Acadia University’s student newspaper since 1874. October 22nd, 2013 Issue 76.4
no apologies “Iforhave torturing that stoic, It was a simple and pragmatic application of theory
”
the Athenaeum 2 Going out To the Police waiting The Return of the Native around Prospect on Saturday www.theath.ca
Encompassed by glazed eyes and vacant expressions I wait statically amidst a linear crowd The cold wind analyzing my physique A clarification of selfhood Stands between me and those omnisceint doors A quick glimpse paired with a reassuring nod Admittance refutes my anticipation
That boy there Awake I guess On the curb? Puking up a dozen hours Of shit beer
I enter a world of fallacy Falsehoods and distant selves Refusal to join the rambunctious crowd I melt into the exhausted walls
And girl, wait, Girls Sobbing, staggering through it all Abandoned and lost Make-up running, heels tripping
I wrestle with requirement Discredit the functioning norms Should I be paired off ?
The summer of fifty is past and gone, And through days were sunny and bright; They carried a void that could not be filled, Except by collegiate light.
The loneliness gone, the faces we see, Of classmates in Physics and French, In Latin and Greek and Sec. Si. And such; All back to the old “hardwood bench”. Could summer mean much, if endless in time It went on to keep us apart, And led us away from Willet and Sem., Those places so dear to our heart?
The smoke rising from pipes and joints Right in front of all of you Breathe in our defiance Swirling with our vision Youth! What Momentous Times.
My thoughts are interrupted By the flickering of the obnoxious lights A helpful reminder of my character
We yearned for the days to come once again To enter the realms of U. Hall, And drink again of the fountain of truth That flows for each one every fall.
“Prospect rules” -Some asshole
Channeled like sheep We are herded through the exit A sea of incongruent pairs
Really it’s not a party though is it? It’s just waiting, To see what you do, While you see what we do. Why don’t we talk anymore?
Our actions unconscious Frequenting judgemental eyes Zoned in on the vacant flesh Of selected individuals I take snapshots of every individual Noting the frustrated, the displeased Viewing glass tears slide off of concealed skin canvases Hitting the cement, as silent explosions
Bring us the flashing lights We’re trying to make memories happen To grasp and grab For when we come back Home (or wherever we are)
Belligerent and dumbfounded The growing hum of sirens Cues my stupored walk home
And what we’ve got Shit beer, tears, and smoke -Iain Bauer
Through new on the campus we know They will take their part in making A.U. A place where true friendships will grow. We look back with eyes that pierce through the mist Of years and of days past and gone, And nothing is more impressed on our minds Than days on Acadia’s lawn. We are glad to be back and catch once more The spirit of Acadia U. And have a garnet and blue grip heart and mind, To live with us all the year through. -I. Ambic, The Athenaeum 1951
Now we are back on the campus again, To walk on its paths and its green; Where elms and chestnuts make arches above: Could more beautiful sight be seen? To mar this beauty drab placards and such, And even small blotches of green Recall to seniors and juniors and sophs A former they each had seen. We welcome them one and welcome them all;
The cold night is no match For the inebriated numbness Of this Saturday evening -Stephanie Gumuchian
Nathan Kaulback
the athenaeum Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Issue 76.4 ASU Box 6002, Acadia University Wolfville, NS, Canada B4P 2R5
editorial staff
Editor-in-Chief News Editor
Creative Editor Opinions Editor
email: eic@acadiau.ca SUB room 512 EIC Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-5:30 Managing Editor Hours: Tuesdays 5:30-7:30
Arts Editor Sports Editor Science Editor
Iain Bauer
eic@acadiau.ca
Jacob Verhagen
production staff Managing Editor
athnewseditor@acadiau.ca
Mira Chiasson
athcreativeeditor@acadiau.ca
Distribution Manager
Max Boulet
athopinionseditor@acadiau.ca
Deirdre Campbell
athartseditor@acadiau.ca
Eliza McGuire
athsportseditor@acadiau.ca
Niraj Nitheanandan
athscienceeditor@acadiau.ca
Production Manager Photo Editor Copy Editor Ad Manager
contributors
photo credits
Stephanie Gumuchian
Stephanie Brown, Emily Kennedy, Hailey Winder, Sarah Mackinnon, Sarah Williams, Angus Bauer Grayson Klimek, Ben Misiuk, I. Ambic, Peter LaMarre, Megan Beliveau, Erin Anderson, Rachel Houlton, Kelsi Barr, Darcy Shea Rebecca Glenen
athmanagingeditor@acadiau.ca
If you would like to contribute to the Athenaeum please contact Iain Bauer Stephanie Bethune (eic@acadiau.ca) or Stephanie Gumuchian (athmanagingeditor@acadiau.ca) Mark Pound Nathan Kaulback
athphotoeditor@acadiau.ca
mark.pound@gmail.com
Cover: Kelsi Barr (Model / Photographer)
news
www.theath.ca
SRC discusses possible fall break Hailey Winder Staff Writer This past weeks Student Representative Council meeting saw a variety of topics being addressed. As the first meeting since the summer months, there were many issues that needed to be discussed by the Council. The first issue that was brought to the table concerned the “student problem” and what can be done to improve the relationship between Acadia University and the Town of Wolfville. VP Finance Andrea Jeffs, will be looking into the question of how the students of the University impact Wolfville and how the University can move forward in addressing its, seemingly, tainted relationship between the Town of Wolfville. VP Academic, Darcy Shea, was the next to introduce a topic of discussion concerning the recent Provincial elections. Shea expressed her disappointment with the general lack of support from the council in encouraging voter turnout, though there is not yet any indication that there was a significantly low voter turnout from Acadia students. Undergraduate students are considered to be one of
the lowest demographics for voter turnout. Shea articulated her desire to promote political activism at Acadia. Without a doubt, the highlight of the meeting came during the discussion period in which senators Hector Rode and Brett Ells introduced the potential introduction of extra vacation time during the fall term, which has been adamantly petitioned for by the Mental Health Committee. Rode explained that there were multiple options for the placement of the extra vacation time— either additional time off at Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, or a week off prior to December exams. Both Rode and Ells expressed the fact
Fall Break Plans Stalled Iain Bauer Editor-In-Chief September 17th saw the Acadia Student’s Union reconvene for their third SRC meeting of the year. The council’s focus was partially concerned with improving attendance at campus events, such as Saturday’s Sydstock memorial concert and especially varsity athletics games. ASU Equity Officer Callie Lathem also discussed her work with House Councils, leading By-Stander Intervention and plans to further train them in Mental Health responses. The greater issue at hand, however, was the potential Fall Study Break that had been proposed by the
timetable committee at the previous week’s SRC meeting. Members of the timetable committee had been eag er to establish the potential dates for the proposed break at the meeting in order to move forward with logistical planning. Progress was stalled though, by confusion amongst ASU representatives as to whether the proposed break would affect exam scheduling. While President Matthew Rios made it clear in this week’s meeting that exam scheduling would not necessarily affect exam week, Councilors had gathered public opinion concerning the break assuming it would. This seemed to affect responses, particularly from
student body to gauge a general consensus on the issue. The meeting continued with general introductions of the representatives and their plans for various aspects of the campus including Mental Health reforms, the completion of the Student Bill of Rights, engaging off-campus students, and improving communication between the SRC and the student Nathan Kaulback population. that, irrespective of their placement, Though this introductory meeting the addition of these vacation days was primarily focused on creating would push exams back further into plans, appointing committees, and December, with a potential end-date introducing new members to the SRC, nearing the 21st of December as the issues that were addressed directly opposed to the current end-date of affect the student body— and as the December 16th. year progresses it is likely that there ASU President, Matthew Rios, will be even more important issues e x p r e s s e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f at hand that will be discussed during addressing what is best for the future meetings. Information on the students— the placement of the times and dates of upcoming SRC extra days should be consistent with meetings will be emailed to the student the needs of the student body rather body— so watch your email and feel than being used as a strategic plan for free to come to the meetings as some student retention. Rode concluded very important issues concerning our this discussion and explained his goal campus and being discussed and acted to take these considerations to the upon by the SRC. upper-year students who largely requested that schedules remain unchanged and no fall break be added. Responses from younger students, especially first-years, were reportedly far more enthusiastic for the break. Concerns were raised in the meeting that having not experienced a full year of classes, first-year responses might not represent an informed response; Brett Ells, Science Senator and member of the timetable committee responded “we have to trust firstyears will make the right choice for themselves… we hope so.” An online survey distributed by the ASU returned 607 responses, which were largely split between enthusiasm for a November break, extended long weekends, and no break at all. The survey had also implied a necessary
A liberal government for students? Jacob Verhagen News Editor The Nova Scotia liberals have won a majority government in Nova Scotia, replacing the NDP as Nova Scotia’s governing party. The success of the liberal party has much to do with the startling unpopularity of ex-premier Darrell Dexter and his NDP cabinet. The question which should be on the minds of Nova Scotia post-secondary
students is: what does this mean for us? The Nova Scotia liberals promised to “eliminate the interest on the provincial portion of student loans to help graduates succeed as they enter the workforce, rather than be burdened by debt” and to “Create graduate scholarships for research and innovation to build research capacity in Nova Scotia.” The liberals maintained that they represent postsecondary students far better than the
previous NDP government who they accused of ‘charging students on their loans and for writing ‘blank cheques to corporations’. Interestingly, the website which had been recommended by the Acadia Student Union, nsstudentsvote.ca, had put the NDP as having the policy advantage towards students on 75% of the issues the site identified as being relevant towards students. Student Financial Assistance, Lifelong Well-being, and student voice were
change to exam scheduling as a result of any break. Members of the SRC requested that more robust and precise research be done, and the decision be pushed into the next semester once first-years have experienced a full semester. Ells responded that this is not a decision the committee wants to drag into the new year, and “we have to act on it quicker than later.” Professional Studies Senator Hector Rode punctuated Ells’ rush, adding that the decision “is just for next year, if it works, then maybe we can make it permanent.” Despite the stalls and confusion, Rios expressed enthusiasm towards the work of the SRC in gathering the responses from students, announcing, “this is what engaged robust student government looks like.” categories in which the NDP were deemed by the source to have advocated the policies which further their interests. The liberals did beat out the NDP on the issue of Tuition and Funding with their goal of increasing graduate scholarships, however it was mentioned that there wasn’t clear definition on either parities position on tuition from either the NDP or the Liberals. The question now is, will the new Liberal government keep with its promise to support students’ interests now that they have been given their
3
Hip lofts
in Wolfville? Jacob Verhagen News Editor
“ The protesters also held
signs with messages such as ‘we aren’t downtown anywhere’
”
The old Home Hardware on 336 Main Street, which had been abandoned, has been torn down. A new apartment building, geared mostly towards students, will be taking up the space provided. The developer, Micro Boutique Living, has been given the go ahead to take up the space provided. Micro Boutique living advertises itself as being the provider for those looking for hip, modern apartments. “Our beautiful Micro Boutique Lofts are perfect for those seeking quiet, long-term accommodation” claims the website. Indeed, for a view of the Antigonish lofts one need only go to www.microboutiqueliving.com There was vigorous debate at Town Hall regarding the establishment of this development. The original hope was that the apartment would be 71 units, however Mayor Jeff Cantwell had voiced his concern in January that this would simply be too large. There had also been a protest earlier in the year regarding the construction of this unit, one protestor voiced there concern, “we need a different building: smaller, smarter, not taking over our park, not overshadowing our park, not using the walkway, and making it for lots of different generations.” The protesters also held signs with messages such as ‘we aren’t downtown anywhere’. There has been a shaky relationship in the town regarding student housing and there has been concern that the construction of a building geared towards students will both disturb the aesthetic and the peace in Wolfville. Despite the concern of members of the community, the building was finally allowed by the town of Wolfville and construction is underway.
mandate by Nova Scotian voters? Will students hold the liberal government to their promises? Only time will tell.
ctvnews.ca
science
www.theath.ca
4
Local food at Wheelock Emily Kennedy Staff Writer Just down the hill, passed the football field, and to the right of the soccer fields lies one of Acadia’s hidden gems—the Acadia Community Farm. This little farm came to fruition in 2008 after several Acadia students initiated demand. Sectioned into two parts, the Farm offers plots to both Acadia students and the residents of Wolfville, as well as a few larger partnerships. Now, finishing up its fifth year, the Farm, managed by an Acadia student each year, is gaining quite a presence on campus and within the Wolfville community at large. The Farm itself has been establishing itself by a collective of community partnerships. Our very own meal hall is one of the biggest supporters of the initiative. In fact, it was due to the support of Wheelock staff that the Farm even exists. When the Farm was in its start up stages, Wheelock agreed to help out with a condition that some of the produce harvested would make its way to meal hall. That is right— some of the food you are eating is from no further than the bottom of the hill! You can not get much more local than
that. One of the great things about this partnership is that this was one of the visions of the students responsible for its inception. The collaborative vision that plays a significant role in the Farm’s success, aside from its involvement
with W heelock, is through its partnerships both off campus and with the surrounding community in Wolfville. Each year L’Arche Homefires participates in farm activities by volunteering time and maintaining a plot. The Wolfville Food Bank
initiative was also a main beneficiary of the Acadia Farm. Sharing Great Food was able to use some of the food produced, in conjunction with partnerships with several other local farms in order to provide one free meal a week to Acadia students. This program was a perfect example of just how far the Farm has come. Aside from these important partnerships, the Farm also offers a series of workshops throughout the growing season to help educate those interested in a variety of topics. In the past these workshops have surrounded such topics as Gardening 101, seed saving, and permaculture design. This year the Farm is teaming up with another student founded endeavor, the Acadia Fork and Farm Club. Through this newly established partnership, a series Taylor Brown of canning workshops is being also receives a portion of what is offered, which will be taking place over harvested, which gives back directly the next month. to the community, creating a building block for students to become involved For more information about the in supporting the very community that Acadia Community Farm, or to learn hosts us each year. how to get involved, check out their Last year, another student run website at: http://acadiafarm.org.
The One Million Dollar Man Niraj Nitheanandan Science Editor He walks, he talks and he has a beating heart, but he is not human—he is the world’s first fully bionic man. Like Frankenstein’s monster, cobbled together from a hodgepodge of body parts, the bionic man is an amalgam of the most advanced human prostheses—from robotic limbs to artificial organs to a blood-pumping circulatory system. The creature “comes to life” in “The Incredible Bionic Man,” premiering Sunday (Oct. 20) on the Smithsonian Channel. Roboticists Rich Walker and Matthew Godden of Shadow Robot Co. in England led the assembly of the bionic man from prosthetic body parts and artificial organs donated by laboratories around the world. “Our job was to take the delivery of a large collection of body parts— organs, limbs, eyes, heads—and over a frantic six weeks, turn those parts into a bionic man,” Walker told LiveScience during an interview. But it is not as simple as connecting everything like Tinkertoys. “You put a prosthetic part on a human who is missing that part,”
Walker said. “We had no human; we built a human for the prosthetic parts to occupy.” The robot, which cost almost $1 million to build, was modeled in some physical aspects after Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist at the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, who wears one of the world’s most advanced bionic hands. The bionic man has the same prosthetic hand as Meyer—the i-LIMB made by Touch Bionics—with a wrist that can fully rotate and motors in each finger. The hand’s grasping abilities are impressive, but the bionic man still drops drinks sometimes. “ H e ’s n o t t h e wo r l d ’s b e s t bartender,” Walker said. The robot sports a pair of robotic ankles and feet from BiOM in Bedford, Mass., designed and worn by bioengineer Hugh Herr of MIT’s Media Lab, who lost his own legs after getting trapped in a blizzard as a teenager. To support his prosthetic legs, the bionic man wears a robotic exoskeleton dubbed “Rex,” made by REX Bionics in New Zealand. His awkward, jerky walk makes him more Frankensteinian than ever. But it doesn’t end there—the bionic man also has a nearly complete set of
artificial organs, including an artificial heart, blood, lungs (and windpipe), pancreas, spleen, kidney and functional circulatory system. The artificial heart, made by SynCardia Systems in Tucson, Ariz., has been implanted in more than 100 people to replace their ailing hearts for six to 12 months while they wait for a
transplant, Walker said. The circulatory system, built by medical researcher
Alex Seifalian of University College London, consists of veins and arteries made from a polymer used to create synthetic organs of any shape. While it might not satisfy the Scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz,” the bionic man’s “brain” can mimic certain functions of the human brain. He has a retinal prosthesis, made by Second Sight i n S y l m a r, Calif., which can restore limited sight in blind people. He also sports a cochlear implant, s p e e c h recognition and speech production systems. T h e engineers equipped the bionic man with a sophisticated chatbot Flickr program that can carry on a conversation. The only problem is, it has the persona of “an
annoying 13-year-old boy from the Ukraine,” Walker said. The most unnerving aspect of the bionic man, though, is his prosthetic face. It is an uncanny replica of Meyer’s face. In fact, when Meyer first saw it, he hated it, describing it on the show as “awkward.” The bionic man successfully simulates about two-thirds of the human body. But he lacks a few major organs, including a liver, stomach and intestines, which are still too complex to replicate in a lab. The bionic man brings up some ethical and philosophical questions: Does creating something so humanlike threaten notions of what it means to be human? What amount of body enhancement is acceptable? And is it wrong that only some people have access to these life-extending technologies? The access issue is especially troublesome, Walker said. “The preservation of life and quality of life has become basically a technical question and an economic question.” The bionic man made his U.S. debut at New York Comic Con Oct. 10-13, and he will be on display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. this fall.
creative
www.theath.ca
5
It started in a car Sarah Williams Staff Writer The walk is long, Jane thought, as her breath shone in the moonlight, and her crystal footsteps left crevices in the snow. She trusted her feet; she knew where they would take her. Out there, the purple horizon stretched like a rubber band around the ice capped waters of Lake Ontario. Jane and her boyfriend, Alton, were out for a midnight drive. They did this often. Jane sensed, then and always, that Alton wanted to stretch each day of the calendar, until they bled together. Together, they were explorers of the night, getting to know the nocturnal geography of their little peninsula, Prince Edward County. Tonight, Jane and Alton had driven out of the belly of the county, to a place known as Lakeshore Lodge. Lakeshore Lodge is infinitely more unkempt than it sounds. Except for tourist season, when people flock from Toronto, it is a quiet place. In the summertime, grapevines wind their way through poison ivy patches and around the willow and the poplar trees, and lilt across the many sand dunes that dot the adjoining beach. Here, the limestone ledges reach far into the water, where many buried stories lie. This is a place of shipwrecks and bodies being taken too soon by the lake. But it is also very beautiful and not unlike paradise, or the place where heaven and hell must meet. The night was bright. Jane watched as she and
her boyfriend drove past the foreboding, silvery snowscape, down the rabbit warren road that leads to Lakeshore Lodge. She wondered how many people had gone down this road before, and what their purpose had been. This is the sort of pondering that can make one’s spirit soar. But tonight, a knot was growing in the pit of Jane’s stomach. The two of them eagerly hopped out of their car, and inhaled the pin-prick, frosty winter air. Coyotes in the distance circled round, their yips invading the stratosphere. Like a rubber band, like the lake. The young lovers soaked it all in, in a vein, subconscious effort to steal some of the wonder and beauty of the night for themselves. They wanted to possess, and then become, this Hinterland. Feeling themselves freed from the confines of civilized society, Jane and Alton strode around the night-time grounds of what had been a posh resort at the turn of the twentieth century. Finally, when their lungs were saturated with the cold night air and the stars seemed in their zenith, the young pair looked to retreat back to the safety of town. It was at this time, as they approached the slightly used vehicle they had traveled in, that Jane caught sight of something scintillating in the moonlight. Dread followed. In an instant, she realized Alton had forgotten to take the keys out of the ignition. The doors to their car, to their getaway, had, of course, been locked. This left the lonely road back in to town the only thing between them and the frost-bitten future. The snow crunched under their footsteps, as Jane
and Alton followed their tire tracks back towards civilization. Jane was thinking about how cold the night was. She considered, several times, all that could go wrong. It was as if, like the resort itself, their perfect outing was hopelessly doomed for failure. As her and Alton’s breath filled the sky, their footsteps becoming synchronized, she considered, too, their dependence on machinery. The only thing, after all, between us and the wild, is a pile of metal and some wires. It was at this time that she began to feel more like a deer, having narrowly evaded its predators, than a twenty year old dolled up in mascara and silver eye shadow. Contentedness rolled over her. She felt
exuberant, as the young couple chatted in time to the sound of their footsteps. Hours passed, treading alone along Lake Ontario. February 22. It was Midnight. They say each snowflake is different; unique. The same is true of fingerprints, and people. But what if the same were true of the minutes and hours that passed? As they rounded the bend of County Rd. 12, towards the red toll booths of the sandbanks, the path behind them became darker. This area was lit with fluorescent lights. Here too, was a telephone. Alton would call for help. He was good like that, having an innate sense of the “adult world” that Jane had, as yet, only dipped her toes into. After several minutes the tow
Flickr truck arrived. They exchanged words and were off, plundering back the way they had come. The moon, which had lit their way, was now sleeping behind a voluminous purple cloud. The fields were dark now, pierced only by the shadows of the tree rows, and the scrub cedars. As they drove, Jane’s eyes searched the shadows, where moments before she and Alton, and the coyotes, the deer, and the pines, had all been like a bunch of bemused ancestors. Alton smiled and looked at Jane, as her silver eye shadow reflected the car lights, and they drove down the road.
Erin Anderson
creative
www.theath.ca
6
Homeless
By Jack Golding
I could trade
the name of the king
the price of gas a thousand obligations and worry only about the weather
Rachel Houlton
To that special something By Jack Golding
You’re dirty, I like it. People look sideways at you not understanding yourexcess. I ache when you’re away Your taste lingering I try to keep you within reach even at 15 a pack.
Megan Beliveau
PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE
By Jack Golding
Any true lover of truth
And when I met
In hindsight, the absurdity of the
than getting them to
will not shy away from the
that hard determinist
exercise
communicate
controversy
and well,
stripped away much of it’s meaning.
at the time
caused by their search.
knocked out his teeth... I was simply testing
And I admit
As any true lover of truth
the limits of my agency
Feeding LSD
knows
to that priest and atheist,
you may not find answers
I have no apologies for torturing that stoic, It was a simple
I joined my existentialist friend
and locking them in a church
but there are certainly
and pragmatic
in a grave yard
was a tad bit irresponsible!
interesting questions.
application of theory
we stripped naked, smearing each
It seemed easier
other with paint.
creative
www.theath.ca
7
Passion photo by Kelsi Barr
Topophilia By Mira Dietz Chiasson
For the love of place, Topographies of faces, And of sacred spaces
Tracing footsteps, Traces of dust and sand Across the land, Tracing steps Back to their roots
Roots anchored deep In the entrails the land Entangled in the past The present and the future
Mapping out trails Cross-country Crossing rails Railway-lines From ancient times
Landscapes, Rugged coastlines And curving spines Of ancient mountains
The ebb and flow Of time, of tides Show Memories of faces
But do even Sacred places Remain the same? With the passing of time The changing of places And faces...
Wonder if Topophilia Can extend Over the entirety Of this land
A thought
By Jack Golding
Being happy is like
noticing a stucco ceiling
in an otherwise familiar room.
Megan Beliveau
arts
www.theath.ca
8
Artist’s talk with Holly Carr Sarah Williams Staff Writer On October 18th, The Acadia University Art Gallery hosted an artist’s talk with the creator of “Light in the Forest”, Holly Carr. The gallery caters to much of the Annapolis Valley, and many people crept out of the woodwork to attend this event. If you haven’t already visited this exhibit, it is well worth the journey down to the Beveridge Arts Centre to check it out. “Light in the Forest” is a beautiful reprieve from the demands and stresses of university life. This installation is interesting, and interactive. The artist, too, is has an interesting, and unique, perspective on her art. When entering the exhibit, I found the size of the work engaging. Columns of painted silk and painted trees beckon you to come and enter their world of whimsy. Silk trees reach to the sky beyond the ceiling. These trees, comparable in size to actual trees, stand around a circular tent. Golden light reflects off the silk in parts of this installation, creating a feeling of contentment. And in the middle of this creation, is a circular tent of sorts. Here, there are two layers of silk. The outermost layer depicts a more dystopian, monochromatic scene, whereas the inner tent is vibrant, and full of life. Contained within these silk walls is a simple, handmade green mattress and a tape cassette, for your listening pleasure. To begin with, Holly discussed the genesis for her work. She spoke of her
installation “Terrarium” which was also large scale and interactive. This piece was created at a time of family illness to serve as an escape. And,
as with “Terrarium”, she insists that “Light in the Forest” was intended to be a safe place for those who sought refuge. The artist also iterated that
she hoped for this installation would be a safe place for those who suffer from mental illness, as well. Holly Carr grew up in the country. This is reflected in the exhibit here at Acadia. “Light in the Forest” is an admitted retreat to childhood. However, she insisted, that as everyone’s childhood associations are different, what viewers experience from her work will largely depend on their previous life ex p er i en ces, a n d what they bring to the exhibit as individuals. In this way, the artist uses her art to tap i n t o m e m o r i e s. And the forest, her subject matter for this installation, is both symbolic and literal. Inside the tent is a very real place to unwind and relax, with nostalgic tunes circulating through the little cassette player at all times. Taylor Brown After the talk was over, Holly Carr was kind enough to speak with me about her artwork in general, as well as that which is currently being shown at the Acadia Art
Gallery. Interestingly, Carr has painted live with orchestras all over the country. Being a performance artist requires live performance. That is a given. However, we aren’t accustomed to watching art being created live. Curious for her opinion, I asked her whether or not there seemed to be a growing interest in art that was created live. Carr stated, “Right now multimedia is very popular. All over the world people are exploring this.” She went on to explain that it is, indeed, a different way of relating to the audience. Likely as others were, I was also curious as to why Carr decided to create some of her works in public. For Carr, the art that she creates in public is very different from the art she would create in private. And, for many, she iterated, art is a solitary affair. Lastly, I was curious as to how the audience engaged with her as she created a piece right before their eyes. What I didn’t realize is that some shows are created behind a screen so that the audience can’t see her. However, there are also intensely interactive shows, wherein the audience becomes part of the painting. Perhaps the most uplifting idea put forth in this artist’s talk was the affirmation that there is much depth and poignancy in happiness. Being a far cry from the sad, macabre pretentions of some art, “Light in the Forest” is a sweet retreat to gentler times. It makes the light beneath the surface of existence shine through the sometimes monochromatic sheen of daily existence.
Light in the Forest makes its Acadia debut Sarah Williams Staff Writer Three dimensional art, that which you can walk into, or wrap around yourself like a blanket, has the peculiar knack for engulfing you, and letting you get caught up in the experience of the art itself. Such is the artwork of Holly Carr. This autumn, the Acadia University Art Gallery is party to an expansive, and enlightening exhibit, “Light in the Forest” by the aforementioned artist. This installation runs from October 4 until December 1. The timeline for is quite fitting, as visiting this exhibit is an interesting marriage of nature and constructed art. So, take a walk through the K.C.I.C Gardens, then trundle on down to the campus gallery for a whimsical interpretation of nature.
On one of the glorious autumn days of late, I decided to go and visit this exhibit. Walking in, I could see columns of painted fabric, and hear ambient, classical music. No doubt, this installation will tickle your senses, as the music circles through the air, up and around the columns of buttery painted silk. This installation is worth seeing simply for its unusual context. Walking through “Light in the Forest” gave the very real impression of being in the forest, but perhaps, the forest of youth. It is whimsical to the core. In it, the animal and human world intertwines, along with columns of folkloric knotted trees. According to Holly Carr’s website, this installation is “intended to create an illustrated environment of storybooks where the viewer is immersed in veiled apparitions,” (www.hollycarr.com). Certainly, this effect is achieved. I was delighted to find golden hued light
as part of this installation, streaming through the columns of silk. This lighting, combined with the broad strokes of paint on the silk and the bold outlines, mirrored the simplistic effect of stained glass. It was glorious, and fun. The centre of this work is a circular tent of fabric. In it, there is a simple, yet comfortable, green mattress. Perhaps wanting to explore nostalgia, this part of the work creates a sense of ease. There is a feeling of letting go of the hustle and bustle, and retracting to simpler times. Holly Carr’s work as an artist has been varied. She has worked in theatre productions, as well as done performance art pieces. Carr’s performance art is inclusive, as she does large scale paintings in front of an audience. As with her performance art work, “Light in the Forest” feels inclusive. It has the expansive spirit of performance art. It would seem
that much of her work is “live”, as that which is currently at the Acadia Art Gallery feels very much alive, like one is somehow accessing another world simply by witnessing it. With this in
Taylor Brown mind, I implore you, while you have the chance, while the leaves are golden and the sky is blue, pop into the campus art gallery and check out this work. It is a refreshing pause to take.
arts
www.theath.ca
9
Life after Acadia:
Helping you help yourself Stephanie Brown Staff Writer
I was eager to embark on this column because there are so many of us who doubt ourselves and our choices, assuming that the other people around us have a clear vision. My hope with this ongoing column is to change the stigma that not having it all figured out is unacceptable. An important part of our education and career searching process is using all of the resources available to us to ensure we are as well-informed as possible. One of the best resources on campus is the career counselling ser vice offered through Student Resources. The suggested counsellor to speak to is Dr. Terry Lane and I can assure you that you will feel even a little bit more clarity after meeting with him. Terry has been working in universities for 25 years and has seen first-hand range of student experiences. He explained to me that it is tough because after the 16 years of being a student (if you graduate in four years), the only thing you have been exposed to is being a student. “Apart from limited summer job experience how could you be expected to know what you want?” he questioned. He explained that we often choose studying for a midterm over looking at possible career routes because it is something we are familiar with. Terry said that since being a student is what we know best so we choose to spend more time on that
than the things we do not know, but if we get too comfortable with that routine we can get to the end of our fourth year and just be starting to think about our future. He says that “it’s not about trying to find the facts, it’s going up against yourself ” and further explains that we will make better choices if we do research about our future. Terry has seen many students walking around unhappy with their degree, just marking time, “too nervous to consider an alternative and not unhappy enough
to walk away.” He urged students in that situation to “walk away from here, do not give us anymore of your time and money if you are just going through the motions.” When asked about the best ways to stay on top of your satisfaction level, Terry answered that students should do a reality check each semester. He suggests asking yourself “How have I done?” and “Did what I just did these last three months make sense? Where do I think it’s getting me? Is the time and money I am spending taking me to
Kelsi Barr where I want to be?” and if the answer is ever no, then stop. Terry addresses the stigma that once a student takes a break they will never come back by saying that it is absolutely not true. He encourages more people to take a break before university or when they feel they need to, because once they find something they think will lead them to an ideal career they will most certainly return and succeed. He adds “Do not go here because you cannot think of something else to do; that is the worst
reason to be here. Do not be here just to pass the time.” During our chat Terry mentioned that people need to be allowed to question. He said that when we are 18, 19 and 20 we barely know who we are, so how can we be expected to have a life goal in mind? That stuck with me because it really drove home the fact that we expect so much from ourselves at such a young age, and we should really give ourselves a break. In addition to the counselling ser vice, the Student Resource Centre also offers the Myers-Briggs personality and Strong-Interest Inventory at a discounted price to students. Myer-Briggs assesses personality style and how one does things, helping you predict what personality style fits best in different careers. The Strong Interest Inventory compares your likes and dislikes to the likes and dislikes to the people in a certain workforce with the theory that if those match up you are likely to enjoy that position. Any students interested in taking those tests which are extremely helpful in organizing your own ideas about yourself can contact counselling@acadiau.ca or visit the Student Resource Centre in the bottom of the Old SUB. Career Services is another excellent service that helps students with resumes, cover letters and helps connect them to potential employers. To reach Career Services, run by Michelle Johnson, you can email career.services@acadiau.ca.
Academic corner: the Student Bill of Rights Darcy Shea Staff Writer When I decided to run for Vice President Academic, I spoke with my predecessor Kyle Power to see if there were any incomplete goals that he wished he could have finished. He mentioned a few, but one notion stuck in my mind as soon as he said it—a Bill of Rights for Students. Many schools across Canada and the United States have Bills of Rights, Codes of Conduct or Charters of Rights and Responsibilities, and we did not have one. I loved the idea of creating a document for students to reference in their times of need. When I started researching other school’s documents, I found that most of them were written by governing bodies of the school, like the school
Senate or Board of Governors. A few of them were written by committees that involved stakeholders from different areas of the campus, but almost none of them were solely written by students. That was the moment I knew I had to write this document for Acadia. Though research was intensive, there was quite a bit of variation between each document from different schools. Some schools only had a document containing one page of fundamental rights and responsibilities, while others had over thirty pages of different responsibilities and rights varying across the campus. Acadia’s Student Bill of Rights must be both concise and short enough for students to read easily, and extensive enough to cover all aspects of rights and responsibilities. While the outlook of the Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities has
shifted since I started, the purpose has always stayed the same: the bill is for students to be able to access all their rights and responsibilities in one document found in a central location— the student union website. With so many different documents on the campus, like the Academic Calendar, the Residence Life Handbook and the Harassment and Discrimination Policy, students often will not read them, or know where to find them. I know that creating one central document will solve that issue. Most documents on campus require a thorough understanding, and state in the document, “It is a student’s responsibility to read and understand this (insert document here)”. I know as a student we are extremely busy and reading handbooks is not something we want to do for fun, so I wanted to create an easy to read, reference document for those who do not want
to shift through all documents on campus. For example, one section that will be in the Bill of Rights will be Academic Responsibilities. A student could look in either of those sections for their rights in regards to marking schemes, or exam writing. To aid students with their research of their rights, there is reference to the document that was used for the
information, so if students want to look further into a topic, they would know where to look. The Student Bill of Rights is a document for everyone. Students need to know their rights, but in order to do so they must be able to find them. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me at darcy.shea@acadiau.ca. The Student Bill of Rights is different in that it encompasses all students’ rights and responsibilities in one document. The document is also quite broad. It covers students’ rights from academics to harassment and discrimination to non-academic judicially. Cully Simpson
arts
www.theath.ca
10
Fall/Winter 2013 forecasts Grayson Klimek Fashion Killer
If prints are not your thing, I have got just what you need! A few tips on texture, and how pairing and layering different fabrics can still give that flashy, high street look that you want for this season. Throughout fashion week this year, there was a universal trend for both men and women; texture. Using neutral colours in lieu of patterns gave designers the opportunity to delve deep into their creative subconscious and experiment with textures and layering. By bringing into play mediums such as leather, metallic foil, vinyl and fur, you can infuse the looks of the runway into your everyday wardrobe! Instead of throwing on a basic cotton or twill t-shirt and jacket, guys, put a bit of flare into your outfit. Leather patches and shiny metallic accents are the perfect way to do so. Givenchy’s F/W 2013 men’s line achieved an effortless street tough look by fusing leather shoulder pads and sleeves with long trench coats. This or a full leather t-shirt or jumper, are exactly what you should be trying to get your hands on for fall. The contrast between a predominantly dark palette and hints of leather in an outfit will
give you an intricate contemporary style with an urban kick. Issey Miyake, a designer known for his technology-driven designs took his fall collection in a moon man inspired direction. His use of rich, bold oranges and shiny gold and silver foils gave the line a truly unique and out of this work aesthetic. Working with colours that compliment the changing seasons in unexpected ways such as metallic or holographic fabrics are the best ways to make a statement. If you guys really want to make an outfit pop, look for pieces similar to the ones seen in his collection. From head to toe there is something interesting that catches your eye. Girls, the best way to turn some heads this fall is by using two things: vinyl and fur. Vinyl, as seen in Marios Schwab’s fall line, provides a perfect amount of rigidity that will give you a sleek silhouette while remaining practical. Pairing a bright coloured vinyl circle skirt with an oversized, loose sweater is a chic and easy way to liven up your look! Now what would fall be without fur? Everyone knows that fur is the ultimate fall/winter accessory, it is just a matter of knowing how to wear it! This season, to go along with the rebellious theme of the catwalk; designers at Fendi decided to kick off the chains of tradition and jazz up their collection with a punk rock
flare. By layering different colours and lengths of fur, they created interesting geometric shapes that gave the line an haute couture feel; something not
many houses go for in their F/W campaigns. If you are considering picking up some fur anytime soon, try to find a pop of colour. Royal
The Athenaeum blues and magentas are two foolproof colours when staying on trend in the fur department.
Academic corner: Study spaces on campus Darcy Shea Staff Writer One topic I find on the forefront of everyone’s minds during this time of year is study space. As midterm season rolls around, the library fills up and students are left trying to scrounge around campus for that perfect study
spot where they can focus for their homework needs. The library, though often packed during exams, is the classic studying space. First floor is known to be somewhat of a ‘hub’, where friends can meet up to talk about their work, do assignments, and group work. Also on first floor are most of the study rooms, which can be signed out whenever the library is open. These
rooms are great for group work or individual studying, although some of the bigger rooms can only be signed out if the group of students is more than three. Second, third and fourth floors are quiet floors, with tables and cubicles. My favourite studying spot is the Michener Lounge in the Student Union Building. I have been studying there since first year. This space is upstairs in the SUB, filled with comfortable chairs and couches, as well as desks and chairs to sit at. It is relatively quiet, with low foot traffic. During exam time, this is the only space on campus open twenty-four hours, so I know many people who have studied overnight here (myself included). Also in the Cully Simpson
Student Union Building are tables, chairs and couches on the main floor. While the main floor of the SUB has heavy foot traffic, there are lots of outlet plugs and food resources close by in case of need for replenishment. Students who can not study with noise distractions should not study here, as often groups hold meetings here. Near the Student Union Building is Fountain Commons, which is a big open room that is well utilized during exams. What students often do not know is that it is an open study space year-round. Fountain Commons is great because it has bright, natural lighting, is central on campus, and has both chairs and couches to sit comfortably in. Clark Commons is another space around residences that can be utilized for studying. Unfortunately, this space is only available to students who live in residence. Clark Commons is a small room with couches and chairs, which is quiet and has bright natural light. This space is quite small which is nice, but finding a spot may be difficult during busy study times. Another option for students who
live in residence are the study rooms in each residence. I used the study room in my residence for exams first year and loved the small quiet small space. These are first come first serve as far I know, but are a great option for those who want a quiet space. The KCIC is a great spot on campus for studying. Though never imagined to be a study space for students when built, the garden room is generally packed during midterms and exams for students who like bright, natural lighting with a nice atmosphere. However, what students do not usually know is that there are several rooms in KCIC that can be signed out for studying purposes. These rooms are set aside from the big Garden Room, upstairs and downstairs. I have studied in every kind of space on campus and while I have my favourites, everybody has their differences. The good thing about midterms and exams is that students always know when they are coming, so they can prepare by scouting out good spots around campus to study. Good luck!
sports
www.theath.ca
11
Down but not defeated Hailey Winder Staff Writer Homecoming saw the Axewomen’s first loss against the St. FX X-Women. This loss saw the Axewomen down 1724 by the end of the 80-minute game on Saturday night. The overwhelmingly large crowd of Acadia supporters cheered the team through the entirety of the game. The Axewomen were the first to light up the score-board with Natalie Silver touching down the first try of the night with a try by second year prop, Riley Kitchen followed by a successful conversion by Emilie Chiasson— who recently broke the single-season scoring record for the conference. Midway through the first, third-year hooker, Maddie Fray, further added to this early Acadia advantage. St. FX scramble to tally up some points by the end of the first half—managing to snag a try followed by a successful conversion with four minutes left in the first half. In the second half of the game, Allison Jordan racked up another 5 points, giving the Axewomen a 17-7 lead over the X-Women early on in the second half. St. FX responded soon after with an unconverted try adding 5 more points to their score. Soon after, Chiasson left the pitch with a leg injury after a great effort by Acadia to push the X-Women out of their zone. Immediately following Chiasson’s departure, the X-Women added another try to the scoreboard tying the game up at 17 points a piece. St. FX scored another seven points with a try and successful conversion late in the second half to take their first lead against the Axewomen, which would remain to be the final score of 24-17 for the X-Women. Homecoming brought out a great crowd of supporters down to
Raymond field for this intense battle between two very high-caliber teams. It was a well-fought game from both teams. Due to their exceptionally well played season, the Axewomen are still in contention for nationals even after this tough loss—the X-Women needed to win by 30 points to get past Acadia and, unfortunately for St. FX, seven points just won’t cut it. Emotions were high on the pitch after the game as fans, friends and family flocked to the field to congratulate the women on a wellplayed game. The roar of cheers from the Axewomen’s huddle exemplified their passion and determination to not let this game get to them. This season’s team is resilient and hard working, and
there is a lot of fight left in them to finish off this season with a bang. “It was a tough loss, but we’ll be back next weekend to kick some ass,” said Fray of the game. This game was by far the most intense match this reporter has ever seen, keeping me at the edge of my seat the entire time, screaming my lunges out and biting my nails as the Axewomen battled with a consistently tough competitor. The Axewomen are set to play St. FX one more time in the AUS finals next weekend where they can prove take back a final victory and move forward as AUS champs. Though the Axewomen lost this one game, they are still up and optimistic going forward—their season is not over yet.
Enter the gridiron greats Eliza McGuire Sports Editor
While the Acadia men and women’s swim teams were away at UNB, two alumni of the championship 76-77,7778 Axettes were inducted to the Hall of Fame. Penny Gaul and Roberta Thomson swam under Jack Scholz, who led the team to back to back CIAU (CIS) championships. This boosted Acadia into an elite club; only three other universities have ever won a national championship in the 60 odd years since the championships began: the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary and the
University of Toronto. While Gaul and Thomson no longer hold records at Acadia, they still rank in Acadia’s top ten all time swims multiple times. Also being inducted was the Acadia 1992 CIS championship hockey team,
with team members George Dupont, Duane Dennis, Norm Batherson, and Jeff MacLeod. Athletes Marv Allemang and Bob Cameron also enter the athlete category and coach Sonny Wolfe was inducted as a builder.
Patrick-Jordan Diegel
sports
www.theath.ca
12
Axemen top Tommies
Cazzola who registered two assists in the game. The Axemen continue their season on October 20th versus UPEI in an afternoon game. The game will also feature the retirement of Connie Macneil’s jersey number 6, who passed away this summer. His jersey will only be the second one retired in Axemen history.
four. As for this season, newly appointed captain Liam Heelis is clear that his team is a hardworking one: “Our team this season will base our identity around persistent work ethic and hard-nosed, simple hockey. What we did well in last night’s game was continually improve as the game went along. We had a slow start but we progressively got better as the game went on and that ties into our team identity of persistent work ethic. We were able to push the pace after being down a goal early and chip away shift by shift to find the win. We are going to be a team this year that when we face adversity the boys will be able to power through and find ways to win, and that shows the character of each guy we have in our room. We have one goal; to win hockey games and with our team identity and character we are more Erin Anderson than capable of finding The Axemen had a successful success in the hunt for a championship season last year although it ended in inside this tight conference. Every a heartbreaking loss to Saint Mary’s in game will be a battle and I believe we’re the AUS Semi Final’s. Acadia finished up the challenge.” the 2012-13 season in third place with Acadia plays away next weekend seventeen wins, nine losses, and two visiting St. Thomas and UPEI. You can overtime losses. Particularly before watch them the following Wednesday, Christmas the Axemen dominated, October 30th versus Dalhousie. winning twelve games and losing only
The second half opened with another safety given up by the X-men after 68-yard kickoff and hungry defensive pressure from the Axemen,
putting the score at 7-3. Later in the quarter, the Axemen continued putting up numbers following a thrilling sack and fumble allowing Acadia to set-up
Sarah Mackinnon Staff Writer
The Acadia Axemen started their season off right this Homecoming weekend with a convincing 3-1 win over the St. Thomas Tommies on Friday night. The Axemen played a dominant third period to steal the win as the first two periods had the Tommies leading 1-0. Acadia began the night by celebrating the Acadia Arena’s twentyfifth anniversary with a sold out crowd of 2,100 enjoying opening ceremonies. Jordan Moore scored the lone goal for his team at 15:22 of the first period, sneaking it by Axemen goaltender Evan Mosher with a wrist shot. Acadia had double the amount of shots in the first period but was unable to convert. In the second period, the Axemen had many impressive chances on a 5 on 3 power play with a particular nice shot from Dylan Anderson, but the Tommies goaltender, Jon Groenheyde, was able to get his pad down to block the puck. Cullen Morin also had a shot that went off the crossbar, and the Tommies goalie continued to play strong stopping 43 shots after two periods. The third period, however, was a different story. Acadia tied it up at 6:13 on the power play with Liam Heelis shooting and hitting the post, allowing for Brett Thompson to convert on the rebound tying the game. Thompson scored again shooting it past the blocker and gaining the lead for the Axemen, all within 64 seconds. After 14 minutes in the third period the Tommies had registered just one shot. Anderson sealed the deal for the Axemen late in the third period on the power play, solidifying the win at 3-1 in favor of Acadia. The Tommies had 22 penalty
minutes in the game and the Axemen made them pay with two out of their three goals off of the power play. Brett Thompson received the first star of the game with his two-goal performance. Tommies goaltender Jon Groenheyde received the second star of the game after stopping 56 of 59 shots. Third star went to Mike
Football Recap Iain Bauer Editor-In-Chief Coming off a pair of losses to the St. Mary’s Huskies, the Axemen defeated the X-Men for the second time this season at this weekend’s Homecoming showdown. The 27-11 Axemen victory adjusted both the Axemen and the X-men’s records to a competitive 3-4. The squads traded punts for the better part of the first half, until Acadia’s Andrew Healy ran it up the middle for a 61-yard gain. The X-men held the drive at the 6-yard line though, and the Axemen settled for a field goal, made by Ryan Begin. Begin was soon after able to force poor field position out of a long punt which allowed Acadia a safety, marking the score 5-0. The X-Men forced
a fumble soon after however, and tightened the score 5-3 before the end of the half with a 23-yard field goal by St. FX’s Jeremy Ford.
Erin Anderson
on the X-Men’s 35-yard line, from which Player of the Game, Thomas Troop, ran 4 of his 168 rushing yards in for the touchdown. Early into the final quarter saw more Axemen scoring as the squad marched the field before Evan Brown completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brian Jones, making the score 21-3. The next possession saw the X-men answer with a touchdown of their own, on a 10-yard rush from Ashton Dickson, but Acadia put the game away after an interception from Axeman Cameron Wade and a pair of field goals from Begin. Acadia’s victory was marked by an impressive defensive shutdown of the X-men’s passing game, and a combined 452 offensive yards. Axemen veteran Taylor Renaud posted a game high 91 yards in receiving. Acadia will battle it out with the 3-4 Mounties at Mount Allison next Saturday.