasmosis can find a home in felines, meaning that cat owners all over the world are susceptible to its influence.

“One out of three people have toxo sitting on their brain, idling away, and those people are greater risk takers, the girls are more promiscuous, the guys have more car accidents, etc.”

If that’s not something you'd consider gruesome zombie behaviour (because, well, it isn't), consider the involuntary and often violent actions of people who suffer from the late stages of an infectious disease.

Afflictions like Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (the human variant of mad cow disease) and rabies have been known to reduce normal, healthy people into a twitching mess of spastic delirium, so much so that they can often turn violent.

“When you’re infected enough to be killed, a lot of weird things happen to you and your body shuts down. One of the features is delirium,” said Dr. Brown. “There are stories about human rabies patients trying to bite their doctors, trying to attack them.”

People’s concern about "real-life" zombie activity has not been ignored by organizations like the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. Back in 2011, the CDC even released official health policy documents that were meant to educate the public on "zombie preparedness." The campaign was mostly done in jest, but its very existence demonstrates how people’s interest in zombie fiction is crossing over with their concerns for public health.

A false face' With all this collective fear and anxiety lingering in our minds, you’d think there wouldn’t be so many people willing to attend a fun event like a zombie run.

I mean, the girl I was paired with along the course was beyond excited when the first heat of the race started, giddy at the idea of chasing after some runners with fake blood dripping down her chin.

Moreland believes these events act as a sort of coping mechanism.

“All the best horror fiction has always worked by speaking to and addressing actual anxieties, whether they are individual or cultural, but also distancing them to some degree, sort of fetishizing them, creating a false face that we can think about, that we can imagine, that displaces the actual danger, the actual source of anxiety."

Coping with fear through high concept fiction and inclusive cultural movements is as good a method as any for coming to terms with reality. It gives us a sense of control and security in a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic.

While the idea of shambling corpses and unstoppable infectious diseases may seem terrifying, community events like the Zombie Run for Humanity give us a chance to take a step back, take a deep breath, and laugh at the grotesqueries on display.

It also makes it a bit of an ordeal to catch a bus home covered in blood.

SPORTS

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

Keeping up with the Lumsdens A look at life for a former football great and his Olympian son

Simon Gollish and Spencer Murdock

O

Contributor and Staff Reporter

f the many names that have been associated with the 1975 Gee-Gees football team, one stands out above the rest. Without a 169-yard performance by running back Neil Lumsden, it’s possible that the Vanier Cup may have never made its way to Ottawa that special season.

Niel Lumsden would add the Ted Morris trophy for most valuable player at the Vanier Cup to his resumé as he went on to represent the GeeGees in the CFL. Over a 10-year career, Lumsden won three Grey Cups with the Edmonton Eskimos and became the first former Gee-Gee to be named Most Valuable Canadian at the Grey Cup. He also had success in the front office, winning another Grey Cup as general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Now, he’s an assistant coach with the Guelph Gryphons football team.

This year, Lumsden’s lifetime worth of football accomplishments was recognized at the highest level with his induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Although there’s no doubt that Neil contributed enormously to Canadian football, he admits he had no expectation of being a hall of famer With his days of professional athletics are behind him, he’s since been able to live vicariously through his son, Jesse.

Jesse Lumsden followed in his father’s footsteps

as a running back in university, though he didn’t don the garnet and grey, opting instead to play for McMaster. In 2004, he was awarded the Hec Crighton Trophy—the award for most outstanding CIS football player, the Canadian equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, This led to a career of bouncing between practice squad stints in the NFL and more serious playing time in the CFL. After injuries became too much to handle in football, Jesse decided to make the jump to

a sport most will never try: bobsledding. He joined Team Canada and eventually worked his way up to competing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and at Sochi earlier this year.

The hallmark of the Lumsdens’ outlook on sports and life is the focus on family and pride.

Despite an impressive career, both as a player and a manager, Neil admits that his greatest football memory is Jesse’s first CFL touchdown.

According to the Lumsdens, family is at the

Neil and Jesse with each other throughout the years.

Photos courtesy of the Lumsdens

heart of any successful athlete. There’s no separating football and family.

While in Edmonton, Neil explained that the team was a family affair. Players brought their kids to practice and everyone knew everyone else’s family well. For Jesse, having his family’s support during competition has been very important. The fact that they could be present in Whistler during the Vancouver Olympics made it unlike any other experience, he says.

“When I first got the email asking if I wanted to come try, my dad said, ‘Why not, it’s going to be a great opportunity’,” says Jesse Lumsden.

Both father and son comment on how important it was to have a team around them; to be supported by an organization not only helps, but is crucial to an athlete’s success, they say.

For Neil, his 1975 Vanier Cup-winning GeeGees team and his three-time Grey Cup-winning Edmonton Eskimos squad had this value at heart, and was a large reason for all their victories.

“They protect you, and they want to take care of you,” says Jesse.

The importance place on having a strong team is also a key reason why both men are so supportive of varsity programs. The experience of being part of a team is not only rewarding in the moment, but those experiences can also be “cornerstones” going forward in life, says Neil.

“I don’t need to win anymore,” he says. “I just want to create a situation so that (the players) can experience what I experienced.”

Women’s rugby moves to finals with perfect record Gee-Gees will host conference gold medal match for the first time Sarah Nolette

“I’m so proud of the girls. We were set back and said to ourselves, ‘Do we want it or not?’ and we turned it on.”

—Danielle Erdelyi

Gee-Gees women’s rugby moving forward to the finals

16 | SPORTS

Sports editor

A big 38-20 win against the McGill Marlets on Oct. 18 leads the Gee-Gees women’s rugby team to the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) finals with a perfect 7-0 season record.

It’s crazy to think that just last year this team squeezed into the top 10 only for a few weeks of the season. Now, the sixth-ranked squad will host the RSEQ finals for the first time ever.

Overall, the team has become a well-balanced unit on offence and has an incredibly strong defence.

Unlike the Gees’ 10-5 win against McGill earlier this seaPhoto: Marta Kierkus

son, the team came out with much more force in the semifinals.

With three straight penalty goals from fullback Irene Patrious and a try from scrum-half Erin Van Gulik, the garnet and grey captured a 16-0 lead early in the half.

But the Marlets wouldn’t let up. Top centre Caroline Suchorski ran straight through Ottawa’s defence, only being blocked right before the goal line. The Marlets soon made it past the line, and added a penalty kick, making the score 1613 before the half.

“We were on our heels, and we had stopped moving forward,” said head coach Jennifer Boyd. “I’m really happy with our group defence, other

than our lack of focus for about 10 minutes.”

Ottawa regained that focus and continued their resilient defence, keeping McGill off the boards for the majority of the second half. With tries from both fly half Natalie Palmer and prop Danielle Erdelyi, the Gees were able to pull out a solid win.

“It’s a team effort,” said Erdelyi. “You get in good positions as a team and you can’t do it alone. I’m so proud of the girls. We were set back and said to ourselves, ‘Do we want it or not?’ and we turned it on.”

The exciting gold medal game against the 10th-ranked Concordia Stingers will be Saturday, Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m. at Matt Anthony Field.

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Let us watch our athletes Gee-Gees are focused for playoffs OUA.tv does more buffering than bolstering Women’s soccer finishes regular

season with near-perfect 15-1 record Tima Hacini

STAFF CONTRIBUTOR

Photo: Rémi Yuan

Spencer Murdock STAFF REPORTER

I sat and stared at a laptop screen that may as well have been blank.

I was taking part in a frivolous effort to watch more than five consecutive seconds of the GeeGees football game against Windsor. I knew it wasn’t my Internet connection causing any problems, so it had to be the website. A new program introduced by the higher-ups at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference this year, OUA.tv is supposed to be the one place you can go to see a live stream of almost every OUA sporting event.

It is, but really, it isn’t.

It’s undoubtedly a novel idea, but a flawed execution leaves the user with a less than fulfilling experience. Having some form of free streaming service is better than not having any at all, but there is no real reason the product should be subpar.

Prior to the 2013 university football season, Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) reached a six-year deal with Rogers to nationally broadcast multiple CIS events. One of the specific focuses would be the newly launched Sportsnet 360 channel, becoming the hub of OUA sports.

There would be a place for the entire country to see what Ontario’s best athletes have to offer on a national level.

All the biggest games of the year are right there throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Sportsnet’s cameras were there to catch the return of the Panda Game, and even GeeGees basketball star Johnny Berhanemeskel’s Wilson Cup-winning shot over Carleton. But as for coverage this year, there has been none.

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Just before the start of this school year, Rogers announced they had terminated their deal to carry OUA regular season football and the Wilson Cup playoffs. Many see Rogers’ $5.2-billion acquisition of NHL rights as the reason for the drop, simply meaning they cared more about Saturdays being dedicated to hockey than anything else.

More than 12,000 people witnessed this year’s Panda Game in person. It will most likely be the highest attendance of any OUA game this year, yet it was nowhere to be found on television.

Comparatively speaking, ESPN, the largest sports broadcaster in the United States, has a 15-year deal worth $3.6 billion with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which only contains three more universities than the OUA. Understandably, the profile of college athletics in the U.S. is miles above that of Canada.

But to think that Sportsnet or TSN, the latter of which recently expanded its service to five channels, can’t afford to help raise the exposure of collegiate athletics in Canada doesn’t quite add up. The two networks are owned by Rogers and Bell respectively, the country’s biggest and wealthiest media providers. Would it be so hard to broadcast even just a few games per year?

Nationally televised college football games in the U.S. put teams on the map and have massive implications on the revenue and exposure of the schools. In Ontario we could have something to be proud of, but instead we are subjected to nearly unwatchable broadcasts on a website that can barely handle the traffic.

It’s fiscally understandable that not every game can be on television, but a streaming service would be best served to complement TV broadcasts—not replace them.

With the last four games of the season played in only nine days, the Gee-Gees women’s soccer team has shown they can hold onto a winning streak.

With 15 consecutive wins, the women’s soccer team finished the regular season at 15-1, securing the number one spot in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division standings and second place overall in the country.

“We’ve secured the first place and that was the goal,” said head coach Steve Johnson.

The team allowed goals in only six games, giving goalie Cynthia LeBlanc an impressive 10 shutouts throughout the season.

On Oct. 11, the Gees played cross-town rivals the Carleton Ravens, winning with an im-

ber two OUA East University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks, winning 4-0.

This was an important game, since the Ridgebacks are the reason for the Gees’ closebut-not-quite-perfect record, having been beaten by them in Gees season opener.

The next day, the Gees closed out the regular season with a 2-1 win against the Trent Excaliburs.

Despite the cold wind and rain during the last four games, the team tacked on more strong showings for a total of 67 goals in 16 games, an average of four goals a game.

Khoury led the scoring with 14 goals. She was the first player to reach 10 goals in the OUA

East during the Ravens game on Oct. 11. Following Khoury was Franki with 10.

We’ve seen disciplined players and strong support from the team this season.

“We’ve had good support all over the field,” said coach Johnson. “Perhaps this is the best that we’ve had from our bench coming in supporting the starting players.”

The team’s electrifying entrance into the playoffs is far removed from last year’s results, and the players are revved up to be there.

“We are very pumped,” said Khoury. “Last year we missed out on OUAs and nationals, so this year we’re really focused on playoffs.”

peccable score of 5-0.

The first two goals came four minutes in, each off corner kicks scored by forwards Pilar Khoury and Sophie Curtis. Khoury added to the scoreboard with another point for the Gee-Gees, ending the first period with 3-0. Sheniz Eryuzlu added the final two goals.

Four days later, the GeeGees took a trip to Kingston to defeat the Queen’s Gaels 3-0.

Khoury scored two unassisted goals, while midfield Julia Franki scored one.

Back on home turf on Oct. 18, they played the now numPilar Khoury destroying competition

Photo: Marta Kierkus

SPORTS | 17

18 | SPORTS

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The volleyball team’s energizer bunny Sarah Nolette Sports Editor

Meet Gee-Gees volleyball left side hitter Kaly Soro. This second-year health sciences student is passionate about her team and eating any type of chocolate. Soro is a great threat as she improved her smashing and serving skills during the off-season. You don’t want to be on the other side of the net when she’s on the court.

“If I had a lot of spare time, I’d probably take a dance class. But I do like to sleep and watch movies.” —Kaly Soro

Kaly Soro Kaly Soro digging the ball up.

Photo: Marta Kierkus

The Fulcrum: When did you start playing volleyball, and what made you want to play for the GeeGees?

Kaly Soro: I started playing volleyball in Grade 10 at De La Salle High School in Ottawa.

In my last year of high school, Lionel (Woods, head coach) had offered me a spot on the team and the reason I committed was because I had really

Men’s basketball Jack Donohue Tournament Montpetit gym — OCT. 24-26

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liked the Gee-Gee philosophy and family-type feeling that I had felt on my visit with the girls and the coaching staff. Also, the girls on the team are very passionate and physical players so I felt it was a good match for me.

What have you personally improved on from last year that you bring to the team this year?

I have improved on my offensive game quite a bit.

I’m a lot more confident and comfortable with hitting more difficult shots and playing more intelligently in the front row.

What is your favourite meal before a game?

I really like to have oatmeal and yogurt the morning of a game, and then right before the game I’ll eat some fruit.

Do you have a pre-game ritual?

Yes, before I play I like to throw down some dance moves to some oldschool music to get me pumped up for the game.

Are you a candy or chocolate person?

I will eat all types of chocolate at any time of the day.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

If I had a lot of spare time, I’d probably take a dance class. But I do like to sleep and watch movies when I do have some down time.

What is your favorite movie of all time and why do you love it?

I’d probably have to say it’s between Lord of the Rings and Dirty Dancing. I love Lord of the Rings be-

cause it’s just an amazing trilogy, and Dirty Dancing because of the dancing and the soundtrack of the movie.

What do you want to do after you graduate?

At the moment, I’m not too sure what I want to do … but an idea would be to work for Health Canada or something in that field.

What are your volleyball goals for yourself and the team?

My personal goal this year is to be more consistent in my serve receive and to dig more balls in defence. The team goal for this year would be to find a common mental aggressiveness from all players that will help us finish first in the OUA and place us top four in the nation.

Loss to Windsor makes playoffs a maybe Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter

Coming into the final weeks of the regular season, the Gees football team was in a position to lock down a playoff spot and potentially get an easier matchup in the first round.

But their playoff outlook got much cloudier after taking a 39-29 loss to the Windsor Lancers on Oct. 10, their first loss in three games.

The Gee-Gees are currently sitting with a 4-3 record. And, although they fell behind early in the fourth quarter against Windsor, their quarterback Derek Wendel led his team into the end zone twice to bring the game closer in score.

If anything, the game was a testament to the team’s “never

give up” attitude. Setting aside the small mistakes early in the match, they could have easily come away with a win. Having a short practice week and making the longest trip of any matchup in the conference also didn’t do them any favours.

In the last week of the season, the Gees have their toughest matchup yet: the undefeated McMaster Marauders, ranked third in the country.

Luckily, McMaster just came from a tough fight with Laurier where they were only able to put up 27 points for a win.

The Gee-Gees have a week off, giving them extra time to prepare to face the Marauders at Gee-Gees Field on Saturday, Oct. 25.

After a wild weekend in the OUA, the playoff picture is fuzzier than ever.

Guelph stunned Western to knock them out of second seed; this should mean Western will get the third playoff seed. Carleton edged out a win against Windsor, putting them in a three-way tie for fifth place with the Gee-Gees and Laurier.

This weekend, Laurier will play a stronger Guelph team and it’s unlikely they’ll come away with a win. Carleton will play a beaten down but still fighting Queen’s team at home; if they win, they’ll get the fifth seed in the playoffs over the Gees. In the case the Gee-Gees win against McMaster, the playoffs would be a guarantee, but with a loss, it will be the end of a season for the garnet and grey.

It’s all very confusing at the moment. But after Saturday, things will be much clearer.

SPORTS | 19

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Kyle Darbyson

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Racial segregation is not the right way to preserve native culture Well-intentioned or not, Mohawk council’s anti-miscegenation law is troubling Janoah Victoria Willsie Contributor

I

The best environment for the preservation of a culture is an inclusive, understanding community. But lately, Kahnawake hasn’t been living up to that standard.

n the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, a native reserve located just outside of Montreal, the band council is flexing some muscle on a long-standing moratorium: “If you marry out, you stay out.” Nonnatives are prohibited from living in Kahnawake, which means any Mohawk that marries a nonnative is required to leave the reserve as well.

While the band council is deploying this moratorium to conserve their fading native culture, there is no escaping the fact that they are actively promoting racial segregation policies in the 21st century.

This law has been in place since 1981 and the council has decided to selectively enforce it over the last couple of years, having already issued 26 eviction notices to non-natives in early 2010.

The subject was opened again this summer when a native woman in the community was forced to halt construction of her family home because of her non-native husband.

The band council believes this is a necessary measure in order to preserve the Mohawk lineage, language, and culture. Rhonda Bush, a resident in the Kahnawake community, explains that “white people can live wherever they want. This [land] is for us.” Others are upset that non-natives living on the reserve are able to take advantage of privileges the Mohawk are

Photo: Rémi Yuan

entitled to, such as tax exemptions.

In a world where native language and culture is quickly disappearing, the intent behind this law is understandable. However, it is a seriously flawed method of preserving a culture, especially since this law is asking community members to choose between their partner and their native heritage.

This dilemma is currently facing Tom Deerhouse, a former resident of Kahnawake, who left the community when he married his nonnative wife Tammy Harris-Deerhouse. Although he followed the law, he wishes he could

still live on the reserve. He says the law causes “fear and division” within the community.

It’s hard to foster a safe and inclusive community when approximately 100 of its residents (who identify as non-native) could face eviction at any time. The best environment for the preservation of a culture is an inclusive, understanding community. But lately, Kahnawake hasn’t been living up to that standard.

Cheryl Diabo lives in the community with her non-native partner. Although she’s aware of the moratorium, she still tried to find a compromise. Her partner signed a legal document in

the presence of a Mohawk witness, stating that he respects and understands Mohawk culture and traditions. Her partner also conceded that he does not claim any rights to the land they live on, which has been in the Diabo family for generations. Even though this is a good way to integrate a non-native partner into the community, the band council still decided to include Diabo on their eviction list.

Furthermore, because of her choice of partner, Diabo has also been subject to intimidation techniques and harassment from the members of the community. Her house has been egged, and one day she came home to a sign on her front lawn saying “My name is Cheryl and I live with a WHITE MAN.” This type of intimidation is not conducive to a good community environment.

The preservation of a culture is a noble and crucial goal, but this moratorium for racial segregation is not the way to achieve it. Rather than dividing the community and condoning vandalism and intimidation techniques, the Mohawk band council should focus on finding a more inclusive way of dealing with the struggle to maintain their culture.

Residents like Diabo have already demonstrated a good way of ensuring that their non-native residents respect their native traditions. If the band council could use Diabo’s actions as a model, they’d be stepping in the right direction towards a more inclusive Mohawk community.

‘O Canada’: a politically incorrect tribute to false history MP’s proposed changes to national anthem should only be the beginning Declan Ingham Contributor

Recently, Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger introduced a Private Member’s Bill (PMB) to change our national anthem’s lyrics from “In all thy sons command” to “In all of us command.” The idea behind this change is to make ‘O Canada’ more gender neutral. While this is a step in the right direction, Bélanger’s proposed changes only target one of the many issues with our archaic national anthem.

Some critics of the proposed bill, including a fellow Fulcrum contributor earlier this month, have argued that the national anthem is a part of Canadian history, which means that its lyrics should not be subject to any kind of change or revision.

While the anthem is surely a historical document written in a far-gone age, it is still

20 | OPINIONS

full of historical errors and outdated cultural messages— errors that run the risk of misinforming new citizens and impressionable Canadian schoolchildren about this great country.

First, let’s tackle the line that started this whole debate: the lyric “True patriot love in all thy sons command” was indeed written into the anthem in 1914 to honour the Canadian men who faced death and brutality on the battlefields of the First World War. No one should diminish the sacrifices that were made by these brave men, but to ignore the contributions made by women during the war is just plain wrong.

Thousands of women gave millions of hours of unpaid labour, worked in industrial plants for six days a week (with working days that consisted of 10 to 12 hours), and

were subject to nation wide rationing so the soldiers at the front would have it easier.

More than 3,000 women also served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps at the home front and overseas. Forty-six of them gave their lives and 328 were decorated by King George V. Patriotism is not solely a male trait and our anthem shouldn’t treat it that way either.

Furthermore, our current anthem tells us that Canada is “our home and native land.”

However, while the natives of this country do live here, our anthem was certainly not exclusively referring to First Nations populations. It may be a home for many, but for 95.7 per cent of the population, it’s a stretch to call it a “native” land.

Finally, “God keep our land glorious and free” is a ridiculous request when it is suggested to someone who does

not believe in God. A secular person should not be asked to respectfully request assistance from a deity, especially as a citizen of a country that supposedly separates church and state.

This isn’t a rewriting of history, since we’re not absolving ourselves of the shameful attitudes of the past. Political correctness isn’t about historical revisionism—it’s about affirming that we are striving for more inclusivity in the future.

‘O Canada’ is not just a historical artifact. It is a piece of our cultural identity and it shouldn’t just represent a small minority of the population, especially when it misrepresents Canadians who identify as women, First Nations, or secular.

One of the pillars of Canadian identity is our tolerance.

Shouldn’t our national anthem represent the same?

Photo: Jared Grove CC, Edits: Marta Kierkus

One of the pillars of Canadian identity is our tolerance.

Shouldn’t our national anthem represent the same?

thefulcrum.ca

HECKLES No, I do not use only 10 per cent of my brain!

Nooria Rizvi Contributor

It’s still a commonly held belief amongst many people that human beings only use 10 per cent of their brains.

This myth has been perpetuated by modern movies like Limitless and Lucy, which depict characters as having superhuman abilities because of their amazing capacity to use more than 10 per cent of their brain function.

This is total nonsense. Human beings use their brains to their full potential all the time. Yes, that’s a complete 100 per cent.

Brain imaging scans show that even when we carry out simple tasks like walking, speaking, and listening to music, almost all regions of the brain are active. Nerve cells in occipital, parietal, and frontal lobes are all active at some point in these acts.

If the 10 per cent myth was true, then victims of brain

Philosophical Sh*t

Due to influences from the media and antiquated science, a large portion of the population still believes in this ridiculous myth. trauma and strokes would experience minimal to no damage. In fact, under normal circumstances, damaging even a small portion of the brain can result in severe consequences.

There’s no region of the brain that can be damaged without affecting the way the body functions, because the brain is basically in control of almost all our activities—including cognitive function and the ability to feel emotion.

Also, in terms of evolution, our brains would not have evolved to be so big and complex if we used such small portions of them. If we have only been using 10 per cent of our brains since the dawn of time, we would never have been able to climb our way to the top of the food chain.

So, besides misinformed blockbuster movies, how has this myth managed to masquerade as scientific fact for so long? Research suggests it may be the result of a misinterpretation of neurological research during the 19th and 20th centuries.

For example, glial cells in the brain are 10 to 50 times more numerous than neurons. It was originally thought that they do not communicate with each other, thus leading to this “10 per cent brain” belief.

Even William James, considered to be one of the leading thinkers of the late 19th century, fell victim to this idea, writing in his book, The Energies of Men, that “we are making use of only a small

part of our mental and physical resources.” Furthermore, in the 1970s, psychologist and educator Georgi Lozanov preached the teaching method of suggestopedia, which re-enforced the idea that we may be using only five to 10 per cent of our brains.

Due to influences from the media and antiquated science, a large portion of the population still believes in this ridiculous myth. Moreover, some people believe that by simply transcending this 10 per cent threshold they will be able to learn kung fu and telekinesis, just like in the movies.

Get a grip people. You should be grateful that your fully functioning brain allows you to walk and chew gum at the same time.

What bet ter defines our personality: nature or nurture?

Maxime Le Contributor

Is our identity determined by nature or by nurture?

Some might gravitate towards our biological and genetic features (nature) as being the determining factor, but I’d argue that the influence of social environments and role models (nurture) plays a much bigger role in shaping who we are.

Not convinced? Well, let me tell you an analogical story.

Try to imagine that a piece of Play-Doh is representative of our brains and, more specifically, our personalities. When we’re young, our personalities are like fresh balls of Play-Doh right out of the box—soft and malleable.

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Let’s pretend for a minute that every one of our role models (our parents, siblings, and others) and every social environment we grew up in (like being an only child, or being born into a welloff family) are the hands of an omnipresent kid. Those nurturing factors would do as the child’s hands would: play, roll, pierce, pinch, form, and shape the Play-Doh ball.

The ball, just like our personalities, would keep changing and developing into a final product until the ball of PlayDoh lost its freshness and hardened, eventually forming a rock-solid form that is incredibly difficult to reshape.

That final form is the mind and personality of a mature

adult that has been shaped by following certain guidelines and morals. If the child grows up admiring his hard-working parents and participating in the various clubs in which they enrolled him, it will more than likely transform him into a polite and wellrounded person.

That is just an example of the many, and quite possibly infinite, combinations of nurturing factors that could have an influence on personality.

So yes, I believe nurture has a bigger influence on our personalities. Because nature just makes us something physical—a man, a woman, big, small, short, tall—but nurture is what makes us unique under the surface.

OPINIONS | 21

Student sets sights on 'offensive selfie’ world record Distasteful photos to be taken all over the globe

ove Miriam Sasl

Tomato Contributor

A University of Ottawa student is attempting to break the world record for taking the greatest number of offensive selfies in the shortest amount of time.

Eric Burgess, a third-year communication and political science student, will take on the challenge starting Nov. 1 with a goal of 50 inappropriate selfies over a 25-day period.

Nicolette Joubert of Marseille, France currently holds the record. In September 2013, she travelled to five continents and successfully took 47 distasteful pictures of herself within a span of 31 days. Included in this collection were pictures of her sporting a duck face pose while visiting the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. and the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland.

Joubert’s repertoire also consists of selfies taken closer to home, where she holds up deuces against an urn containing her late grandmother’s ashes and a homeless man sleeping on the street in downtown Paris.

When the Tomato reached out to her for comment on the emergence of this new potential record holder, all Joubert had to say was to wish him “good luck.”

“My ultimate goal is to get a picture with an Ebola victim. All I need is a hazmat suit.”

—Eric Burgess, prospective offensive selfie world record holder

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and ABC News. Edit: Marta Kierkus

In an exclusive interview, Burgess revealed his motivation for trying to beat the record.

“I heard about Nicolette’s plan on the news and was inspired,” he said. “I knew it would be a huge undertaking, but I want to be able to say I hold a world record. I mean,

talk about a resumé booster.”

As for how he plans to fund this international trip, Burgess informed the Tomato that he has the finances covered.

“A few months ago I set up a gofundme account, and the support has been over-

whelming. I guess people really love seeing duck face framed against a backdrop of human tragedy. Plus, I’ve got about $1,700 saved from OSAP loans, which is sweet.”

Burgess also intends to get creative with his selfies.

“A lot has happened since Nicolette set the record last year. My ultimate goal is to get a picture with an Ebola victim. All I need is a hazmat suit.”

Chris Hackman, a spokesperson for the Guinness Book of World Records, explained the logistics of setting this record.

“Two of our representatives will travel with Mr. Burgess and watch him take his selfies.

They are responsible for evaluating whether the pictures he takes are indeed offensive,” Hackman said. “If a particular selfie is found to violate all boundaries of human decency, then it will be added to the official list.”

The local Apple Store has even decided to donate a brand new iPhone 6 to Burgess so that he can “take selfies of the highest quality,” according to store manager Ian Blakely.

“We are very proud to sponsor Eric and wish him the best on this journey. Hopefully with the new iPhone’s retooled burst selfie mode, this brave young man won’t miss a single moment of his journey of narcissistic self-discovery.”

Reading week discourtesy at an all-time high Students refuse to read responsibly during fall break Stephanie Piam onte Tomato Contributor Reading levels on campus reached a crisis point this past reading week, causing most University of Ottawa services to become overwhelmed.

“Everywhere I go on campus, I see students highlighting, underlining, dog-earing, and applying colour-coded sticky notes in text books. It’s an epidemic,” said English professor Dominic Burrell. “I wonder what students expect to get out of all that reading, anyway?”

The walk-in health clinic has been overflowing with casualties, primarily attributed to injuries caused by students reading without watching where they are going.

“We’ve had students walking into each other, walking into walls, falling down stairs. You name it and we’ve seen it,” said

22 | OPINIONS

nurse Jackie Chaplain. “Students need to remember that reading is a sedentary activity and should be conducted in a safe space, like a library.

“As well, students should take regular breaks from reading in order to avoid getting ‘texter’s thumb,’” she added. “‘Texter’s thumb’ is a repetitive stress injury that can occur when students hold a textbook upright for prolonged periods of time.”

Protection Services confirmed the number of students involved in reading activities has soared well above the recorded average.

“This reading week has been a security nightmare,” said campus security guard Avon Peterson.

“I’ve broken up at least 10 fights that started when students began comparing who had the latest textbook edition.”

The widespread chaos was not limited to the U of O campus. One

student wrote a letter to the Tomato complaining about poor behaviour on OC Transpo.

“It’s my personal nightmare come true,” wrote the student, who wished to remain anonymous.

“Whenever I take the 95 now, all I can hear are these people reading their textbooks aloud and laughing. I don’t care about your subjects, people. I’ve got my own reading to do, so keep it down.”

Even the Ottawa police are concerned about the increased reading levels. Dozens of students have been ticketed for “texting” while driving.

“We want to remind students that reading textbooks while driving is an illegal and unsafe practice,” said Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau in a statement to the press.

In addition to the possible health and legal ramifications of all this extraneous reading, coun-

sellors at the Student Academic Success Centre warn of additional unforeseen consequences.

“We’ve seen a lot of students coming in this week, emotionally distraught about trying to have a conversation with a friend who is pretending to listen, but who is actually checking their textbook’s index or glossary,” said Joselyn Bleeker, head of counselling ser-

vices. “Basic courtesy suggests that when you are having a conversation, you should close your textbook completely. Even consider putting it in your backpack to avoid temptation.”

Because of this widespread anarchy, the U of O is now considering skipping reading week in the winter semester in order to avoid similar problems.

Photo: Rémi Yuan

thefulcrum.ca

Fulcrum Magazine

Travel Issue NOVEMBER 6

See your photo on the cover of the Fulcrum Do you have a photo that expresses how travel can be a life-changing and important experience?

The top photo will be on the cover of the travel issue and you will win a gift card.

Photos will be judged on the basis of technical quality, creativity, and ability to inspire.

High-quality photos sent to features@thefulcrum.ca by Monday, Oct.27.

thefulcrum.ca

OPINIONS | 23

DISTRACTIONS

Dear Di,

During a hot hookup last week, I was being fingered when the guy I was hooking up with commented on how small my clit was. Isn’t that one of those things you simply don’t bring up? I definitely could have commented on his own size (or lack thereof) down under, but I didn’t say anything back to him. Anyway, we kept going but it ended up taking me a long time to orgasm. Do clits come in different sizes and is that going to make it harder for me to enjoy sex? Should I ask my doctor about it?

—Sizing Up the Love Button

Dear SUTLB,

Your clitoris is your business. And just like you said, a general intercourse courtesy to your partners is putting size aside. Actually, the clit is the feminine manifestation of the penis; during stimulation, it becomes engorged and is the main source of orgasm for many women.

Just like with men, there’s a great deal of variation down south. And just like your man’s member, the size of the clitoris does not relate to the pleasure you can experience from the big O. Some women will have a clitoris more than seven centimeters long, while other women’s clitorises will be mostly covered by tissue.

As you become more aroused, your clitoris may become larger, and the more area your clitoris has exposed, the greater the interaction and pleasure you will feel immediately. If yours is a little more “dressed up,” it could just take a little more experimentation to get the same effect.

As for your own sexual prowess, it sounds like you’re all ship-shape down there.

Your partner’s comment probably threw you for a bit of a loop, which is why it might have been harder to climax. Many women don’t even know where their clitoris is, making masturbation a tricky endeavour. A little self-exploration that experiments with different touches, strokes, pressures, and sensations will help you guide yourself—and your partner—to buried treasure.

Love, Di

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Dear Di,

I have been seeing this girl, and I took her home after dinner one night. She hadn’t ever been in a relationship or hooked up with many people before, so we started fooling around but taking it slow. She’s always been vocal about what she likes when we’ve made out and fooled around before. This time though, I started to go down on her and as we kept going, she started talking with a British accent—but I swear to god she’s Canadian born and raised.

I thought it was kind of kinky and it turned me on even though it was out of the blue. She didn’t mention it after we finished. Should I see if it happens again or can I casually mention it to her?

—Going Down to England

Dear GDE,

Who doesn’t love a gal with the gift of gab—and an accent? In general, we often find people with accents more attractive, and as a surprise in bed it can be fairly fantasy-provoking.

It’s hard to say exactly why she changes from a Canadian cutie to a British babe in bed. If she’s still getting used to her own sexuality, the adopted accent might be her way of feeling more comfortable and sexy in bed. It might also just be her way of expressing what she likes and how she likes it. Either way, vocal cues and noises can be the source of great sexual stimulation and I encourage you both to explore it. If you (and her) are interested in spicing it up between the sheets, it could lead to some fantastic role play scenes.

As long as you two are still seeing each other, I think the best time to mention it would be hot in the moment; if it turns you on, whisper in her ear that you like her talking in tongues. It’s like hitting that erogenous zone on your body: when something clicks, you want to encourage that same behaviour or action to put your pleasure on repeat. If you give her clues that you like the way she talks in bed, it will make her feel more comfortable than discussing it over a dinner or coffee date. Over time, she might explain her alter ego in bed. The main point is that if it gets you going, keep a good thing coming.

Love, Di

DISTRACTION Does our sex life relate to our appreciation for our body or how attractive we think we are? A new sexual research study here at the U of O is investigating the relationship between women’s body image and their sexuality. This study is open to all women 18 years of age or older, who are heterosexual, and have been in a relationship for a year or more.

Sign up online at socialsciences.uottawa.ca/hslab-labosh/eng/index.asp

24 | DISTRACTIONS

FEATURES EDITOR Jesse Colautti

Sex stats

Research suggests that lesbians orgasm 75% of the time, while straight shooting gals achieve climax 60% of the time.

thefulcrum.ca

OCt. 23 to Nov. 12 2014

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC

Thursday, Oct. 23

Wednesday, Oct. 29

Monday, Nov. 3

The Trews, Mavericks — 8 p.m.

The Evil Dead, Mayfair Theatre — 9 p.m.

Vance Joy, Algonquin College — 9:00 pm

Ottawa International Writers Festival begins

Tarantino Unchained, House of TARG — 9 p.m.

Bluegrass Mondays: Monroe Sisters, Pressed — 8:00 pm

Free with your student ID. For tickets go to writersfestival.org.

Jer’s Vision Fundraiser with a Tarantino themed atmosphere. Come dressed as your favourite Tarantino character. Cover is $5 at the door.

Wednesday, Nov. 5

Thursday, Oct. 30

Tickets on sale for $10 at UCU026 & UCU318.

Friday, Oct. 24

Joel Plaskett, Knox Sanctuary — 7 p.m.

Twin Forks, Mavericks — 9:00 pm

Made in Ottawa Thriller Double Bill, Mayfair Theatre — 6:30 p.m.

A Fistful of Dollars, Bytowne Cinema

Thursday, Nov. 6

uOttawa Zombie Day, Alumni Auditorium

David Marin, National Arts Centre — 7:30 pm

Inside Out Film Festival begins at Bytowne Cinema

Men’s basketball Jack Donohue Tournament vs. WPI, Montpetit gym — 6 p.m.

Scary Halloween Snacks — 5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 25

Robert Smith Conference (World Zombie Epidemic Specialist) — 5 p.m.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Bytowne Cinema — 9:20 pm

Men’s football vs. McMaster, Gee-Gees Field — 1 p.m.

Matt Mogk Conference (Founder of the Zombie Research Society) — 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 7

Women’s volleyball vs. McMaster, Montpetit Gym — 2 p.m.

Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mayfair Theatre — 10:30 p.m.

Royal Canoe and the Elwins, Mavericks — 8 p.m.

Women’s Hockey vs. McGill, uOttawa Minto Sports — 2 p.m.

STWO, Ritual Nightclub — 10 p.m.

Sports FUN Thinking

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Cheap tickets available for students through Live Rush.

The Supersuckers w/ The Red Rails, and In Heat, Mavericks — 8:00 pm

Rah Rah and Paper Lions, Zaphod Beeblebrox — 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 26

arts

Zombie Makeup — 11 a.m.

Alfa Rococo, TBT 112 — 8:00 pm

Monday, Oct. 27 The Exorcist, Mayfair Theatre — 7 p.m.

The Shining, Mayfair Theatre — 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 28 Storytelling show and workshop, UCU Agora — 2:30 p.m Free for students, part of uOttawa’s Publishing Festival.

Ottawa Haunted Tour — 3 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 31 Men’s & Women’s swimming meet, Montpetit Hall — 4 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s Basketball Home Openers vs. McMaster, Montpetit Hall — 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Pride begins playing at Bytowne Cinema

The Shape of a Girl begins a 3 day run at Avalon Studio.

The Making of the Room & Live Script Reading, Mayfair Theatre — 9:30 p.m.

$10 tickets available for students.

Followed by the Room at 11:30 p.m., widely considered to be the worst movie of all-time.

Monday, Nov. 1 Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show, Ottawa Convention Centre — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10

Doug Paisley, National Arts Centre — 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 2 Squash and Pumpkin Launch for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, 5740 Richmond Road — 10 a.m.

Fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, participants can launch pumpkins towards various targets from a giant slingshot. $5 per pumpkin or $20 for 5 pumpkins.

Saturday, Nov. 8 Men’s & Women’s Basketball vs. Brock, Montpetit Hall — 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Electric Pow Wow, Babylon Club — 10 p.m.

Julian Taylor Band and Farewell Davidson, Zaphod Beeblebrox — 9 p.m.

And Remember, You’re never to old to trick or treat!

DISTRACTIONS | 25

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, I would like to begin this letter by stating that I am a woman and a feminist. I believe in human rights, constitutional freedoms, and safe spaces—however, I believe that what is happening across Canadian university campuses is wrong.

I write this letter anonymously because I am involved in student politics, and I am scared of the repercussions of speaking out against what is happening. I am scared of what would be said about me, and the effects it could have on the association I belong to.

Earlier this month, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) released their annual report on the state of the freedom of speech on university campuses. Whether or not you agree with the methodology or intent of the index, the content is valid, and the results should be taken into consideration.

Across Canada, students’ unions have implemented their values into policies that directly affect students’ ability to form groups on campus. At the University of Toronto, the U of T Men’s Issues Awareness Society was told to pay for their own security for an event, costing them $964. At Ryerson, the students’ union denied certification to a student men’s issues group. The students’ unions of the University of Calgary, Lakehead, Trent, Memorial, and Guelph have all denied or decertified club status to pro-life groups on campus. The University of Manitoba’s students’ union removed official student group status of the Students Against Israeli Apartheid, because it discriminates against Zionists.

The University of Ottawa has landed itself near the bottom of the list again this year. The failed attempt at the Free Speech wall in February of 2013 illustrates what free expression is on this campus. The wall was covered by the Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM) with the saying “hate speech is not freedom of speech.” I agree with this statement, and I agree with the laws in Canada that differentiate between hate speech and the freedom of speech, but by taking over the wall, the RSMs denied that freedom.

Radical leftist student unions across Canada have decided to decide what is morally right and wrong, what is allows to be talked about, and who is allowed to assemble. If your values do not coincide with those of the students’ union, your ideas are not welcome.

While I appreciate and respect that student’s unions across Canada are trying to create safe spaces that help fight racism, sexism, and homophobia, they have overstepped. Students’ unions are now, in effect, silencing groups that have opposing opinions. Just because a group acknowledges that men have separate issues that they want to discuss at an event, it does not intrinsically mean that they are against women’s issues—and it definitely does not mean that it is hate speech. At the University of Ottawa, when professor Janice Fiamengo tried to speak about men’s issues, she was met with protestors who, in the end, prevented her from giving her full speech. By preventing men from speaking about their issues, you are, in effect, discriminating against a group of people based on sex, which defies the Convention of Rights and Freedoms in Canada.

It upsets me that all of this is happening on university campuses in Canada. I would like to think of universities as places where ideas can be explored and debated openly. Of course, speakers and events that revolve around hate should not be allowed, however, speakers and events that are controversial should not be banned based on the university or students’ union view that they are too controversial. Controversial topics can be debated, so all parties can speak their opinions and people can make up their own decisions, instead of controversial speakers being drowned out by fire alarms and horns.

It has become increasingly clear that this campus is not a space for all free speech. And I think that’s wrong.

Name witheld

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It’s time to get your feet wet (again) Last summer, millions of students (yourselves included) accomplished a rather exceptional challenge: the famous ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

What was it? Pouring a bucket of ice-cold water on your head in an effort to raise awareness on Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The result? More than 10 million dollars were raised for the ALS Society of Canada.

A campaign that rests on a rather simple yet eccentric approach: getting soaked in the name of charity.

Today, it is my turn to challenge you.

A challenge that is simple and has no costs.

A challenge that will benefit you AND your neighbours.

A challenge that only requires your involvement.

A challenge that does not require a camera or ice bucket.

A challenge that will only take a few minutes in your day.

A challenge that you can complete no matter where you live in Ottawa.

A challenge that you can accomplish by yourself. Or accompanied by friends.

A challenge that you can fulfill between 10 a.m and 8 p.m.

At a location near you.

Are you up to take on this challenge?

On Monday, Oct. 27, I am asking you to get your feet wet again.

This time, in the name of democracy.

On Oct. 27, #ivote in the Ottawa municipal elections. Will you?

Mathieu Fleury, candidate seeking re-election in Rideau-Vanier Ward.

Mathieu Fleury is the youngest city councillor elected in 2010.

Mathieu is a two-time graduate and proud uOttawa alumnus.

thefulcrum.ca

Volume 75, Issue 8, October 9, 2014 Debating fast or slow since 1942.

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

EDITORIAL Mid-semester roundup

staff Sabrina “Quisling” Nemis Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcum.ca Adam “Breather” Ashby Gibbard Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Adam “Feral” Feibel Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Marta “Eleven” Kierkus Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “Hottie” Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Jessica “Boot” Eritou Arts & Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Jesse “Cavalry” Colautti Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Sarah “Abomination” Nolette Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca

Spencer “Biter” Van Dyk Online Editor online@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “Crawler” Murdock Staff Reporter Remi “Ghoul” Yuan Staff Photographer Lindsay “Zed” MacMillan Associate News Editor Moussa “Meat Bag” Sangaré-Ponce Associate Online Editor Annalise “Dead Head” Mathers Associate Features Editor Savannah “Lurker” Awde Staff Proofreader

Deidre “Unconsecrated” Butters Ad Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca Andrew “Whisky Delta” Hawley General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors Contributors

Diyyinah “Zacks” Jamora Chloee “Mudo” Detchou Menrika “Necrotic” Christian Jasmine “Skel” van Schouwen Laura “Roamer” Molinaro Tima “Tin Can” Hacini Sarah “Swimmer” Bader Simon “Infected” Gollish Janoah “Zom” Willsie Declan “Shuffler” Ingham Maxime “Rotter” Le Nooria “Slackjaw” Rizvi Miriam “Lame Brain” Saslove Stephanie “Risen” Piamonte L. A. “Them” Bonte Brennan “Zeke” Bova

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We feel that our role is to report on what the SFUO are doing, and to be critical when we are concerned that they are not meeting the needs of the student body. We also want our contributors to be as accountable to our readers as we expect our student politicians to be accountable to campus, and so we insist on using real names in reporting, not pseudonyms.

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Cover art

thefulcrum.ca

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What the index brings up for discussion is the extent to which students feel repressed and unable to express themselves on campus. As the English-language press on campus, we have had students approach us wanting to cover stories or post comments on our website critical of the SFUO, but fearful of what the repercussions will be for the clubs and associations they are involved with if they do so.

Chantale “Stiff” Streeting Webmaster

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Questionable fashion choices

hile the methodology has been questioned, the conclusions are worth a second look. For the second year in a row, the University of Ottawa scored in the bottom 10 of the student unions and university administrations evaluated for freedom of speech by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

Kyle “Grunt” Darbyson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca

A) Moussa SANGARE-PONCE B) Student Rights Centre C) Marta KIERKUS D) Marta Kierkus

Looking at our Campus Freedom Index rating

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But we are concerned that students feel they will jeopardize funding and support from the SFUO if they report for us. We don’t expect student government to agree with all perspectives. However, we expect that students, especially students who want to get involved in various campus initiatives and activities, will have the freedom to be honest about their beliefs and use the critical thinking skills university is supposed to be teaching them.

olocaust chic should not be a thing. Period.

In August, clothing retailer Zara was selling a striped children’s shirt with a six-point star on the left side, reminiscent of the uniforms worn in World War Two concentration camps. In September, Urban Outfitters was selling a Kent State sweater with faux blood splatters in reference to the student protesters shot by the National Guard in 1970. This month, H&M was selling a jumpsuit modeled after uniforms worn by female Kurdish soldiers fighting against ISIS. Fashion can be artistic and that sometimes means making a bold statement.

Using tragedy and death as a style inspiration however, is taking things too far. Aside from being in the poorest of taste, it trivializes conflicts that deserve to be treated with respect and thoughtful discourse.

Retailers being willing to carry these products suggests that they believe there is a market for them. What does that say about us as consumers? Possibly that we’re so far removed from what’s happening in the rest of the world that we see the struggles of others as potential for fashion.

With Halloween coming, and the inevitable poor choices made by those who confuse cultural appropriation with appreciation, it might be in everyone’s best interest to hold off on turning political deaths into an edgy style statements.

There’s a significant difference between dressing up as the undead and making light of displaced and oppressed people.

Making group work worse than it already is

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e’ve all had to rely on the inefficient, the lazy, the useless, and the people who have never once shown up for a group meeting but are somehow going to share a grade with you. Group work sucks.

But York University MBA grad Stefano Cerone’s idea of rating other classmates as group work partners isn’t necessarily a good one.

Some aspects of group work are really difficult to evaluate fairly. Who decides objectively what the correct amount of effort is to put into a project? Some students are comfortable with getting Bs or Cs and will work to a lower standard than others may feel is necessary.

Interpersonal problems are also a source of conflict in group work and may have nothing to do with the actual assignment or anyone’s work ethic.

The biggest problem though, is the longevity of information on the Internet. Once someone’s name goes on the Internet as a poor group member, it’s there not just for other students to see, but for future employers as well.

Should the fact that you were a terrible group member one semester when you were 19 affect whether you are employable at 25? University is a time to develop a work ethic and make mistakes that you hopefully won’t replicate upon entering the workforce on a full-time basis. Posting full names on this website will only impede that process and defeat the purpose of an assignment you likely won’t even remember being a part of five years from now.

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