The Argosy, January 16 2014

Mount Allison’s

THE Jaunuary 16, 2014

ARGOSY Independent Student Newspaper

Meeting every Thursday at 5:30 since 1872

Vol. 143 Iss. 13

Volatile winter weather impacts students, Mt. A

2014 got off to an stormy start as students, local residents, and Canadians across the country experienced a series of ice storms and blizzards that left many without power over the Christmas holidays. New Brunswick in particular was adversely affected by the weather.

Extended power outages and an overdue emergency plan for Charlotte County led to harsh criticism of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization from the Fundy Regional Service Commission and a Saint John MLA last week. Approximately

82,000 New Brunswickers lost power at some point over the holidays.

Fourth-year student Bailey Shuttleworth Cucinelli and her family lost power for seven days at their home in Rothesay, New Brunswick, from Dec. 23 to 30. On Christmas Day her family “all wanted to get somewhere warm,” so they turned off their water and split up to stay with friends.

“It was fun at first,” she said, but “it was really hard for Christmas, because we all really wanted to be together.”

Shuttleworth Cucinelli returned to Sackville for a couple days until power returned.

Robert McCormack, director of facilities management at Mount Allison University, said that his staff was on duty throughout the break.

McCormack described this winter as “the worst [I’ve] seen in a long time.”

During the break, the team awaited information from the ground manager about whether intervention is needed.

McCormack described the process

as “sort of an art, because you [have] limited resources and you want to get the maximum effect” adding that “the timing is so critical.”

Maintaining the path between Thornton House and Jennings Dinning Hall was the top priority for facilities management, followed by monitoring the weather in order to determine if there may be a need for school to shutdown.

In cases of extreme inclement weather, the facilities management team first decides based on weather there needs to be a day off by examining forecasts and how many other institutions have closed down on that day.

If the team concludes that the school should shut down for a day, McCormack gives an early morning call to president Robert Campbell, who makes the final decision.

McCormack said that “personal safety, if the building are accessible, and timing, too” are determining

factors when assessing the need for a day off. He added that there is a lot of difficulty making this decision because “people will always say you should have closed,” he himself receiving some complaint emails recently.

Dean of Science Jeff Ollerhead discussed some of the implications of the recent weather relating to broader climate patterns. Ollerhead said weather is highly variable by nature and that this year’s winter has not been too dramatic.

Ollerhead stated that climate, rather than isolated weather incidents, should be the focus of investigation. Climate change “will [potentially] lead to things we haven’t seen before,” he said.

A number of Mt. A students had their travel plans affected by the severe weather.

Fourth-year student Georgia Sibold described the frustrating experience of her two day delay in Toronto.

The ordeal involved excessive lines, numerous delays, cancellations, crowds

and what she described as “a sea of bags” at the baggage carrousel. Sibold missed the first two days of classes but said her professors were responsive and understanding of her absence.

Fourth-year student Bryan Downey also spent more than twenty-four hours in the Toronto airport after his flight to Jan. 6 flight to Moncton was delayed repeatedly before it was finally cancelled and rescheduled. While he slept on the airport floor and spent more than three hours searching for his bags, he counted himself lucky compared to those who spent days of uncertainty at the airport waiting to fly.

Ollerhead said the alarm over the weather was largely due to the timing, given the high number of people travelling. If the problems had occurred a week later Ollerhead said he believes most people “wouldn’t even have noticed.”

News

Science

Sports

Entertainment

Inside...

Blizzards and ice distruptive for activity in N.B. Miriam Namakanda News Writer

Affirmative strike vote from MAFA: Pg. 3

CES 2014 debuts Volleyball team on innovations: Pg. 13 win streak: Pg. 14

Stereophonic set to rock the block: Pg. 16

News Ship’s Log Opinions Ats & Literature Year in Review Science Sports Entertainment Humour

2 4 5 8 10 12 14 16 18

NEWS

January 16, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

ATLIS holds eleventh annual conference at Mt. A

Presentations address issues of ‘future security’ Miriam Namakanda News Writer

The student-directed Atlantic International Studies Association (ATLIS) held their eleventh annual academic conference last weekend.

For the first time the conference was kicked off on Thursday with an international relations-themed trivia night at The Pond. The following evening a panel discussion with Mount Allison University professors was held, which this year included James Devine, Wayne Hunt, and Liam Keliher. This event was followed by the ATLIS’s traditional reception hosted by Mt. A President Robert Campbell at Hammond House.

The bulk of the conference was made up of seven student presentations on Saturday addressing this year’s theme: “Challenges to Future World Security: Food, Energy, and Privacy.” The conference attracted three student speakers from outside Mt. A, including two masters students from Dalhousie University.

Jenna Khoury-Hanna, a fourthyear student of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Acadia University also spoke at the conference, presenting research

Haroon Akram-Lodhi delivers the keynote address of the 2014 ATLIS conference last Saturday. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) from her honours thesis: “Engaging Citizens in Local Economy-Changing People’s Perspectives on Local and Sustainable Food.”

In general she said she enjoyed her visit to Sackville and believes that the ATLIS conference is important because “people are able to show the really cool things they do in their undergrads.”

ATLIS President Sydney Logan said this year’s conference theme was intended to be broad and accessible.

By selecting a “popular topic” the organization was able to find speakers easily, given that most participants

“had something they were already interested in and wanted to talk about.”

The broad scope of “future security” allowed for a wide range of presentations ranging from food security, to internet security, and even the “securitization of immigration” in Canada.

Logan said the weekend was a success in a number of respects, in particular the high registration rate of fifty-one students. Logan was also enthusiastic that the keynote speaker, A. Haroon Akram-Lodhi, attended nearly all the conference events.

Though they were happy with this year’s success, in an interview with The Argosy the executive expressed some concern about the future of the organization, since most of those holding executive positions this year are graduating in May. As Robert Campbell said during a toast at his reception, ATLIS’ enduring success at Mt. A is exceptional for a studentdirected organization.

Akram-Lodhi, a professor of Agrarian Political Economy at Trent University, concluded the conference on Saturday evening. An intimate discussion of his recent book, Hungry

for Change—Farmers, Food Justice and the Agrarian Question, was also held on Sunday morning. Although it was open to other participants, this event was only attended by six members of the ATLIS executive.

Akram-Lodhi said that the principal argument of his address was, “the fundamental cause of hunger today is the way in which our food system locally nationally and internationally operates,” rather than a lack of food. Akram-Lodhi maintains that current levels of global food production are more than enough to feed the planet, and holds the “global corporate food regime” responsible for food insecurity.

Akram-Lodhi said it is important for such discussions to occur on campuses because “Food education is extremely important in terms in how we individually and collectively grow over time and how we interact within our community.” In an interview he described campuses as “food desserts,” saying sometimes “[students] don’t have the choice to be able to have healthy nutritious food at a reasonable price.” This environment “encourages [students] to continue with inappropriate diets.”

Akram-Lodhi has been critical of the practices of food service providers like Aramark, a company he mentioned by name in his address. Aramark holds an exclusive food services contract with Mt. A.

Restructuring fails MASU winter mandate announced Bylaw changes fail to pass in secret ballot Kevin Levangie

Political Beat Writer Several months of work culminated in the defeat of the long discussed restructuring of the Mount Allison Students’ Union’s (MASU) Executive, failing in a secret ballot. The proposal failed despite repeated assertions by the executive, and the vast majority of councillors, that such a restructuring is necessary to improve the functioning of the executive and the MASU as a whole.

During the Dec. 5 council meeting, which ran nearly five hours, the lengthy and contentious debate ended in a thirteen to eleven vote. When attempting to change a union bylaw, a two-thirds majority is necessary.

This is in contrast with an initial vote on Nov. 18 that seemed to approve the restructure, which required only a fifty plus one per cent approval, sixteen to nine. This vote approved the restructuring document, but no binding bylaw changes.

Particularly contentious were provisions under the restructure for the president and vice-president executive to run on a single electoral slate. The choice to combine the positions of Shinerama chair

and orientation chair in with the administrative positions raised the ire of several of the positions’ past occupants, and was a major sticking point throughout the process.

The executive appeared willing to make some concessions about specifics of the restructure in order to give the bylaw amendments the best possible chance of passing. At one point in the Dec. 5 meeting, President Melissa O’Rourke motioned to change the name of the vice-president executive to vice-president administration, and to abolish the joint slate and hire the position.

The slate was one of the few specific criticisms levelled at the restructuring bid, as the majority of the criticism was directed instead at the process surrounding the bid.

The proposed restructure would also have seen the number of vicepresidents cut from six to four, while increasing the importance and number of high-level staff members.

In a Jan. 10 interview, O’Rourke said, “I think council has made it very clear that they want to see this happen, but they don’t necessarily know how they want to go about it.”

A list of comments on the restructure from all councillors can be found in the Jan. 13 council package on the MASU website. The document suggests some councillors are asking for a revote, others want to revisit specific proposals, while some say the entire thing is “a waste of time.”

Variety of issues to be tackled in all exec portfolios Kevin Levangie

Political Beat Writer The Mount Allison Students’ Union Executive has announced their winter mandate for 2014. The mandate includes such issues as students’ academic rights, researching an on-campus Maritime Bus stop, developing a policy on residence assistant pay, and the institution of a clubs and societies database.

Mount Allison Students’ Union (MASU) President Melissa O’Rourke explained the mandate in a Jan. 10 interview. “It will probably not be drastically different from what we did in the fall. A lot of the goals we will be working towards appeared on the fall mandate as for full-year completion,” she said.

O’Rourke outlined what she saw as the success of the fall executive agenda. “For me,” she said, “everything that I had listed that I wanted to do in the fall, which was organizational history, office space report, executive position review, and executive summer recommendation, are all things that I feel we have done successfully.”

The mandate is relatively set, but changes or additions could be

made by council at any meeting. As O’Rourke said, “The only changes I could foresee for this document are things that could be mandated by council.”

Unlike last semester, the executive will not be holding a presentation of the mandate. O’Rourke explained the reason for this in the Jan. 10 interview, saying, “We won’t be doing it again, because we presented everything at the beginning of the year.”

The executive “will make an attempt to hold an Annual General Meeting in late March or early April,” though O’Rourke said she “would be surprised if we reached quorum, because quorum for such a meeting is really high in our constitution.” Such a meeting would act as a debriefing for students to take account of the work of the executive and council over the year, and provide an outlook for the next year.

EXECUTIVE MANDATES: President Melissa O’Rourke: will lobby the administration on implementing the METRAC safety and security project, update the union’s Operating Procedures, and prepare a transition document for her successor. O’Rourke will also attempt to improve MASU archiving, and try to improve the public profile of the ombudsman position.

Vice-President, Academic Affairs Ryan Harley: will draft a policy entitled “Responsibilities of Academic Staff with Regards to Students,”

which will outline the academic rights of students, and submit it to the provost. Harley will also continue researching co-curricular transcripts, academic experience surveys for all students, and a fall reading week.

Vice-President, External Affairs Ian Smith: will research the viability of a student information desk, work toward finalizing an airport shuttle service, getting a Maritime Bus stop on campus, expanding the volunteer database, and lobbying for an expansion of Mountie Money uses.

Vice-President, Campus Life Heather Webster: will update MASU mental health policy, aim to improve MASU-alumni relations, enhance services provided to MASU clubs and societies, and create a MASU stance on the payment of Mount Allison residence assistants.

Vice-President, Finance and Operations Josh Outerbridge: will work on a “streamlined consent process” for the health and dental plan, review MASU budgeting processes, review MASU printing services, and conduct a structural review of union committees with an eye toward separating them into committees and commissions.

Vice-President, Communications Matt Ranson: will continue to work on the MASU website, while managing MASU advertising campaigns, auditing the communications portfolio, looking into a clubs and societies database, and looking into MASU-branded items.

The Argosy

NEWS

www.argosy.ca

UNB faculty on strike, locked out Strike deadline passes, professors picketing

This Week in the World Joanna Perkin

Kenyan ‘corpse’ wakes up in hospital morgue

Cherise Letson FREDERICTON (CUP) — Fulltime professors and librarians at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) are now on strike.

After months of meetings, UNB and its full-time faculty were unable to reach a collective agreement as of Sunday night. The Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers (AUNBT) set a strike deadline for 12:01 am Monday morning.

“For a long [time] it seemed like we were heading towards a strike, but it really did seem as though the last few days that [the university] was making an effort and they were back at the table,” said AUNBT president Miriam Jones.

“So I was really disappointed.

I’m not sure why they were going through those motions and making the same financial offer they made . . . it was almost like they were daring us. It was really odd,” Jones said.

Picketing began at all UNB campuses Monday. Jones said negotiations will continue throughout the strike. However, there are no new meetings scheduled at this time.

She said there was nothing the union’s bargaining could have done to prevent the strike.

“I honestly think there was nothing our teams could have done.

They were very patient, professional people with no walking out,” Jones said.

The university said in a release that they’re still committed to reaching a deal.

“UNB remains committed to achieving a new collective agreement

3

Paul Mutora tried to kill himself by swallowing insecticide and was declared dead at Naivasha Hospital on the evening of Jan. 8. The next day, terrified mortuary workers heard sounds coming from the cold room, and ran out of the morgue. It was later discovered that Mutora had woken up alive and breathing in the hospital mortuary. Kenyan authorities have launched an investigation into the case. The hospital’s chief medic suggested to the BBC that the mistake could have happened because the drug used to treat him slowed his heartbeat significantly.

UNB faculty have been striking since Monday. (Karsten Saunders/Brunswickan) that serves the broad interests of students and the university community and that improves the current contract with faculty,” the release read.

UNB Student Union (UNBSU) president Ben Whitney said that the UNBSU is disappointed with the news and are planning their next steps.

At the UNBSU’s council meeting Sunday night, a motion was passed for the UNBSU to remain neutral during the strike.

“We feel students will be best represented if we continue to work with both sides for a number of reasons,” Whitney said.

The UNBSU has been encouraging students not to pay tuition until the situation is resolved.

On Tuesday morning, UNB announced it was locking out faculty.

UNB president Eddy Campbell said they decided to lock out the professors to avoid further complications, such as professors crossing the picket line.

“We just thought it’s clear we need to be able to say that ‘no full-time faculty are at work during this time,’” Campbell said. “[I]t’s very unusual and New Brunswick seems to be the only province where administration

seems fond of locking out their staff.

They did it at St. Thomas a few years back and that didn’t go very well for the administration,” Jones said.

Both sides of the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) and Mount Allison University have been closely following developments at UNB. “We fully support our colleagues at UNB, and we wish them all the best in their attempt to resolve their differences with the administration,” said Loralea Michealis, President of the Mount Allison Faculty Association.

Michaelis noted that many of the issues viewed with concern by Mt. A faculty, such as, “a re-prioritization of buildings and administration over the academic mission” are also factors in the labour dispute at UNB. She said these trends have been apparent at universities across Canada.

Karen Grant, Mt. A’s VicePresident Academic and Research said, “we hope that they can reach a settlement, but my attention is primarily on [reaching] a settlement here.”

With files from Chris Balcom.

Rebel clashes in Syria leave almost 500 dead Recent fighting between rebel factions in Syria has left nearly 500 people dead since last Friday, after a new coalition of rebel groups called the Islamic Front launched a coordinated series of attacks against the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The fighting has spread across four provinces in rebel-held parts of northern Syria over the past few weeks, and there have been increasing confrontations between ISIS and other rebel groups. The BBC’s John Muir said this has been the worst bout of violence since the Syrian uprising began in the spring of 2011. In less than two weeks there will be an international conference in Switzerland to find a political solution to the conflict, which in total has left more than 100,000 people dead thus far, according to the UN.

White House can’t take Jimmy Kimmel off the air The White House responded to a petition asking for an apology and the removal of Jimmy Kimmel’s television show by saying that the comedian cannot be forced off the air. More than 100,000 people signed the petition following an October broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live in which Kimmel spoke to young children about American government debt owed to China. In this segment, a young child said to “kill everyone in China” instead of repaying China. The White House noted, in response to the petition, that both ABC and Jimmy Kimmel have apologized, and stated that the American Constitution protects free speech, even when it is offensive.

Germany helping dispose of Syrian weapons As part of an international disarmament program, Germany has agreed to help destroy Syria’s chemical weapons materials. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said it is the duty of countries with the technical capacity to help with this immense project. Syria has declared 1,300 tonnes of weapons to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which is arranging for them to be destroyed abroad. Reuters notes this decision could be controversial in Germany, which has been known to have strong pacifist and anti-nuclear movements. Germany has also been known to be reluctant to take part in foreign missions, particularly in the Middle East, since World War Two.

Affirmative strike vote from faculty union MAFA ups the ante in collective bargaining Chris Balcom

News Editor

Unofficial results from the Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) strike vote indicated members voted ‘yes’ to a possible strike by a margin of eighty-six per cent. MAFA represents 159 full-time and fifty-three part-time professors, librarians, and archivists at Mount Allison University.

The strike vote was held Monday and Tuesday to determine if the union’s executive could call a strike if an agreement cannot be reached.

“It does confirm that we have a strong mandate for our position,” said MAFA President Loralea Michaelis.

“The university has tabled a number of proposals that are unacceptable to our members,” Michaelis said.

Michealis said issues of workload, fair salary and benefits for full-time and part-time faculty, and “adequate support for the academic mission” are some key issues that concern MAFA members.

But Mt. A’s vice-president academic Karen Grant thinks salary proposals for full-time and part-time faculty at Mt. A are reasonable and appropriate, noting that part-time faculty are the highest paid in the region.

“The core principles that [have] guided our negotiations from the start are a commitment to quality, sustainability, and studentcentredness,” Grant said. “We don’t have an endless amount of money, and we think that the salary offer we’ve made is fair [and] sustainable in the long term.”

Michaelis argues that Mt. A competes for faculty on a national scale, and that part-time faculty in particular are dramatically underpaid in the Maritimes.

“There is no question that the university has the [financial] ability to accommodate our proposals in some fashion,” Michealis said.

However, some of “the most

objectionable” proposals from the university are those that put increased power in the hands of deans and administrators in terms of evaluating faculty performance.

She said these issues appear in university proposals involving use of student evaluations of teaching, and processes of approving tenure and sabbatical.

The university framed these proposals as “streamlining” and “reducing faculty workload.”

Changes to the use of student evaluations of teaching are described as giving students a greater voice.

Michaelis said from MAFA’s perspective, these changes seem intended to empower deans rather than students.

The MAFA negotiations website states “the current priorities of the administrators do not appear to include increasing support for the academic mission.” Michaelis said that while MAFA does not object to university spending on building improvements and administration costs, it seems the University has neglected academic spending relative to other priorities.

Grant strongly objected to

MAFA’s characterization of university priorities, stating, “the overwhelming majority of our budget is committed to the academic mission.”

The university has made the details of a number of its negotiation proposals publicly available on their website. “We feel we have an obligation to communicate to the entire university community,” Grant said, noting that students, parents, alumni, and other parties have a vested interest in collective bargaining, but lack access to information.

Michaelis described the decision to publish the specific details of the university proposals as “unfortunate.” While she appreciated the desire to keep concerned parties informed with general information and objectives, which MAFA has also done, Michealis said she is concerned.

“It suggests an […] inflexibility.

Once you take a position in public on a detailed proposal it becomes much more difficult to retreat from that position,” Michealis said.

Michaelis also said she felt that much of the information posted

on the university page has been presented in a misleading way.

MAFA launched its own negotiation website in December to address those concerns. And the union has filed a complaint with the province’s labour board over the University’s decision to publicize proposal details.

Grant said the administration remains committed to reaching a negotiated settlement. On Jan. 6, the university announced it would not exercise its legal option to lock out faculty until after convocation.

“Nobody wants a strike,” said Michaelis, noting that MAFA still hopes to reach a negotiated settlement with the university.

“We’re still trying to use all measures short of an actual strike to get negotiations moving.”

Both negotiation teams met with a provincially appointed mediation officer last week, both together and separately. Michaelis expressed some optimism regarding the mediator, who has previously been involved with collective bargaining at Mt. A. “However we can get to a negotiated settlement works for me,” said Grant.

SHIP’S LOG

January 16, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

The Argosy’s Weekly rundown: upcoming events EVENTS

End of withdrawal period

Fr iday Jan. 17, 8:30am - 4:30pm R e g i s t r a r ’s O f f i c e End of withdrawal period for yea long 3 and 6 credit courses.

Last day changes

for

registration

Fr iday Jan. 17, 8:30am - 4:30pm R e g i s t r a r ’s O f f i c e Last day for change in registration in Winter term 3 credit courses.

Mansbridge Summit

Fr iday Jan. 17, 3 - 8:30pm Conservatory of Music This annual day-long event will serve to bring Mount A together for a day of discussion, debate, and learning. The Summit address iss u e s t h a t a r e v i t a l t o C a n a d a’s f u t u r e i n t h i s c a s e , C a n a d a’s e t h i cal role in the face of a worldwide water shortage. More information i s a v a i l a b l e a t w w w. m t a . c a / s u m mit, for any questions or concerns please contact Kelsey Eatmon at kaeatmon@mta.ca.

TEDx event

Saturday Jan. 18, 8am - 10pm Conservatory of Music A completely student run da full of inspiring speakers and videos that get you thinking. There will be a variety of ideas from across different disciplines that will be presented, and they all fall under the theme, thinking outside the box.

Last day to pay account balance Monday Jan. 20, 8:30am - 4:30pm R e g i s t r a r ’s O f f i c e Last day to pa account balance w i t h o u t p e n a l t y.

Stephen Mulkey Presentation

Tu e s d a y J a n 2 1 , 6 - 9 p m Crabtree Auditorium Carbon Divestment for Campus G r e e n i n g , p r e s e n t a t i o n b y D r. S t e p h e n M u l k e y, e n t i t l e d “ C r i s i s a n d Opportunity in the Environmental Century: A Manifesto for Higher Education.”

A RT S & M U S I C Susan McEachern: Equine Studies Opening

Fr iday Jan. 17, 7:30 - 8pm O we n s A r t G a l l e r y Foye r Wo r k i n g m a i n l y i n p h o t o g r a p h y, M c E a c h e r n’s f o c u s f o r t h i s e x h i b i tion stems from an interest in the equine/human relationship. This interest includes the exploration of historical aspects of the human relationship to horses as well as ideas on gender and feeling.

Fo r f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i on c on t ac t Rebecca Blankert, Senior Gallery Intern, 364-2475, owens@mta.ca.

Suzie LeBlanc Recital

Sunday Jan 19, 3 - 5pm Conservatory of Music S uzie L eBlanc, soprano, with David Greenberg (violin and bass violin), Nick Halley (percussion),

J a c G a u t r e a u ( g u i t a r, k e y b o a r d s a n d d u l c i m e r ) a n d A l e x a n d e r We i mann (harpsichord). “ The More the Merrier /Plus on est de fous, plus on rit ”. A celebration of w i n t e r, f r o m C h r i s t m a s t o C a n d l e mas, featuring Acadian traditional music. Tickets are available at the d o o r, $ 1 0 / $ 5 s t u d e n t & s e n i o r. Fo r more information please call 3642374 or email music@mta.ca.

University and l’Universite de Moncton. Admission is free, all are welcome. for more information please call Mt.A Music at 3642374 or email music@mta.ca.

S P O RT S Swimming - Away

Saturday Jan. 18 AUS Invitational Meet at Dalhousie

C a n a d i a n Wr i t e r R e a d i n g D r e w Ta y l o r

Wo m e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l - A w a y

Tu e s d a y J a n 2 1 , 4 - 5 : 3 0 p m O we n s A r t G a l l e r y Foye r From Cur ve L ake F irst Nations i n O n t a r i o , D r e w H a y d e n Ta y l o r is an award-winning playwright and author of fiction and nonfiction the nature and relations of aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians, with a trademark note o f h u m o u r.

Saturday Jan. 18, 2pm Mt. A vs. MSVU

M e n’s B a s k e t b a l l - A w a y Saturday Jan. 18, 4pm Mt. A vs. MSVU

Swimming - Away

Sunday Jan. 19 AUS Invitational Meet at Dalhousie

Wa i t i n g f o r t h e m u s i c

We d n e s d a y J a n . 2 9 , 4 - 5 p m Conservatory of Music C o l l o q u i u m M u s i c u m : D r. K e v i n M o r s e , “ Wa i t i n g f o r t h e M u s i c : Anticipation and Expectation i n C o n t e m p o r a r y C o m p o s i t i o n” .

Admission if free, all are welcome t o a t t e n d . Fo r m o re I n f o r m a t i on please e-mail music@mta.ca or call 506-364-2374.

Wo m e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l - H o m e Sunday Jan. 19, 1pm M t . A v s . U KC

Wo m e n ’ s H o c k e y - A w a y Sunday Jan. 19, 2pm Mt. A vs. St. FX

Wo m e n ’ s Vo l l e y b a l l - A w a y Sunday Jan. 19, 2:30pm Mt. A vs. STU

Entre Amis

We d n e s d a y J a n 2 9 , 8 - 1 0 p m Conservatory of Music Entre Amis, featuring student performers from Mount Allison

M e n’s B a s k e t b a l l - H o m e Sunday Jan. 19, 3pm M t . A v s . U KC

“Evening of Art” annual Parking on town streets during fundraiser snow clearing/removal operations: Autumn House, CumberlandCounty’s transition house, will hold it’s annual “Evening of Art” fundraiser on Saturday, January 25, 2014, at the Wandlyn Inn., in Amherst. This event features pieces of art donated by local artists and artisans. The doors open at 6:30 and the auction begins at 7:30. A $25.00 ticket will give you admission

to the auction , hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, two drinks of wine or beer, and a chance to win a piece of art.

All proceeds go to support the vital work and programs offered at Autumn House. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at Autumn House by calling 667-1344.

G & G to host Spectacular Spectacular on Sunday Norman Nehmetallah Entertainment Editor

Garnet & Gold is holding its annual fundraiser this Sunday evening at 6:30 pm at the Pond. The wet/dry event, called Spectacular Spectacular, will feature performances by audience members and the cast of this year’s Garnet & Gold production, Beauty & The Beast.

Although the annual event is traditionally a showcase of the Garnet & Gold cast, performance space is being offered on a first-come, firstserve basis. Performers are welcome to perform an act of their choosing, ranging from more traditional song

and dance numbers to stand up comedy routines.

The pay-what-you-can fundraiser will be hosted by two cast members of the show who will be in both character and costume. The fundraiser is being held to offset costs and build anticipation for Beauty & The Beast, which opens six days after the event on Thursday Jan. 23. The production, which is $10 for students and seniors and $12 for adults, runs from Jan. 23 to 25, with a matinee on the Saturday.

Tickets can be purchased at Joey’s or the MASU office.

Event organizer Ben Winn requests that performances should be relatively age appropriate, falling “somewhere between G and 14A.”

As per By-law No. 231-A By-Law to Regulate Street Traffic, Section 8. reads as follows: 8.6 Notwithstanding any other provision herein contained, no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle on any highway or public parking lot owned or maintained by the Town of Sackville or portion thereof, during the following times: 8.6.1 Commencing at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of December in any year and ending at 12:01 a.m. of the first day of May in the following year between the hours of 1:00 a.m and 6:00 a.m. on each day, or

8.6.2 At any other time so as to interfere with snow plowing or snow removal operations conducted by the officers, employees, agents or independent contractors of the Town of Sackville.

8.8 An RCMP officer or the By-Law Enforcement Officer may order removal and impound any

vehicle, which is found illegally parked or causing obstruction to traffic, on any highway.

8.9 In addition to any other penalty herein provided, any person whose vehicle has been moved shall pay to the Town or the Towing company, the amount of all towing, moving and storage charges before such vehicle is returned to him.

8.10 The Town of Sackville, RCMP, or the Town of Sackville ByLaw Enforcement Officer assumes no liability for any damages occurring to a vehicle moved or impounded under Section 8.9.

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Of students and strikes

The York dilemma:

OPINIONS

Sexism or secularism?

Mitchell Gunn As of this writing, there are fewer than twentyfour hours until the Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) begins a vote to decide whether or not its members can go on strike in the near future. By the time this article is published, they will have already made up their minds.

And here I thought that it would be relaxing to come back to university after the inevitable stress of the holidays.

MAFA, representing over 200 full- and parttime faculty members and librarians at Mount Allison, has negotiated with the school since the summer, after the previous collective agreement expired on June 30.

As negotiations sputtered back and forth and with the strike vote looming on the horizon, both the administration and MAFA unveiled websites outlining their angles.

Please, though, don’t let your research end at their websites. There are plenty of resources for gathering a wider perspective of the situation, such as looking at the coverage of last year’s faculty strike at St. Francis Xavier University or the strike at the University of New Brunswick.

I strongly advocate looking at these or other sources, or at least taking the MAFA and administration websites with a grain of salt. With the agendas and biases circulating in a nuanced situation like this, it can be very difficult to get a clear picture of things from sources directly involved in the matter, but it’s certainly worth a try.

This is particularly true when a lot of Mt. A students are curious about the specifics of these negotiations and the potential implications of a strike vote. When I asked some of my peers what they thought about the current state of affairs, I received more questions than answers; the most common inquiry I heard was, “what does this mean for me as a student?”

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that is the most important question being asked right now, if for slightly unintuitive reasons.

A university is, on some levels, a business, and these negotiations are very much focused on the business side of things.

But more than that, university is a service industry. One of its foremost goals should always be to facilitate the continuing education of its students, and to do so in the most efficient and effective way possible. This, more than anything, is the problem that I have with this entire negotiating process, whether it leads to a strike or not.

While the fallout may not cause egregious damage to my education or that of my peers, the fact that it could potentially cause any damage whatsoever—and furthermore, that both my educational institution and my educators themselves seem to accept that possibility—is upsetting to me.

I agree that some of the MAFA’s grievances may be valid and others may not, but I do not believe that what they are doing is going to benefit me, my fellow students, or my school.

So while the administration is acting in their best interest as a business and the faculty association is acting in its members’ best interest as employees, I hope all of my peers will act in their best interest as students. Namely, I hope that we will all do our research and voice our opinions, because they certainly matter here; now more than ever.

And above all, I hope we’ll continue asking that critical question: what does this mean for me as a student?

An accessory to intolerance York is infringing on student’s religious freedoms Tessa Dixon Controversy is stirring at York University amidst a disagreement between the administration and one of its faculty members.

Last September, an unnamed male student asked permission to be exempt from a group project because he could not, for religious reasons, closely interact with women, who made up a portion of the group.

The professor, J. Paul Grayson, adamantly refused to make accommodations for the students’ religious beliefs.

The student stated, “one of the main reasons that I have chosen Internet courses to complete my BA is due to my firm religious beliefs, and part of that is the intermingling between men and women.”

He purposefully chose to take an online course to protect his religious beliefs and was then asked to do what he specifically tried to avoid.

While Grayson is entitled to his own beliefs, it is per the university’s policy to grant students religious accommodation. In a previous course, Grayson permitted a student who was out of the country at the time of a project to complete an alternative assignment; so surely, he should

be able to accommodate a student for religious reasons.

In a twelve-page report on the exchange with the student, Mr. Grayson stated his worries that excusing the student from the project would make him an “accessory to sexism.”

However, his unwillingness to accommodate the student makes him an accessory to intolerance.

In October, the dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies stated, “I am unpersuaded that it is even arguable that the non-participation of this one male student in group work affects in any way any other student’s human rights.”

As an online class, it is highly unlikely that the other students would be aware that the student was given an alternative assignment. They would be unaffected by an accommodation that would, in turn, make a big difference for the student.

The dean continued to say that Grayson’s response to the students’ request did not respect the “sincerity of the student’s beliefs.”

As a professor, he has the duty to create an environment that has room for discussion and compromise. In the efforts to do what he perceives as morally and socially just, he offended the beliefs of a student. By refusing to try to accommodate the student, he eliminated any possible margin for the understanding of the students reasoning for his beliefs and the expansion of his own knowledge. However unusual a belief is to some, it does not remove from the sincerity of the belief and its importance to the believer.

Defend the gains of women Equality is more important than one student’s backward ideas Liam St. Louis In a free society that cherishes respect for the varying practices, beliefs, and viewpoints of different people, all public institutions have a responsibility to make reasonable accommodations for those individuals whose way of life differs from the norm. Thus, in Canada, we modify our strict RCMP uniforms to accommodate turbans and allow Sikhs to wear their required ceremonial dagger in schools, with certain provisions to maintain safety. We make these accommodations because they pose no threat to the values and principles on which our society is built. It is only when religious or cultural practices do pose a threat that we should reject accommodation and remind people that strongly held beliefs, even religious ones, do not justify compromising equality.

York University justified its decision in part by saying that so long as no one told the girls, nobody would be offended by segregation. And York is correct, insofar as this would likely cause direct harm to no one at all. But that misses the point entirely: the reason for rejecting calls for gender segregation on religious grounds is not that it might offend someone if they knew, but

that it offends the very concepts of equality and inclusion Canada is built on.

Can we imagine the uproar if, as the professor hypothesized, the student had used a twisted interpretation of the Bible to request a project group free of black people? Are we prepared to make space for racism, so long as someone believes it is a divine commandment? I doubt it. Why, then, do we apply a different standard when it comes to sexism?

Yes, people have the right to believe whatever they want. If this student wants to live his days avoiding women in public, that’s fine. But no one should legitimacy to such beliefs by accommodating discrimination.

It is the mark of an advanced society to respect diverse viewpoints. But it is also the mark of that society to know which viewpoints are antithetical to its foundations, and to reject them accordingly. If believing that gender equality is inherently superior to segregation is cultural imperialism, so be it. There are some things more important than hurting people’s feelings.

The right to religious freedom does not justify imposing backwards and medieval ideas on our institutions, no matter how genuinely these ideas are held. Segregation is not some harmless concept a tiny minority of religious people believe in; it is the forebear of institutionalized discrimination, the mark of a society dominated by small-minded thinking rather than equality and progress. Women in Canada have come a long way. Nothing, not even religion, should be allowed to set them back.

THE

A RGOSY

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Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University Thursday January 16, 2014 volume 143 issue 8 Since 1872 Circulation 1,700

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NEWS EDITOR Christopher Balcom­­­

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CIRCULATIONS Sam Shury IT MANAGER James Isnor

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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 design and comics are welcome. The Argosy reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief.

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17 MONOMYTH* King, Does This Not Please You? (Self-Released)

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26 VARIOUS ARTISTS* Rat King II (Killer Haze)

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28 CHVRCHES ORIENTATION SESSIONS EVERY TUESDAY 4PM 364-2221 WWW.MTA.CA/CHMA 3RD FLOOR STUDENT CENTRE

The Bones Of What You Believe (Glassnote)

43 NICK FERRIO* Nick Ferrio & His Feelings (Shuffling Feet) 44 HANNAH GEORGES* Hannah Georges (Dine Alone) 45 JENN GRANT* The Beautiful Wild (Six Shooter) 46 WHITEHORSE* The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss (Six Shooter) 47 VAMPIRE WEEKEND* Modern Vampires Of The City (XL)

29 WILD BELLE Isles (Columbia)

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ALL WORK DUE JANUARY 20 , 2014

ARTS & LITERATURE “Now for Ruin” exhibition at START Gallery

Pringle uses wet plate photography for an old-fashioned aesthetic. Her work will be at START gallery from Jan. 17-21. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) as it allows for creative expression not conventionally available to users of digital or film cameras. In particular, the meticulous detail captured by the plates allows for even the smallest images to be enlarged several times over.

Daniel Marcotte “They’re extremely detailed,” says Arts & Literature Writer Pringle. “You can really blow them up [to large sizes] and still have that sharpness to it. I wanted [them] to As the stylistically evocative have that impact.” photography of Stephanie Pringle In addition to detail, the liquid will indicate, sometimes being at the surface of wet plate photography vanguard of artistic expression means has allowed Pringle to experiment journeying into the past to recover with the real, the imagined, and the so-called ‘obsolete’ technologies. passage of time. Some of her pieces A fourth-year fine arts student at deliberately invoke the supernatural Mount Allison, Pringle unveils her and the uncanny by making reference exhibition entitled “Now For Ruin” at to ectoplasm photography, a START Gallery Friday that explores fabricated phenomenon from the late the method Victorian period of wet plate in which a séance p h o t o g r a p h y “[The wet plate method] would attempt and the artistic really lends itself to the to conjure forth liberties that this spirits and capture look I was going for.” unique medium their presence on provides. camera. Although Steph Pringle the practice was All of the pieces in Pringle’s Fourth-year fine arts student a hoax, Pringle exhibit have been is interested in captured using exploring the ambrotypes, relationship tintypes, and glass between the plates, which are all forms of wet paranormal and the photograph plate photography that were widely through a historical and artistic used during the latter half of the medium. “[The wet plate method] nineteenth century. Because the plates really lends itself to the look I was must be prepared with water and going for,” says Pringle, explaining chemicals beforehand and handled that the subtle murkiness of the carefully as to not disturb its surface, photographs disorients the viewer it is clear that obtaining a photograph by blurring the lines between the using these methods is much more intentional and the natural. “I like complicated and time sensitive having that interaction between the than contemporary cameras. “You’re viewer and the piece.” basically working against time,” After her graduation this coming Pringle explains, due to the small May, Pringle aspires to combine window between priming, taking, and her passions for photography and developing the photograph. For this cosmetics by pursuing an avenue of reason, portable developing studios makeup design for film. She hopes have been crucial to the project, to attend a one-year film makeup particularly for outdoor pieces such program at Sheridan College in her as those taken in Amherst. hometown of Oakville, Ontario.

Despite the added difficulty of wet The reception for “Now For Ruin” plate photography, Pringle chose this will begin at 6:30 pm on Jan. 17 at medium for a very particular reason, START Gallery.

Steph Pringle fuses the historical with the contemporary

January 16, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

Introducing Zettel Magazine Philosophy, lit, and arts magazine revisits avant-garde Michael Dover What is the role of philosophy in the modern world? How does art strengthen our understanding of life? How do philosophy, art, and literature intersect to create new meaning and deeper understanding?

These are questions at the forefront of Mount Allison’s newest venture into the world of publishing: Zettel, an interdisciplinary, tri-annual magazine launching Jan. 18.

Zettel is the brainchild of graduating philosophy major Kristian Gilbert, who was inspired by the independent, avant-garde magazines of early twentieth century Europe, such as BLAST and Minotaure.

Gilbert wanted to recreate the energy of these early publications in a modern format by bringing together artists and scholars from within the university community and abroad, and to this end he has worked with his editorial team for the last six months to create a brand new publication from the ground up.

Gilbert and his team, who had no publishing experience prior to their involvement with Zettel, described the process as challenging, but also exciting and deeply fulfilling.

Alexi Katsanis and Emma Bass, Mt. A students who worked with Gilbert on the project, recounted the new appreciation they gained for the detail-oriented nature of the publishing world, mentioning that everything from the font selections to the margin widths required careful planning and deliberation. The team credits Elijah Teitelbaum of The Underbridge Press for his technical assistance, describing Teitelbaum as an invaluable asset who helped to fine tune Zettel’s formatting.

Despite the daunting workload, the Zettel editors are unwavering in their commitment to transform Zettel from an online blog to a physical publication. In our ever-evolving, Internet-driven world, Gilbert is determined to ensure that Zettel will be something special that can be savoured and enjoyed, and he believes that a published magazine is the only way to ensure the proper ambience.

To illustrate his point, Gilbert compared the difference between the magazine and Zettel’s online blog to the difference between a “fine cigar and a cigarette.”

Gilbert described the first

publication as “eclectic,” but hopes that future issues of the magazine will be able to focus on specific themes.

The tentative theme of Zettel’s second issue will be space, which should spark reflection on the variety of ways that space as a concept manifests itself in our society, whether as personal space or shared space, the space between objects or the space within ourselves.

Jesse Francis, who spearheaded Zettel’s Internet presence and contributed the cover art for the first issue, explained that one of Zettel’s primary objectives is to take familiar themes and then to re-examine them through a variety of different media and perspectives. To this end, Zettel has adopted the Necker Cube as its emblem, citing the image’s perplexing combination of transparency and ambiguity as a source of inspiration.

Anyone who is interested in purchasing a copy of Zettel will be able to pre-order the first issue online at www.zettel.ca. Alternately, issues can be purchased from the editorial team in person at the launch party Jan. 18 from 7 pm until 10 pm. The party will be held in the abandoned opera house above Ducky’s Pub on Bridge Street and will feature music, drinks, and original art.

G&G to present Beauty and the Beast Cast and crew anticipate show’s première Daniel Marcotte

Arts & Literature Writer With only a week remaining until Garnet & Gold Musical Theatre Society premières their rendition of Beauty and the Beast, the highlyanticipated production is sure to make a powerful impact when it finally hits the stage Jan. 23. Following such productions as The Sound of Music and Willy Wonka, this theatrical take on a Disney classic is sure to distinguish itself among Garnet & Gold’s impressive history of excellent musicals.

Established in 1932, Garnet & Gold has committed itself to community-building and large-scale productions to be created and enjoyed by a diversity of individuals. Justin Thomas, a sixth-year Mount Allison student and Sackville native, has worked with G&G since high school and is currently the set manager for Beauty and the Beast.

“G&G tries to emphasize the community aspect,” said Thomas, accentuating the importance of a “family feeling” that is essential to a productive and cooperative experience. “That sort of illustrates what theatre is: it’s a very collaborative art form where everyone has a mutual purpose.”

Meghan McLean, who stars in

the lead role as Belle, believes that everyone involved in the production has a unique role that has brought the play to life. “Everyone has different talents … you learn to play up everybody’s strengths and appreciate them for what they bring to the table.”

This sentiment is also shared by newcomers to the G&G stage, who note that the process provides an opportunity for first- and secondyear students to learn from their more experienced peers. “It’s like levelling up,” Kelsey Otto said, who notes that her role as dance captain has allowed her to explore new avenues of choreography and stage direction.

Although the play itself adheres fairly closely to the Disney interpretation, McLean identified that a challenging aspect of the production has been finding herself in her character, Belle. “It’s easy to fall into the Disney cliché and just read your lines like a princess” she joked, noting that the character is one she has wanted to play since childhood. While she admits to being influenced by portrayals of Belle in both the Disney film and other theatre productions, McLean explained that an actor or actress must insert a part of themselves into the character in order for it to be truly successful and believable. “You can tell somebody how they should play a certain part, but until they figure it out for themselves it’s not going to come across as authentic.”

McLean also praised the production’s artistic drector Karen Valanne for dedicating an impressive amount of time to exploring the complexity of the characters and

helping each performer to make it their own. “I’ve never been in a show where we’ve put so much thought into the lines and what’s written down on the page. We’ve gone through and really investigated what everything means.”

In addition to being an enjoyable and educational environment behind the scenes, many cast and crew members are confident that the production has much in store for the audience. Some, like Kelsey Otto, are particularly fond of the handiwork of Kendrick Haunt, the production’s costume designer. “The costumes are quite brilliant,” Otto said.

Others have cited the large-scale effects and dynamic set design as a highlight of the production. Because this is his last year at Mt. A, Justin Thomas has spent an immense amount of time conceptualizing and constructing an immaculate set that mixes the historical with the fantastical. “This is going to be one of [G&G’s] most technical shows,” he said.

McLean claimed that the combination of talents is what really solidifies the fullness of the production. “I feel like there’s something for everybody,” she said. “I hope that it’s going to be as much of a magical experience for the audience as it will be for me.”

Beauty and the Beast will be performed in Convocation Hall Jan. 23 to 25 at 8 pm, with an additional matinee on Saturday at 2 pm. Student tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 at Joey’s, Tidewater Books, and the MASU Office, or $12 at the door.

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9

Mt. A student to appear on MasterChef Canada Allison Abernethy represents East Coast on national television Julia McMillan

Arts & Literature Editor They say that if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Secondyear Mount Allison student Allison Abernethy has proven that she can not only stand the heat of the kitchen, but she thrives on it. Abernethy was selected as a one of the top fifty cooks for the debut season of MasterChef Canada, where she will show audiences across the country how she braved the heat of competition to create kitchen masterpieces. The show premières on CTV Jan. 20 at 9 pm.

Abernethy’s experience with MasterChef Canada began in August when she was selected among thousands of applicants to appear on the national reality television show.

Culinary aficionados will likely be familiar with the American version of MasterChef, starring the eccentric and award-winning chef, Gordon Ramsay.

The judges for the first ever Canadian season of the show are renowned restaurateurs Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile, and Alvin Leung. The trio have the task of narrowing down the contestants through a number of individual and team-based cooking

Allsion Abernethy will be representing Eastern Canada on MasterChef Canada Here, Abernethy prepares a savoury carrot soup. (Chris Donovan/Argosy). challenges and weekly elimination rounds. The last chef standing will take home the MasterChef trophy and a hefty $100,000 prize. Abernethy, an Annapolis Valley native, was one

of three Maritimers selected for the top fifty.

Abernethy, a nineteen-year-old business and psychology student, applied for the show in the early

spring. After undergoing a series of fast-paced interviews and auditions that examined both her cooking skills and her personality, Abernethy received the news that she was chosen as a MasterChef finalist while on a family vacation in Prince Edward Island.

“It was really special because I had about half my family around me when I got the call, and everyone [was] just so excited. It was a night of celebration,” Abernethy said.

“In my whole entire life, that is probably my most memorable moment. I was feeling so many different emotions at the same time. I was so excited, but I was also thinking about school, so it was really a tugof-war.”

Abernethy’s concerns about school stemmed from the fact that filming would take place in Toronto during the fall semester. She did, however, manage to balance both. During October and November, Abernethy headed to Toronto to begin her culinary journey. Although she left town, her reason for doing so remained a secret, in order to maintain the show’s confidentiality. No one other than Abernethy’s family and a few very close friends knew what exactly she was doing during her absence.

Abernethy was finally able to publicly announce her accomplishment on Dec. 9, after filming had ended.

Abernethy reports that participating on MasterChef was an overwhelmingly positive, though challenging, experience.

“Going into it, I was as openminded as possible. I told myself this

was an amazing opportunity, and I’m going to try to absorb absolutely everything around me as much as possible, because you’re in such a whirlwind of being in a world that you think you know something about, but you know nothing about until you do it.”

However, for Abernethy, the focus of MasterChef wasn’t all about the competition: it was mainly about learning new things and connecting with other chefs from all around Canada.

“The best part for me, and the most memorable thing for me, was the new forty-nine friends I made during the show.”

Now that Abernethy is back in school, she still makes time to hone her cooking skills throughout the week. She places an emphasis on using local foods in her cooking practice, and loves the creative aspect of working in the kitchen. She notes that she rarely makes the same dish twice, and never follows a recipe exactly as it is written. The admittedly spontaneous chef favours “simple, humble food,” and is regularly inspired by her grandmother’s southern cooking style.

Even though the filming process is over for Abernethy, for the rest of Canada her journey is just beginning.

Audiences all over the country can tune into MasterChef Canada on Mondays at 9 pm to follow the competition. To celebrate the season première, Abernethy will host a viewing party on Jan. 20 at The Pond.

CHMA welcomes artist-in-residence Zachary Gough Gough presents ‘Correspondence’ and ‘Circus of the Normal’ Julia McMillan

Arts & Literature Editor This month in Sackville, the circus is coming to town. But be warned: this is not your typical circus featuring clowns and trapeze artists.

This particular circus is much more absurd, much more chaotic, and much more surreal. It is the “Circus of the Normal,” where anyone and everyone can take centre stage, and where everyday activities are the focus of intrigue and wonderment.

The circus, scheduled for Jan. 25, is one of two projects that artist Zachary Gough will be bringing to Sackville this month. Gough is also acting as CHMA’s first ever artistin-residence, where he will present “Correspondence,” a platform for community-generated programming that allows Sackville residents to create their own news media.

Gough, who graduated from Mount Allison in 2008, is a Portlandbased artist whose current practice focuses on participatory performance art, and revolves around the concept of art as social practice. Gough’s work typically involves an increased

collaboration that blends audience and artist. This is the case for both of Gough’s upcoming projects, where community participation is an integral part of the creative process.

“The Circus of the Normal” is built upon the precedence that everyday activities can be ridiculous, outlandish, and absurd. It questions the idea of normalcy in our society in a light-hearted way, while celebrating all kinds of individual expression.

“It can also pertain to queer politics,” said Gough. “We can ask ourselves what is normal? What does it mean now? I want to think about the ways that I see myself as normal.

What is the social canvas and what are the things that stand out on the social canvas?”

The circus will be presented as a cabaret, and will feature acts of about five minutes or less. As Gough notes, “the sky is the limit.” The community-based performance is a fundraiser for The White Rabbit Arts Festival. Performers are invited to cultivate a character or develop an act to perform that explores one area of so-called normal life. Anyone who has ever dreamed of joining the circus can email whiterabbitarts@ gmail.com until Jan. 24 if they wish to participate in the performance.

“An appreciation for the absurd is the only requirement,” said Gough. The performance will be held on Jan. 25 in the vacant space next to the Black Duck café.

When he isn’t casting his circus, Gough’s attention is turned to

his month long residency with CHMA—a brand new program piloted in conjunction with Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre. Beginning next week, he will be recruiting volunteers from all around Sackville to participate in a correspondence news team.

Participants can each have his or her own beat. If someone has a particular interest in fracking or agriculture, for example, they could learn to build a balanced and critical radio piece about those issues, as they pertain to Sackville.

According to Gough, creating new media is in itself an artistic form of social practice, and the potential in Sackville to create more meaningful news outlets is yet untapped. This project, he believes, has the ability to create social change and dialogue surrounding significant local issues.

“I understand that CHMA has a heavy student focus, but the potential of what CHMA could offer to Sackville is incredible,” said Gough.

“We consume so much shitty media, and I think it’s a valuable enterprise to engage a new media generation, and get people making their own media.”

“Correspondence” participants will work closely with CHMA to receive on-air training, and will perform sitespecific broadcasts at the end of the month, from Jan. 28 to 30. Interested individuals should email Gough at zacharygough@gmail.com to get involved.

CHMA’s artist-in-residence Zachary Gough is recruiting a correspondence news team this month. Email zacharygough@gmail.com.(Poster by Zachary Gough).

10 YEAR IN REVIEW

Jaunuary 16, 2014

Clockwise from top left: The administration created the U4 League with three Eastern Canadian universities (Nick Sleptov/ Argosy). A composter was among the various environmental initiatiatives at Mt. A in 2013 (Kory d’Entremont/Argosy). After a switch to spring elections, first-year representatives were the only MASU members elected in the fall (Kevin Levangie/Argosy). Mt. A’s badminton team won the ACAA Championship (Sue Seaborn/Argosy). Two more satellite residences closed in 2013, joining buildings like the Pavillion (Fiona Cai/Argosy). The Shinerama campaign raised $45,000 in 2013 (Rosanna Hempel/Argosy). Students and professors alike joined anti-fracking protests in Rexton (Kevin Levangie/Argosy). Maclean’s Magazine ranked Mt. A the number one undergraduate university for the seventeenth time (Chris Donavan/Argosy). The Mountie football team reached the Uteck Bowl (Chris Donavan/ Argosy). The MASU restructure attempt caused internal tension at the end of the year (Chris Donavan/Argosy). Kylie de Chastlain was named Mt. A’s fifty-second Rhodes Scholar (www.mta.ca).

argosy@mta.ca

U 4 L E A G U E C R E A T E D

SUSTA INA BILIT Y ACTIONS

Mt. A unveiled the newly formed U4 League on May 1 alongside three other Eastern Canadian universities: Bishops University, Acadia University, St. Francis Xavier University.

Although the four schools comprising the U4 League have traditionally been seen as competitors, the league’s formation was done in order to promote collaborative projects among the institutions. As a part of this initiative, an Undergraduate Research Showcase was organized and held at Acadia, and a Student Leadership Forum was held at St. FX.

More Sackville businesses looked to go green, and the warmer weather brought with it the opening of the community gardens.

The addition of the Big Hanna Composter in Jennings Dinning Hall helped further Mount Allison’s commitment to sustainable living, as it was estimated that the composters would be able to turn 60,000 kg of food waste into approximately 20,000 kg of compost. The sustainability initiative took a hit, however, with the closure of the Mt. A Farm for the 2013-2014 semester.

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Mount A kicked off the fall term with Shine Day, a fundraising event for Shinerama, an organization combatting cystic fibrosis. Mt. A’s Shinerama campaign has gained momentum over the past six years; while it raised an average of just $17,000 from 2000 to 2008, the funds exceeded $50,000 in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, the campaign fell just $5,000 short of its goal, raising $45,000. Shinerama chair Caleb Stark said he was proud of Mt. A’s accomplishment.

PRO T E S T S

M AC L E A N ’ S R A N K I NG

Protests against hydraulic fracturing in Rexton made international news during confrontations between activists and RCMP officers. It was part of a “Global Frackdown,” which saw multiple protests around the world. The protest was directed at gas company SWN Resources after The Elsipogtog First Nation issued it an eviction Oct. 2. Premier David Alward held the line that fracking provides a necessary boost in New Brunswick’s economy.

Mt. A was ranked by Maclean’s magazine as the best primarily undergraduate university in Canada for the seventh consecutive year. In the twenty-three year’s of Maclean’s University rankings, Mt. A took the spot seventeen times.

President Robert Campbell said, “This type of national recognition is a strong indication that the University, as a community, is meeting its objective of being the best undergraduate university in Canada, as we strive to be one of the top in North America.”

F R AC K I N G

The Argosy

YEAR IN REVIEW

www.argosy.ca

M A S U

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E L E C T I O N S

The MASU elections were held in the spring, rather than in the fall, as had been done in years past. There was a remarkably low turnout for the elections for off campus and residence counsellors—only twenty-nine candidates vying for an already reduced twenty spots—leading the MASU to extend the election period, in the hopes of gaining more candidates. Several position were left vacant at the conclusion of the elections, and the restructure itself faced intense questioning.

BADMINTON CHA MPIONS

The Mount Allison badminton team captured its fifth consecutive ACAA Championship banner the weekend of Feb. 16. They walked away with every banner, dominating from start to finish. Four players went on to compete in the CCAA Nationals. This year, with one tournament already under its belt, it looks to carry on their winning streak.

S A T E L L I T E S

C L O S E

The university announced that it will close the doors of the satellite Anchorage and Carriage (Animal) residences, which together housed thirty-two students. Mount Allison’s VicePresident Administration David Stewart said in an interview with the Argosy that the residences were “not financially sustainable,” due in part to a lack of demand. Other satellite residences, Bermuda and Cuthbertson, had already been closed, the latter of which was sold by the university and moved to a new lot on York Street, where it will be made into offcampus housing.

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The Mount Allison men’s football team ended its successful season at the Uteck Bowl, where they fell to Université Laval Rouge-et-Or. Sackville swelled in anticipation as the game neared, expecting thousands to attend the game. After a huge win in Halifax against St. Mary’s University, Mountie pride teemed on campus and online. The game was televised and attracted students, faculty, alumni and Laval fans. In 2014, The Mounties look to continue their exodus from a multi-year slump.

M A S U R E S T R U C T U R E Near the end of the winter term, drama surrounded the MASU’s attempt to restructure its executive cabinet. While some MASU members called the process hasty and uncomfortable, others claimed it was professional and necessary. In the proceedings, Social Science Senator Hillary Thomson resigned from her position in the MASU, saying, “I cannot bring myself to agree with the way it is currently run and I am uncomfortable being associated with it any longer.”

Honours Canadian studies and sociology student Kylie de Chastelain was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship. De Chastelain is Mt. A’s fifty-second Rhodes Scholar, its eleventh in the last thirteen years. While at Mt. A, de Chastelain engaged both inside and outside the classroom. She served as vice president, academic for the MASU her third year and currently works as an intern for the Purdy Crawford Centre and the Centre for Canadian studies. “I am honoured and very thankful for all the people who supported me to help me get here,” de Chastelain said.

SCIENCE

January 16, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

Consumer Electronics Show debuts new technology Las Vegas showcases innovations in the technology world Martin Omes

Science Writer

It is a brand new year, and at the start of every year comes the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas: a show full of light, sound, and electricity showcasing the various projects that the top companies in the world are working on in 2014. This year’s CES wasn’t the most surprising, innovating, or even one of the more interesting ones compared to previous years, but that does not mean that there aren’t amazing devices currently in development. Between the gargantuan televisions, a sea of wearables such as smartwatches, and the thousands of iPhone accessories, there were some really great innovations in store. Here are some of the highlights of CES 2014, which include innovations in gaming, health, and even driving technology.

PlayStation Now was not a surprise to anyone, as Sony’s acquisition of the company Gaikai made fans expect a major announcement. The announcement of streaming PlayStation 3 games to other PlayStation devices through cloud gaming was as expected. However, what caught the crowd off guard was the announcement that

it would also work on televisions, smartphones, and tablets. The games that were demoed at CES ran very smoothly. When Sony rolls out this service in the summer, you can be sure that it will be a progressive step toward the future of gaming.

Also major in the gaming world was Valve showcasing its thirteen hardware partners for its Steam Machines. Attendees got a chance to try out the many different prototypes and provide input on how it should be configured. It is still unclear of how PC gaming’s move into the console space will pan out, but fans are anxious to discover what will become of this project. The controllers showcased were insanely light (some say they felt like a feather), and were uniquely creative and precise. But the question remains: will it ever match a mouse and keyboard?

Every year, Oculus Rift brings a newer and better prototype as it continues to develop. They are currently developing a headset that has an all-encompassing virtual reality. With the headtracking system this year being capable of letting you lean over ledges and peer around corners without causing motion sickness, we await the final version of the Rift. Oculus was able to bring together an immersive world of a fastpaced space-fighting game, which felt extremely legitimate and could lead into how video gaming might be in the future.

With the immense ocean full of wearable technology, there was one company that stood out beyond the others. Ekso created a highly functional wearable exoskeleton, which will allow paraplegics to walk. During its demonstration,

Honours Profile Corey Mesh

Ekso brought forward former professional snowmobile racer Paul Thacker, who fractured his fifth thoracic vertebra during an accident. He first walked using the exoskeleton within eight months of his injury. Currently, it only moves forward (no reverse), and turning at sharp angles seems to be the highest technical and physical challenge for the walker. The battery lasts about four years, and the promise with this innovation is that there is a lot more that they can do. With the motorized assistance from the exoskeleton, this innovation can impact the lives of those with physical disabilities significantly.

One of the biggest hits of the showcase came from the car company Audi. It is a system that feeds upcoming traffic light data directly into your cockpit. For example, if the suggested speed is sixty km/h while driving, the system tells you if you will make the light travelling at that speed.

When the light is red or about to turn red, the system shows how many more seconds until it turns green. The goal is to help you make more green lights while driving, and when you can’t, alert you to how long you will have to wait.

However, this might be a few years away from officially getting into cars, as getting the traffic light data from cities is extremely difficult in the first place. Various cities such as Berlin have run trials, but it has been a long and tiring process according to Audi. During the event, the car was hooked up to the Las Vegas system where people were able to give it a test ride accompanied by a police escort, just in case anything happened.

After a few normal tests, the driver closed

Study reveals coffee has no dehydrating effect Researchers in Birmingham debunk age old myth Sarah-Anne Steeves

Aviation student Corey Mesh poses with a plane at Moncton Flight College. (Corey Mesh/Submitted)

Allison O’Reilly Science Editor

Corey Mesh is a fourth-year aviation student completing an honours project in computer science. His research, which involves investigating electronic flight information systems, allows him to equally integrate his two fields of study.

Mesh’s thesis is entitled “What am I looking at?: Data visualization of electronic flight information systems.” The research for his project involves interviewing a selection of pilots from across the country, which includes military personnel, commercial airline pilots, and flight instructors. Mesh does this by sending them a questionnaire. The questionnaire asks questions pertaining to their information flight systems, such as what makes them good, and what could be improved upon. Mesh plans to conduct followup interviews as well, in order to get more in-depth answers.

“This was the perfect way to combine my two majors,” said Mesh.

In addition to the questionnaire and interviews, Mesh is conducting a literature review of how past and present flight information systems have

been designing. He is also looking at how modern technological advances could be applied in order to design new, safer, more efficient systems.

Mesh is working with mathematics and computer science professor Robert Rosebrugh, who is the head of the aviation program at Mount Allison. Mesh’s research interests lie in human-computer interaction, which is a subfield of his thesis. According to Mesh, Rosebrugh was the “natural guy to go to,” due to his knowledge, and being an experienced pilot himself.

The aviation program at Mt. A, which involves collaboration with the Moncton Flight College, has been growing since its inception. Those who graduate with a bachelor of science in aviation will receive a commercial pilot license, a multiengine class rating, and a Group 1 instrument rating. Mesh, who has been flying for many years, already has his glider pilot license, private pilot license, and his night rating (which involves flying at night time).

If his thesis turns out promising, Mesh plans to take a masters program in computer science, specializing in human-computer interaction.

Using his knowledge, he hopes to one day design new information systems.

“As a pilot and a programmer, I know both sides of the system,” said Mesh.

his eyes; ten seconds later, a loud buzzer rang through the cabin to get his attention, and if that didn’t work, the car automatically stopped itself in the middle of the highway (hence the escort), and turned on its emergency signals. In future developments, the car will also instantly call 911 and use a series of cameras to make sure the driver is awake. However, only two countries (the United States and China) do not have specific provisions that prohibit self-driving, which will make this transition much longer.

The biggest surprise for the whole event had to be the bendable television, which both Samsung and LG revealed. The gigantic 4K OLED televisions actually bend and unbend with a press of a button, and creates an immersive and lifelike picture. Those that may think that it will be a while for this technology to become perfectly functional would be mistaken. Samsung announced that it will start selling them this year. It will be expensive, but if you can afford it, you will be able to own a TV that is a lot more futuristic than whatever you are watching on it.

Another surprise came from the company FLIR, which has a case that will turn your iPhone into a thermal camera. Remember the heat vision in the movie Predator? Well now you can have those same powers, where the case contains a heat camera. You can use it to check your home insulation for leaks, to check your temperature for a fever, or to cheat at hide-and-seek. The FLIR One will launch this spring with the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s at the price of $349, which is a far cry from the original $1000 most people predicted.

A new study has found fault in the popular myth of the dehydrating effects of coffee. The study, from the University of Birmingham School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, found that men who regularly drank coffee experience no significant fluctuation in hydration levels.

As counterintuitive as it may seem, coffee for a regular drinker will not cause dehydration. The fifty male participants in the Birmingham study are regular coffee drinkers and were told to follow a strict set of guidelines to prevent excess fluid loss. The participants were not allowed to engage in physical activity or consume alcohol during the study.

Just as the participants’ lifestyle was monitored with care, the researchers measured the levels of hydration closely. Each participant was subjected to multiple tests to determine his fluid loss or gain.

With all of the measures in place, coffee was found to be just as hydrating as water for the participants.

“Despite a lack of scientific evidence, it is a common belief that coffee consumption can lead to dehydration and should be avoided, or reduced, in order to maintain a healthy fluid

balance,” said Sophie Killer, lead author of the study, in a statement. “Our research aimed to establish if regular coffee consumption, under normal living conditions, is detrimental to the drinker’s hydration status.”

It is important to note that these participants were selected based on their coffee consumption.

All of the participants drank between three to six cups of coffee per day. As coffee consumption becomes integrated into regular day-to-day life, the body processes it in a different manner.

A previous study concluded that coffee has dehydrating effects, leading to the myth. The previous study looked at the effect of coffee after the participants abstained from the beverage for a period of five days. It was found that the effect of coffee began to reverse in as little as four days. The issue was that these researchers were using participants who were not regular coffee consumers, leading them to believe that coffee caused dehydration.

Other studies have looked at the effect of caffeine on the body. The problem with these studies is that coffee and caffeine are not equivalent.

Coffee contains caffeine, but is not entirely made up of caffeine. There are too many variables present in coffee to say whether coffee is dehydrating based on the effect caffeine has. For this reason the dehydration effect of a smaller more potent caffeinated beverage cannot be ruled out. With coffee, there is enough water to balance out any dehydration. The same cannot be said for a beverage that has a higher caffeineto-water ratio.

So as long as that caffeinated beverage is a coffee, you can ignore the myth and keep sipping your cup of joe.

The Argosy

SCIENCE

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Mt. A alumni give advice to science students Students come to learn about careers in science Keegan Smith Over sixty students gathered in the Wu Centre for an instalment of the Career Exploration for Science Students series last Friday. The event focused on a burning question of university seniors the world over: What do I do next? In an effort to answer this question, the faculty of science invited several graduates, all currently employed outside of academia, to come and give talks about the decisions they’d made along their career paths.

The event was opened by Dean of Science Jeff Ollerhead, who then passed the floor to Natalie Donaher, a research associate with the Mount Allison Biochemistry Department.

Graduating with honours in biochemistry in 2006, Donaher completed her M.Sc. at Dalhousie, before returning to work at Mt. A in 2009. Although she loved being part of the academic community, the

lifestyle (or lack thereof ) of a Ph.D. researcher had less appeal to her.

“I now have the best work/life balance of anyone I know,” she says.

Travelling frequently, Donaher attends international conferences as part of her job. Her recommendation for students placing themselves in the sciences was to read a blog from someone in the field, and to use self-assessment tools to try and determine their aptitudes.

Next up was Richard Isenor, another biochemistry graduate (1989), who is now manager of the NSERC Atlantic Regional Office. With a master’s in environmental studies from Dalhousie and a Ph.D. in science and technology policy studies from the University of Sussex, Isenor’s multidisciplinary education has led him “from science to social science and back again.” After getting his doctorate, Isenor served the government in a number of positions, including working in the Northwest Territories and the Privy Council Office.

Looking back, Isenor reflected that while many of his career moves were by his own determination, many were also his own ability to capitalize on happenstance. He acknowledged that Mt. A had given him an uncanny set of skills at an undergraduate level, with

Dean of Science Jeff Ollerhead addresses students in the Wu. (Nick Sleptov/Argosy) unparalleled research opportunities and close contact with his professors.

He has no major regrets from his path, “but I do wish I’d stuck with French,” he admitted.

Nic McLellan, a conservation programs specialist with Ducks Unlimited, was unable to make it, but was replaced by Ollerhead, who spoke about the consideration necessary to start your own business. “Consider

taking a minor in commerce,” he says, noting the advantages of a diverse liberal arts education.

Katrina Hitchman (psychology, 2002) is now a manager of knowledge mobilization and training for the Canadian Water Network. Her tips for students are to spend time with key mentors, keep your options open, and build on the opportunities that come your way.

Jenni Horsfall (biology, 2006), now a pharmacist at Jean Coutu in Sackville, took a gap year before pursuing pharmacy, saying that more than anything, Mt. A gave her a strong work ethic and considerable experience, including good references.

Moira Peters (physics, 2003), a sommelier and wine educator, who runs the Halifax-based Unwined Tasting Parties, was the final speaker in the series. An entrepreneur and self-professed “wine nerd,” Peters was able to give a lecture about the science of wine-making and discuss the finer points of chasing one’s passion, both while giving the audience a lesson in how to judge a wine.

The session provided students with a lot of information, and a lot to mull over. Perhaps the most important thing to take away from it all is that no matter where you want to go, there is someone out there who can help. The university keeps tabs on their alumni, and can suggest someone who might be able to give you the advice that you’re looking for.

Keegan Smith is a masters student in biology at Mount Allison.

Environmental News Dalhousie University

MSc Clinical Vision Science with concurrent Graduate Diploma in Orthoptics and Ophthalmic Medical Technology This professional two-year graduate program offered by Dalhousie University in partnership with the IWK Health Centre’s School of Orthoptics/Ophthalmic Medical Technology provides students with unparalleled research opportunities in the vision sciences along with extensive clinical practice to prepare them for the profession of orthoptics/ophthalmic medical technology.

Orthoptists/ophthalmic medical technologists are allied health professionals who perform a wide range of diagnostic and highly technical procedures and, in consultation with an ophthalmologist, plan, implement and monitor treatment of a wide variety of ocular disorders, including disorders of binocular vision and ocular motility. They are engaged in a wide range of activities including research into ocular motility, education of other eye care professionals, patient education and vision screening.

The program involves 7.5 class credits, two extended practica and a thesis in an area of vision research.

Students are permitted to exit the program after two years (prior to completing a Master’s thesis) with a Graduate Diploma in Orthoptics and Ophthalmic Medical Technology.

Applications for the MSc (Clinic Vision Science) program beginning in September 2014 are now being accepted. Applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree with a minimum B average (GPA 3.0), with at least one undergraduate class in human anatomy and/or physiology, and a class in psychology with a laboratory component. Exceptional students may be accepted without these prerequisites on the condition that they are fulfilled either prior to or concurrent with the program. Work/volunteer experience in the health care field is considered an asset.

Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate the ability to participate in a graduate program conducted in English prior to acceptance into the program. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL test is 580 for the written test and 237 for the computer test.

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students.

Deadline for applications is March 1, 2014.

Further information is available from our website www.dal.ca/cvs or by contacting Clinical Vision Science Program IWK Health Centre 5850/5980 University Avenue PO Box 9700 Halifax, NS B3K 6R8 orthoptics@iwk.nshealth.ca (902) 470-8959

Olivia White Last Tuesday night, a CN Railway train carrying crude oil and propane derailed and subsequently caught fire near the small community of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick. The fires continued to rage at the site of the derailment for the following three nights. Approximately 150 nearby residents were evacuated and later returned to their homes on Saturday.

The train derailment in Plaster Rock is reflective of the increasing number of incidents relating to the shipment of oil by rail in Canada. With regulatory delays in the construction of many pipelines across North America, the petroleum industry has come to increasingly rely on rail as a mode of shipping transportation. With the increasing frequency and seriousness of oil-by-rail incidents, the capacity and competency of Canada’s rail industry to deal with the expanding amount of petroleum needing to be shipped throughout the continent is being questioned.

Aside from these oil-by-rail incidents causing immense safety concerns for communities near railways, the extensive environmental damage from these derailments is a major issue as well. Both the short- and long-term damage to the environment is cause for major concern. With derailments such as the one in New Brunswick, environmental hazards are numerous, from the petroleum that leaks out of damaged rail cars to the air pollution as a result of ongoing fires.

Train derailments like the one in Plaster Rock have multiple adverse impacts on the environment. Due to the highly flammable nature of oil and gas, the extent of the ongoing

fires creates considerable amounts of air pollution, as the petroleum that is burning contains a multitude of toxic chemicals. As well, there is concern over the effect on plant life and soil in the area where the petroleum spilled and left residual contaminant in the soil. On the day of the derailment, one nearby resident reported he was ankle deep in some of the petroleum that had escaped from the train cars.

Soil that has been contaminated will have to be dug up and though much of the spilled petroleum has the potential to be removed, it will be impossible to extract all of it.

Another concerning aspect of the spilled petroleum is the polluting effect on local water sources.

Contamination levels, and the ease of clean-up, will depend on the type of crude oil. Light crude is much easier to collect, as it floats on top of water, whereas heavy crude (like bitumen) sinks to the bottom. It is not known what type of crude the train was carrying. Regardless, these oils contain toxic chemicals that have the ability to permeate into the local environment and contaminate water supplies and local habitats.

When comparing the shipment of petroleum by rail to other methods of transportation, it becomes evident very quickly that rail accidents, though somewhat infrequent, cause the most environmental damage. On average, train spills result in tens of thousands of litres more of crude oil seeping into the environment compared to pipeline leaks. Truck accidents, though frequent, tend to spill even smaller quantities.

SPORTS

The ‘7-minute work-out’ routine After all, who doesn’t have seven minutes to spare?

Célina Boothby From jumping jacks, to wall sits, to crunches and lunges, the famed seven-minute workout is buzzing around the fitness world. So much so that even the New York Times is raving about its simplistic routine and maximizing benefits. Decide for yourself if this workout is actually as good as a session in the weight lift room or a long distance run!

Claiming to only use your own body weight, a wall, and a chair, the seven minute workout can be done at any time by most fitness levels. This workout is based on research done by McMaster University in Ontario. It has been suggested that even a short workout at an intensity approaching your maximum effort, can create immense molecular modifications in your muscles. This has claimed to be comparable to several hours of moderate running or biking!

The order in which the workout is designed is also heavily science based.

This circuit is conveniently ordered to ensure that opposing muscle groups are alternated between resting and working in subsequent exercise steps.

For example a wall-sit is followed

by a push-up to allow for that body part to recover. This allows the body to maintain proper form and technique with appropriate intensity as you may feel tired but not overworked. Researchers explain that this simplified workout needs to be performed with full throttle effort to ensure heart rate is increased and blood is pumping. The ten-second intervals designated in between the twelve shifts, also aid in ensuring better results are achieved.

There are a few ways to hop on the seven minute workout bandwagon.

Log onto nytimes.com or check out the May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal. Search for “The Scientific 7-Minute Workout” for more details on how to conduct the workout. You can even download free workout apps for smartphones that include the unique twelve steps along with voice explanation and video aid.

The app I use for this workout is titled “Workout Trainer” by Skimble.

It offers a great interactive and easy-tofollow video that has pre-programed your thirty second workout with ten second breaks in between for that solid seven minutes. It’s basically like having your own motivational trainer to get you through this maximum effort exercise.

Give it a try! After all, who doesn’t have an extra seven minutes?

Stay healthy folks!

Célina Boothby is Mount Allison University’s Health Intern.

Sports in brief Compiled by Taylor Losier and Sam Shury Mounties in Miami: Swimmers visit Sunshine State While the Maritimes were covered in snow, the Mount Allison Varsity Swim Team escaped the cold by heading down to Miami, Florida for their Christmas training camp, held at the University of Miami.

Averaging 12 000 meters a day for seven days from Dec. 28 until Jan. 4, the Mounties accomplished swimming a total of 84 000 meters across the trip. They trained alongside the University of New Brunswick (UNB) V-Reds, who were also in attendance.

Now, once again in Sackville, the team continues their training in preparation for their Dalhousie competition next weekend, and the Atlantic University Sports (AUS) Championship in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the weekend of Feb. 7. “[The] AUS will be very exciting. The women’s team is going to go head to head with UNB and the women’s relay team is so close to the Canadian InterUniversity Sport cut. The men’s team, though small in numbers, are still the defending 4x100 free champs and I’m sure Dal wants it back” said Coach John Peters. “If we work hard and support each other, great things will happen.”

Fuller hits buzzer-beater to win exhibition match-up

The Mounties men’s basketball team has had a successful start to 2014, winning games against both the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics and University of Kings College (UKC) Blue Devils at the MSVU McDermott Tournament Jan. 4 and 5.

The first game, a thrilling 69-68 victory, was won on Bradley Fuller’s lastsecond buzzer-beater from beyond half court.

The Mounties rode their momentum into a matchup against the Dalhousie Agricultural College Rams winning 86-71 this past Sunday. The Mounties are now 5-3 on the season in league play, with ten points and fourth place in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association.

The Mounties have been led by consistent play from forward Bradley Fuller— averaging 18 points per game in his last three—and a strong game from Kaleefah Henry against the Rams—16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Mounties play twice next weekend, making the trip to Halifax on Saturday to take on the MSVU Mystics, and coming home on Sunday to play the UKC Blue Devils at 3:00 pm in McCormack Gymnasium.

January 16, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

Better Know a Mountie Jordan Bedard Benjamin Foster

Sports Writer

Mount Allison University is a very special place for the Bedard family.

Both Jordan Bedard’s parents attended the university, where they met and started dating before they eventually got married. Dennis Bedard played basketball at Mt. A in the early 1970s and his son Jordan has now followed in his footsteps.

“I had always just thought I would to come to Mt. A,” Bedard said, “both my parents came here and my brother went here and it just seemed right.

I’m also just from Moncton so it’s not too close to home, but also not too far way.”

Jordan is a fourth-year commerce student and is also in his third year playing for the Mounties basketball team. On the court he is counted on to be a leader because of the mostly younger players on this year’s team.

“It’s weird going from feeling like a younger guy just last year to being the only fourth year returning player on this years team. Most of the team graduated and this year’s team just feels different with all first and second year players.”

Bedard was recruited by exMounties coach Bruce McMillan and played his freshman year under Coach McMillan. He ultimately decided to take his sophomore year off and focus on other activities.

“Basketball really takes up a lot of time and I realized this my second year a lot when I wasn’t playing. I was part of the Bennett House executive

Bedard is currently averaging 7.7 points per game. (Sue Seaborn/Mount Allison) as a social chair that year and it was a lot of fun,” he commented.

The past year and a half he has played on the team and has been a huge part of the transition process under new head coach Duane Starratt.

Bedard started playing basketball when he was five years old. “My dad got me into the game. I started off at house level and when I turned ten I started trying out for higher level teams. That is when I got really serious about the game” he noted.

In high school, the Moncton native left his regular position of shooting guard and instead played center and forward positions because of his size advantage on the other players in his league.

Last weekend in an exhibition tournament at Mount Saint Vincent

University, freshman center Bradley Fuller hit a shot from just outside his own three point line just before the buzzer to give the Mounties a 69-68 victory.

“That is actually one of my best memories I will probably have in basketball. Thirty years from now when I am looking back at my time at Mt. A that is one of the main moments I will think about. It is the only time in my career that I have ever mobbed a guy,” Bedard said.

The Mounties will benefit from Bedard’s leadership for the remainder of the season. He is not yet sure what he plans to do when he leaves the university after he graduates in 2015. His squad has four wins and three losses, and should be back in the hunt for the ACAA playoffs later this semester.

two sets 25-18 and a game-clinching 25-9 fourth set. The UPEI squad appeared a bit tired as the match wore on, allowing Mt. A to close out the match in just under ninety minutes.

UPEI’s club team are vying for a spot in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA). They are currently unaffiliated, but are working hard to be competitive in the conference.

“We’re going to continue to prepare, even though this is a club team right now, I’m treating them as an ACAA team already” said UPEI head coach Josh Corkum. “We have to get in that mentality, keep working hard. Keeping the girls enthusiastic.”

Corkum’s influence on keeping enthusiasm a key part of his team’s game was evident. Late in the fourth set, with the team trailing by a dozen points, an errant kill from a Mounties player grazed a Panther leg awarding Mt. A an unearned point. The Panthers squad could only laugh off the event.

“They won’t get in next year, but they’re really pushing hard to get in to the 2015 season” said Mounties Coach Paul Settle. “They have got some talent over there, and they’re excited about possibly getting in the league.”

“What I liked about [the] game, was that we were able to put all girls on the floor, and we were able to develop a lot of depth in our lineup.” The Mounties have a full roster of ACAA calibre players, and that can be attributed to Coach Settle’s commitment to employing everyone on the roster.

“I feel like we have a very good chance of winning it” Coach Settle said when asked about the team’s chances moving forward. “We started slow. We lost our first two matches and have won everything since.” The team has lost in the ACAA semifinal to Saint Thomas University two years in a row. The Mounties will also have to overcome perennial favourite Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics. The Mystics are reigning champions in the ACAA, and are currently undefeated. The Mounties will face-off against the favoured Mystics on Jan. 24 in Halifax.

The Mystics have only lost one set all season. Coincidentally, it was against the Mounties in the two teams’ first game of the year. Coach Settle’s squad will have to take that experience and use it to be able to outlast the Mystics next week and again come playoff time if they are to achieve Coach Settle’s expectation.

Not ‘Settle-ing’ for anything less than a title in 2014 Women’s Volleyball dumps Dal AC; wins sixth in a row Alex Bates

Sports Editor

The Mount Allison women’s volleyball squad rang in the new year with an exhibition tournament win in Saint John. The team hadn’t been in action since Nov. 24, where they finished up the 2013 part of the season on a five game winning streak. Not missing a beat, they dominated in Saint John, and had their way with the club-level University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers on Jan. 10, winning three sets to one.

Mt. A was able to control the match, and the Mounties took the first set 25-12.

The UPEI squad was able to take the second set, winning 25-21. They were able to go toe-to-toe with the highly-ranked Mounties squad and won the final four points of the set.

Shaking off the second set, the women were able to take the next

The Argosy

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Moncton to host FIFA Women’s U20 World Cup

SPORTS

15

Moncton will draw international attention in 2014 and again in 2015 Alex Bates

Sports Editor The bright lights of an international soccer tournament will be shining on Moncton in the summers of 2014 and 2015. Moncton will co-host the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Under-20 (U20) Women’s World Cup in 2014, and cohost the FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup. The city has hosted a multitude of events in the last few years including three Canadian Football League games, the 2010 World Junior Championship in Athletics, and a Women’s international friendly in 2012 between the Canadian women’s national team and China.

The goal of the tournament was to “truly host an event from coast to coast for the first time” said Stephane Delisle, Venue General Manager for Moncton. “Moncton did a great job of submitting a compelling story as to why they should be involved.”

The tournament could prove to have lasting effects for Moncton’s reputation. The city will continue to build their strong showing of hosting international events in the Atlantic Provinces.

“We’re going to play the 2015 tournament on an artificial turf ” Delisle confirmed.

“Another

Delisle (left) hopes to bring international acclaim to south-east New Brunswick in 2014 and 2015 with a pair of international tournaments. (Greg Agnew/FIFA) requirement of the city was to have a surface with artificial turf as a training field. Indirectly related to our work, the city, together with the province, came together to finish the work late in 2012 on two artificial turf surfaces at local schools. We can proudly say, even before the tournament starts, they have been lasting legacies on the city.”

A draw determining where each fixture will take place will be held in March, but Canada’s round robin

A Journey to India

By Corinne Boudreau

Corinne Boudreau (’15) was one of ten participants in the 2013 Summer Studies in India Program. The following is a short account, in her words, of her experience.

Now in its eighth year, the program offers students a unique opportunity for personal and academic growth through a faculty-led, 8-week program delivered in partnership with the Vivekananda Institute of Indian Studies (VIIS). Located in the southern city of Mysore, VIIS aims to connect students with Indian history, culture and contemporary issues through class work, discussion, field trips, and an array of extracurricular pursuits. Up to 9 credits are available for courses in Indian culture, gender issues, and sustainable development.

For more information about the program, please visit the website (www.mta.ca/india) or contact Mount Allison’s International Centre (international-centre@mta.ca). The application deadline is January 17.

Upon my return to Canada after our two-month study abroad program in India, I was asked by a friend to summarize for her “India in three words”.

I took a breath, thought long and hard, and finally replied: “Sorry. Not. Possible.” She laughed. But really, how do you sum of two months of life-changing experiences in even 3000 words?

Last November, I was initially drawn to the India study abroad program because of the opportunity it provided me to complete some my much-need distribution requirements.

What started as an innocent inquiry,

schedule has already been predetermined because they are hosts.

Canada’s fixtures will be played in at BMO Field in Toronto, and Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Moncton will host the semi-final match-up in the U20 championship, which could feature the U20 Women’s National team.

“Canada is the host nation [and] has been seeded A1, so the group stage has been predetermined for Canada.

Should we be fortunate enough to

have Canada play in Moncton in 2014, I really think that it’s going to bring a new level of attention to the region” said Delisle “I’m quite confident that if people haven’t been interested by the [semifinal match], that on Wednesday, Aug. 20, even more people are going to be paying attention to women’s soccer in Moncton that day.” Delisle is re-assuring that the spotlight will be shining brightly on the “hub of the Maritimes.”

In a five year period, the city of Moncton will be able to say that they have hosted half a dozen nationally televised events. The city has spent a considerable amount of money to make sure that athletics has become an integral part of their entertainment venues, which will allow them to host future international events at their facilities. What was known as the “drive-through” province is starting to become a place of international sport recognition.

Our time in India proved to be, as anticipated, one of learning in multiple areas. In the classroom, our minds were enriched with history, culture, and current issues. Through our field trips and new encounters, our preconceptions were challenged, and our eyes opened to the realities of this diverse rapidly growing nation. The living conditions to which we had to adapt to were not always what we may have desired. But in retrospect, this was a very healthy experience. Here in Canada, we often have no concept of how fortunate we are to have constant access everything that we do, from mere possessions, to larger privileges like healthcare and social security.

The tremendous warmth and generosity of our hosts and the people we encountered throughout our travels was a constant reminder however, that the poorest in possessions are often the richest in love and humanity, and that so many of the things our culture values are in no way necessary for happiness.

In many ways, I am still processing our experience, even months after our return. But my experience has encour-

aged me to question my own lifestyle and beliefs, and re-evaluate what I value and what I want to do with my future. It has reminded me not only of the beauty and diversity of our world, but also of the injustice and inequality, which is as real as the people I got to know and love in Mysore. It’s not about feeling guilty on our part, but about being aware of the greater world beyond our insulated lives, and making our choices in light of this knowledge.

I encourage anyone who wants to experience an amazing culture in the safety and security of a group environment, but still have some amazing times and adventures along the way, to consider this exceptional program. My conviction is that such an experience will continue to reveal things to me for many years to come, and there is no doubt in my mind that it was worth every minute and penny of it. In the words of Saint Augustine, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” There is no better time than now, as the world opens up before us, to explore these new chapters and see where they may lead.

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soon had me captivated by the idea of spending my summer in a new and exciting environment, with tremendous potential for learning far beyond the class room itself.

Though I had tried to do reading and research beforehand, I soon discovered that there is no book or website that can fully prepare you for a new culture. Our first bus drive through Bangalore drove that point home for me. Suddenly, I was seeing for real the images that had been picture in books and magazines, trying to grasp that I was really there. For the entire five hour drive, I remained glued to the window; and for the rest of our stay, I never tired of seeing new and eyeopening sights.

We came to discover that India is indeed a country of sensory stimulation – which in fact often borders on sensory overload. A simple walk down the street from the hostel where we lived brought us into a neighborhood teeming with sights, sounds and smells.

Some were weird and wonderful, others breath-taking in their beauty; and still others were uncomfortably hard to witness.

ENTERTAINMENT

January 16, 2014

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Tantramarsh Blues Society promises three great shows

Sterephonic Eleven hits Sackville this weekend

Acts from New York, Louisiana, and California to play this semester

CHMA’s annual fundraiser features both local and out-of-town acts

Austin Landry

Cameron McIntyre

For over a decade now, with George’s Roadhouse as its regular venue, the Tantramarsh Blues Society has been providing a steady number of live music sets to Mount Allison students and citizens of Sackville alike. The group recently announced its lineup of various blues artists and musical groups that will take the stage throughout the upcoming winter and spring. The three coming acts include promising and accomplished musicians from three distinct regions of the United States.

Kicking off the new season Jan. 31 will be Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, an even-handed, upbeat accordion group from Louisiana who champion their own Creole heritage through their music. The group has been active since the late eighties, having released seven albums, of which 2006’s Hang It High, Hang It Low is their most recent. Leading man Nathan Williams has introduced the zydeco style to a wide range of audiences around the globe. Flanked by his bandmates (most of whom are members of his family), Williams has always been known to provide a confident, foot-tapping tune for his audiences. He has been inducted into

Entertainment Writer

Blues singer Candye Kane, of California, will play George’s March 8. (xrayspx/Flickr) the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and was awarded the Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award last year.

Following the first show, Sackville will welcome the critically-lauded Candye Kane of California. On March 8, she’ll be out to prove why All Music Guide calls her an “empowered, intelligent woman with a clear idea of what she’s doing, what era she’s in, and what her politics are.” Kane—who has been involved in opera, the advent of California punk, and the blues— notably bolsters her performances with a powerhouse voice and a charismatic personality. Kane is a former adult video actress who has graced the stage of almost every notable blues festival around the world, having even performed for the president of Italy.

All Music Guide further provides that “[she] is the real deal, stripper name or

not.”

Guy Davis, an accomplished acoustic bluesman based out of New York City, will conclude the Tantramarsh Blues Society’s season April 11. He’s played in Sackville before and is a society favourite, having appeared in their lineup five times in the past. During his long absence of five years, he’s released several new albums. Davis has made several television appearances on programs such as Conan, and his fanbase includes the likes of Maya Angelou, Jessica Lange, and Jackson Browne.

Among some social circles, attending a Blues Society show at George’s is considered as compulsory an event as any, and this lineup will be expected to draw a comparable number of students and residents. Sackville has many great musical offerings, and these shows are no exception.

Sackville Film Society brings Good Ol’ Freda to the Vogue White’s film offers old fans a new perspective Sam Moore In the early sixties, Liverpool was at the centre of a pop culture explosion.

The Beatles were at the beginning of their astronomical rise to fame and their fanbase was increasing nightly in droves. Director Ryan White’s Good Ol’ Freda shifts the spotlight from the original Fab Four to their receptionist, Freda Kelly.

Kelly, who began as a fan of the band in the days when they were just one of the many obscure bands playing the Cavern Club, became a friend of the band just before they were noticed and was hired by their manager, Brian Epstein, as their momentum increased. The film is mainly a longform interview with Kelly on her experiences with the band as their secretary and the coordinator of the official Beatles Fan Club.

Kelly talks at great length on not only her dealings with the band, from Brian Epstein’s sporadic fits of rage to John Lennon’s temperamental attitude (at one point she talks about when Lennon fired and rehired her within the span of a few minutes), but also on her experiences with the fans as well. From the thousands of daily fan letters to requests for locks of hair, Freda had to deal with just about every type of fan. At one point she was even sent a pillowcase from a fan asking that Ringo sleep on it and send it back. The film is shot almost entirely in Liverpool and switches between Kelly’s home, where she was interviewed, and archived footage of Kelly and the Beatles.

Particularly hilarious are the myriad of photos and film clips of girls who, upon seeing the band, faint. Over the course of the film, there are over a dozen photos of police officers and soldiers taking unconscious girls, recently fainted, hoisted over their shoulders away from a group of thousands of fans swarming the group.

The soundtrack, as one would expect, is entirely composed of Beatles tunes.

Though roughly half of the songs

in the film are covers, it’s still done incredibly well.

Good Ol’ Freda is a delightful documentary. Freda Kelly is a likeable, compassionate woman and her story is an interesting one. Though she speaks with remarkable candidness, there is never a sense that she, or the filmmakers for that matter, is trying to sensationalize anything; it is profoundly respectful of both Kelly and the Beatles throughout.

The one thing that really struck me, however, was not the content of the film, but rather what it was missing, most notably: The Beatles themselves. Neither surviving Beatle was interviewed for the film and, while the film does not suffer for this, their absence stuck out like a sore thumb. It seemed like a movie about someone who was effectively a sister to the band would warrant more than just the thirty second clip of Ringo wishing Kelly well played during the credits.

Regardless of who the film interviewed, or didn’t for that matter, it is still worth watching. Freda Kelly’s story provides a fascinating look at the fans of The Beatles from a unique perspective.

With the winter semester just beginning, Sackville’s longest running music festival is getting ready to continue the trend of stealing the student populace away from their studies before they even have a chance to begin them. Stereophonic takes place from Jan. 15 to 18, with twentysix performances across the four days.

The eleventh rendition of the festival is set to feature a balanced mix of both local and out-of-town acts.

The first night kicks off at the Legion.

Lucas Hicks will start the festival with his signature lo-fi indie standing alongside another Sackville regular, B.A. Johnston, who manages to get his Hamilton-based act into town about once or twice a year. To end the night, Max Grizzly and the Entertainment will play their fully fleshed out folk.

Johnston’s performance promises to put his signature wackiness on display, which will provide an interesting counterbalance to the night’s folk and indie elements.

Thursday will begin on a slightly more laid back note. The melodic folk of Michael Duguay will strike the first chord at 7:30 pm at the University Chapel. The tone promises to persist through the second half of the set with Nick Ferrio’s vocally-driven country songs. Afterward, however, the night will take on a heavier tone. Windsor, Ontario-based duo, Good Things, is playing in the Pond after a successful Indiegogo campaign allowed for the band’s reunion in the Maritimes. Their

speedy pop punk songs will be played along the loud and rumbling hardcore punk of Grease Beast, who are quickly making a name for themselves as one of Sackville’s heaviest bands. Halifax’s Walrus will provide a much needed break from the intensity, rounding out the second night of the festival with their laid back psychedelic pop.

Friday will begin with a show in the Vogue that will feature a trio of projects. Pat LePoidevin will be back in town having completed his nation-spanning album release tour for American Fiction. Baby Eagle will be playing in the absence of the Proud Mothers but will be joined by the Nova Scotian-pop-folk of Jennah Barry. The festival will then take up residence on the far side of town at George’s Roadhouse with a five band set showcasing both Sackville and Nova Scotia punk and general heaviness with The Grubbies, the elusive Weird Lines, Construction & Destruction, and the Mouthbreathers.

The evening’s final set will be topped off by Julie Doiron and the Wrong Guys, the lynchpin of Sackville music.

A live music showcase of the Radio Girls Rock Camp will begin the last day of the festival at 2 pm in the Vogue. The week-long program, which aims to positively encourage girls through music, will provide an opener for Dark for Dark’s light-hearted folk.

Afterward, Struts will play host to a trio of rock acts—Boxers, Wooden Wives, and Jerk Damaged—that will feature aspects of punk and garage throughout. To cap off the weekend, a final show at George’s will feature the punk as always Kappa Chow, the alt-folk and country of Nap Eyes and Fiver, and Baby Eagle and the Proud Mothers playing a blend of folk, country, and garage rock.

Passes can be purchased for $45 at the Stereophonic headquarters on Bridge Street. Individual shows have cover prices ranging from five to twenty dollars.

Josée Caron plays with her band, Yellowteeth, at Stereophonic Ten. (Lea Foy/Argosy)

The Argosy

ENTERTAINMENT

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Simone Schmidt brings her band, Fiver, to town this Saturday night

Mixed Tape Kevin Braiser and Norman Nehmetallah It is our pleasure to recommend some tunes from artists playing CHMA’s eleventh annual Stereophonic music festival. These picks range from new local bands, Sackville legends, and first-timers to the festival. This list represents only about half the bands playing, and you can download a sampler with all these songs and more from www.stereophonicmusicfestival. wordpress.com.

“Undertaker”—Fiver

“Punk as Fuck”—Kappa Chow

Halifax’s Nap Eyes will be playing Saturday night at George’s.

These Sackville/Halifax heavyweights will be playing George’s on Saturday.

“Spitter”—Jerk Damaged These local boys will be playing Struts on Saturday.

“Bone Soldiers”—Baby Eagle Baby Eagle will be capping off the festival at George’s on Saturday night and will be playing solo Friday night at the Vogue.

“Heartbeats”— Julie Doiron and the Wrong Guys This new twist on a Sackville favourite will be headlining Friday night’s show at George’s.

Fiver will play the final show of Stereophonic Eleven on Saturday night at George’s Roadhouse. (Jeff Bierk/Submitted)

The Toronto musician discusses her new album, songwriting, and playing Sackville Cameron McIntyre Entertainment Writer

Simone Schmidt’s solo project Fiver is headlining the final day of this year’s Stereophonic Music Festival.

The Argosy caught up with the Toronto-based artist and talked about her solo project, her newest album, and Sackville.

Argosy: What prompted your solo project? Has it come with any unexpected advantages or disadvantages?

Simone Schmidt: I’d worked collectively over the years, first in One Hundred Dollars, and now in The Highest Order, which meant that I’d been offering up lyrics and songs to a group of people to interpret collaboratively. I’ve learned a lot throughout the process about engineering, producing, about collaboration, about other people’s sensibilities and also my own. After One Hundred Dollars (OHD) stopped working, I had a big back log of songs, some of which I’d kept from the group because I couldn’t imagine that unit playing them as I wanted to hear them, some because the group never could really get a good feel for them. I was encouraged by this engineer and pedal steel player, Stew Crookes, who had produced OHD’s second LP, Songs of Man, and I started to feel competent and confident enough in my opinions and skill to take complete control over a record. I wanted to make room to experiment on my own, to make musical decisions that Paul or Kyle or Simone TB might not like. Though I did work with Stew and Paul Mortimer in arranging and producing the songs, I retained a power over the project which I happily forfeit in a project like The Highest Order where

we do things collaboratively. Both approaches have their freedoms and their limitations, and I’m happy to have both outlets. If I didn’t have Fiver, I’d be less inclined to be generous in my collaborative approach in other projects.

Two great things about having a solo project are the economics of it, and the new life that a changing lineup can bring to a song. It’s a dismal time in the economy for almost everybody on the Earth, given global austerity and economic downturn, and people just aren’t paying for music. Moreover there are thousands of kids in North America with post-secondary degrees, large debts, without career prospects or any trade skills, and they’re all milling around, biding their time, extending their adolescences, being in bands, so there’s this glut of bands out there that are willing to play a show for basically nothing.

Every young band that comes up and is willing to play for a case of beer and no money pushes down the guarantees for the rest of us. I’ve watched the fee for a band plummet over the past six years, which offers promoters no incentive to advertise your shows, so it’s just not economically viable for me to be touring all the time with three other people who are losing money and missing out on making money at home. With Fiver I have the flexibility of switching the lineup, or playing solo. The marker of a good folk song is that it can be heard pared down to just guitar and voice and remain powerful, and so I’m interested in exploring the songs and the show as a solo performer. It’s a whole other thing. I also love the prospect of working with other musicians. When I saw Yellowteeth for the first time I instantly wanted to play with the musicians in that band, and I’m happy I get the chance to over the next few weeks.

a certain instrumentation, and the timing’s right, and it becomes a record. My songs are characterbased—either they contain a full narrative that’s spoken by the person involved, or they catch a character mid act and describe a feeling. The title of Lost the Plot is a reference to a few things, including the absence of the former, in contrast to my songs in One Hundred Dollars, in which full stories were often told.

With this Fiver record, the songs had to do with sickness, cancer in particular, occupational hazards, insanity, violence, depression, the role of women in a sick society, the connectedness between the land and our own bodies. I wanted to sing them all with a particular delivery, a kind of vocal technique that might draw them together, and in so doing, reveal the intersections of certain feelings and experiences, cause and effect.

I’d say the key to the record is “Rage of Plastics,” which I wrote over nine months and whittled away at and still came out just under eight minutes. I wanted to tell the story of a woman who works at the refinery that’s caused her husband’s cancer, but I didn’t want to be straight, I wanted the poetry to carry it, I didn’t want to say the word cancer, I wanted a snapshot of that elephant, of self-medication, addiction, complicity, and the conflict we feel in an industrialized age wherein our very ways of making a living kill us. It’s pretty dense, and references my own lived experience of nursing a partner through cancer as well as Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring. It’s right in the middle of the record and the rest of the songs ripple outwards.

A: What was the writing process like for this new album? Were any songs particularly hard to write or otherwise significant? How did you know these were going to be Fiver songs, instead of One Hundred Dollars or Highest Order songs?

SS: Sackville’s my favourite aunt, and Halifax is her accessory—an Atlantic purse. SappyFest was the first festival I played back when One Hundred Dollars was a duo. Sappy II, I think.

I found it to be a really exciting festival because it married better known acts with lesser known acts, and seemed to do away with the hierarchies that exist at other festivals. I met a lot of people who were very different than me, but really nice,

SS: I write all the time, constantly, and I don’t write songs towards albums. Sometimes songs fit together, and I want to hear them recorded with

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A: You seem to make be in town quite often. Is there anything that makes Sackville a favourable place to play, or is it just on the way to Halifax?

Toronto’s Simone Schmidt will be playing Friday night at George’s.

“Standards”—The Mouthbreathers These Sackville pop-punks will be playing Friday night at George’s.

“Dark Creedence”—Nap Eyes

“The Horse Returns”— Construction & Destruction These favourites will be playing at George’s on Friday night.

“Little City People”—Walrus These psychedelic Haligonians will be playing Thursday night at the Pond.

“Popular Flower”— Nick Ferrio & His Feelings This Peter-beau will be playing a set at the Mt. A Chapel on Thursday evening.

“Black Hole”—Jennah Barry This Nova Scotian folkster will be playing Friday night at the Vogue.

like Ilse Kramer and Paul Henderson. Those people became my friends, and I’ve been lucky to be a repeat performer at the festival, and get to have more friendships in the town, and be supported by CHMA. But what really did it was that in 2011 I did a residency at Struts, and John Murchie was really kind to me, and so I keep coming here for burgers and peace, a break from Toronto, good conversation.

A: You played SappyFest earlier this year with the Highest Order. What was your best memory of that experience?

SS: Playing. Playing music is always the best part of any experience wherein I get to play music.

A: How did you find being part of the secret show on the last night, especially considering the precedent that the Arcade Fire set? Is there any story behind the name Jackson Triggs and the Wine Lips?

SS: Fun. I didn’t think about the Arcade Fire.

Jackson Triggs is Paul Mortimer’s [guitarist and vocalist in The Highest Order] new country alter ego. You can expect a record within the year.

A: What is next for the project after the tour? Are there any possibilities of further collaboration with the musicians of Sackville?

SS: I’ll just keep writing and playing music and tour. I hope to collaborate with Cris Derksen, who’s a great cellist who lives in the West Coast but is moving to Toronto, and to make another record. If I could teleport Josée [Caron], Nic [Wilson], and Kevin [Brasier] to Toronto I’d keep jamming with them (I’m free Wednesday nights, guys).

A: How’re you feeling about being one of the headliners of Stereophonic? Have you headlined any other small festivals?

SS: Happy. Honoured. Yes. Thanks!

HUMOUR

January 16, 2014

Across 1- Dept. of Labor div.; 5- Feudal estate; 10- Commedia dell’___; 14- Blame; 15- All together; 16- Antlered animal; 17- In spite of; 20- Type of ballot; 21- Matters; 22- ___-X; 23- Dance move; 24- Easy gallop; 28- Burst of laughter;

argosy@mta.ca

Answers will be posted to The Argosy’s website.

29- Brillo rival; 32- The end of ___; 33- “___ Brockovich”; 34- Drug-yielding plant; 35- Divide up; 38- Gather, harvest; 39- Expectant desire; 40- One on track?; 41- Building annex; 42- Skills; 43- Emphasis; 44- Nice notion;

45- Thor Heyerdahl craft; 46- Stupid; 49- Anticlimax; 54- Arterial plaque deposit; 56- Draft classification; 57- Clock faces; 58- Actress Turner; 59- Marine mammal, secure something; 60- Brewer’s need; 61- A wedding cake may have three of these;

Down 1- Mrs. Chaplin; 2- Highbrow; 3- Rude dwellings; 4- Even ___ speak...; 5- Something that occupies space; 6- Gray; 7- Centrepiece of the human face; 8- Canadian prov.; 9- Catalyst’s counterpart; 10- Make sense; 11- Bridle strap; 12- Portable shelter; 13- Energy units;

18- Ready to roll; 19- Christmas; 23- River that flows through Paris; 24- Training group; 25- Slippery as ___; 26- Sherpa’s home; 27- Snare; 28- Gets ready; 29- Pizzeria order; 30- Seeps; 31- Prophets; 33- Ham it up; 34- Banned apple spray; 36- Dirge;

37- More bohemian; 42- Purim month; 43- Most reasonable; 44- Model; 45- Tumbles; 46- Neighbor of Cambodia; 47- Magazine founder Eric; 48- Perlman of “Cheers”; 49- Final Four org.; 50- Electrical unit; 51- Actor Morales; 52- Baseball team; 53- Nicholas II was the last Russian one; 55- Sprechen ___ Deutsch?;

(CUP) — Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission

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HUMOUR

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