THE ARG OSY
NEWS Women’s rugby team, vicims of robbery (Pg. 2)
ARTS & CULTURE Culture days return!(Pg. 6)
Putting it off ‘til the next generation since 1872
OPINIONS New column: UK to MTA (Pg. 12)
CREATIVE “I always Dreamt About You” (Pg. 14)
Mount Allison’s Independent Student Newspaper
COVER: EMILY SHAW, CARVING SEASON, INK ON PAPER, 2019. October 3, 2019 Vol. 149, Iss. 4
02 NEWS
EDITOR: AMELIA MACDOUGALL FLEMING & EMMA CONRAD | OCTOBER 31. 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
CRIME
Break-in at the Commons
Students feeling unsafe after man entered apartments in broad daylight
THURSDAY, OCT. 31 Lunchtime Skate 12 to 1:30 p.m. Civic Centre Godspell 7:30 p.m. Motyer-Fancy Theatre
FRIDAY, NOV. 1 Craft Show & Dessert Cafe 11 a.m to 6:30 p.m. Sackville Curling Club Q&A with Bryn Blackwood 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Brunton Auditorium Strasbourg Information Session 4 to 5 p.m. Student Centre 125
SATURDAY, NOV. 2 Mount Allison Concussions 9 a.m. Marshlands Inn
Breakfast
Chat: STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SHARING SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE SUSPECT ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES. MARA IRETA GORDON /ARGOSY
EMMA CONRAD News Editor
Mock LSAT Exam 1 to 5 p.m. Mini Wu Visiting Artist Talk: Diane Borsato 4 to 5:30 p.m. Purdy Crawford 302
SUNDAY, NOV. 3 Music in Motion 3 to 5 p.m. Brunton Auditorium
MONDAY, NOV. 4 Visiting Artist Talk: Fernandes 4:30 to 7 p.m. Purdy Crawford 302
Brendan
TUESDAY, NOV. 5 Meeting of the Senate 4 to 5:30 Windsor Grand Hall Room MLA Community Meeting 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sackville Commons
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 Collegium Musicum 4 to 5 p.m.
On Oct. 22 a group of Mount Allison students reported a break-in at their apartment in the Commons, a block of student-exclusive townhouse apartments on King Street. The break-in took place around 10 a.m. Sarah Gordon, a student who was affected, said in a Facebook post that the suspect was last seen on the Commons’ security cameras wearing a grey hoodie and a black tuque and drives a black Hyundai Elantra. According to Gordon, the suspect drove up and began checking apartment doors to see if they were unlocked. “I know he got into ours and one other neighbour’s at least,” said Gordon. Amy Black, Gordon’s roommate, had an encounter with the intruder. “This man entered my unit, opened my bedroom door, said, ‘Sorry, wrong place,’ and left with my wallet,” Black said. “[Black] put her glasses on and tried to see where he went, but he was gone by the time she got upstairs,” added Gordon. The students reported that Black’s wallet was the only item that the intruder had taken from their unit. This is not the first time a break-in has occurred at the Commons. Last September, multiple items were stolen from a different group of Mt. A students. “Our robber(s) came through the back sliding door around 6 a.m.,” explained Hannah Jenkins, a Mt. A student who lived in the Commons last year. “We were all sleeping when we heard some commotion on
the main floor. They took the TV, a laptop, camera gear, a PS4, a jug of milk and 20 packs of ramen noodles.” Jenkins also said that her wallet was taken, similar to Black. “It was not a fun experience,” said Jenkins. “We got pieces of wood to [wedge] in the crease of the sliding door to make sure we were safe, because the lock was broken.” Mike Keech, the landlord of the Commons, responded to this. “The patio doors were not broken. A piece of wood was added to help keep the door shut as some individuals know how to ‘jimmy-rig’ them open when only one lock is used,” explained Keech. “The tenants did not have both locks in use on the patio door. Just the handle lock, not the bottom threshold lock which if locked probably would have deterred the thief or thieves.” Jenkins also said that the building’s security cameras were not working at the time of the robbery and that, although they hadn’t been working for a few months, none of the tenants were told. “[The cameras] wouldn’t have caught the robber because they came through the back door,” she said. “They could have been checked for ‘suspicious activity’ but they weren’t functioning and we were never told.” “We just didn’t have cameras on the back side of the building, where the intruder entered and exited through the patio door,” he said. “We since have added cameras all along the back to further strengthen our security of the property. Keep in mind most other landlords don’t even have security cameras on their properties.” Jenkins described how she and
her roommates called the RCMP, who came to take note of everything that was stolen and even had a forensic team do a sweep of the place. However, they never found out who was responsible for the break-in. “It’s a complete inconvenience and an invasion of my privacy,” said Black. “I encourage everyone to keep their doors locked and keep their valuables secured.” Some students said they feel unsafe living at the Commons. “Valuables can be replaced, but their sentiment
“IN MY NEW APARTMENT I CHECK THE DOOR TO MAKE SURE IT’S LOCKED THREE TO FOUR TIMES BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP”
and regaining our sense of safety won’t be as easy,” said Gordon. “In my new apartment I check the door to make sure it’s locked three to four times before going to sleep now,” said Jenkins. “The Commons are cursed.” “I would not say ‘The Commons are cursed.’ That’s a little harsh and untrue,” said Keech. “These buildings have been here for 14 years and this is only the third reported break and enter.” Gordon is relieved that nothing more serious happened. “It’s obviously horrendous that this person felt entitled to violate us and
steal, but we’re really glad no one was hurt. He felt confident enough to walk past all our security cameras and right down into people’s bedrooms,” she explained. “I think that’s what disgusts us the most, that he did it in broad daylight and didn’t stop despite being seen.” After the break-in, Gordon posted an image of the suspect on the security footage on her Facebook page, asking people to tell her or the RCMP if they see him. Since then, she said, “We’ve had multiple people give a positive ID, and we really want to say thank you to everyone that reached out over Facebook and Instagram so quickly.” “We have been taking the appropriate action and it is an ongoing investigation with the RCMP,” said Keech. “We are very confident the suspect will be caught and charged. The evidence has been passed over to the RCMP and the intruder entered units that didn’t have their doors locked.” “I’ve already wrestled regaining my faith in humanity after being burgled and trying to understand why people would be so malicious,” said Gordon, who has been robbed before while travelling. “We all feel pretty violated right now. We’re definitely going to be more diligent with locking our doors, even if everyone is home.” The intruder has not yet been caught or charged. “He seems to be targeting students, so please be diligent,” said Gordon.
NEWS
THE ARGOSY | WWW.SINCE1872.CA
SPORTS
Mounties end season with playoff spot
03
A recap of the regular season and what fans can look forward to during this year’s playoffs
COACH FRASER CREDITS THIS YEAR’S SUCCESS TO HARD WORK AND PREPAREDNESS ON PART OF THE MOUNTIES. PENGYI HUANG/ARGOSY
NATASHA GOSSELIN News Reporter The Mounties football team played their final game of the regular season against the Acadia Axemen last Saturday, Oct. 26 in Sackville. Despite a final score that may disappoint Mountie fans – 33-31 for Acadia – the Mounties have managed to clinch a playoff position for the first time since 2014. The last time Mt. A faced Acadia was in a pre-season game on Aug. 17, which the Mounties won. In the season that followed, Mt. A only managed to win one out of their five games, while Acadia won every game they played. Last weekend’s matchup
against undefeated Acadia presented a tough challenge. “We view [Acadia] the same as any other opponent. We need to focus on executing our plays and being composed and physical like we have been all season,” head coach Peter Fraser said ahead of the game. “We are definitely looking forward to the challenge.” Though Mt. A lost to Acadia, qualifying for a spot in the playoffs was still cause for excitement. “I think we will have a ton of momentum behind our team and the sky is the limit. I can’t wait to see what our players can do with that opportunity,” said Fraser. Mt. A will face Bishop’s University
in the semifinal game of the playoffs on Nov. 2. The playoffs will determine which team wins the Atlantic University Sport Football Conference, also known as the Loney Bowl. Third-year linebacker Graeme Stevens is looking forward to the playoff game against the Bishop’s University Gaiters. “The team is fired up. We played great against the number 5 team in the country and we know we can beat those guys,” said about their close game against Acadia. “We can’t start thinking about the Loney Bowl right now because Bishop’s is a great team and they’ll be ready for us. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got to beat them.” This will be Stevens’ first playoff round with the Mounties. Stevens has been an asset to the team’s success in the past few games. Stevens has a total of three interceptions for the season, and gained a 44-yard interception against Acadia along with the 90-yard interception by defensive back Matt Watson this past weekend. Multiple players have performed impressive plays this season, including several first-year players adjusting to the new team and surroundings. “The first-year players have bought into our team-first approach very well and
we have some very good first- and second-year players,” said Fraser. “We are a very young team and that should be very good for the program moving forward.” First-year defensive back Daniel Bell gained three total interceptions for the team prior to the Acadia matchup. He was also named the week nine Player of the Week along with kicker James Parker for the Mounties. “Defensive Player of the Week is definitely an accomplishment I’m honoured to get,” said Bell. “It means a great deal to me personally and shows some of the reward that hard work and determination can get you.” When asked about his adjustment to the team as a first-year player, Bell said, “[Being a first year] has been a crazy experience. I’ve met so many new friends, been in different environments and even met a new level of responsibility. The other first years and I have fit in great with the rest of the team and now it has become our second family.” Josh Hicks, a fifth-year receiver, set a new Atlantic University Sports football record for most receptions in a single game with 16. He also managed to tie the current record for most receiving yards with 300. Saturday’s matchup against Acadia
was also the annual game played in honour of Craig’s Cause, an awareness campaign for pancreatic cancer. Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society was established in 2006, following the passing of Craig Schurman Condon at age 63, eight weeks after his diagnosis. The Mounties partner with the campaign annually for a game in honour of the cause and feature apparel to be purchased to raise money, as well as purple tape for the players to raise awareness and pancreatic cancer towels for fans to be part of the movement. The organization has developed and grown into a large-scale education and awareness campaign across the country. “Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading type of cancer causing death in Canada,” said the announcer during the game, adding that World Pancreatic Cancer Day is Nov. 21, 2019. “Our team has worked very hard for this success we have been having and all the credit goes to our players’ work ethic and how well our assistant coaches prepare them,” said Fraser. “It’s been fun to be a part of such a high-character group of young men.” The Mounties will face the Gaiters at Bishop’s University in the playoff semifinals on Nov. 2.
COMMUNITY
Dr. Boudreau presents Mt.A’s strategic roadmap Two meetings discuss vision for the University’s future among faculty, students and staff
BOUDREAU PLANS TO IMPLEMENT WHAT HE LEARNED FROM HIS FIRST YEAR SPENT LISTENING TO THE NEEDS OF THE MT.A COMMUNITY. GILL HILL/ARGOSY
ZOE HUNTER News Reporter Last week, Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau held two strategic roadmap forums where he discussed the future of Mount Allison. The first forum, held in the library, was almost exclusively attended by professors. The second forum, in the Windsor Grand Room, had a larger turnout that included more students. Calling the event a “roadmap” was important to Boudreau. “It’s not a plan per se – language matters. I’m thinking more of a roadmap to evoke the concept that we are already there, we’re moving towards something,” he said. At the beginning of the conversations, Boudreau shared
the four pillars that he is currently focusing on: academic differentiation, student experience, bringing Mt. A into the 21st century and community mindedness. First, Boudreau spoke about the possibility of adding new programs. “It could be a brand-new program, it could be a whole new swathe of programs, or it could be the developing of new minors, new certificates, new diplomas,” said Boudreau. “If we’re going to develop new programs, they have to be sufficiently different from what were already offering,” said Dr. Joshua Kurek of the geography and environment department in response. “Several of the new programs that have been developed in recent years are very
similar to things that we already offer. We’re probably not attracting new students here.” Boudreau stressed that the goal of Mt. A is not to just create programs that will be able to fit one specific job. “Are we in the business of developing degrees just to meet these jobs? No,” he said. “Are we able to help create core competencies that might make you flexible and fluid for a wide range of jobs which frankly probably don’t exist yet? Yes.” Boudreau said it was important to create resilient employees: “We’re building resilient, 21st-century thinkers. I think that is the pathway of avoiding the rabbit hole of building a pathway to certain jobs.” Dr. Robbie Moser, the head of the philosophy department, added that it is important to make sure not to make specific programs for the labour market: “If you tie what the university does to the demands of the labour market, with time it seems like you might narrow yourself, but you don’t have to because there are certainly ways to create innovative creative thinkers that then go into the labour market.” Boudreau also mentioned plans to renovate the library. “It is a very important building on our campus. It’s the heartbeat of our campus,” he said. Boudreau wants to re-imagine it so that it can be used by everyone: “When I go to the library I want to see faculty, I want to see staff, I want to
see all of us working together.” Geography professor Dr. Michael Fox responded to this, saying, “This should be a community learning facility, everyone seems to agree with that. We’ve got three very old, tired schools and school libraries with volunteer librarians, we’ve got a town library with mould and asbestos, and we’ve got our own library. Why not bring all of these people together?” Lastly, Boudreau spoke about the community aspect of Mt. A. Boudreau mentioned wanting more collaboration with the town of Sackville. Fox agreed, saying, “We can’t have just an extraordinary student experience. We have to have an extraordinary community experience.” Fox believes that working with the town on projects would be beneficial for Mt. A: “We’re stronger together and I think we’re smarter together.”
“I don’t think we should talk about liberal education. We should talk about integrated education,” added retired French professor Alex Fancy. “Liberal suggests dispersion, whereas integrated suggests links, connections, pathways. I really think we should change the vocabulary and that might change the conversation.” Emma Chase, a first-year student attending the event, said that she liked that the ideas suggested, especially regarding updating the library. “I think that for such an awesome university, the library could be updated to fit the students’ needs.” Chase enjoyed the event and said, “It was interesting to get an insight about what the president and the profs were thinking.” “It is very important to have student opinions,” said Boudreau, who will be meeting the student council this Sunday to discuss ideas further.
CORRECTION to Oct. 17 story on Mt. A 3rd annual Powwow An Argosy story on Oct. 17 referred to student Kailey Trenholm as “a student of Cree descent” instead of correctly identifying her as “a Cree student.” The original phrasing was an unnecessary and harmful way of qualifying her identity. The Argosy regrets this error and apologizes on behalf of the editorial staff.
04
NEWS
OCTOBER 31, 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Mount Allison students nominated for Student Excellence Awards
Students gain life and work experience through internship programs in New Brunswick AMELIA MACDOUGALL FLEMING
News Editor
Mount Allison students Lisa Hanselmann, Arianna Woodley and Lou Douglas have been nominated for the FutureReadyNB Student Excellence Award, along with fellow student Raven Elwell for the FutureReady Wabanaki Student Excellence Award. FutureReady is a collaborative program that connects students to small business or not-for-profit employers in New Brunswick. Students are nominated for the award based on the quality of their contributions to their workplace. Twelve students have been nominated in total, coming from St. Thomas, University of New Brunswick, Université de Moncton and Mt. A. Lisa Hanselmann is a fourthyear honours psychology student who interned at the McGrath Boyd law firm as a legal researcher and technology assistant this summer. Hanselmann researched case law to help prepare lawyers for their upcoming cases. “I would have to go through all the New Brunswick and Canadian case law to find cases that related to our case so that we could use it in court,” explained Hanselmann. “I also did that for contracts and corporate law, a lot of different topics.” Hanselmann also helped her supervisor draft documents: “We did affidavits, divorce documents, wills and an appeal book.” “I’m trying to get into law school right now. Getting this hands-on experience was so beneficial… it also gave me a really nice reference for applications,” said Hanselmann. “I knew what law was based on TV shows, which isn’t a very accurate representation of law. Actually being able to sit in an office and see the types of cases you handle, the workload, learning about how you have to structure your arguments and how to write legally … being able to learn that before going to law school
gives me a bit of an edge and makes it less scary for next year,” she said. Arianna Woodley is a fourth-year aviation and geography student who interned this summer at Community Forests International (CFI) as an ecosystems intern. Woodley managed a crowdfunding campaign for CFI’s Plant for Pemba project.
“GETTING THIS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WAS SO BENEFICIAL… IT ALSO GAVE ME A REALLY NICE REFERENCE FOR APPLICATIONS” “There are things that I didn’t expect that I could do but I ended up doing them,” said Woodley. “For example, building a website. It challenged me and I like challenges. I did a crowdfunding campaign and I did not have experience in that. This was the first year that we made our goal, so that was rewarding.” Woodley also successfully promoted CFI’s film Kokota: The Islet of Hope. “Mainly I worked with the communications team, so I would follow up on different leads that they had with a film,” she explained. “I was promoting it across Europe as well as North America. It was shown at a couple conferences in Europe.” The internship at CFI boosted Woodley’s confidence entering the workforce. “It gave me something to look forward to,” she said. “It helped me reflect and understand that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I just need to fine-tune those small details and I can probably make a career out of it.” Lou Douglas is a fourth-year biology student who interned at the Atlantic Wildlife Institute (AWI) this summer. Douglas has been
volunteering at AWI since their first year at Mt. A, and worked there with a Student Employment Experience Development grant the previous summer. This summer, Douglas explained, “I supervised and taught the other students day-to-day workings. I made sure all of the animals got fed and cleaned.” Douglas also started a project creating an online database of all of AWI’s records. “All of that information could be more easily submitted to the government for endangered species lists, and also potentially as a database for research for people researching human effects on wildlife,” they said. Like the other nominees, Douglas remarked on how this internship prepared them for life after graduation. “I want to work for nonprofits. I want to make the world better in whatever small way I can. If I can do that through working with animals, I will do that. If I can do that by educating, I will do that,” said Douglas. “I have a lot of potential pathways right now and I am trying to figure out what I want to do, but working for a non-profit like AWI is my dream. This internship allowed me to experience that and see that this is something I can actually do. Learning to take a leadership role is valuable no matter what I’m going to do with my life.” Raven Elwell, a fourth-year environmental science student, was nominated for the FutureReady Wabanaki Student Excellence Award. This FutureReady award recognizes Indigenous students in New Brunswick who participated in an experiential learning opportunity this summer. “My internship was creating a couple of on-campus Indigenous gardens and also making the Indigenous plants we have on campus known, which was done by assigning signs to certain plants,” said Elwell in an email. “The experience was valuable because it’s part of my culture, and
DOUGLAS HAS BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT AWI SINCE THEIR FIRST YEAR AT MOUNT ALLISON, AND HAS WORKED THERE FOR TWO SEASONS. SUBMITTED/ARGOSY
INTERNING AT CFI INSPIRED WOODLEY TO MAJOR IN GEOGRAPHY IN ADDITION TO AVIATION. SUBMITTED/ARGOSY
HANSELMANN ‘S FAVOURITE PART OF HER INTERNSHIP WAS EXPLORING CASE LAW IN CANADA. SUBMITTED/ARGOSY being able to share my culture with the school and everyone who attends is a great way to start Indigenizing Mount Allison,” she said. The winners of the FutureReadyNB
Student Excellence Award and the FutureReady Wabanaki Student Excellence Award will be announced on Nov. 12 at the FutureReadyNB Gala in Moncton.
ELWELL HELPED CREATE THE THREE SISTERS GARDEN WHICH IS PLANTED NEAR THE SWEAT LODGE ON CAMPUS. SUBMITTED/ARGOSY
NEWS
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ENVIRONMENT
Climate talk covers disaster mitigation
05
Daimen Hardie and Natalia Moudrak discuss how to avoid costly impacts of climate change
LAURA SKINNER News Reporter “Humans have been on a roll these last few hundred years, that’s for sure,” said Daimen Hardie, co-founder and executive director of Community Forests International. “But I think crashing the Earth’s climate probably tops the list.” On Oct. 16, Natalia Moudrak, the director of climate resilience at the Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation, discussed the economic losses associated with climate-driven natural disasters and how nature can mitigate disaster. Hardie, the host of the event, spoke about how current problems caused by climate change can be solved. “Flood-related damages are explaining approximately 50 per cent of this trend line pointing upwards,” Moudrak said. “The elephant in the room when it comes to climate change in Canada is flooding.” Hardie then introduced the topic of climate change mitigation, noting that experts understand the problem but need to find a solution. Moudrak began by drawing a distinction between natural and engineered infrastructure. She mentioned end-of-pipe systems and using roads to divert water as examples of engineered infrastructure. “You may have a wetland with a component that allows you to draw water storage, so you can store it when there is a time of flooding and you can release it and use it in a time of drought,” she said of natural infrastructure. Dwayne Acton, Sackville’s town
engineer, talked about Waterfowl Park as a local example of this. “The retention pond was designed to store the water while the tide is in and deal with those one-in-100-year storms that we discussed today,” Acton said. “[And] it’s not just a hole in the ground to store water. My coworker Jamie Burke [senior manager of corporate projects] and I were adamant with biologists that it was a naturalized storm water retention pond.… [Waterfowl is] an engineered solution to our flooding problems as well as a natural asset that the town can enjoy for many years to come.” When talking about engineered infrastructure, Moudrak talked about the fact that Canada is one of the world’s leading countries in terms of developing guidelines for preventing costs associated with damages to that infrastructure caused by disasters like flooding. Moudrak told a story about two men who were trapped in an elevator as an example of where these guidelines might be useful: In 2018 a flash storm in Toronto flooded the basement of an office building. Two office workers were trapped in an elevator while trying to check on their cars in the underground parking lot. The elevator began to fill with water and the men had to stand on the handrails of the elevator in order to breathe before being rescued. “That situation could have been easily prevented if there was a sensor in the elevator pit that sensed water and would automatically return the elevator to the ground or second floor,” Moudrak said. Both Moudrak and Hardie agreed
WETLANDS ARE NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN PREVENT FLOOD DAMAGES. AUDE GAZZANO/ARGOSY that infrastructure plays a role in the mitigation of economic losses associated with climate-driven natural catastrophes. Moudrak also presented graphs that depicted economic losses associated with natural catastrophes. “The number of natural catastrophe events – such as floods, fires, droughts, hurricanes – around the world is going up as a function of time,” said Moudrak. “My point is that when talking about climate change some people think it’s an issue of the future, that
we have some luxury of time to wait and find some solutions,” said Moudrak. “The reality is that we’re seeing these extreme weather events driven by climate change already impacting the world today. They’re costing a lot of money.” Touching on what’s happening in Canada specifically, Moudrak presented a graph from the Insurance Bureau of Canada showing how many catastrophic events had occurred in Canada every year. For a weather event like a flood to be considered catastrophic it has to cause at least
$25 million of damage. “We have to reduce our emissions as quickly as possible. They’ve been climbing since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and we need them to spike downwards really quickly,” said Hardie. “We need to stop polluting the atmosphere and then at the same time we need our natural systems, our natural carbon sinks, forests and wetlands to really balance back to help because together they can pull carbon out of the atmosphere and bring it back down on Earth.”
FINANCE
Mount Allison’s 2019-20 financial plan discussed at town hall meeting
Meeting covers tuition, salary and enrolment projections for upcoming budget AMELIA MACDOUGALL FLEMING
News Editor
ENROLMENT WAS HIGH IN 2012-2013 WITH 2,500 STUDENTS AND HAS BEEN STEADILY DROPPING SINCE. BRE DARLISON/ARGOSY
On Oct. 17, two town hall meetings regarding the budget plan for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years were held. The town halls were open to the Mount Allison community and hosted by vice-president of finance and administration Robert Inglis and budget director Chris Milner. According to Inglis, the three main drivers of the University’s annual budget are salaries, government grants and tuition payments. Much of the meeting revolved around tuition and projections about the University budget in relation to tuition numbers. For the 2018-19 year, the University was working under an $809,000 deficit. The town hall discussed that enrolment has been substantially lower in recent years than in the past. According to Inglis, enrolment was high in 2012-13 with 2,500 students,
and has been dropping since, down to only 2,000 students in 2018-19. Inglis explained why this might be the case: “There are less human beings in New Brunswick and in the Maritimes in general, and we recruit people. You can’t recruit students from a high school that is closed. I know it’s not that simple, but it’s part of that.” This year, however, Mt. A has a large incoming class. According to Inglis, this is largely due to a greater international student enrolment. There was also some discussion at the town hall about how the president’s salary fits into the annual budget. “I understand that when we have a president and they [work] five years they get another year [of salary]. So, I guess Robert [Campbell] had two years’ salary after he finished? What would that represent [in this budget]?” asked biology professor Dr. Matt Litvak. Inglis explained that this does not subtract from the annual
budget because it has been accrued. “We do the same for all our academic administrators who have administrative leaves,” said Milner. The budget meeting also featured information about the price of tuition and government grants, affordability and accessibility. Inglis stated that a university with a higher tuition could still be financially accessible: “You might have a very financially accessible university with a higher tuition if you are then targeting exactly those students who need financial aid.” He backed up this reasoning by saying, “If you have a generally lower set tuition, that is paid by all students, regardless of their socio-economic environment.” Looking ahead, Inglis and Milner are optimistic about the Mt. A budget. “Where Chris and I see it today, it is not unreasonable that we can balance the budget for 2021,” said Inglis.
06 ARTS & CULTURE
EDITOR: BEN MAKSYM OCTOBER 31, 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
FILM REVIEW
Spooky review: ‘The Babadook’
A creepy book and clever metaphor make for a scary good time HANNAH TUCK Arts & Culture Reporter Before we really dive in I want to make one thing perfectly clear: I am a massive weenie. I hate scary movies of any kind. If I’m watching a playthrough of a scary game I make sure to look for the jump scares ahead of time so I know when to turn my volume all the way down and look away. I am one of the easiest people to scare. So, naturally, when the Drama Studies Society said they were hosting a double-feature spooky movie night and I was given the chance to review one of the movies there, I decided to challenge myself. I decided to give The Babadook a try. After all, according to the Internet in 2017, he’s a gay icon! (That’s a long story, but basically Tumblr is to blame.) How bad could it be? Like most scary movies, the premise is pretty simple: Amelia (Essie Davis) is still grieving over her long-dead husband while struggling with her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman), who is terrified of the idea of a monster living in his house. When he picks a book called Mister Babadook from his shelf for a bedtime story one night, things start to get stranger in the house, until Samuel’s fear becomes terrifyingly real. At first, I thought the character of Samuel was annoying, to put it lightly. He was whiny, he was talking about killing the monster in his closet in particularly gruesome ways, and let’s not forget the most
important factor: he made a crossbow and brought it to school. How did he manage to leave the house with this handmade crossbow? How did his mother not check his bag before he left? However, this is all a credit to Wiseman’s performance. As things in his life become more and more treacherous, Sam’s character develops naturally from an annoying kid into someone you’ll absolutely root for by the end of the film. Davis’s performance is also a standout here. She brilliantly conveys just how much of a toll life has taken on poor Amelia – my favourite scene of hers was when she was in the doctor’s office, begging him to give her some sort of sedative for Samuel so they could both get some much-needed rest. I could tell how bone-tired she was, both physically and mentally. Davis also gives an excellent performance in the third act of the film when things go upside down. Amelia as a paranoid protector of her son is captivating, and kept me wanting to watch despite my dislike of scary movies. The pacing at times did feel a little clunky. The film is only an hour and a half long, but we were still doing plot exposition half an hour in. I expected things to ramp up sooner than they did, but there are still clear narrative beats that are defined by the film’s namesake. The Babadook himself is truly terrifying as a monster, both in illustrated book form and physical manifestation. Some of the special effects didn’t work quite
as well for me – in particular there were two transitions between scenes that I wasn’t really a fan of – but the practical effects used in the third act of the film are incredible and help to truly ramp up the fear factor. Most of the story takes place in Amelia and Sam’s home. Their isolation is scary enough on its own – Amelia has a strained relationship with her extended family and rarely goes anywhere outside of work, while Sam’s only friend is the old lady next door. But when you combine it with the fact that the whole film can be seen as a terrifying metaphor for dealing with grief and mental illness, the isolation makes it 10 times worse, especially at the end when things take a turn for the worse and the Babadook makes his final move against Amelia and Sam. However, while it was so terrifying in the moment, it was also, in a strange way, wholly satisfying. The Babadook is a scary movie. Remember, I’m a weenie, so it doesn’t take much for me to say that, but there were multiple moments where I had to look away and put my hands over my ears because I was so scared. What still made the experience fun, though, was watching it with a group who had never seen it before and who also weren’t scary movie people. There’s something about screaming over a monster from a book together. Maybe that’s what scary movies are all about. While I can now say I have seen The Babadook (a true achievement for someone like me), I think it’s safe to say I don’t intend
WHEN READING BEDTIME STORIES TO YOUR CHILD, BE SURE NOT TO PICK MONSTER-INFESTED ONES! AUDE GAZZANO/ARGOSY to go back and watch it any time soon. The nightmares will be enough to keep me entertained until next October.
DRAMA
Go see ‘Godspell,’ Amen
Cast and crew at Motyer-Fancy ramp up to show week for their production of the quirky and serendipitous musical ‘Godspell’ MAGGIE PITMAN Arts & Culture Reporter You know the rules: no discussing religion at the dinner table. You can however discuss religion at the Motyer-Fancy Theatre this weekend with the cast of Godspell. The show runs at 7:30 p.m. from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. In a religious musical based on the Gospel According to Matthew set in modern day, the characters transform known parables into catchy teaching moments that have you humming the whole way home. Who wouldn’t want to see a tap-dancing Jesus Christ? No, seriously. Director Paul Del Motte really centres on building community and faith through the ideas of storytelling, passing along knowledge. Other than a few named characters, the cast is asked to use their own names throughout the show, which brings a sense of modernity to the stage. “I just love the nature of the community and asking the cast to play themselves,” said Del Motte. “The cast isn’t asked to play someone older or younger;
they’re asked to play their own age. They also bring some of their own personal things to each role.” Set in a classic high school, complete with a basketball hoop and chain link fence, cast members portray the parables in a clownish way. The light-hearted interpretations of these stories paired with moments of audience participation will have you giggling in no time, but also pondering the timelessness of these stories that ultimately lead to the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus. It’s not until late in the show that the cast takes on more earnest subject matter in the form of the crucifixion. While the show does deal with some darker moments, the peppy music and interactions with the pit band can transform those darker moments into something a little easier to grasp. In this particular portrayal, the resurrection comes from the community, which is simply beautiful. “I hope audiences can really take away a sense of hope as today’s social climate is a constant barrage of bad news,” said cast member Hannah
TURNING THE GOSPELS INTO A MODERN MUSICAL? IT’S MORE LIKELY THAN YOU’D THINK. JOHN BRIAND/SUBMITTED Tuck. “It can be very draining.” What I constantly find fascinating about religious shows is that audience members can always find a message if they’re open to it. No matter your
religion or lack thereof, the themes of optimism and making our world a better place ring true. Go see Godspell, timeless show that makes you consider the tumultuous era in
which we live. Del Motte and the cast make it well worth it.
ARTS & CULTURE
THE ARGOSY | WWW.SINCE1872.CA
FOOD
Sackville gets a taste of global flavours
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Mt. A’s International Centre hosts 16th annual World Bazaar
day. “And these are rice cakes made with brown sugar that are sweet and sticky.” In under an hour, both dishes had sold out. Other dishes included Scottish shortbread, Liberian fried greens, Lebanese tabbouleh and Taiwanese braised pork. In addition to food, visitors to the Bazaar could also purchase mehndi designs on their hands, drawn with henna that Gonepavaram had brought from India over the summer.
“STUDENTS LOVE SHARING A PIECE OF THEIR CULTURE IN THIS WAY, AND I THINK THAT FOOD REALLY BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER”
LAST WEEK, THE SACKVILLE COMMONS SAW A MELTING POT OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES AROUND LITERAL MELTING POTS. AUDE GAZZANO/ARGOSY
SARAH ZAMPONI Contributor On Oct. 25, the Sackville Commons was transformed from a quiet community centre to a vibrant, bustling hall full of town residents and students from around the world. Tables were set up throughout the main hall, with dozens of international students from nine different countries showcasing their local cuisine. Students waited in line to have henna art painted on their hands, searching through their phones for the perfect design. This was the World Bazaar’s 16th year in operation, and it was as lively as ever. The World Bazaar, run by Mount Allison’s International Centre, was first organized in 2003 and has been an annual tradition since. The event allows international students to cook food from their home countries, and members of the local community are welcome to purchase tickets and try a variety of cuisine. The Bazaar has traditionally been held in the Sackville United Church at the same time as Sackville’s Midnight Madness event; however, this year, the Bazaar moved locations and opened two weeks before Midnight Madness. “This year Midnight Madness fell during reading week, and so for students, it’s not convenient,” explained Christa Mason, Mt. A’s international student advisor. “In the past, we were in the United Church. It’s a great venue, but they don’t have as big of kitchen facilities,” said Mason. “The Commons allows for students who don’t have kitchens in residence to participate.” The Bazaar’s venue change did not appear to harm its success, with students
from nine countries participating in the event. “There’s so much diversity in the food [at the Bazaar],” said Mt. A student Oorja Gonepavaram. “You don’t get to eat like this when you live in residence and eat at Jennings every day. This is a great mix of foods, and
it’s cheap and tasty.” “This is Coca-Cola chicken. It has some sweet and sour flavours together, and it’s very complex,” said Weiting Li, a Mt. A student from China, as she proudly displayed the Southern Chinese specialties she had spent two hours preparing earlier that
Many of the international students had participated in the Bazaar in previous years, and could anticipate what to buy in advance in case certain supplies or ingredients were not available in Sackville; however, many dishes still required innovation to adapt to which ingredients were available in Canada. Minaho Ae, a member of Mt. A’s multicultural organization MOSAIC, prepared takoyaki, Japanese grilled balls traditionally filled with octopus. Instead of octopus, Ae filled the takoyaki with sausages and fish
powder to create a “Canadian version,” and used sauce she had brought from Japan in anticipation of this year’s event. Maisaa Al Tamki, an international student from Syria, participated in the World Bazaar for her third time this year. This time, she prepared stuffed grape leaves filled with rice, vegetables and meat, as well as a fried eggplant dish with yoghurt and tahini. She went on to describe the importance of accommodating multiple diets, noting that, “There is beef in the grape leaves, and not all people eat beef, so I made one with beef and one that’s vegan.” Many of the students who prepared food for the Bazaar expressed an appreciation for the event’s ability to unite students from all backgrounds and open up a dialogue about various cultures. “It’s nice because you make people know about your culture,” said Al Tamki. “Food is a part of all cultures. People usually stop when they come to get food, and ask ‘Where do you come from?’ and ‘How do you make this?’ and all these questions about your country. I think it’s good.” Mason seconded these thoughts, emphasizing the event’s ability to create cultural connections: “I think it’s a way to experience and connect with other cultures in a really fun way. Students love sharing a piece of their culture in this way, and I think that food really brings people together.”
STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALIKE BONDED OVER SHARED FOOD AND FESTIVITIES FROM ALL AROUND THE GLOBE.AUDE GAZZANO/ARGOSY
AT HART HALL
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ARTS & CULTURE
OCTOBER 31, 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
INTERNATONAL CULTURE
There and back again
Annual exchange and study-abroad fair promotes international experiences
“I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO MEET PEOPLE, TO DISCOVER A NEW CULTURE AND TO BE MORE OPEN-MINDED,” SAID JEANNE-LOUISE CATO, AN EXCHANGE STUDENT FROM UNIVERSITÉ ANGERS IN FRANCE. “DON’T HESITATE TO GO [ON EXCHANGE].” MARA IRETA GORDON/ARGOSY
JULIANNA RUTLEDGE Arts & Culture Reporter Last week the International Centre hosted its annual exchange fair. Students gathered in Tweedie Hall for an info session followed by a discussion panel with past exchange students. Afterwards, interested students were encouraged to check out the booths set up for each of Mount Allison’s partner universities. Mt. A currently offers 31 studyabroad and exchange programs in 20 different countries around the world, from Denmark and Japan to Chile and Australia.
Robin Walker, the international affairs coordinator, presented three questions to the panel: why did they choose to go on exchange, how did they fund their exchange and how did their transfer credits work? Lauren Stoddart, a thirdyear student double majoring in psychology and sociology who visited the University of Newcastle in Australia last year, spoke on the panel. Her main reason for going on exchange: a love of travel. “Like a lot of people, I’m assuming, you’re here because you want to travel and see the world and it’s the best thing to do to combine school and travel,” said
Stoddart. James Thomas, a fourth-year economics major, spent last year’s winter semester at The Hague University in the Netherlands. Although there weren’t any economics classes for him to take, he used this chance to fill out his political science minor. “Going to The Hague for political science is like going to New York [or] LA for acting,” explained Thomas in reference to the international courts within the city. “It was a really interesting experience to dive into politics.” In answer to Walker’s second question, Nathan Robichaud, a
commerce major, told the room to “save way more money than you think you’re going to need.” Robichaud applied for the Cross Cultural College program in Japan, a three-week summer course that transfers back as three Mt. A credits. “You have to coordinate and try to be on top of [transfer credits],” said Paige Percy, a fourth-year PPE student who attended the University of Hong Kong. Percy added that the International Office is very helpful with accommodating any trouble that may arise with classes. “It’s not as scary as it sounds,” added Claire Genest, a fourth-year
international relations student who attended the Université de Strasbourg. Genest pursued an exchange in order to immerse herself in the French language – a class she initially struggled with at Mt. A. After the panel, students filed out of Tweedie Hall into the foyer of the Student Centre to talk to students who had either previously gone on exchange or were currently on exchange to Mt. A. “I have wanted to go on exchange since before I even went to university,” said Alyson Mackay, a third-year student from the University of Stirling. “Do everything you possibly can [when on exchange] because you’re not going to get another chance to.” Exchange can allow students to pursue studies that aren’t available at their home school. Kirsten Mason, a fifth-year student majoring in classics and anthropology, went to the Pompeii Archaeological Field School for a month long study-abroad program to gain hands-on experience in archeology. “It’s a really good way to get to travel and to experience actual archeology that you can’t do in Canada,” said Mason. Zoë Cober attended Waseda University for a year and while there was able to complete a Japanese studies major, something that is not available here at Mt. A. “[Exchange] really gave me the chance to do what I want to do,” said Cober. “I want to be an interpreter in Japanese and English so the exchange program was my way of getting my foot in the door.” Many students agreed that studying abroad can also be a liberating experience. “Just to get out of your bubble, your hometown, your friends, your circle and see something different,” said Antonia Neumann on the importance of exchange programs. Neumann is currently on exchange from Philipps Universität Marburg in Germany. “There will be hard times … where you’re homesick but it’s definitely worth it … Those memories are really precious.” If you have any questions about exchange and study-abroad experiences, the International Office is located on the second floor of the Student Centre, or you can check their page on the Mount Allison website.
The Fine Arts Society presents “Battle of the Arts” on Friday, Nov. 8 from 7 to 10 p.m. Join us in the foyer of The Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts to watch creative minds from the local arts community battle it out in Sackville’s first ever art battle. Participants with a range of experience and backgrounds will compete in creating paintings or drawings under a time limit over several elimination rounds; each round and the winner will be judged by the audience. The winner will receive a $100 cash prize. All the funds raised by this event will be donated to the Marshview Middle School’s art program. Admission is $3 for students and $5 for the general public. Cash bar available and art table available for children.
ARTS & CULTURE
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MUSIC
Mt. A music on the road
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Music students take their talents outside of Sackville
ISAIAH YANKECH Contributor Music students at Mt. A have numerous performance opportunities to showcase the many hours they have spent in rehearsals and practice rooms refining their craft. Students have the chance to do this in both ensemble and solo performance settings, while also attending guest or faculty performances to witness professional, high-calibre performances for them to aspire to. Amid the busy schedules of practising, going to classes and watching concerts, many students perform outside of Sackville throughout the school year. Various ensembles or performance opportunities out of town give students musical experiences different from ones available within the department of music at Mt. A. For first-year voice student Morgan Lynch, performing with the Nova Scotia Youth Choir (NSYC) has helped her transition from high school to university-level ensembles. “Singing in the Nova Scotia Youth Choir has helped me become more prepared for university-level ensembles,” said Lynch. “Although only two students in the choir were [from] out of province this year, both representing Mt. A, everyone at NSYC is aware of Mt. A and the music program is held in high regard.” Some programs such as NSYC require a fee for musicians to participate, whereas other programs
offer in-the-field experience while getting paid. Students often use this opportunity to gain experience performing on an instrument other than what they study for their degree. Owen Switzer, a third-year saxophone student, has performed with several bands outside of Mt. A since beginning his studies. “It has been a great experience working with the army, having lots of playing opportunities on my secondary instrument [clarinet],” said Switzer. “I have regular employment with the Third Field Royal Canadian Artillery Band during the school year, as well as with the Band of the Ceremonial Guard during the summer.” Music students travel across the Maritimes regularly, with several students having performed in concerts earlier this month. Second-year flautist Kristopher Williams is in his first season with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra (NBYO), which continues to have a strong connection with the music department at Mt. A. Music students often have to juggle ensemble commitments within Mt. A with out of town performing opportunities, although recently NBYO and the department of music at Mt. A have opened up more flexibility for students who wish to be a part of NBYO. New this school year, students performing with NBYO can now count their participation with the organization towards one of their ensemble credits. “Earlier this month we had our season opening concert in Grand Falls, N.B., and it was rewarding
PLAYING MUSIC AT HOME IS FINE, BUT TRAVELLING PROVIDES WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCES. MADELEINE HANSEN/ARGOSY to see our hard work paying off,” said Williams. “We travel to various locations in New Brunswick for rehearsals and concerts, and being an international student I look forward to seeing more of this country.” Performance opportunities outside of Sackville are not limited to yearround ensemble commitments, as from time to time one-day or weekend-long events arise. Earlier in October, six singers including myself represented Mt. A in this year’s N.B. Choral Fest, a weekend event hosted by the New Brunswick Choral Federation every year that is open to choral singers from the Maritimes
to learn and perform a major work under the direction of an esteemed conductor. Conductor Douglas Dunsmore directed the performance of Mozart’s Requiem in St. John, N.B. One of the singers that attended was Jarred Beckerton (’19), a recent graduate and French horn player, who enjoyed his time singing at N.B. Choral Fest for the first time. “Considering that during my time at Mt. A I did not study voice, other than singing in choirs, I found singing at N.B. Choral Fest a great way to meet other singers in the province and use it as a source of networking,” said Beckerton. “As a recent graduate
of Mt. A, I found it very empowering to go to this event and help continue to put Mt. A on the map and get to meet many other Mt. A alum.” I myself have not performed a whole lot outside of Sackville during my time at Mt. A, given my commitment to serving the musical community within Sackville in various forms, but have taken on more “Mt. A on the road” experiences over the last few years of my degree. I highly encourage other music students to be adventurous and explore the musical scene outside of Sackville as much as possible.
PRESS RELEASE
Pianist Bryn Blackwood to present 2019 EckhardtGramatté Concert at Mt. A on Nov. 1 MARGARET CRAIG Mt. A Dept. of Music On Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m., Mount Allison will play host to one of Canada’s most promising young pianists when Bryn Blackwood takes the stage in Brunton Auditorium (134 Main St.). Blackwood was the top-ranked performer at the 42nd annual Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (Piano) and the recital in Sackville is part of his prizewinner’s tour. Named for Canadian composer Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté, the E-Gré is the most prestigious contemporary music competition for emerging Canadian performing artists in piano, voice and strings. Jurors for the 2019 competition – which took place April 19 to 21 at Brandon University – were Glenn Hodgins, Christina Petrowska Quilico, Laura Lowen and Mount Allison’s own Dr. David Rogosin, the Pickard-Bell chair in music. The list of past competition prizewinners forms a “who’s who” of noteworthy Canadian musicians, including pianists Jon Kimura Parker and Angela Cheng, vocalists Ben
Heppner and Hugh Russell and violinists Jasper Wood and James Ehnes. As the first-place winner for 2019, Blackwood received an award valued at nearly $15,000, including a cash award, a residency and debut recital in Italy at the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in July, and a cross-Canada tour during the months of October and November. Blackwood is active as a solo and collaborative pianist in Toronto, Ont., and has always been extremely passionate about modern piano music. He received his bachelor of music degree from Western University, studying with James Hibbard, and master of music degree from McGill University, studying with Dr. Ilya Poletaev. He won Western University’s Fred Pattison Piano Competition and was a twotime finalist in McGill University’s Chamber Music Competition, performing with his piano trio. More recently, Blackwood was a finalist and winner of the Paul J. Bourret Memorial Award for Best Performance of the Test Piece at the 2018 Shean Piano Competition, and the winner of the 2019 Faculty of Music DMA Recital Competition
for the University of Toronto. A recipient of a Joseph-Armand Bombardier SSHRC award for his studies of the Russian-American piano composer Leo Ornstein, he is currently studying with Marietta Orlov at the University of Toronto, working towards a doctorate of musical arts. A highlight of the Sackville recital is the 2019 E-Gré commissioned work Far Beyond Things Finite by Canadian composer Brian Current. Blackwood will also present other works from Canada by Brian Cherney, Jean Coulthard, Jacques Hétu, Alexina Louie and Walter Buczynski, as well as pieces from America by Samuel Barber, George Crumb and Leo Ornstein, and a work by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. “I am absolutely thrilled to have been named the winner of the 2019 E-Gré Competition!” said Blackwood. “Learning, preparing and connecting to this repertoire has been a joy.… I cannot wait to bring this music to the rest of Canada in the fall.” Tickets will be available at the door ($15 adult, $10 senior and
BRYN BLACKWOOD/SUBMITTED student, current Mt. A students free with student ID card) or through subscription to the concert series offered by the department of music. For further information, call 506364-2374 or email music@mta.
ca. Visit the department of music’s website at www.mta.ca/music.
12 OPINIONS
EDITOR: LAUREN SHAY | OCTOBER 31, 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Top 8 missorted waste items at Mt. A
Proper waste sorting made simple through education and understanding of regional rules
ANNA HARDIE Contributor Each person has a different idea of what’s recyclable. People come from different places and different places have different rules about what can and can’t be recycled. For example, in Sackville (part of Westmorland and Albert counties of New Brunswick) waste is sorted differently than in Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, glass
FOR STUDENTS IN RESIDENCE OR ON MT. A PROPERTY, GLASS GOES IN THE REFUNDABLE BIN can be recycled and goes into the blue bins. In New Brunswick glass goes in the regular garbage. It is not a surprise to see waste missorted in Sackville as Mount Allison students come from all over Canada and around the world. Here are eight items you might not know how to throw away correctly in New Brunswick. 1. Glass: Refundable bin (at Mt. A) or garbage Glass does not go in the regular recycling bin. Currently, Eco360 (the waste facility where most of Sackville’s and Mt. A’s waste goes to) does not have a recycling service for glass for Westmorland and Albert
counties. This is because the glass shards become too fine to easily collect during the sorting process at the facility. However, if you are willing to drive your glass jars directly to the Eco360 facility in Moncton you can have them recycled. For students in residence or on Mt. A property, glass goes in the refundable bin. This is the bin that has a blue plastic bag and often has a lid with holes in them to fit beverage containers, like plastic water bottles. 2. Disposable coffee cups: Blue bins Most disposable paper cups have a plastic or waxy inner lining on the inside to prevent hot liquids from seeping through the paper cup. It is challenging to separate this plastic lining from the paper during the recycling process. Although they can’t be recycled in many places, Eco360 says to recycle disposable coffee cups. 3. Styrofoam: Recyclables 4. Empty aerosol cans: Recyclables Aerosol containers can be recycled as long as they are empty (no more air comes out upon holding down). This way no Freon, a toxic gas that is often used for refrigeration, will be released during the recycling process. 5. Sponge: Garbage 6. Toothpicks and wooden coffee stir-sticks: Organics or garbage 7. Pens and pencils: Garbage Pens and pencils are often made out of cheaper, non-recyclable plastics. They also contain ink and graphite (the “lead” in pencils) which are not
room to up our game in sorting waste correctly. We need to take more responsibility for knowing what goes in the recycling, organics, regular garbage and refundable bin. For more information on how to sort waste properly in New Brunswick check out the Eco360 website at eco360.ca. With more education, people will feel confident sorting waste correctly.
WASTE IS SORTED DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT PROVINCES, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU’RE FROM THIS MAY CAUSE CONFUSION. ANNA HARDIE/SUBMITTED recyclable and therefore belong in the garbage. 8. Pots and pans: Recyclables
Metal is a precious resource that can be remelted and recycled. At Mount Allison, we have a lot of
COLUMN
Harms reduction 1001
What is “harms reduction” and why do we need it? features of harms-reduction strategies. The first feature is pragmatism: this means, according to the CMHA, recognizing that
RACHEL MCDOUGALL Columnist This week, I was lucky enough to attend the Atlantic regional symposium held by Postsecondary Education Partnership—Alcohol Harms at Dalhousie with Venna Penney, the MASU vice-president of student life. At this conference, student leaders from Mount Allison, Saint Mary’s, Dalhousie, Saint Thomas and Acadia discussed
strategies to encourage and utilize various harms-reduction strategies on our respective campuses. So, what is harms reduction? This strategy realizes that students are going to party, drink alcohol and use substances, so rather than promoting abstinence, harms reduction “seeks to reduce the health and social harms” associated with these behaviours, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
In a university setting, there are many approaches that can be taken to reduce the harms of alcohol and substance use. One such area is in health promotion, prevention and education, in an effort to ensure broad access to information and effective education and awareness programs about alcohol-related issues. This is important to challenge social norms supportive of hazardous and harmful drinking. There are three main
HUMANE VALUES ARE ALSO FEATURED IN HARMS REDUCTION, ENSURING THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT JUDGED FOR CHOOSING TO USE SUBSTANCES, AND THEIR DIGNITY IS RESPECTED “substance use is inevitable in a society and that it is necessary to take a public health-oriented response to minimize potential harms.” Humane values are also featured in harms reduction, ensuring that individuals are not judged for choosing to use substances
and their dignity is respected. Harms reduction also features a focus on harms (obviously), meaning that “an individual’s substance use is secondary to the potential harms that may result in that use” according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. At Mount Allison, these strategies are enacted by the Wellness Centre, and especially by our mental health and harms reduction educator, Maggie Brewer. If you ever have any questions or want to learn more about how you can reduce the harms of alcohol or substances during your time at Mount Allison and beyond, feel free to head to the Wellness Centre to chat with her! If you want to learn more about harms reduction in general, you can visit pepah.ca for some great resources. Also, be sure to follow the Wellness Centre’s Instagram page for harms-reduction tips at @ beinformedmta. And, as always, if you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me at healthintern@ mta.ca. Have a happy and healthy week!
OPINIONS
THE ARGOSY | WWW.SINCE1872.CA
COLUMN
International students trip to Halifax
Students in international mentorship program visits Nova Scotian city
HAMISH HALLETT Columnist With October coming to an end and the clouds turning grey, it was time for another trip for the international students. Instead of exploring the likes of Prince Edward Island and Hopewell Rocks, my fellow internationals voyaged to Nova Scotia and into the great city of Halifax. The blistering cold and the winds flooded onto our faces as we arrived after the two-hour-and-15-minute drive. Our first stop was the farmers market. All of the frosty Canadian gales had been forgotten as our nostrils were filled with smells of baked bread, spices, fruits, vegetables and exotic fragrances. A whole international community, including and beyond ourselves, had filled the 100 per cent homemade farmers market on a chaotic Saturday morning. Finally, a break from Jennings. Our next stop was the well-known Museum of Canadian Immigration. The group of internationals were
split in half as they were taken on a tour of the museum by two energetic tour guides. They were both terrific as they gave us insight into the immigration proceedings of the past. The tour guides told us stories of people arriving on boats who had all experienced sea sickness during their voyages and the foods travellers snuck beyond the border. Cory Ashe, a first-year aviation student from Antigua, loved the museum and liked the comparison between the historical and current immigration processes. He felt the visit was a rewarding and enriching experience. After the museum, all of the international students had free time to explore Halifax. Some went to the historical Citadel, which overlooks much of Halifax. Others explored the parks and the famous waterfront. I and a few others went to the World Tea House, which was a great experience and a good way to get away from the rain and cold for an hour or two. I felt at home when I was slurping on a large green mug of earl grey tea. The hours passed and it was nighttime in Halifax. When the darkness had fallen the international students went off to the mall and bought many things, such as Halloween masks and other essential items. A great day out from dawn to dusk and everyone had a fantastic time.
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THE ARGOSY w w w. s i n c e 1 8 7 2 . c a
Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University Thursday October 31st, 2019 volume 149 issue 8 Circulation 1,500 Since 1872
on Unceded Mi’kmaq Land 62 York Street W. McCain Student Centre Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick
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THE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc., a student run, autonomous, nonpartisan not-forprofit organization operated in accordance with the province of New Brunswick.
EDITORIAL staff EDITORS IN CHIEF | Maia Herriot and Minnow Holtz-Carriere COPY EDITOR | Charlotte Savage NEWS EDITORS | Emma Conrad and Amelia MacDougall Fleming ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR | Ben Maksym
HALIFAX IS A GREAT CITY TO TRAVEL TO FOR A DAY TRIP! HAMISH HALLETT/ SUBMITTED
OPINIONS EDITOR | Lauren Shay HUMOUR EDITOR | William Traves CREATIVE EDITOR | Matthew Cann
Arjun Das, a first-year aviation student from India, loved Halifax, in terms of its scenic beauty and historical significance. His favourite part of the trip was the tour of Pier 21, and the walk around the waterfront with his friends. At Mount Allison, we have such a great international community that sometimes writing weekly here at the Argosy is not enough. So here I am introducing a radio show at CHMA called The Internationalist: a live, on-air talk show that shares international experiences here at Mount Allison and is a great way
to bridge the internationals with the Canadians. If you are an international, exchange or dual-national student, or if you have been on an exchange and would love to share your experiences here at Mount Allison contact me! I would love to hear all of your stories and your country’s culture, traditions and so much more on the radio on Fridays at 3 p.m.
COPY EDITOR | Charlotte Savage
PRODUCTION staff PRODUCTION MANAGER | Kiara Mazerolle PHOTO EDITOR | Gill Hill PHOTOGRAPHERS | Aude Gazzano and Pengyi Huang ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR | Ashli Green ILLUSTRATORS | Mara Ireta Gordon and Madeleine Hansen
REPORTING staff NEWS REPORTERS | Laura Skinner, Natasha Gosselin, and Zoe Hunter ARTS & CULTURE REPORTERS | Maggie Pitman, Hannah Tuck. and Julianna Rutledge
OPERATIONS staff SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER | Megan Fitzgerald DISTRIBUTIONS MANAGER | Elliott Jones HR REP | Ryan Schultz
Call for Argosy Board Members
CONTRIBUTORS Emily Shaw, Hamish Hallett, Isaiah Yankech, Alyson MacKay, Kate Brown, Nora Livesey,
The Argosy is looking for faculty and student board members!
Rachel McDougall. Anna Hardie, Sarah Zamponi.
The Argosy board is made up of two Editors in Chief (EICs), two student board members, and two faculty members. The board meets once a semester and their function is primarily to keep the EICs and business manager (all student positions) accountable through presenting the budget to the board and talking through any significant changes the EICs made to the paper at meetings. Additionally, if a larger, unexpected issue comes up during the year (a defamation accusation for example) the board will be consulted as part of the EICs’ process of response.
COVER | Emily Shaw
DISCLAIMERS & COPYRIGHT The Argosy is the official independent student journal of news, opinion and the arts, written, edited and funded by the students of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Argosy’s staff or its Board of Directors. The Argosy is published weekly throughout the academic year by Argosy Publications Inc. Student contributions in the form of letters, articles, photography, graphic designs and comics are welcome. The Argosy reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editors in Chief. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca or directly to a section editor. The
No previous knowledge of the business of a newspaper required. Interested faculty from any department may e-mail us at argosy@mta.ca, or contact this year’s Editors-in-Chief, Maia Herriot and Minnow Holtz-Carriere, directly.
Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion. Letters to the editor must be signed, though names may be withheld at the sender’s request and at the Argosy’s discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Comments, concerns or complaints about the Argosy’s content or operations should be first sent to the Editors in Chief at the address above. If the Editors in Chief are unable to resolve a complaint, it may be taken to the Argosy Publications, Inc. Board of Directors. The chairs of the Board of Directors can be reached at the address above. All materials appearing in the Argosy bear the copyright of Argosy Publications, Inc. Material cannot be reprinted without the consent of the Editors in Chief.
14 CREATIVE
EDITOR: MATTHEW CANN | OCTOBER 31, 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
Subheading here
mentor
UNTITLED, VACATIONDAD
ALYSON MACKAY Contributor
Short bread baker Red boot painter Costume sewer; the mask maker Talents in all forms A green witch, an emerald heart Mentor of me, your mentee Gratitude to you and your pure ways And thanks, for all the givings
UNTITLED, NORA LIVESAY
CREATIVE
THE ARGOSY | WWW.SINCE1872.CA
For MC ANONYMOUS Contributor
The sky tonight, I’m surprised to find, is grey instead of black; dull enough to make me doubt the stars are coming back. But turning now, to your eyes, cornflower blue and all, reminds me how much time it took to get from spring to fall. That golden season wand’ring streets at midnight hours passed, and the happy, hopeful ignorance of thinking it would last. But with this crisper weather and the dullness of the sky comes all the joy of knowing you and letting time go by.
HOLGA, KATE BROWN
KIMS, KATE BROWN
SUBMIT
send your artwork: photos, writing, painting, sketches, series, watercolors, and poetry. anything creative, or artistic, can make it in this section, including doodles. we can work with any medium and format. to submit, attach your work with your name, medium, name of the piece (if titled), and any formatting specialties in an email to mtcann@mta.ca.
15
HUMOUR 16
EDITOR: WILL TRAVES | OCTOBER 17, 2019 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Club on campus which has been sponsoring refugees since 1994 4. Mental health crisis phone line available 24/7 to all residents of New Brunswick 8. A major plot twist in Stephen King’s The Shining is a word being reversed and becoming this word 13. What pie tins are made of (chemical symbol) 14. Professional hockey league operating in North America from 1972 to 1979 16. The former Full House actress who paid $500,000 to get her daughters admitted to USC under a false rowing scholarship 18. The National University of Ireland 19. Say No More baby 21. Foolish discourse 22. Existed previously
23. A beehive or a fade, perhaps 24. Russian Judas 25. Abbreviation for the country also known as Persia 26. Swedish heavy metal band 28. Sought public office 29. A wee boy 31. Florence ______, American born Canadian sculptor and designer 33. The Cheshire Cat’s grin is ____ 34. Family of predatory North American fish 36. France’s URL country code 37. Halloween projectile 40. What might finish up a Vietnamese website’s URL 41. Expression of pre-weekend happiness 44. 5th century enemy of the Roman Empire 47. Company known for making pens 48. One of many Hunnic vassals in
AN UPDATE FROM THE HORNY POLICE
early Europe 49. Epic comeback for when someone insults your mom 50. The contents of a keg 51. Genre of books The Hunger Games belongs to ___ (Abv.) 52. Spherical lip chap 54. Online multiplayer virtual golf game (Abv.) 56. The first local bank in Oman 58. The person in res telling you to turn your music down 59. Group of countries that tried to ban memes 60. The best showers in residence 63. The man Dr. Frank N. Furter created 64. Male sibling 65. How to traditionally address a married woman 66. Large African antelope 67. Controlling body of the European Union 68. To eat in the evening 70. A place to bike or run 72. Graceful, stylish 75. Chemical symbol for a substance one might use to clean a pool 76. Like an RA, but the stipend is bigger 77. German bacteriologist who developed tuberculin 78. Indian town whose name is derived from the word nagdev 79. Vegetable stew, normally made by rats in Pixar movies 83. Word root meaning in or into 84. Romanian language 85. Half of the name of the bar in Sackville with the daily power halfhour 86. Affirmative 87. Type of dance popular in the 40s
(and at a certain dance society here on campus)
DOWN 1. Largest city in the District of Columbia 2. Kind of nerve or artery 3. Television network known for its edgy interpretations of comic book characters 4. Layer of tall or overhanging plants 5. What I think I am when I have difficulties making these puzzles 6. The sound domesticated bovine mammals make 7. A good FUCKIN time 9. What the RA’s and AD’s of MtA should form in order to fight for fair compensation for their work 10. The drag queen whose show brought drag into the North American mainstream 11. Hindu festival of lights 12. Edwards is the worst ____ 15. Yearly ultimate tournament in Calgary (similar in name to a Hannah Montana song) 17. The second month of the Jewish calendar 20. The type of government Canada currently has 24.5. State in the US known for its peaches 27. Popular Christmas movie starring Will Ferrell 30. Brand name ibuprofen 32. To play the ponies 33. One of the big five American film studios, produced the Harry Potter series 35. Canadian car parts manufacturer begun by A.G. Simpson in Scarborough
38. Main ingredient in a Tom Collins 39. Angry and sullen look 42. Hot sauce made from cayenne peppers 43. Aggressive 45. Utterly 46. Month named after the first emperor of the Roman Empire 47. “What do you do with a __ in English?” 53. Abbreviation for the African country whose motto is: “Unity in Diversity” 55. The youngest woman to ever serve in the United States Congress 57. Mormon university in the States 60. Test conducted on a thermogravimetric analyzer 61. What Rarity is (and what Twilight Sparkle was) 62. The Electric Circus’ guard dog 63. Term for the chemistry paper I should be writing right now 65. Ledger sums 69. High quality black tea 71. Pokémon that evolves into Xatu 73. To look sullen 74. Support and educational system for children at risk of abuse and neglect (acronym) 76.5. Brown who wrote The Da Vinci Code 78. Export version of the Famicom launched by Nintendo 78.5. How one would pronounce Canada’s second largest fast food burger chain 80. Symbol for unit of electric charge equal to 3600 coulombs 81. Canadian banking corporation that acquired Canada Trust in 1998 82. “The” in French
COMICS
Society member a little too eager to participate in nude calendar TRILL WAVES Humour Editor
EMILY SHAW/ARGOSY
PLS SUBMIT TO HUMOUR
mediocre at best
feat. dumb boi clique
PUNK NIGHT AT THE POND SATURDAY NOV 2 doors @ 8:45p $2 Cover $3.50 Drink Specials $4.50 Labatt Draught Win tickets to Sum41 & the Ofsspring!
MADELEINE HANSEN/ARGOSY
Discomfort rocked the Mount Allison Chemistry Society’s meeting last week as an item not officially on the agenda was brought up. The annual nude calendar in support of the Canadian Cancer Society features tasteful and comedic pictures of Mt. A’s sports teams, clubs and societies. George Spencer, a second-year student with an undeclared major who was, at the time, a member of the Chemistry Society, was incredibly eager to know if the Chem Society would be baring all in this year’s issue. His query was met with shrugging shoulders and a general indifference. The society executive decided that participating in the calendar would be fine – after all, it’s for a good cause – but many members of the society started to feel a bit uncomfortable when Spencer continued to press for details. “So we’re actually going to be naked right? Like everyone will be full nude? We should do it in the lab! That’d be fun. We could cover up with the glassware.” These comments were met with uncomfortable laughter. Not deterred by gags nor eyerolls, Spencer went on to say to almost every female member of the society
“Who knows, maybe with our clothes off there’ll be some chemistry,” and “I wonder if we’ll see any ‘reactions’ during the shoot. By reactions I mean boners.” His combination of severe social ineptitude and extreme horniness was determined to be harmless but definitely very gross. In an unsurprising turn of events, Spencer was recently banned from the chemistry lab and the Barclay building as a whole. On the day of the photoshoot he was the only member of the society to show up. Undeterred, he took a self-timed photo on his iPhone. In the process of doing this, however, a member of the chemistry faculty walked in on him while his member was inside of a graduated cylinder. “It’s not what it looks like!” he reportedly said as the cylinder slid off of him and shattered on the floor. In defense of the combination of fluids that exploded across the floor when the cylinder hit the ground, he said, “That was in there before I got here!” The rest of the Chemistry Society, who were having their photo taken in the lab next door, decided to avoid becoming involved in the commotion, and exec members set reminders on their phones to revoke his membership.