The Argosy October 2nd, 2014

Mount Allison’s

THE October 2, 2014

ARGOSY Independent Student Newspaper

Full of hot takes since 1872

Vol. 144 Iss. 5

Mt. A students join New York march against climate change

Seven Mount Allison students were among the 400,000 protesters who flooded the streets of Manhattan last week in a call for action on climate change. The march was the largest recorded environmental protest.

“It didn’t really matter where you were from, because everyone was chanting with one voice,” said Elly Hannon, a second-year fine arts student. Hannon joined Graham May, Lauren Latour, Jenna Gaudet, Zoe Luba, Emma Jackson, and Morgan McGinn on the 17-hour drive to New York to participate in the march.

Graham May, a fourth-year environmental studies and international relations student, said it took him an hour to walk from the front of the march to the back. Walking against the flow, May said he saw droves of people, from students to Aboriginal groups to religious leaders to celebrities.

“It felt like the entirety of our society is walking the streets of New York,” May said.

The people marching came from all walks of life, and all over the globe.

“We’re not a fringe group of environmentalists; we’re a constituency,” said Lauren Latour, a fourth-year environmental studies student.

Geography professor Brad Walters said that even in the age of the internet, when online activism is more

popular than ever, physical protests garner more attention.

“There is nothing like bodies in the street to send a powerful message,” said Walters, who taught a course last year on environmental activism. “It’s hard to get through the skulls of young people.”

The students also protested prime minister Stephen Harper’s stance on the environment. Their protests were particularly directed at his continued support for development of the Alberta tar sands, and his absence at the UN climate summit.

“We find it completely unacceptable that Harper refused to attend the summit,” Hannon said.

While many Canadians were outraged at Harper’s absence, Walters said it was no surprise.

“It’s completely expected. Anyone who’s surprised by it hasn’t been paying attention,” Walters said. “He’s not just dragging his feet; he’s actively trying to undermine it.”

While in New York, the group also attended a youth convergence at Martin Luther King high school, where they discussed the challenges of fossil fuel divestment with other students at American universities.

Latour, who leads the protest for Mt. A’s divestment from fossil fuels, said the strategies they heard about could kickstart the protest into “high gear.”

Beyond the divestment from fossil fuels, Latour said that Mt. A can do more to combat climate change.

Environmental clubs like EcoAction seek to lower the ecological footprint of Mt. A, and the Green Investment Fund finances environmental projects.

“There is a lot of room for the expansion of the environmental movement on campus,” Latour said.

“Just because you didn’t go to the march doesn’t mean you can’t carry that movement back to Mt. A.”

Lauren Latour was one of several Mt. A students who participated in the climate protest. (Eleanor Hannon/Submitted)

News

Opinions

Sports

Largest environmental protest in history inspires students Tyler Stuart News Reporter

“It didn’t really matter where you were from because everyone was chanting with one voice”

Harper Exec cancel A Few Words...2 ..l Havoc: Pg. 3 ines..................: Pg. 8

Arts & Culture

Inside...

News Opinions Sports The Rush to Rent Arts & Culture Science Ship’s Log Humour

A Few Words...2 ..l Watson speaks at the United Nations: Pg. ines..................: Pg.48

A Few Words...2 Football Mounties..lhit 4-0 in Quebec: Pg.Pg. 6 8 ines..................:

A Few Words...2art ..l in Mt. A celebrates Sackville: Pg. 10 Pg. 8 ines..................:

2 4 6 8 10 12 13 14

Pg. 9

NEWS

October 2, 2014

Committee seeks input on possible fall reading week Survey asks Mt. A to consider the options

Books by women given fewer reviews in 2013 Richard Kent

News Reporter

Following a year of deliberation and consultation, a university committee is surveying the Mount Allison community for feedback and suggestions on a possible a fall reading week. There is no chance of a new fall break this year, but with strong support, it could happen soon.

The survey, set to close Friday, Oct. 3, asks about a number of possible reading week configurations and is open to students, faculty and librarians. The survey asks whether respondents would like to see any changes made to the fall academic term and what those changes might be.

“The committee was struck a couple of years ago and brought a proposal to senate last January [2014]. The proposal was that it was not in the university’s best interest to introduce a fall reading break at that time,” said Piper Riley Thompson, the student senator sitting on the committee.

“The committee has since been reestablished, and we are revisiting the issue of fall reading break,” said Riley Thompson.

The ad hoc senate committee was created to study the introduction of a fall reading week at Mt. A. The committee is composed of Mt. A

Canada’s literary gender gap

Editor-In-Chief

Jean-Sébastien Comeau

A survey asks for feedback on a possible fall break. (Cameron McIntyre/Argosy) vice-president and Provost Karen Grant, registrar Chris Parker, Student Life’s Gayle Churchill, and faculty Lauren Beck and Liam Keliher. Piper Riley Thompson and Stephanie Davis sit as student representatives.

“Students have expressed a desire to have [a fall reading week], and some faculty have as well,” said Lauren Beck, head of the department of modern languages. “We have a certain number of teaching days that we try and fulfill every semester, and so while we have a week long break in the winter semester, the fall semester wasn’t designed with one in mind.”

The decision whether or not to implement a fall reading week ultimately rests with the senate, which will consider a motion if the committee brings one forward.

The committee will decide if it is appropriate to propose a motion after considering the results of the survey.

In order for a fall reading to be approved for next academic year, the committee would have to present a motion at the November meeting of senate, as that is their final meeting before the 2015-2016 academic calendar is approved at the December meeting of senate.

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While women are writing nearly half of the literary reviews in some of Canada’s most popular and respected media outlets, a new count indicates that books written by women attracted a reviewer’s attention less than forty percent of the time in 2013.

For its third annual count, Canadian Women in the Literary Arts, a volunteer-based feminist literary organization, went through 5613 book reviews published in Canada in 31 print and online publications.

At least some of this disparity is because male reviewers mostly reviewed books by male authors.

Female reviewers split their reviews near evenly between male and female authors.

This year, 46.43 percent of the reviews counted were written by women. 51.75 percent were written by men. Reviewers with non-binary genders wrote only 0.02 percent of the reviews counted.

Women fared worse when it came to getting reviewed. Women wrote just 37 percent of the books in the reviews CWILA counted, while almost 57 percent were maleauthored. Authors who don’t identify along binary gender lines wrote 0.14 of the books reviewed and counted.

The Argosy’s own 2013 numbers left room to improve. Women authored 50 percent of the reviews printed, but only one-third of the

six books reviewed were written by women.

While the numbers may be cause for concern, CWILA Chair Erin Wunker and Count Director Judith Scholes stress that the numbers should be handled with care. Because of methodological constraints, it is possible that counters missed some newspaper reviews. They also discourage anyone from assuming that other publications would show the same proportions as the 31 publications counted.

And CWILA is not ready to infer trends from the data – yet. Scholes said this will take at least three years of comparable data, which is not yet available.

“You can’t draw any claims about trends for at least three years of data that’s collected in the same way,” Scholes said of the methodological and categorical changes that CWILA has implemented since its 2011 count.

“Statistically speaking, we’re trying as best as we can to be as robust within a given year: how we are presenting data, how we are measuring the data, and how we are being transparent about that measurements.” This year, CWILA changed the way it treated books with multiple authors, and how it included writers who don’t identify as male or female. Next year’s count will improve its accuracy with realtime data collection.

Limitations or not, the right people are paying attention. The National Post’s former books editor, Mark Medley, told CWILA that a poor showing in the 2011 count made him conscious of his section’s gender bias.

The Post increased the number of female-authored books it reviewed by nearly ten percent in the 2012 count.

2013 was CWILA’s largest count to date, nearly doubling the number of reviews over the 2012 count.

Student group First-years vote in students’ union promotes blood drive representatives, rounding out council Twenty-five students, staff donate blood Gabriel Christie Twenty-five Mount Allison students and staff donated blood in a Canadian Blood Services drive, supported by Mount Allison Health Care Outreach. The donations accounted for half of the group’s goal for the semester.

The blood drive was Sept. 22 and accepted donors from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tantramar Regional High School. The drive would usually take place at the civic centre, but polling stations for the provincial election forced a change of location.

Health Care Outreach began this blood drive event a few years ago as a part of the Partners for Life Campaign. This campaign meant that the local Health Care Outreach would pledge fifty donations annually, a number chosen by the local members.

“Since we started the Partners for

Life campaign, we have exceeded our donation goal each year,” said Jennifer Connolly, who headed the group’s promotion for the blood drive.

The week before this year’s first blood drive, the group had Canadian Blood Services come to Mt. A to perform a blood typing event at the Student Centre.

“This is where students can find out what blood type they are, and is a great way of promoting,” Connolly said.

Advertising for the event also included flyers, a poster near the stairway of the student centre, and a Facebook event.

“Our goal as Health Care Outreach is to let as many student and staff as possible know about the blood drives,” Connolly said.

Health Care Outreach plans to have another blood drive next semester to hopefully exceed its annual goal, and is planning to expand promotion for future events.

“The idea of making this a residence competition has been mentioned,” Connolly said.

Close races for five candidates elected Willa McCaffrey-Noviss Politics Reporter

After a close race between the many North Side, South Side and Firstyear Representative candidates, the 2014-2015 council is full.

Colton O’Shea and Tina Oh now fill the first-year representative positions on council. Brian Tulle was voted in as North side councillor, joining councillors Jen Frail and Madeline Stewart. Tierra Stokes and upper-year student Osama Al Nammary were voted in to represent the South Side residences, joining councillor James Gorman.

“I am so excited to be on council this year,” O’Shea said. “I knew when coming here that I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself and my academics.”

Oh said she’ll be forthright in her approach towards council participation.

The newly elected councilors, from left: Brian Tulle, Colton O’Shea, Osama Al Nammary, Tierra Stokes and Tina Oh. (Willa McCaffrey-Noviss/Argosy) “I was voted in by first years on the merits of who I am,” Oh said.

“If something needs to be said in council, I’m not afraid to say it.”

North Side councillor Tulle has said he wants to “do whatever is in the best interest of North Side” in council meetings. Tulle expressed interest in improving communication of events, creating advertising that people “can’t just scroll past.”

Of this weekend’s annual council retreat, Tierra Stokes said she’s “excited to learn more about some of the long term goals of council and talk with the [executives] one-

on-one.” Stokes also said she wants to focus on student engagement this year because “that’s what we’re here for.”

South Side Councillor and thirdyear Mt. A student Osama Al Nammary will bring his university experience to council.

He plans to get involved in mental health issues and communications.

The voter turnout was 42.3 percent for first year representative, 49.2 percent for North side councillor, and 50.2 percent for South side councillor.

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NEWS

Right to Play attempts record in frisbee fundraiser effort at Mt. A Students will attempt recordsetting game Tyler Stuart

News Reporter

Martin Parnell hopes Mount Allison will be the site of the world’s largest game of ultimate frisbee as a part of his cross-Canada quest for 10 Guinness World Records at 10 campuses. His ninth stop with be on Oct. 9 at Mt. A where he will need more than 82 people to break the standing record.

Parnell is raising money for Right to Play, an organization that uses “the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity,” according to its website.

Each record involves some type of athletic activity, keeping to the activity-based focus of Right to Play.

They include the largest games of volleyball, quidditch, dodge ball,

tunnel ball, love clap, capture the flag, hockey, and ultimate frisbee.

Parnell’s tenth quest started in British Columbia at Quest University, and will end at Memorial University in Newfoundland.

The organizers of the event hope it will inform students of Right to Play’s mission.

“I want it to be something that brings everyone together and just educates people,” said Ellie Henry, the vice-president communications for Right to Play at Mt. A. “Right to Play’s goal is learning through play,” said Alex Smithers, the vice-president of outreach for Mt. A’s Right to Play chapter. “In some countries where malaria is present, they’ll play games to teach about using nets, but in Canada, Right to Play will play games to teach about bullying.”

Parnell started his mission five years ago when he ran 250 marathons in one year. Since then, he has set four Guinness World Records and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 21 hours.

In his first 9 quests, Parnell raised $600,000. In order to reach his goal

of one million dollars raised over five years, he will need to raise $400,000 by the end of this final quest.

Right to Play Mt. A will ask for a five dollar minimum donation for all participantsin the Ultimate game.

“His goal doesn’t have to be our goal,” said Henry. “It’s important to set a realistic goal for Mount Allison.”

Despite its small size, Mt. A is known across Canada for its strong Right to Play chapter, and was included in the project with large schools like University of Toronto and University of British Columbia.

The executive members of Mt. A’s Right to Play chapter are also looking into corporate sponsorship for the event in order to help Parnell achieve his goal.

Parnell’s Mt. A stop will require a strong turnout of students to break the record and raise the money. The game will be held on park field at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9.

“We are pretty fortunate that we can just go out and have fun with our resources,” Smithers said.

Harper postpones Havoc due to damages, behaviour September brought nearly $2000 of damage Willa McCaffrey-Noviss Politics Reporter

Harper Hall’s president, supported by the executive team and house staff, has indefinitely postponed Harper Hall’s annual residence party. Harper president, Dylan Wooley-Berry, made the decision in response to the amount of damages that have taken place over the first month of the school year. The party, usually known as Harper Havoc, is said to celebrate the residence’s spirit and plays host to residence inhabitants and off-campus alumni.

In the month of September,

Harper has seen a fire extinguisher set off, residents disrespecting RAs, and personal property stolen or broken.

“Over the past few weekends, we’ve had close to $2,000 in damage done to the house and residents’ personal property,” Wooley-Berry said.

“It was obvious the RAs were extremely tired,” said Wooley-Berry, listing factors that contributed to the decision. “There was a pattern of behavioural problems throughout the house.”

“Residents couldn’t behave on their own,” said Residence Life Coordinator Katelyn Roy of Harper’s situation. “The house didn’t think it was a good idea to allow an extra 300 people in the residence to cause ‘havoc.’”

Students living in Harper Hall have expressed concern over the

safety of their belongings and the conduct of the house as a whole.

“What’s upsetting to me is that I’m living with people who don’t respect our home,” said Harper resident and second-year student Jen Frail. “It’s very unsettling to not be able to trust your neighbours.”

“Last year there was a sense of community,” said Frail. “[This year], the trust isn’t there.”

On Sept. 23, a person apologized in the Harper Hall Facebook group in relation to the first extinguisher incident during homecoming and agreed to pay for damages.

“There need to be real consequences that people take seriously,” WooleyBerry said. “We can put [Havoc] back on the table when they smarten up.”

3

This Week in the World Compiled by Joanna Perkin

Volcano erupts in Japan

Mount Ontake in central Japan erupted unexpectedly on Saturday, Sept 27.

Seven people are missing, while 40 are injured and stranded in areas that rescue workers have been unable to reach. Rescue workers were planning to reach the area on foot, as the ash in the air made it too dangerous to use helicopters. One witness said that the eruption started with loud booms, before ash blanketed the surrounding area. Those climbing the mountain at the time describe being engulfed in total darkness for several minutes. The volcano has not had a major eruption since 1979.

Nigerian school girl released by Boko Haram

A girl has made it home after being released by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. Identifying herself as Susannah Ishaya, she is the first to be released out of 219 girls held in captivity for more than five months by Boko Haram.

Their abduction from a secondary school inspired a worldwide campaign for their freedom. There are some doubts about the identity of the girl because she does not speak the local language, but a northeastern Nigeria military hospital is trying to identify her. Ishaya said she was left in the bush and wandered around for four days until she found the village where she taken in. She also said that other kidnapped girls have also been thrown into the bush, like her, when their captors considered them too ill or a liability.

Hamilton youth killed as ISIS fighter

20-year-old Mohamud Mohamed Mohamud, a former student at York University, has been reported as killed by the anti-ISIS military campaign during attacks from Kurdish forces in northern Syria. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service unofficially reported the death last week to his family. In the spring and summer of 2014, Mohamud cut off his friends and family. His family attempted to warn CSIS and RCMP that he may have taken up arms with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militants. They tracked his cellphone to Turkey as he cross to the Syrian battlefront, failing to stop him. At least five Calgarybased Muslims are reported to be fighting for ISIS. Mohamud has not yet been confirmed as the one killed, but it is strongly believed that it was him.

Ebola deaths in West Africa pass 3,000

The World Health Organization reports that the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has passed 3,000. More than 6,500 people are believed to have been infected in the region, with Liberia being the country that has been affected the most. Some studies suggest the numbers of infected could rise to more than 20,000 by early November. US President Barack Obama has called the outbreak a threat to global security. There is a shortage of hospital beds particularly in Liberia. 375 health workers are known to have been infected, and 211 have so far died from Ebola. The United States plans to send around 3,000 troops to Liberia to help tackle the disease and put up emergency medical facilities.

Hong Kong police fire tear gas

On Sept. 28, Hong Kong police used tear gas in an attempt to clear thousands of pro-democracy protesters gathered outside government headquarters. The protesters were challenging Beijing over its decision to restrict democratic reform in the city. Although protesters fled from the tear gas, many came back right away to continue their demonstration. Activists and students have been camped out outside the government complex all weekend. The city of Beijing has called these demonstrations illegal. At least 29 people have been injured and 61 arrested since the night of Sept. 26, police reported on Sunday, Sept. 28.

As of press time, the protests are ongoing.

Serbia Gay Pride march returns

Serbia hosted their first Gay Pride march since marchers were attacked and there were disturbances between police and far-right anti-gay groups four years ago.

This year, the march was held with a massive security presence, including special forces and tanks. Hundreds took the short march through empty streets. Serbia is seeking to show increasing tolerance as it seeks to join the European Union, although Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic announced that he would not attend the march due to other engagements, but made it clear he would not have gone anyway. BBC reports that this sentiment is common throughout Serbia.

Corrections

Harper Havoc has historically been one of the first in a series of residence parties throughout the year. (MASU/Submitted)

Argosy News Reporter Jean-Sébastien Comeau’s name was misspelled in his cover story byline last week.

Sackville’s downtown did not, in fact, close, as was mistakenly implied by the headline “Sackvlle reopens downtown” (page 3). The story was about the reopening of the Bill Johnstone Memorial Park on Main Street, which had closed for renovations.

The Argosy apologizes for these and any other errors.

Suspected errors and requests for correction can be brought to the attention of Editor-in-Chief Richard Kent.

OPINIONS THE ARGOSY w w w. a r g o s y. c a

Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University Thursday, October 2, 2014 volume 144 issue 5 Since 1872 Circulation 1,700

62 York Street W. McCain Student Centre Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1E2

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THE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc., a student run, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization operated in accordance with the province of New Brunswick.

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editorialstaff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Richard Kent

OPINIONS EDITOR Tessa Dixon

MANAGING EDITOR Vacant

SPORTS EDITOR Alex Bates

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Cameron McIntyre

HUMOUR EDITOR Taylor Losier

­­­NEWS EDITOR

ONLINE EDITOR Sam Moore

Kevin Levangie

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Marcotte

productionstaff

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SCIENCE EDITOR Vacant

PRODUCTION MANAGER Brandon Williams

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Chris Donovan

PHOTO EDITOR Sarah Richardson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Donovan

COPY EDITORS Rachelle Tan

ILLUSTRATOR Vacant

reportingstaff NEWS REPORTERS Jean-Sébastien Comeau Tyler Stuart

ARTS REPORTERS Amanda Cormier Michael Dover

POLITICS REPORTER Willa McCaffrey-Noviss

SCIENCE REPORTER Clay Steell

SPORTS REPORTER Benjamin Foster

operationsstaff BUSINESS MANAGER Gil Murdock

IT MANAGER Vacant

OFFICE MANAGER Alex Lepianka

CIRCULATIONS Vacant

contributors Chad Morash, Madeleine Kruth, John Perkin, Gabriel Christie,

Brendan Carroll, Joanna Perkin, Patrick Allaby, Nic SunderlandBaker, Madalon Burnett, Abby Breckles, Anne Haley, Allison Grogan

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Dave Thomas (Chair), Mike Fox, Charlotte Henderson, John Trafford

disclaimers and copyright The Argosy is the official independent student journal of news, opinion, and the arts, written, edited and funded by the students of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Argosy’s staff or its Board of Directors. The Argosy is published weekly throughout the academic year by Argosy Publications Inc. Student contributions in the form of letters, articles, photography, graphic 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. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca or directly to a section editor. The Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion. Letters to the editor must be signed, though names may be withheld at the sender’s request and at The Argosy’s discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

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All materials appearing in The Argosy bear the copyright of Argosy Publications, Inc. Material cannot be reprinted without the consent of the Editor-in-Chief.

October 2, 2014

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The importance of slowing down Through Stained Glass Rev. John Perkin Last week I wrote about U2 and their new album that came as a free download to iPhone users. Canadian singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen also released a new album last week, available through the usual purchase plans. His thirteenth album, Popular Problems, was released just days after Cohen’s eightieth birthday and it demonstrates his staying power through the decades; a postmodernist at the beginnings of postmodernism, he has stayed the course through his artistic career which began as a poet and has moved through noveland song-writing as a musician and performer.

I first came across Leonard Cohen as a high school student when I read “Suzanne” in an anthology of modern poetry. It seems that people either really like Cohen’s work or completely dislike it – but there is no denying his durability in the musical world, or the impact of his songs that have been recorded and covered by so many others. In his return tour in 2008, recorded as the Live

in London album in the O2 Arena, he pontificates between the songs, saying “I’ve taken a lot of Prozac, Paxil, Welbutrin, Effexor, Ritalin, Focalin. I’ve also studied deeply in the philosophies and religions, but cheerfulness kept breaking through.”

He then moves once more into his songs of world-weariness, sung with his deep baritone, the light sounds of the back-up singers, the strings of the accompanying archelaud and organ giving it an almost sacred sound. God is invoked, and religious images abound, but Cohen’s songs do not denote a particular religion; they are drawn from his Jewish roots and filled with the Roman Catholicism that surrounded him in Montreal.

While the images are religious, the songs themselves speak of weariness, emptiness, vanity and sometimes foolishness of life.

Listening to Cohen and reading the lyrics of his works, I am reminded of the biblical writer Qoheleth, author of the book of Ecclesiastes found in the Jewish Tanakh, the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.

The book of Ecclesiastes is written from the perspective of someone who is older, wiser and who has experienced much of what life has to offer and is weary of it all. The book goes on to set out how much of life is filled with the things that

are useless, empty, meaningless, ephemeral. Encouragement is given to enjoy what is in the present, and Qoheleth does not want to abandon wisdom, but to use it to remember to live in the moment and to enjoy the simple pleasures of eating, drinking, relationships, work and the gifts which come from God. It is easy to label Qoholeth as a cynic, but perhaps he is more of a pragmatist – one who refuses to go through life wearing rose-coloured glasses, but who in the senior years of life has some wisdom about not taking everything seriously and questions what needs to be questions and values what needs to be valued. By the same token, Cohen, in his senior years, can readily be labeled a cynic; but beyond that immediate world-weary despair, cynicism and negativity, there is a depth of reflection that emerges in the poetry, the lyrics, in the music and in Cohen’s own voice – as he laughs at what is foolish, but reminds us to hang on to the things that really matter.

In the album Popular Problems, the song “Slow,” the opening track, he reminds us of the need to live slowly and savour what we have: “I’m slowing down the tune/I never liked it fast/You want to get there soon/I want to get there last.”

In a case of absurdity that perhaps

makes the point, when I went to YouTube to play this song, it was preceded by an ad for makeup that “goes on fast” because, as the ad reminded me, “life happens fast!”

Unless, we hear the prophetic and musical reminder to slow down.

Ecclesiastes is traditionally read during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, which takes place in October; an agricultural festival in its origins, it is also a reminder of life and its cycles and its fragility and impermanence.

Ecclesiastes is read in part to give a reminder to avoid getting caught up in the celebrations to forget the divine source of life and to be grounded in the realities of life.

Perhaps, we should also read it at our celebrations of Thanksgiving, or just put some Leonard Cohen on in the background. I think we need the music of Leonard Cohen, like Qoheleth before him, to remind us to put things in perspective, to slow down and live, to face the reality of our own mortality, but not to forget to live in the meantime and appreciate the food we eat, the relationships we enjoy and perhaps the sunlight streaming in through stained glass.

John Perkin is chaplain of Mount Allison University.

Watson’s UN speech underwhelms HeForShe campaign misses the mark Tessa Dixon

Opinions Editor Emma Watson’s now infamous speech about feminism is not as good as everyone says it is. As a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, Watson’s speech garnered attention at the HeForShe conference – a campaign to involve men in the fight for women’s equality – beginning with an invitation for men to become feminists.

Watson’s polite invitation to men to involve themselves in social change isn’t enough. It does not equate a call to action for men to actively participate in lobbying for policy changes, to protest or even call out other men for their treatment of women. Her invitation for men to join “the conversation” about women’s rights does little to fundamentally change anything.

Before watching the video of Watson’s speech, I prepared myself for words of empowerment. I expected to be blown away by the magnitude of her words. After all, this is what I had read countless times. Yet, I was rather unmoved by her words. They were eloquent, her speech was well written and she certainly approached the issue from a different vantage point – the basis of the HeForShe campaign.

There is nothing wrong with Emma

Emma Watson attended the HeForShe campaign as a goodwill ambassador to the UN. (Mark Garten/United Nations) Watson. Her speech didn’t do any harm, but it didn’t really do any good either.

This doesn’t mean that I am not a feminist. It is quite the opposite. It also does not mean that all men are chauvinistic. I am, however, unwilling to settle for mediocrity out of desperation for the challenges faced by women. We should continue to strive for more, whether it is within our own communities or extending a hand to the global community in partnership against misogyny, violence and the ever-present glass ceiling.

Watson discusses male gender stereotypes and the challenges this proposes for me – and she isn’t wrong.

Men are undoubtedly ensnared by the norms that our gendered society commands, but there is no way to equate the hardships faced by women worldwide with men feeling as though they cannot express themselves. If we are to excuse men’s violence against

women by attributing it to a part of their socially-influenced behavior, then we have failed in supporting, protecting and valuing a portion of the world’s population.

“It is time that both men and women feel free to be sensitive. It is that time that both men and women feel free to be strong,” said Watson.

Confidence is certainly necessary. It is of minute importance, however, for women who live in constant fear of sexual assault or having acid thrown in their faces for trying to go to school.

The notion of “he for she” once again instills the notion of men’s inferiority by insinuating that men should be the one supporting women while women have been the arbiters and pioneers of their own rights for years.

If the ends were to justify the means, then Watson’s speech is certainly impressive. She garnered attention and enthusiasm, but what

now? For the thousands of people who shared her video on social media, what actions will they take in seriously influencing the policies and attitudes of our society that fundamentally infringe upon women’s opportunities of equality?

As a society, we are not lacking in discussion, but rather in action. We certainly like to share videos and get passionate about the things by which we feel wronged – a start that usually dies down before gathering enough momentum to be concretely influential.

The speech wasn’t game changing because nothing has really changed.

The United Nations, the platform upon which Watson’s speech was given, is rather useless in this area.

Any UN delegation speech will turn heads but nothing proactive comes about it.

As part of its Millennium Development Goals, the UN aimed for gender equality by 2015.

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OPINIONS

National anthem should be gender-inclusive Liberal MP wants to change part of ‘O Canada’ lyrics Chad Morash Mauril Belanger, a Liberal MP, recently proposed a bill to introduce a small change in the lyrics of the Canadian national anthem. It might be minor, but this change could have remarkably positive effects for women’s rights and Canadian nationalism.

The lyrics to “O Canada” might be part of the innate knowledge of the average Canadian citizen, but does anyone ever stop to ponder the meaning of one phrase in particular?

The current lyrics of “O Canada” are as follows, “O Canada, our home and native land, true patriot love, in all thy sons command.” Belanger, like Stephen Harper who once tried to introduce a similar bill, proposes that the lyrics be changed from “in all thy sons command” to “in all of us command” to be more inclusive of all genders.

When I think back to the times

Belanger is proposing changes in ‘O Canada.’ (Michael Ignatieff/Wikimedia) of singing “O Canada,” moments of celebration most commonly come to mind. I think back to watching a Canadian athlete winning a game or match and hearing the anthem played in their honor. What if the winning

team is comprised of all women? We use the national anthem to celebrate some of our proudest moments, but what if they have been achieved by women, or by those who do not identify as male?

Canadian children often sing the national anthem in school. “O Canada” instills pride in our nation, yet the two words “thy sons” exclude a large chunk of our population. Do we really want to teach our children to ignore the achievements of roughly fifty percent of the Canadian population?

According to Jackson Doughart of the National Post, the changes proposed by Belanger are supposedly “nit-picking,” after which he proceeds to dramatically exclaim that we should just take out all of the lyrics to “O Canada” in order to make the anthem fully neutral.

We should never stop when it comes to change, especially if the changes allow for the full appreciation of the contributions given to us by the whole of Canada’s population. We have fought for much larger issues, such as voting rights and workplace equality – which remains a work in progress – so in comparison, the fight to change a couple of words seems to be within reason.

Why wouldn’t we fight for a change that could symbolize the unity of Canadians?

Traditionalists who prefer to keep the current lyrics argue that issues such as healthcare and tax reform are better-suited progressive thinking, but remain sentimental when questions are raised about national symbols.

CoverGirl wrong for NFL endorsement NFL should be more responsive to allegations against players Madeleine Kruth A recent case of domestic abuse committed by Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice has brought the NFL under intense public scrutiny.

Rice punched his fiancée Janay Palmer in the face and subsequently rendered her unconscious in an elevator in Revel Casino on Feb. 15, 2014. A video of the attack emerged on Sept. 8, after Rice had been indicted on third-degree aggravated assault, the charges of which were dropped after Rice agreed to undergo court-supervised counselling. The total disciplinary action taken against him at that time was a two-game suspension. Palmer married Rice the day after his indictment on March 28.

Ever since the video of Rice’s assault on Palmer in the elevator emerged, intense public discussion has been focused on the league, especially on their management of the extensive allegations of domestic assaults by players on various teams.

As an illustration of how grievous the league considered Rice’s assault on his fiancée, consider the fact that his initial punishment of suspension for two games. When players violate the NFL’s substance abuse policy, they’re suspended for four.

The #CoverGirlCott response to CoverGirl’s Get Your Game On campaign. (CoverGirlCott/Pinterest) This policy suggests that they consider the use of anabolic steroids to be worth twice the suspension time for causing grievous bodily harm to another person without provocation.

What makes the situation worse is that the attack on Palmer occurred in public. This can lead us to the assumption that her treatment in private has been similar or worse.

How often has there been domestic abuse of players’ partners that has been known but ignored due to lack of public pressure?

A recent campaign under the tag #covergirlcott calling for the boycotting of NFL sponsor CoverGirl, until the cosmetic company pulls their funding from the league. In response, CoverGirl issued a press release, reiterating their

support for women and their belief in female empowerment. This brings up the question of what it means to be a female fan of American football.

In their Get Your Game Face On campaign, CoverGirl attempted to reach a female demographic, which is generally ignored in the realm of professional sport. However, one has to ask how much a makeup campaign can really do to contribute to female empowerment in the hypermasculinised world of the NHL. CoverGirl should be leading their campaign through example, terminating their support of the NFL until a serious inquiry has been made in to the Rice case. The league has made steps in addressing the issue through the funding of a national domestic-abuse hotline. However, it

is going to take much more than that to even begin to deal with domestic abuse. There must be a policy of absolute intolerance of any form of abuse – domestic or otherwise. The NFL needs to address the culture that fosters domestic abuse in the first place. Rather than makeup campaigns asking women to put on a pretty face for football games, the NFL and their sponsors need to work on genderequality. We need to begin feminizing the world of professional sport- not through short skirts and eyeliner, but rather through a celebration of healthy and equal relationships and contribute to the end of the violent and hyper-masculinised environment that is the sport’s current culture.

5

The “Restore Our Anthem” movement, a campaign that supports the changing of lyrics of “O Canada,” notes that the proposed changes are not really changes at all, but rather they are a restoration of earlier lyrics.

Until 1908, “O Canada” was fully inclusive to all genders and stayed that way until 1913 when Robert Stanley Weir changed it to its current form.

This change aimed to generate even greater support for all the men going off to war. Although this change may have suited that time period, since then women have integrated into the ranks of the Canadian armed forces; therefore, the artifice of “thy sons” no longer applies.

Unfortunately, despite Harper’s initial goal to change the lyrics, the conservative government has said that it will support changing the lyrics of the national anthem. Although this is a small bump in the road to restoring the meaning of our anthem, I think that even if the government does not change the lyrics of “O Canada,” the people will. The lyrics no longer fit with contemporary quintessential Canadian values of acceptance and equal opportunity cherished by many of us. As proud Canadians, we should fight to change our anthem into something in which we can truly take pride, and into something that celebrates the unity of Canadians.

Letter to the Editor The incoming New Brunswick Liberal government will bring about some much-needed changes. There are indications that the new premier, Brian Gallant, will remove barriers to abortion. Such a move is long overdue.

The closing of the Morgentaler Clinic in July brought the issue to a head.

Pressures mounted to make muchneeded policy alterations; but the Alward regime held firmly to the status quo, as had all his predecessors, both Progressive Conservative and Liberal, for a quarter century.

The medieval mantra, a regulation brought in 25 years ago by Frank McKenna, requires that a woman obtain the approval of two doctors to receive a medically funded abortion.

This legislative maneuver was morally against the spirit of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and out of line with most other Canadian jurisdictions. Gallant’s stance has undoubtedly been helped by national Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.

Federal MPs may have their private convictions, but on this issue, Liberal parliamentarians are expected to support a woman’s right to choose. It is a practice New Brunswick’s Liberals would do well to emulate. However, in New Brunswick, eliminating the misogynist regulation does not require a vote of the legislature: it can be repealed by cabinet.

Hopefully, whether by cabinet or legislature, the change will come very soon.

Eldon Hay, Mount Allison Professor Emeritus, Religious Studies Sackville, N.B.

SPORTS Reid runs over Gaiters for fourth win October 2, 2014

Mounties end drought in Quebec after topping Gaiters Benjamin Foster

Sports Reporter

The CIS eighth-ranked Mounties’ 26-3 victory over the Bishop’s University Gaiters under the lights in Lennoxville, Que. moved the team to an undefeated record of 4-0. This marks the first time in Mt. A team history that they have opened the season with four straight victories.

This is also the Mounties’ first ever road win in an interlock match.

The convincing victory sparks wonder if the Mounties could achieve a perfect regular season, something that hasn’t been seen since in the AUS since SMU’s 2001 season, when the Huskies won the Vanier Cup. With two games remaining against Saint Mary’s (0-4) and one against both Acadia (1-3) and St. FX (2-2), their toughest test will come against the X-Men in their last regular season game on Oct. 25 at MacAulay Field, where the perfect regular season could be completed.

“I think that would be a really great accomplishment, but we want to treat every week as if we were 0-0 and focus on winning the game we have coming up. If it happens, it happens but our goal is to finish first regardless of our record,” said receiver Josh Blanchard.

Reid running for a score in Mt. A’s 26-3 win over Bishop’s. He has now amassed 407 yards this year. (Paul Lynch/Submitted) All three of the other AUS teams dropped their interlocking matches by large margins, losing by a combined score of 153-17.

Mt. A dominated the game with their strong defence and special teams.

The defence forced six turnovers and let up only three points all night.

Running back Chris Reid carrying the offence.

Following a 72-15 loss to Laval the week before, the Gaiters woes continued at their homecoming.

A lost fumble on Bishop’s opening possession gave the Mounties a great field position and they capitalized it with a field goal by kicker Ryan Lambert to make the score 3-0.

All-Canadian safety Kwame Adjei then intercepted a Gaiters pass on

the next drive and brought it back to the Bishop’s twenty-six yard line.

Reid would run it in from seven yards out to give Mt. A a 10-0 lead just five minutes into the game, quieting the homecoming crowd.

The teams traded field goals before halftime, with Mt. A holding a 13-3 lead. They would start to pull away in the third quarter when quarterback

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Brandon Leyh connected with receiver Rodreke Joseph from nineteen yards out to give Mt. A a 21-3 lead.

The Mounties would add one more Lambert field goal after an interception by second-year Devante Sampson.

With the win, Mt. A rose to 4-0, and a full two game lead on it’s opponents in the AUS. “The win felt great! Our defense played outstanding once again, our special teams I felt was very sound, and the offense was there when we needed it,” Blanchard said.

The speedy Reid carried a heavy workload with thirty carries for 175 yards and a touchdown. “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of. Thanks to my offensive line and receivers making great blocks, it makes my job easy,” said Reid.

Reid has been a very important addition to this year’s roster, with questions about how the team would deal after losing 2013 AUS Most Valuable Player Jordan Botel.

Punter Kyle McLean once again led the special teams with 391 yards punting. Sampson had two interceptions and two tackles.

Freshman Nate Rostek led the team with seven and a half tackles. Troy Downton, Matt Montgomery (two), Jacob LeBlanc and Jimmy Scheel all recovered fumbles for the Mounties.

Mt. A will now play a home and away game with the winless Huskies.

The Mounties will try to win their third straight game in Halifax on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The vegetarian diet

Soccer Men fall to UNB

Explaining how to safely forego meat in your diet

Mt. A loses 4-0 to topranked Varsity Reds

Madalon Burnett Now that you’re in university, you might be thinking about what a great time it is for you to start avoiding meat. You’re independent, choosing your own meals, and are surrounded by other students who want to change the world. You’re not alone. According to Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals, eighteen percent of students identify as vegetarian.

Being a vegetarian is a great way for you to become more conscious of your food choices and make less of an impact on the planet.

That being said, your mother is right. It could really damage your health if you jump into a taboo on meat without doing your research.

Most people rely on meat as a source of protein, along with critical vitamins and minerals.

Cutting meat out of your diet means finding other sources of these nutrients, or risk losing the balance in your diet.

The average person needs about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Crunching some numbers, that’s about 46.8 grams for a 130 lb person. In order to get the right amount of protein, vegetarians should be aiming to include a source of protein in every meal, such as eggs, lentils, chickpeas, beans, nuts or high-protein grains like quinoa. It’s also necessary to eat a variety of protein sources to ensure a balance of amino acids is achieved.

Iron is commonly found in red meat, and though many plant-based sources of iron exist (ranging from spinach to oatmeal to kidney beans), our bodies don’t absorb them as well as iron that comes from eating meat. If you eat enough plant-based sources of iron and consume lots of vitamin C, you can probably get away without taking a supplement.

Women need about eighteen milligrams of iron per day, and men need around eight milligrams per day.

Vitamin B12 is another critical component of our diet derived commonly from meat.

We need about 2.4 micrograms per day. This vitamin cannot be found in plants, although it can be obtained by drinking milk, eating eggs or other animal products. To obtain this vitamin from a vegan diet, supplements must be taken.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause permanent neurological damage.

With a strictly vegetarian diet, you may be missing out on a variety of essential vitamins, including vitamins A and D, calcium, and zinc.

If you’re considering becoming a vegetarian, there is nothing stopping you from giving it a shot. If you’re unwilling to part completely from meat, you could still make a difference by choosing meat-free options more often.

When done correctly, it can be a great way to be conscious of the foods entering your body and help out the environment.

Madalon Burnett is Health Intern for Mount Allison University.

Alex Bates

Sports Editor

The Mount Allison Men’s Soccer team were in tough on Sept. 27 against the fourthbest team in the country, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds. The Varsity Reds came in as top dogs in the AUS, holding a record of six wins and a draw. It was a quick turnaround for the Varsity Reds as they had just come off a 2-0 win over the St. FX X-Men not even twentyfour hours prior to the start of their match against the Mounties.

The game started just a few minutes after the Women’s team was able to draw the Women’s Varsity Reds, allowing the Men’s side to hope for a similar result in their match against UNB.

UNB has some of the best goal-scorers in the AUS, and they were held off the scoreboard in the first half thanks to a strong Mounties defence. Marcus Lees and Oliver Jones have a combined score of nine goals in seven matches for the Varsity Reds.

Mt. A’s Kyle Milley was able to shut down Lees in the first half, and Mt. A’s Mario Hennessey and Bradley Payne were able to control Jones in the middle.

Mt. A’s Cale Saunders did have a chance to score on UNB goalkeeper Aaron McMurray just before half, when a lapse in the Varsity Reds coverage allowed him a clear shot on target. McMurray was up to the task. He has yet to concede a goal this season. Going into the half, the score remained nil-nil.

In the second half, the game was a completely different story. UNB came out of their locker room on fire, demonstrating their abilities as the top team in the AUS. George Lawton scored in the forty-seventh minute, giving UNB a 1-0 lead over Mt. A. The Varsity Reds began

to control the play, weaving crisp passes around Mt. A defenders at ease.

Oliver Jones scored in the fifty-sixth minute, and this goal was quickly followed by another tally from Marcus Lees in the fifty-ninth minute.

In the first fifteen minutes of the second half, Mt. A found themselves quickly down 3-0, a disadvantage that had all but sealed their fate.

Diego Padilha, after a dominant game in the midfield for the Varsity Reds, added a fourth goal in the eighty-ninth minute, pushing the game to 4-0, which would be the final score.

The Mounties have now taken a tumble in the AUS standings, now holding ninth position in the league, ahead of only the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus. Mt. A will now host the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers on Sunday, October 5, and would be able to leapfrog the fifth place Panthers in the AUS standings if things go the Mounties’ way this weekend.

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SPORTS

7

Better Know a Mountie: Anne Haley Mt. A. Haley chose to attend Mt. A because she loved the community after visiting her grandparents several times growing up. “My grandparents actually came to Mt. A. They met in frosh week of their first year,” said Haley.

Her rugby career started in grade ten when she chose to play for her high school team in Ottawa. She also started playing hockey in high school and just like she has in every aspect of her life, Haley eventually became one of the leaders of her team.

In her last year of high school, she captained her team to a city championship in hockey.

“It was one of my best memories for sure, especially since we won on my birthday.”

Haley was forced to fight through her fears as well as deal with a position switch in her first season. “I came into camp terrified and then I realized I couldn’t play scrumhalf because there were a lot of older girls ahead of me.

But by midseason I switched to flank and was in the starting lineup.”

The women’s rugby Mounties lost in the ACAA finals in 2011, but came back strong the next season and won the championship. “It was pretty cool.

It was the biggest sporting event I was ever part of. Everyone just really meshed together and we had a good group of fourth year vets,” said Haley.

The fourth-year biology student thinks this year’s team has potential as well. “It’s shaping up to be a good year. We are definitely going to be competitive.”

Haley’s co-captaincy with teammate Sydney Mann was fostered while living together in first year. “I lived in Campbell my first year, which is where I met my best friend, roommate and now the other co-captain Sydney Mann. My best friends and roommates are on the rugby team.

They are my family because I honestly knew no one when I came here.”

Haley is also very involved around campus. To go along with her minor in music, she is part of an orchestra, is in a chamber trio and volunteers at the elementary school teaching kids how to play the violin, all while helping out with the Mounties in Motion program.

Haley is planning on working in a biology lab in Switzerland and following her passion of studying insects and marine biology after graduation.

“My best friends and roommates are on the rugby team. They are my family because I honestly knew no one when I came here.”

Haley has been a key part of the Women’s Rugby team, and has aided them to a 3-0 start in 2014. (Anne Haley/Submitted)

Benjamin Foster

Sports Reporter

Driving to Mount Allison from her hometown of Ottawa, Anne Haley had no idea how important rugby was

going to be to her years at Mt. A, as she was not even planning on playing.

“I didn’t bring any of my gear at all.

My mom asked if I was going to try out on the drive here, and I said, ‘no, that’s crazy, I would never be good enough to play at university level.’ She was a varsity basketball player at Ottawa

University so she knew the benefit of joining a team,” said Haley. “She pulled the car into a sporting goods store and went in and she bought me a pair of cleats and rugby shorts and she forced me to go try out.”

It was quite a beginning for the now co-captain’s rugby career at

Better Know a Mountie is presented by the Connors Group and ScotiaMcLeod.

Volcko propels Mt. A to 2-2 draw Women stun AUS-best Varsity Reds after late penalty kick Alex Bates

Sports Editor

The Mount Allison Women’s soccer team has now drawn their last four matches against their AUS opponents.

Four consecutive draws is sometimes a bad thing for squads, signalling consecutive games where chances were left on the field.

It would be hard to justify this diagnosis for the last four matches, particularly the last two. The Mounties have gone up against the two best squads in the AUS and came out with points in each match. Against the Cape Breton University Capers, Mt. A was able to draw their opponents 1-1, something the team hasn’t done since 2010.

Against the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds this past weekend, Amanda Volcko scored two goals on penalty kicks, pushing Mt. A to the draw against the best team in the AUS. The game opened with UNB scoring a very quick goal. Eden Vanderlaan was awarded the goal, coming off a corner kick just two minutes into the match. The end result looked bleak for Mt. A, but the Mounties did not lose

The Women’s team have now tied four consecutive game, including two against CBU and UNB. (Sarah Richardson/Argosy) their composure.

After settling into the match, Mt. A began to create their own opportunities, and in the thirty-second minute,

Amanda Volcko had an opportunity at the goal after dribbling by the Varsity Reds defenders. She would be hauled down inside the eighteen-yard box,

giving her an opportunity to tie the game from the spot before the half.

Volcko made good of her opportunity, tying the game 1-1.

In the second half, Mt. A conceded a goal in the sixty-third minute to Kayla Painter. The goal came off a penalty kick, and the goal seemed to all but seal the Mounties fate.

It wasn’t until the eighty-ninth minute that the Mounties had an opportunity to tie the game. The Varsity Reds were called for a hand ball in the box, allowing Volcko, once again, to tie the game. Just before extra-time had began, she knocked the ball by UNB goalkeeper Sami-Jo Bell, tying the game 2-2.

UNB, who hadn’t lost a game all year, were shocked by the Mounties two goals, and for the referee’s decision to award Mt. A two penalty kicks in the match.

Regardless of the officiating, Mt. A was once again able to draw against a team that is superior, at least on paper.

These performances attest to Mounties head coach Gene Ouellette’s ability to develop his squad, and make them more competitive against their AUS opponents. Strong head coaching was something that saw the Mounties have several strong seasons under head coach Barry Cooper, and Ouellette has been able to emulate Cooper’s success in just his first few games with the club.

Mt. A will now welcome the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers to MacAulay Field on Sunday, Oct. 5. UPEI sits just ahead of Mt. A in the AUS standings, with a record of three wins, two losses, and two draws.

8

THE RUSH TO RENT

October 2, 2014

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Why rush? It’s a

Is the appeal of a secured lease enough to justify the anxiety of finding a place for nex

Left, off-campus residents Mario Hennesey, Dale Turcotte, and Drew MacCormack stand in front of their rented townhouse in The Commons (Sarah Richardson/Argosy). Right, university-run re

Kevin Levangie Cameron McIntyre Sam Moore With eleven months before the beginning of the next school year, and just five months since most current leases came into effect, Mount Allison students are already scrambling to secure off-campus housing for next year.

The housing rush, an annual event Sackville’s students, brings house showings, lease signings and calls from the landlord. While a number of landlords say the rush to sign leases benefits students by allowing some to secure the best rental units early in the year, many students find the date unreasonable.

Sackville landlord Drew Fraser, whose properties include the popular King Street townhouses known as The Commons, says the early time frame is beneficial to all parties.

“It prevents the last minute rush … It’s beneficial to us in that we know our buildings are full and we don’t have to continually show them. [Showing them

is] the disadvantage because if somebody calls us and says, ‘We’d like to see your apartment,’ we do it at one open house,” said Fraser. “Students can all come in at one time, and it’s less of a disruption to the existing tenants. I think it’s beneficial to everybody.“ Not all students agree with Fraser’s assessment.

“It’s really stressful,” said Janan Assaly, a second-year student currently living in Windsor Hall. “We found a place, but basically we had to fight tooth and nail to get it.”

If the housing rush occurred later in the year, Assaly said she would likely already be living off-campus.

“First semester you’re trying to figure out who you are, what you wanna do,” said Assaly.

“And by second semester I realized a little more what I was more comfortable doing and I was moving out on my own for the summer, so I was more ready for it.”

One of Sackville’s most propertied landlords, John Lafford, says landlords are not going to turn away prospective tenants when they contact them to rent a place. “We wouldn’t want to say ‘Don’t sign the lease’ if [students] want to sign

the lease. You know, if you go into a shoe shop and ask the owner to sell you some shoes he isn’t going to say, ‘No, not right now,’ said Lafford.

Six of the seven landlords interviewed said they were happy to have their units rented for the next year as early as possible. All but one landlord said it was very beneficial for them to have the lease signing process take place early in the year.

Fraser encourages students to re-sign by imposing a deadline for resigning before the leases are made public to those who are not already tenants. This is because his Commons properties are in high demand and are reliably filled as soon as they are available. “Our tenants that are in the buildings, it’s right in their lease that they have until Oct. 1 to tell us whether they’re staying or going,” said Fraser, who also owns other properties specially adapted to student living. “On Oct. 2, we release the leases that we have for the available units.”

Lafford begins inquiring about his current tenants plans around Thanksgiving.

Other landlords are in less of rush to have their tenants

resign, preferring to have the process unfold as it will.

Dave Ritchie, owner of Starship Enterprises, a property management company in Sackville, was the dissenting opinion among landlords. “It’s a bit of a juggling act, because you’re trying to forecast 12 to 18 months in advance,” he said of the conventional time for lease signing. “If anything, it’s a bit more of a challenge for the property owners than for the students.”

Landlords, students, and students’ union representatives alike are all unsure about the origins of the rental rush.

Most, however, speculated that students drive the rush by hurrying to beat others to the most desirable properties. It also seems as if this rush has been going on for at least a decade.

Lafford, one of the longestserving landlords interviewed, said the leases were being signed as early as September and October ten years ago when he began renting in Sackville.

“That’s always kind of been the trend at Mount Allison,” said Ritchie, who began renting properties in Sackville in 2006. “I kind of attribute

that to students’ being on top of their game and trying to get ready for the next year.

It’s kind of controlled by the student body; they are the ones who are starting early so we as landlords are trying to accommodate them.”

“When I first got into the market I automatically assumed that I would get calls in July and August for September, and I missed the wave the first year because everyone kind of knows where they want to stay almost a year in advance,” said Ritchie.

“The students actually have always driven [the rush],” said Fraser. “They’ve always started in September. They come back to school, and then they talk to their friends, and then they go visit their friends’ apartments, and if they have an awesome apartment, they start contacting landlords.”

Even students reluctant to start looking for housing are beginning their search early.

“The reason I’m looking for a house right now is because this is the time everyone else is starting to look,” said Jen Frail, a second-year fine arts and biology student and a resident of Harper Hall. “I assume everyone is starting to

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THE RUSH TO RENT

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a renter’s market

xt year before September is even over? The savings might have something to do with it.

esidences are the top housing choice for most first-year students, but a trend toward living off-campus has forced the university to make changes to its residence offerings (Chris Donovan/Argosy). look for the same reason—to get the good houses—and it’s kind of ridiculous because this is so early in the year. It doesn’t really give the first years a chance to make a decision because they pretty much have to know by October,” said Frail.

For their part, some students have said the early beginning to the signing process can be very stressful. Vince Casey, a second-year psychology student, was put off by the rush by students to sign leases for the next year.

“It was definitely more overwhelming than I thought it would be, as it is soon after the semester begins,” said Casey of the rush to sign leases. “We’ve only seriously started talking about [living off-campus] in the last two weeks.”

Casey attended the Mount Allison Students’ Union landlord fair and found it useful. “I’m surprised there weren’t more landlords and students, but the landlords that were there were very helpful, because I don’t know how else I would’ve found them,” he said.

Other students, like first year Emma Brown, are finding ways to get around the early renting time in Sackville.

Brown said, “My parents are going to buy [a house] and whoever is roommates with me will rent from us and I’ll be living in the house too.”

While the rush to rent may take the most popular units off the market early, it’s possible to wait. For the past three years, the Sackville Tribune-Post has reported a steady increase in vacancy rates for multi-unit dwellings in Sackville. The research, which was conducted by the Altus Group, shows the vacancy rate doubling from 3.18 percent two years ago to 7.41 percent this year.

Mt. A’s lease signing culture is an outlier, said Annie Sherry, vice president external for MASU, basing her comments on conversations with other students’ unions in Canada.

“I’m not sure where or when that culture started. Even in big cities, after talking to other members of [the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations] about the topic, nobody is close to signing as early as we do in Sackville,” said Sherry. “I think there’s an assumption in Sackville that because it’s so small people won’t be able to find a good place to live.”

In response to the rush,

MASU held their second annual landlord fair on Sept. 27. Although MASU prohibited the signing of actual leases at the fair, students got a chance to see a few of housing options they had available for the next year.

“The idea surrounding the housing fair is that as time goes on this will be the first time that students meet with landlords,” said Sherry. “Hopefully as the years go on, we can push the date back further and further in order to give students time to make appropriate decision when it comes to off-campus housing.”

“At the same time, we need to be a part of the culture of signing leases in September and october,“ said Sherry.

The attendance of the fair was relatively low on the part of both students and landlords.

Approximately 60 students got the opportunity to meet six landlords.

Sackville’s rental market and the student rush to find housing is comparable to that of Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. But at the larger St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., students sign leases at their own pace, and apartment-style residences

remove some of the incentive to move off-campus.

Using the university’s projected numbers from the 2014-2015 budget, the Argosy calculated that the average Mt. A student pays $5,779 for eight months of residence.

This includes the mandatory fees students pay for their time in residence, but excludes the mandatory meal hall fees that all students in residence are required to pay.

This amounts to students paying $722 a month for accommodations, if the nearly month-long winter break during which students are not allowed to live in residence is included.

Mandatory meal hall fees amount to $4,378 a year.

Students pay more than $136 a week to eat at the meal hall during the school year.

“It is not that much more money to live on campus when you compare actual costs of rent, food and utilities, set up costs (buying dishes, furniture, etc) and the value of convenience and more time to spend on homework and extra-curricular activities rather than shopping, cooking and cleaning up,” said Michelle Strain, director of administrative services for Mt.

A. Based on 94 entries on the MASU housing directory, the average rent in Sackville is approximately $430 per month. A lease term lasting from May to May for 94 of these entries translates into an annual cost of $5164. Most leases include utilities.

The majority of lease terms in Sackville are year by year, locking the tenant and the landlord in a binding agreement for a full year. In most cases, this yearly term begins is from May to May. Landlords are under no obligation to offer the current tenants the right of first refusal to resign the lease on the property. Landlords also have no obligation to wait a set amount of time before either asking tenants to resign for the next year, or offering the lease to another tenant.

Kevin Levangie is News Editor, Cameron McIntyre is Senior News Editor, and Sam Moore is Online Editor for the Argosy.

With files from Editor-in-Chief Richard Kent, Politics Reporter Willa McCaffrey-Noviss, News Reporters Tyler Stuart and JeanSébastien Comeau, and Brendan Carroll.

9

ARTS&CULTURE Gooch explores loss in art and letters October 2, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

Exhibition focuses on family relationships Amanda Cormier

Arts & Culture Reporter “Loss is my subject,” begins the written statement on Jillian Gooch’s new art exhibition which opened on Friday, Sept. 26 at START Gallery.

Gooch is a fourth-year fine arts student at Mount Allison who discovered her love of art in high school, and who feels that art is her strongest form of personal expression.

Her newest exhibition, entitled “These are the letters I never sent,” focuses on family, growing up, and loss. In an interview, Gooch said that these are common themes in her artwork.

The exhibition’s namesake refers to a series of thirteen typewritten letters that Gooch addressed to her estranged father in the years following her parents’ divorce. The first letter came from an eight-year-old Gooch, and the last one was written at age 20.

The form of address to her father in each letter represents the evolution of her feelings towards him at each stage in her life. The first few letters call him “Daddy,” followed by “Dad,” “Father,” and eventually “Michael.” The final

PhotoCaption (Name/Institution)

Jillian Gooch stands against her triptych of paintings that track the progression of time through various depictions of her aunt’s arthritic hands. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) letter reverts back to “Dad” to signify a reconsideration and reconciliation of their relationship.

To this day, Gooch’s father has yet to see this collection of letters. “The idea was, after the show, I was going to package them and send them to him, but it’s more about when I feel ready and I feel comfortable,” Gooch said.

Although the exhibit focuses on her father, Gooch said that the most

interesting part of the project is the fact that he does not know these letters exist, nor is he around to see the work.

“I feel comfortable with numerous strangers reading these letters, but I don’t feel comfortable with my father reading them, and I wrote them to him.”

The letters offer indirect glimpses into Gooch’s early life and adolescence, with references to childhood pets, life

events, and growing up in the suburbs of southern Ontario. When she was younger, Gooch’s mother originally gave her the idea to use unsent letters as a way of letting out negative feelings in a healthy way.

The three other series in the exhibit represent different aspects of life and loss: Gooch growing up and walking away from her past, her aunt losing the ability to work with horses due to

arthritis, and a series of houses that have been significant in her life.

“My art is about connecting and being compassionate towards people,” she explained. Gooch also said that many people have approached her to share their own similar experiences, whether it was their parents’ divorce or another form of loss.

The exhibition will be on display at START Gallery until Oct. 7.

Mount Allison does Culture Days 2014 Music

Origami

Drama

Dance

Visual Art

Left to right: Phil Chevarie plays a diverse selection of styles on his accordion; MASSIE students teach origami to the community; Xavier Gould and Alison Crosby perform a scene from The Glass Menagerie; Caroline Kovesi takes a short brreak after an energetic improvised dance performance; Evan Furness displays a selection of his artistic works. (Sarah Richardson/Argosy) Phil Chevarie recalls when he was first asked to perform for Culture Days in his first year. “They said, ‘Basically stand on the street and do something artsy for an hour.’ And I said, ‘I’ve got an accordion, so why not?’”

Chevarie’s primary instrument is the saxophone, which he studies in Mount Allison’s Bachelor of Music program. He started playing accordion 17 years ago when he started taking lessons, and he continues to play the instrument for a fun change in style and genre.

At Culture Days, Chevarie performed French style accordion pieces, and he even demonstrated his mastery of Polkas, Waltzes, and contemporary music. “In recent years, I’ve gotten into perverting pop music,” he said with a laugh, going on to play brief renditions of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and Bruno Mars’s “The Lazy Song.”

Lori Chen participated in Culture Days for her Arts and Culture Marketing course. Working with MASSIE students, Chen set up an origami workshop outside Scotiabank and showed passers-by how to make paper cranes, stars, and lanterns. “I think origami is interesting because it’s part of Asian cultures, and we’re out here actually showing people how to do it,” said Chen.

Chen commented on the community aspect of Culture Days and its ability to reach people in Sackville and all over the country.

Because the event takes place in numerous locations across Canada during the same weekend, Culture Days encourages communication within and across various cultures.

“I think it’s fascinating because it’s like cultural sharing,” said Chen.

“We start talking about origami, but later we were having a lot of different conversations. I feel like [the event] makes people more curious about other people’s cultures.”

Xavier Gould, Alison Crosby, and Josh MacDougall, sought to publicly perform the process of producing a play. Using a scene from Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, the trio of third-year drama students staged and rehearsed the play on the Main Street sidewalk. “We hadn’t worked on this scene whatsoever before the hour started,” said Crosby.

Crosby also said that Culture Days was a way of getting the Sackville community and excited about theatre.

“To have it out here on the street is a way of getting theatre out to people who maybe wouldn’t go to see theatre on their own,” said Crosby.

For those who were already familiar with theatre, passers-by could witness the process of building a scene and the challenges that actors face. “Our objective was to show people what it is to produce a play and the steps that go along with that,” said Gould. “It’s not all fun and games all the time, even though that’s a component of it; we got to show the deeper value of acting and how it can be difficult.”

Caroline Kovesi, a third-year sociology student, performed contemporary and improvisational solo dance outside SaveEasy. Kovesi used her body and expressive movements to interpret a number of songs being played electronically. “It’s all improvised,” said Kovesi. “Spontaneous is the best way to describe it.”

Kovesi has been dancing since fourth grade, and continues to actively pursue her passion for dance at Mount Allison. Although she performed contemporary dance at Culture Days, Kovesi also does jazz, lyrical, ballet, and hip hop styles, and is involved with Mt. A’s varsity dance groups.

For Kovesi, Culture Days provides an opportunity to demonstrate the visibility of the arts in Sackville. “It’s nice to show that community members have artistic talents and artistic ways of viewing the world,” she said. “It really immerses [Sackville] in the arts in a visible, tangible way.”

Outside Tidewater Books, Evan Furness showcased a selection of paintings and drawings that capture the natural themes of his artwork. In many of his works, Furness focuses on realistic representation of nature and animals. “I’m trying to make everything as accurate as possible to the original,” said Furness.

In addition, many of Furness’s pieces carry a distinctive political message. “I try to direct a lot of [my art] towards environmentalism,” said Furness. He responded to a drawing entitled Inhale, which depicts a smoke-spewing factory nestled inside a corncob pipe.

“It’s entirely about pollution in our air system,” said Furness.

Furness said that Culture Days was valuable to him because it allowed him to show his art to the public. He also testified to the importance of public art, as he hopes that his striking visuals will stick with the viewer. “If you take to an image right away, it’s something that can grab you instantly,” said Furness. “Here’s what I have to say, you can choose to listen or not.”

The Argosy

www.argosy.ca

ARTS & CULTURE

Shawn Potter revives early music at recital Acclaimed organist returns home Daniel Marcotte

Arts & Culture Editor Regrettably, many have never experienced an entire recital dedicated to organ music. The sound of a church organ is one that many typically associate with sermons, or perhaps the declarative opening notes of Bach’s iconic “Toccata and Fugue in D minor.” But Shawn Potter, a celebrated organist and Mount Allison alumnus, wants the world to know how enjoyable and beautiful this instrument can be.

“It is exciting and colourful music,” said Potter, when asked about the selection of seventeenth century German pieces that make up his musical repertoire. “It can be strict and formal at one moment, and then turn around and become wild and fantastical in an

After performing his concert, Potter stands triumphantly with the church organ in the Mount Allison chapel. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) instant.”

Potter also spoke about the significance of the instrument when it came to prominence in Western music from the sixteenth century. “It comes from a time when the organ was one of the most technologically advanced pieces of human ingenuity. It was a mechanical marvel,” said Potter.

On Sept. 26, Potter brought

this tradition to life at the Sackville Early Music Festival, which took place throughout the weekend. Drawing from a pool of composers including Dieterich Buxtehude, Matthias Weckmann, and Johann Sebastian Bach, Potter delivered a carefully-curated concert that was as compelling as it was diverse.

Since the concert was held in

the University Chapel, the space was a familiar environment for Potter, who graduated from Mt. A’s Department of Music in 2010. He was thrilled to return to Sackville to take part in the festival, as it provided an opportunity to reunite with his former professors and perform in the chapel once more.

“Acoustically, the building is an organist’s dream,” said

Potter. “I spent countless mornings practicing and rehearsing in this space, and to have that opportunity again was very special.”

Potter also recalled the people and the community at Mt. A that made his experiences memorable. “I have particularly fond memories of working with the choirs at Mount Allison,” said Potter, explaining that he

11

participated both as a chorister and as an accompanist with the Elliott Chorale and the Choral Society.

In addition to performing at numerous venues in Ontario, Québec, and even Sweden, Potter is the winner of the 2013 Royal Canadian College of Organists’ National Organ Competition. Potter reflected on the value of learning early music in the context of postsecondary education, noting that it allows one to discover new sounds and perspectives that might not otherwise be accessible to the modern listener. “I think that music from all times and places offer us something unique and new,” said Potter.

In particular, Potter commented on the historical period and the ability to see into a new world through music.

“It offers a glimpse into the lives of people from different backgrounds and experiences,” he said. “It also has the power to inspire and teach, and take us places we couldn’t otherwise go.”

An evening of electronica at T+L Linklater’s twelveyear film pays off

Pub hosts dual indie group feature

Boyhood a compelling journey

Amanda Cormier

Arts & Culture Reporter Thunder and Lightning was filled to the brim with music lovers last Thursday, promising great performances by JOYFULTALK and JFM. JOYFULTALK, an indie group with an electronic and experimental sound, started the evening of performances. Of the performers, JOYFULTALK had the most complex setup, with sound effect boxes, a guitar and violin.

There were some moments in their set that I really enjoyed.

The opening song had a surreal, almost alien-like sound. When I listened, I felt like I was being pulled into a sciencefiction movie. These moments reappeared throughout the performance, and brought great joy to my listening ears.

The rest of the performance, however, left something to be desired. Experimental music is a foreign genre to me, and so I really didn’t know what to expect when I sat down to see this show. To me, it felt that there was no real purpose or structure behind what the songs were doing; it just sounded like different sounds being thrown together in a way that, for me, didn’t sound pleasant.

In addition, the music felt quite repetitive. It was hard to tell when one song started and

Allison Grogan

JOYFULTALK experiments with both electronic and acoustic instruments. (Chris Donovan/Argosy) another began because most of it sounded so similar. Aside from the alien-like sounds I mentioned earlier, nothing really stuck out to me in particular.

That said, it seemed that the rest of the audience really enjoyed the performance.

People cheered, tapped their feet, nodded their heads, and some of them appeared enthralled by the music. This led me to believe that within the experimental genre, JOYFULTALK can be, and is, enjoyed by many.

The same rule of thumb applies to JFM, the next performer who used a much smaller setup: a single sound effect box and a radio.

At first, JFM sounded similar to JOYFULTALK. If anything, the sound was a lot more subtle and simple, which I enjoyed to

an extent. But the combination of sounds still lacked rhyme and reason; it was at this point where I decided that this is a consistent element within the genre.

The turning point for JFM was when he brought the radio into the performance.

Suddenly, I felt like I was watching an improv show.

Using the sound effect box, he remixed and made electronic enhancements to whatever song was playing on the radio at that moment. He switched stations constantly, moving from a pop song to a country song in a matter of seconds.

I was really fascinated by this concept; I was disappointed, however, by the execution.

JFM switched between songs quickly, perhaps too quickly to properly demonstrate just how much he could change

the song. He also faced those moments when it wasn’t a song playing on the radio, but rather an advertisement or a weather forecast, which he enhanced in the same way that he would a song. This, to me, felt really awkward and forced.

But just as with JOYFULTALK, my opinion proved to be uncommon, as the rest of the audience seemed quite satisfied with what they were hearing.

Based on this, I have to conclude that my main reason for disliking the music was simply that I’m not familiar with the genre as a whole. If you like the experimental and electronic genres, JOYFULTALK and JFM might be just what you’re looking for.

The Vogue Cinema was filled to near capacity last Thursday for the much anticipated screening of Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s lofty twelve-year project that was released earlier this year.

Following the childhood and adolescence of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), the film has been heralded for its honest approach to a story of family and growth that is unabashedly real and relatable.

In addition to the innovative nature of the filming process, the story was itself an impressive one. Exploring the topics such as divorce and alcoholism through the eyes Mason during the formative years of five to 18, the film is the ultimate coming-of-age epic following the truthful ups and downs of real life. Though the story progresses through Mason’s parents’ divorce, his first girlfriend, and ultimately his graduation from high school, Boyhood is far more than a simple series of milestones.

Because the story spans such a long time period in Mason’s life, it would have been easy to make the film seem choppy or poorly paced. The nearly three-hour film flowed exceptionally well and did the

most important thing a nearly three-hour film can do: to not feel like three hours. The film’s concept had the potential to become overwhelming, but Boyhood was very well focused.

There are many risks associated with doing a project of this nature. The most obvious being the challenge of casting actors, some of whom were kids, to play the same role for over a decade. The whole project was released after the twelve years of shooting, making it an allor-nothing endeavor.

For audience members who grew up around the years of the protagonist, the soundtrack was particularly comforting and identifiable. Opening with Coldplay’s “Yellow,” which was released with the turn of the millennium, viewers were immediately transported to the time period and perhaps their own childhood. Other notable tracks included Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun,” “Crank That” by Soulja Boy Tell’em, and even a couple High School Musical tracks. Aside from the soundtrack, the film was also interspersed with pop culture nods and references to current events that gave context to the progressing chronology. From campaigning for Obama’s first election to the video games Mason plays, the film gives subtle hints as the years go by but never overwhelms the audience.

Sackville Film Society screenings are every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

SCIENCE

October 2, 2014

Sweeteners may worsen obesity, type II diabetes Tests mainly conducted on rat gut flora Clay Steell

Science Reporter Artificial sweeteners used widely in processed foods may worsen obesity and Type II diabetes by disrupting our gut microbes. A new study found that sweeteners commonly used for diet foods and reducing calorie intake lead to glucose intolerance, a precursor to many metabolic disorders involved in the modern obesity epidemic.

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are typically considered less fattening than natural sugars such as glucose or sucrose because they contain little or no calories. The study said that doctors frequently suggest patients suffering from obesity and Type II diabetes substitute natural sugars with artificial sweeteners to reduce calorie intake. However, regularly consuming artificial sweeteners could actually worsen obesity or Type II diabetes.

The study, published last week in Nature by the Weizmann Institute of

Commonly thought to reduce calorie intake, artifical sweeteners may lead to a glucose intolerance. (Sarah Richardson/Argosy) Science in Israel, used dietary trials on mice and humans.

Mice were divided into two groups. One group was fed a low-fat diet and the other group was fed a high-fat diet, which was meant to replicate a modern high-fat diet in humans. Half of each group was also fed either natural sugars or artificial sweeteners.

After 11 weeks, the highfat diet mice which were fed artificial sweeteners had developed glucose intolerance, or the inability to break down sugar before it enters the bloodstream. Glucose

intolerance is a symptom and a common precursor to Type II diabetes in humans.

The study then took the gut flora from the mice that had developed glucose intolerance and implanted them in those mice that had not. These previously healthy mice also developed glucose intolerance, showing that the gut bacteria were its causative agent in this case.

Analyzing the composition of this compromised gut flora showed that species of bacteria associated with type II diabetes in humans had

become more dominant.

Some healthy mice were also injected with gut flora cultured with artificial sweeteners outside of mice’s guts, which then also developed glucose intolerance.

The study had a twocomponent human analysis as well. A correlation test among 400 questioned participants found a link between metabolic disorders and the regular consumption of artificial sweeteners.

Seven volunteers who didn’t regularly consume artificial sweeteners and who were of

good health were also fed the maximum daily amount of artificial sweeteners for a week. Four of these seven developed glucose intolerance in that time, while the other three were unaffected.

Not all seven volunteers developed glucose intolerance.

The difference between the tests is likely the product of more individualized gut flora in humans than in mice because mice regularly consume other mice’s feces.

How artificial sweeteners lead gut flora to induce glucose intolerance is still

argosy@mta.ca

uncertain. They may induce an inflammatory response when certain microbe species become more or less dominant.

The study said behavior also has a role in the development of glucose intolerance, but to what extent is uncertain.

These findings indicate the possibility for individualized dietary or nutritional therapy based on gut flora.

This is the first study to examine the effect of artificial sweeteners on our gut flora, which include cellular bacteria, fungi, and archaea, and outnumber our body cells ten to one. Previous correlation research had found links between artificial sweeteners and metabolic disorders, but could not find a causative agent.

Artificial sweeteners are not digested, so they come in direct contact with the microorganisms that reside in our intestines and other digestive organs. Research has shown that gut our gut flora can have powerful effects on behaviour and mood, based primarily on diet.

Health Canada said it has not yet reviewed the study’s findings to inform its regulation of artificial sweeteners. The European Food Safety Authority has already said that the findings might change the European Union’s regulatory policy.

Mt. A professors field questions on the internet Speed of digital Q&A impresses Clay Steell

Science Reporter

Two Mount Allison professors answered questions and engaged in online discussion on the popular link-sharing website Reddit. Organized by a Mount Allison student, the sessions focused on the recent New Brunswick election.

Dr. Mario Levesque of the Politics and International Relations Department and Dr. Craig Brett of the Economics Department participated in two hour-long “Ask Me Anything” sessions last Thursday and Friday.

Levesque’s AMA covered the politics of New Brunswick’s provincial election. Topics ranged from the different parties’ stances on shale gas development to the proposed changes to provincial tax policy. Brett’s AMA focused on New Brunswick’s budget and its relation to party tax platforms, as well as other fiscal topics.

“I think it went pretty well,” said Brett. “I was very pleased

Mario Levesque responded to questions regarding the politics of the Sept. 22 New Brunswick election on the link-sharing site Reddit. (Clay Steell/Argosy) with the questions. Hopefully, people who took part in the session either learned something or had the chance to think about something in a different way than they did before.”

Both professors said they valued the experience, and they saw it a means of reaching new audiences.

“If you want to get a message out, you have to use multiple media,” said Brett, “you can’t just rely on print or radio anymore … media is segmented. There are broad swaths of the population that

watch TV; there are others who use online media as their primary source of online information.”

Brett and Levesque said they were aware of at least one Mt. A student who participated in the AMAs, but most of the questions seemed to be from New Brunswick residents. They said the questions and discussions were interesting, and they enjoyed the experience.

“People referenced books and studies in their questions, so [they] knew what was going on in terms of the election and

provincial books,” said Brett.

The professors said that the process of conducting an AMA was different than their past experiences. Levesque said it reminded him of receiving emails or letters from interested parties while doing academic research, but at a much faster rate.

“It’s different than doing an op-ed piece,” said Brett. “At minimum it takes a couple hours. That seems like a long time compared to answering a question as soon as it comes in these AMAs. It’s an intense thing.”

Levesque said his AMA inspired him to use more online media in his future classes. He saw potential for what he described as online office hours, a specific time of day during which he would be online solely to answer students’ questions. He says he wouldn’t use Reddit itself, but a similar structure to its message board.

Brett said that academics in particular could make a positive public impact by conducting AMAs or other similar online activities. “I’m in the business of figuring

stuff out and explaining it to other people; that’s what academics do,” he said. “The more platforms I use, the more people I get to explain stuff to and that’s good.”

Commenting on Reddit’s moderated nature, Brett also said that “at least with Reddit, in many ways it’s better than some of the other traditional ways that academics might interact with the media; it has less risks and pitfalls.”

The AMAs were organized

by Mt. A student Brian Laurejis.

SHIP’S LOG

October 2, 2014

EVENTS Yo g a / M e d i t a t i o n T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 2 5 – 6pm Chapel Manning Room I A M Yo g a / M e d i t a t i o n d r o p - i n c l a s s e s Tu & T h 5:00-5:45 in the downstairs room of the Chapel. Open to everyone, complete beginners or advanced (no charge). This is the fourth year it has been offered to s t u d e n t s , f a c u l t y, s t a f f o r community members and is a practice transmitted by Amma and taught internat i o n a l l y.

CIS panel discussion T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 2 6:30 – 8:30pm Discussing the Conflict in the Gaz a S tr ip (Panel Discussion) Crabtree M14 The Centre for International Studies is very happy to present our second e v e n t o f t h e y e a r, a n e n g a g ing Panel Discussion. ing of it. The panellists inc l u d e D r. A m a l G h a z a l , D r.

S h a u n N a r i n e , D r. J a m i e Whidden, D r. S a m i r a Fa r h o u d , a n d H e l e n Wa l s h . T h e e v e n t will be moderated by our v e r y o w n D r. J a m e s D e v i n e .

Making Noise: Zumba F r i d a y, O c t o b e r 3 6 – 8pm Academic Quad J a c k . o r g M o u n t A l l i s o n’s launch event will be offering a free Zumba! Class followed by light refreshments. Come out to learn about us and how you can help reduce the stigma around mental health on campus!

JET Prog ramme Info Session Tu e s d a y, O c t o b e r 7 1 – 2pm WMSC, Room 125 Are you interested in teaching English within the Japanese public education system? If so, a representative from the Japanese consulate in Montreal will be on campus to talk about the

A RT S & M U S I C J a p a n E x c h a n g e & Te a c h ing ( JET ) Programme.

Since 1987, JET has been providing opportunities for university graduates to work in Japan as Assistant L a n g u a g e Te a c h e r s ( A LTs ) and Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs).

P r e s e n t l y, J E T e m p l o y s m o r e t h a n 4 , 3 0 0 A LTs a n d CIRs from 40 countries around the world. Of this n u m b e r, C a n a d a p r o v i d e s approximately 450-500, including dozens of students from Mount Allison!

C a t a l y s t P r i d e We e k F i l m Screening We d n e s d a y, O c t o b e r 8 7 – 8:30pm S i r J a m e s D u n n M i n i Wu Catalyst presents a film screening of ‘Orange is the New Black’, Season one, Episode one, as one of the many events going on duri n g P r i d e We e k o n We d n e s d a y, O c t o b e r 8 t h , 2 0 1 4 .

Wa r n i n g : T h i s s h o w c o n t a i n s s e x u a l i t y, n u d i t y a n d coarse language.

E O S E c o - E n e r g y Ta l k October 18 1- 4pm Open Sky Cooperative ( 1 2 Fo l k i n s D r i ve, S ac k ville) Join EOS Eco-Energy Saturday afternoon, October 18, 2014 for an informative talk on living off the grid with two offgrid pioneers from southeast New Brunsw i c k , We n d y K e a t s a n d J i m Brown. Learn about solar electric and solar hot water systems as well as how to calculate your energy requirements and what to think about before going off the grid.

The event is taking place at Open Sky Cooperative (12 Fo l k i n s D r i ve, Sackville) from 1-4pm and is FREE, but spaces are limited to please contact EOS to register (536-4487 or eos@nb.aibn. c o m ) b y We d n e s d a y, October 15th. The talk will be presented in English but questions are welcome in Frenc h.

Official Opening of PCCA F r i d a y, O c t o b e r 3 9am – 6pm Purdy Crawford Centre for t h e A r t s Fo ye Mount Allison University Events happening all t h r o u g h o u t t h e d a y, a l l a r e welcome!

M t . A M u s i c Po p s C o n c e r t S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 4 7 – 9:30pm C o nvo c a t i o n H a l l Fo ye r M a t i n e e Po p s C o n c e r t : Mount Allison Symphonic Band, directed by James Kalyn, and Mount Allison Jazz Ensemble, directed by L i n d a Pe a r s e . Ad m i s s i o n i s free, all are welcome to attend.

P S S J a n e & To n y Urquhart:A Creative Life Tu e s d a y, O c t o b e r 6 7 – 10pm Brunton Auditorium T h e U r q u h a r t ’s p r e s e n t a tion is part of the Mount A l l i s o n P r e s i d e n t ’s S p e a k ers Series, celebrating the Ye a r o f C u l t u r e a n d C r e a t i v i t y a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y.

Jane Urquhart Reading Tu e s d a y, O c t o b e r 7 4:30 – 5:30pm Chapel Sanctuary Author of the internationally acclaimed novels ‘The Whirlpool’ (1986), ‘Changi n g H e a v e n ’ ( 1 9 9 0 ) , ‘A w a y ’ (1993), ‘The Underpainter’ (1997), ‘The Stone Carvers’ ( 2 0 0 1 ) , ‘A M a p o f G l a s s ’ (2005), and ‘Sanctuary Line’ (2010), among other works. Co-sponsored with the Canada Council for the Arts. Everyone welcome.

Tickets $10/$5, available at the door or at the Music d e p t . o f fi c e. Fo r m o re i f o r mation please call 364-2374 or e-mail music@mta.ca

argosy@mta.ca

S P O RT S Saturday, October 4 WOMENS BASKETBALL Mount Allison at Trois Riviere (Exhibition) Saturday, October 4th FOOTBALL 2:00 PM Mount Allison at Saint Mary’s Sunday, October 5 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Mount Allison at Trois Riviere (Exhibition) Sunday, October 5 WOMEN’S SOCCER 1:00 PM UPEI vs. Mount Allison Sunday, October 5 MEN’S SOCCER 3:15 PM UPEI vs. Mount Allison

Nicolás Buenaventura October 16 5pm (In Frenc h) and October 17 3pm (In Spanish) Crabtree M14 Nicolás Buenaventurascript-writer / film director / storyteller Performing in French and Spanish: Maître Mot and Maestra Palabra ...like the old storytellers bringing together the small village around the fire to transmit the stories they received from their ancestors...

To s u b m i t a n e v e n t or public ser vice announcement to the S h i p’s L o g , e m a i l a brief overiew of the event to argosy@ mta.ca no later than the Sunday before.

Please include the event name, time and date, location, and contact information.

HUMOUR

October 2, 2014

argosy@mta.ca

Taylor Losier Humour Editor

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

Across 1- Voting group; 5- Cattle group; 9- Species of antelope found in South Africa; 13- Crowd noise; 14- Uproar; 15- Oboe, e.g.; 16- This, in Tijuana; 17- Harass; 18- Actress Heche; 19- Landlord; 21- U.K. record label; 22- Seed containers; 23- Rise sharply, as a bird would; 25- Ginger cookie; 27- Venerated; 31- Hotel patrons; 35- Brit’s exclamation; 36- Suit to ___; 38- Welcome; 39- D-Day craft; 40- Fenced areas; 42- Exist; 43- Distrustful; 46- Feds; 47- What ___ mind reader?; 48- Emphasis; 50- Arterial dilatation; 52- Overabundance; 54- Tennis matches are divided into these; 55- Paul Sorvino’s daughter; 58- Kind of school; 60- Land, as a fish; 64- Blind part; 65- Gettysburg general; 67- Church area; 68- Essence; 69- Finished; 70- Purim month; 71- Spanish appetizer; 72- Textile worker; 73- Letterman rival;

Down 1- Songwriter Jacques; 2- Diet successfully; 3- Cereal grain; 4- Peevishly; 5- Attila, e.g.; 6- Sea eagle; 7- Chambers; 8- Desiccant; 9- Fur hunter; 10- Vintner’s prefix; 11- Remain undecided; 12- Bad day for Caesar; 14- Remote; 20- “Hollywood Squares” win; 24- Put a new price on; 26- Summer mo.; 27- Small mountains; 28- Personal quality of material belonging;

29- “See ya!”; 30- Skin layer; 32- Sordid; 33- Garr and Hatcher; 34- Water vapor; 37- Utopias; 41- Scoffed; 44- Boat race; 45- Fashion monogram; 47- Weapons supply; 49- Added; 51- U of U athlete; 53- Itty-bitty; 55- High-ranking NCO; 56- Bones found in the hip; 57- Coarse file; 59- Florida’s Miami-___ County; 61- Fill with cargo; 62- Lendl of tennis; 63- Fiddling emperor; 66- ___ Rosenkavalier.

Last week’s answer:

Puzzle by websudoku.com

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HUMOUR

15

Sackville fall fashion Colour

Patrick Allaby

Nic Sunderland-Baker

The ultimate residence battle royale A hypothetical battle to see which residence is truly the best

Bigelow House vs. Thornton House

Taylor Losier

Edwards House vs. Harper Hall

Humour Editor

Round #1: (By random draw, I promise.)

Windsor Hall vs. Bennett House The “party houses.” Both are crazy, wild and unpredictable. However, one has the clear advantage. Sorry Bennett, but Windsor has the manpower that can’t be beat by a small-scale residence.

New versus old, youth versus experience, recently closed versus now closed. They hold the same number of people, but in my book, experience counts, and Thornton comes out on top.

Harper’s big, but Edwards is crafty.

Although the Bulldogs may be willing to get their hands dirty (I assume), the Harper… what is it?

Bigfoot? Anyway, they have comfort and resources, and resources means a win.

Campbell Hall vs. Hunton House Campbell, like all Northside residences, has the size factor.

Hunton, on the other hand, has the

intensely competitive spirit and crazy, manic-like drive that makes other people refuse to even try. So guess who wins here. (Hint: Hunton.)

Round #2: Windsor Hall vs. Thornton House

By Round #2, Windsor’s nursing a slight hangover and it’s well passed Thornton’s 6 p.m. old-timer bedtime.

Although both with their own weaknesses, Windsor’s proves to be more of a hindrance: you can only mobilize a giant army of students for so long before they get bored. In the end, Thornton stays awake and stays in the game.

Harper Hall vs. Hunton House Hunton has the spirit, Harper has the numbers. But an equally important factor to consider is how the houses are arranged: Hunton is used to sticking close together in small rooms, while the single rooms in Harper suggests a divide. The bond of small residences – and the resentment of the nicer Northside rooms – fuels the fire to lead Hunton to the next round.

Final Round: Thornton House vs. Hunton House Imagine the scene: Europe’s “The Final Countdown” plays as the two contenders enter the ring. Both are Southside residences, making for a finale no one expected. Northsiders, having licked their wounds and

penned their angry letters to whoever was in charge of this stupid showdown, now begin to pick their favourites.

On the side, the off-campus crowd tells anyone who listens that, had they been in the competition, they would have won. (They do have the complete package: age, experience, the ability to live off of canned food, youth, numbers… but I digress.)

And thus starts The Showdown. The Sex Panthers have the drive, but the match is over almost as soon as it began as the Stallions play their trump card: no one actually lives there.

While some may see this as quite a large impediment, think about it: you can’t fight what you can’t see. It doesn’t matter how well organized you are, fighting the invisible is some serious Ghostbusters shit that Hunton just doesn’t have the professional training for. In the following confusion, and amid the cheers of campus combined, one residence, the underdog, emerges victorious: Thornton House.

i r ed.

Con tact Cre us. ate.

Wa tch.

insp Get

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