The Bishop’s University Newspaper Vol. 70, No.12
fendinmidt flood watching since 1944 www.thebucampus.ca
MARCH 25, 2015
BU has first film festival! p. #4 PHOTO COURTESY RYAN MILLAR
Rory McIlroy is the new face of EA Sports video game, p. #14
Featured poem submissions, p. #10
PHOTO COURTESY EA SPORTS
PHOTO COURTESY CCHSVOICE.ORG
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NEWS The Campus Editors, 2014-2015
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Jared Perlmutter
MARCH 25, 2015 THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014
Kristy Bockus, News Editor » thecampus.news@gmail.com
QUEUC 2015
Students in North America flock to Bishop’s to share academic essays SYLVIA DUARTE Contributor
LAYOUT EDITOR:
Natasha Paikin
COPY EDITOR:
Nicole Gauvreau
FEATURES EDITOR:
Alison Petrovich
NEWS EDITOR:
Kristy Bockus
ARTS EDITOR:
Katharine McKenney
OPINIONS EDITOR:
Asha-Maria Bost
SPORTS EDITOR:
Dylan Konecny
The Campus is editorially and financially autonomous. It is published by the Campus Publication Board. The Campus is a member of the Canadian University Press (CUP), a national co-operative of over 70 college and university student newspapers. The Campus supports the CUP Statement of Principles. All material is copyright The Campus. Nothing may be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief. Complaints may be made directly to the Editor-in-Chief. If no resolution can be reached, complaints should be forwarded to the Publishing Board. The opinions of the writers published in The Campus do not necessarily represent the opinions of the staff of The Campus or the Campus Publishing Board. Likewise, the opinions expressed in the advertisements published in The Campus do not reflect the opinions of the staff or the Publishing Board. Submissions to The Campus will be considered if they are received prior to the deadline at midnight on the Saturday previous to the publication date. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, style, and/or inappropriate material. The editorial staff also reserves the right not to publish submissions, including assigned stories or solicited material. Letters to the editor can be submitted directly to the Editor-in-Chief by email, in person, or by mail. Letters must be accompanied by the author’s name and phone number for verification purposes, even in the case of anonymous letters. All submissions should be in text-only or Microsoft Word format.
Left to right: Evan Buck, Dr. Gregory Brophy, Dr. Jessica Riddle, Samantha Maliszewski.
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n Mar. 13-14 Bishop’s University hosted the sixth-annual Quebec Universities English Undergraduate Conference (QUEUC). Bishop’s students and faculty run the event; this year’s coordinators were Evan Buck and Samantha Maliszewski. Drs. Jessica Riddle and Gregory Brophy, who are both professors in Bishop’s English department, acted as advisors. The conference, which was founded by Riddle, allows undergraduate students from all over Canada and the United States to present papers to their peers. It also encourages students to socialize with other English and Humanities students from all over the country. The conference is held in high regard by universities all over North America, and is a very stimulating experience since the topics that are covered by the panels vary based on people’s areas of study and interest. This year’s conference held 15 panels and presented 46 papers. One of these essays was written by Eric Benoit from Middlebury College titled, “Robin Williams: The Psychologist’s Shadow.” Benoit’s paper analyzed one of Robin Williams’ most serious roles and wheth-
er or not his actions in the film might have allowed audiences to glimpse the internal battles he faced. Another note-worthy essay was “Feminism in Fairy Tales” by Jadrien Hong, a student from the University of New Brunswick, which discussed different fairy tales and how women are portrayed in Disney’s versions of these tales compared to how they are portrayed in the Grimm brothers’ versions of the same stories. From Bishop’s, Georgina Graham presented her paper, “Honey I corrupted the Kids: Children’s Encounters with Technology in Verbinski’s, The Ring.” Her paper looked at the effects of technology on children and how parents take on too much work, resulting in less time spent with their children. Graham used the example of Aidan in The Ring to explain to the audience that monitoring children and spending time with them allows them to make better decisions in the future. All the papers presented at the conference showcased each student’s individual writing styles and provided insight into many new ways of thinking about a multitude of topics.
PHOTO COURTESY LUCAS O’HARA
Although the main events at the conference are panel discussions and the presentation of research papers, it is not the only thing that QUEUC offers students in return for the $25 entrance fee. This year’s event also had a poetry reading and book signing by Jason Camlot, a cranium night at The Gait, and tons of tasty treats for everyone that attended the conference. Congratulations to all of the presenters, and a massive thank you to the coordinators of the event for organizing such a great conference!
THEBUCAMPUS.CA
Professor Profiles: Ask me about my university
NEWS
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GUENEVERE MACDONALD News Writer
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ith the winter semester quickly drawing to a close, I wanted to profile some of the professors that would be teaching during the 2015 spring semester and highlight the available classes. However, most of the classes are still listed as TBA, meaning these classes currently still do not have professors lined up to teach them and may not be offered as a consequence. This isn’t all that unusual or uncommon for the spring semester especially this early on, but with already limited course availability and overlapping timeslots it could be a rather large complication added to an already frustrating spring timetable. My goal in starting the Professor Profiles series for The Campus was to highlight some of our lessor known classes and their dedicated teachers, classes that not only fulfill the electives necessary for a well-rounded liberal arts education, but also provide opportunities for great learning experiences. These classes, and often the professors who teach them, are not always directly involved in the larger research projects at BU that draw in large grants and bolster our reputation in the academic community. The smaller research projects are often a labour of love by our dedicated professors who hope to leave a lasting impression on their students and the academic world at large. These are the classes and departments that often feel the full brunt of budget cuts and constraints during leaner economic years. They are also the first on the chopping block when the budget needs a squeeze. With the Quebec Government currently implementing austerity measures across the board, there is little doubt that Bishop’s will have to continue to cut corners and work around tight budgets for the foreseeable future. While we’ve managed to quietly make do in the last two years, other universities in the province have not been as successful and have taken more dramatic steps to address funding problems. A perfect example is the Université du Quebec announcing that it will back proposed student strikes against austerity measures this spring. There has been a definite shift in the Bishop’s community in recent years. Most students will agree it’s still a great school, but moral has declined. Students
are disgruntled, schedules are messy and often overlap making choices difficult and sometimes impossible to accommodate. Study space is at a premium and next to impossible to find during exam time. Faculty comes and goes with programs undergoing continuous revision. In the grand scheme of things, we’re much better off than schools like McGill, or even our neighbouring Université de Sherbrooke who has a staffing and budget crises on their hands and just narrowly averted a campus wide strike in December (right in the middle of exams). These budget cuts leave professors feeling frustrated, as they desperately want to accommodate their students but can’t because of technicalities. Then there is our student and faculty retention, something that is absolutely necessary for our school to survive. In the past three years, many students (and faculty) have either transferred universities or seriously considered a change of scenery. This would be an enormous loss to our academic community. The future of many classes and programs at BU sits on the edge of budget cuts, many sliding dangerously close to the edge with some already falling over. For many students, it’s just not acceptable and that is why they choose to leave. For others, demographics and family responsibilities, cost, and scholarship opportunities hinder any opportunity to even consider another university. For the vast majority of students and staff, our BU pride encourages us to tough it out. The truth that lingers under the surface is that Bishop’s is a great school, but like all institutions in poor economic times, we’re cinching the belt. Like all great schools, there is always room for improvement. This year we saw the addition of a fabulous new sports complex. It was long overdue and it’s amazing. However our library is seriously lacking in everything from space, to materials, to comfortable chairs for those marathon study periods. The staff goes above and beyond, but the library as a whole is not what you would expect from a higher learning institution with a student body of this size. Then you have the nightmare of parking, conflicting schedules, dated equipment and residences that need upgrades or complete overhauls. It’s painfully obvious
that our student body has outgrown our campus. These projects are big and expensive. Some of these projects are in the works, whereas others seem to be in a constant state of planning. Times being what they are, they will likely remain in limbo for a while. Reality dictates that the majority of us we won’t see improvements such as a new library complex before we graduate. That doesn’t mean that small changes could not be made to improve the current one. For instance, it was a great idea to have food and drinks available for purchase in the library during the exam period. These are the sort of things that can greatly improve our community and the Bishop’s experience as a whole. There are many students and professors who have great ideas for inexpensive ways to improve different problem areas on campus. It is time for us to come together as a community so that we can work together to improve our university, protect various classes and programs, as well as add to a better overall experience here at Bishop’s. For example, why not post the list of unused classroom schedules for additional study spaces? It would take a huge burden off the library. What we lack however is a forum to express these ideas and that is a frustrating and dangerous thing. For Bishop’s to continue to grow and thrive, we need to work together to improve on what already makes us a great school. I personally would love to continue to write about our amazing Professors, their research and classes for as long as I can continue to do so. I love Bishop’s and I’d like to be able to return years from now and say that I am a proud graduate of this amazing university. With all that has been said, it’s important to note there are many people who are sincerely trying to make a change for the better. Our administration team works hard, as does the SRC but often decisions are made that have little or no input from the BU community. These changes impact the faculty and the student body directly. Too often we don’t hear about them until everything is finalized, and it’s too late to add our input. These decisions can and have had disastrous consequences in the past for the entire Bishop’s community, resulting in professors leaving and some students
no longer being able to continue their studies. One of the reasons Bishop’s is so amazing is that our professors don’t stop teaching once they’ve stepped out of the classroom. They continually challenge us. When students walk into a classroom these are the professors who know students by name and being the class with a simple, “Hello, how are you?” Bishop’s boasts an amazing, intimate learning environment and we need to protect it. In response to a discussion with one of these professors who challenged the views of a frustrated student, I will say this… Sir, I accept your challenge, and I will put this question to the Bishop’s community: Dear administration, faculty, and students, are you willing to come together and discuss ideas, problems, and solutions as a collective community to improve our programs, our campus, and our education as a whole? We should do what scholars do best, engage ourselves in serious discussion and debate about our university, opening the floor to everyone in our community to express their needs, concerns, and ideas in a clear, open manner without prejudice or penalty; an opportunity to give our community a voice and an audience to hear that voice. I propose an organized, campus wide forum to address these issues, exchange our ideas, and put our Gaiter Pride to work doing what we can, where we can, to improve the Bishop’s experience as best we can in the short term and work to increase opportunities to address larger concerns in the future. A massive event, one that would expand over several days and require hard work from dedicated individuals to plan and prepare. More importantly, it would allow the entire Bishop’s community to come together in one place, working to build an even greater Gaiter experience - together. Is anyone else willing to meet the challenge? If you are interested in discussing the potential for an open forum or ideas to improve the BU experience, please contact gmacdonald11@ubishops.ca.
THE C AMPUS IS HIRING! FIND OUT HOW TO APPLY ON THE BACK COVER.
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NEWS
THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014 MARCH 25, 2015
Beauty Comes at a Price
Apple’s newest MacBook looks great, but is it worth the price? JEREMY ANDREWS News Writer
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arlier this month Apple released the latest addition to their product lineup: the new MacBook. Not a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, just a MacBook. It comes in three colours: silver, space grey, and gold. The new device could possibly replace the Air, but would be inadequate for most professional users. At just 13.1 mm at its thickest point, this is the thinnest laptop Apple has ever made—24% thinner than the 11” MacBook Air. With its 12-inch retina display and small size, this sounds like it could be an ideal machine. However, in pursuit of such a design, Apple has had to make compromises that could drastically limit the potential consumer market. First, the new MacBook is simply not very powerful. It has a 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor, a necessity since it generates less heat and consumes less energy. This does not perform as well as the Intel Core i5 chip found in other MacBook models. The device also leaves something to be desired when it comes to the keyboard and track pad. The thinness means that keys cannot be pressed down as far; if you thought existing chiclet keyboards had little give, this new MacBook takes it even further. As for the track pad, there is no longer room for it to physically click down as previous generations did, so instead there is a haptic feedback motor attached to it, so you get a similar sensation as tapping on a smartphone screen. The most inconvenient factor is the lack of ports. The computer has only two
PHOTO COURTESY FORBES.COM
The new MacBook is Apple’s thinnest laptop.
plugs on it: headphones and USB-C. The new USB-C standard will do everything: power, thumb drives, peripherals, Internet connectivity, displays (such as a projector) or anything else you might want to plug in. For some people this will be fine, considering many people now use cloud storage instead of thumb drives, and many accessories can be connected wirelessly (e.g. via Bluetooth). For other users, however, this will mean you will need adaptors and splitters (not included) to plug just about anything into the laptop. For example, if you wanted to have your computer plugged into the wall, use an external USB mouse and access your thumb drive at the same time, you would need a USB adaptor with power
“And the Oscar goes to...”
pass-through and a USB splitter. On the balance, this laptop, given its low power and lack of ports, is more like a tablet with a keyboard attached and no touchscreen than an actual laptop. This begs the question: who will buy it? The person who would likely benefit most from this laptop is someone who mainly only wants to use it for browsing the web, consuming music and videos, and exchanging e-mails. However, the new MacBook is on sale in Canada starting at $1549 with 256GB storage or $1899 for 512GB. The storage space is virtually the only difference between the two models, but it would be important to choose wisely, as it is impossible to upgrade the storage. If you want a device to perform the
basic tasks previously mentioned then for $1000 less you could buy an iPad— it essentially has the same processor as the new MacBook and a touchscreen— and then add your own Bluetooth keyboard. For $500 less, you could get the slightly heavier but much more powerful and practical MacBook Air. Putting aside the limited market, it is surprising that Apple would choose to use the USB-C port, an open standard, instead of their proprietary Thunderbolt standard, the latter being a hallmark of the newest Mac Pro. This could be a signal that Apple is moving towards more interoperability within their devices, which would be great news for anyone who enjoys using Apple products.
written by David Guignon in Screenwriting and was then selected and produced by Weir (with permission). Not only do these classes prepare an individual student for success, but encourages broader networking and discovery. All of the submitted films were screened at the BUFF Gala that took place at Bandeen Hall. Mike Thomas and Kristy Bockus, two student volunteers on the BUFF organizing committee, hosted the evening. The student films were shown at the beginning of the evening, followed by a short intermission before awards were presented. The four judges—Principal Michael Goldbloom, Sheila Quinn, Stephanie Ratovonarivo, and Elizabeth Rose—decided on the winners in the four categories of Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Film. All of the judges watched the films before the gala and met up with one another in the afternoon to discuss the nominees and, ultimately, the winners.
For Best Director, Mary Anne Mackness won for her film, November; Best Actress was awarded to Jackie Hanlin for her portrayal of Tina in Bike & Tina; Chris Rae won Best Actor for his role in Breakdown; Best Film went to Christo Graham for his film, Bike & Tina. The final award, the Audience Choice Award, was presented at the end of the night after the ballots were collected and tallied during intermission. Christo Graham snatched up another trophy (and a GoPro!) for his film Bike & Tina and was awarded with the Audience Choice Award. The winning films will be screened at Le Festival Cinema du Monde de Sherbrooke. The evening was a great success, packing Bandeen to its capacity. Thank you to all those who helped make the event possible. Let us raise a toast in celebration to a new BU tradition, and we hope to see you at next year’s BUFF Gala!
Bishop’s hosts its first ever film festival KRISTY BOCKUS News Editor
Disclosure: the writer of this article was involved in the planning and execution of BUFF.
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n Thursday, Mar. 19, Bishop’s University held it’s first ever film festival! A total of 13 student short films were screened and five awards were presented. The night also boasted a special screening of the internationally acclaimed short film, CHUM, written and produced by special guest judge, Elizabeth Rose. Plans for the film festival began in the fall semester, when Dr. Steven Woodward, a professor in the English department, proposed the idea. A small committee of students and faculty quickly formed in hopes of turning this event from vision to reality. It only seems natural that Bishop’s now has it’s own film festival considering that the English department offers a ma-
jor concentration and honours in film studies. In the fall semester, Woodward taught Screenwriting (ENG382), a popular course despite the heavy course load. Woodward incorporated the film festival into the course by having students write screenplays for a short film that would fit the requirements and regulations of the festival. This was followed by the addition of a new film course, Digital Filmmaking (ENG383), taught by Adam Budd. In this course, students each made a short 5-minute film that they could then enter into the festival. 10 of the 13 films screened were produced from this course. The two courses, Screenwriting and Digital Filmmaking, have already proven to compliment one another perfectly. Ilish Redmond first wrote her short’s screenplay in the screenwriting course before producing it in Digital Filmmaking. Similarly, the short titled, Isolated, directed by Rachelle Weir, was first
NEWS
THEBUCAMPUS.CA
Emailgate
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Hillary Clinton in hot seat for latest political scandal NICOLE GAUVREAU Copy Editor
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olitics have long been shrouded in scandal. When it comes to US politics, these scandals seem doomed to have the suffix of “gate” since Nixon’s 1970s Watergate scandal. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are no strangers to scandal, but now, as Hillary Clinton is thought to be poised to launch a campaign for election in 2016, she is back under observation for a new scandal. On Mar. 3 the New York Times published an article revealing Hillary Clinton exclusively used a personal email account, set up on a private server in her home in Chappaqua, New York. The account was set up just as the confirmation hearings for Clinton’s position of Secretary of State began in January 2009. During her tenure as Secretary of State, Clinton said she sent and received 63,320 emails, 30,490 of which (translating to approximately 55,000 pages) were official. These have been given to the State Department following a request for the official emails from a private address sent to Clinton and a number of her predecessors, including the first Secretary of State under of George W. Bush, Collin Powell, who almost exclusively used a personal email and who has said he did not retain copies of any emails sent or received. Concerns largely stem from the lack of transparency shown by Clinton and the Obama administration. The question remains whether or not Clinton’s use of a private email broke any laws. The security of the server, and thus sensitivity of information, is also a concern.
Wikileaks released thousands of classified State Department communications while Clinton was in office, and the unclassified communications server at the State Department was proven to be compromised in October 2014. It seems that her communications may not have been safer using a State Department email. The use of a private email shielded Clinton’s communications from being released under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. It also means that these emails could not be released to the Congressional Committee investigating the attacks on the US Embassy in Libya in September 2012. A 2005 regulation stated government employees who used a personal email for official communication must submit copies to the government for record keeping purposes; this existed when Clinton came into office in 2009. However, guidance mandating emails be preserved did not become law until after Clinton left office in early 2013. Approximately ten months after she took office, regulations were changed to say personal email could only be used if records were saved in the agency’s record keeping system. Most of Clinton’s emails were sent to people using government email addresses, meaning there were government servers on the recipients’ end. Clinton says she sent only one email to a foreign official, in the UK, and did not send any classified material, though some messages could be deemed to contain sensitive information. Clinton has handed over the emails as
Do Your Research
PHOTO COURTESY WESTERNJOURNALISM.COM
Will “emailgate” hurt Clinton’s potential campaign for next year’s US presidential elections?
requested, and they should have been captured by government servers to begin with as they were sent to people using government email accounts. It seems odd that only Clinton’s email use is causing uproar, while Powell’s is seldom mentioned. Benghazi has already been investigated, even if certain members of the US Congress disagree with the findings. If Clinton’s server was compromised, the damage is already done in the same way that the State Department servers may be compromised.
Whether or not this scandal goes down in history as something truly problematic or affects next year’s US Presidential elections can not yet be known. All that is certain is that Clinton, and the other potential canditates, will certainly be under tight scrutiny.
Bishop’s Research Week is happening from March 23-27 NICOLE GAUVREAU Copy Editor
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his week Bishop’s hosts its tenth annual Research Week! Each year Research Week features the work of Bishop’s students and professors through events such as a poster competition, five-minute thesis presentations, and observatory tours. However, a number of special events are also being held throughout the week. Until Mar. 26, anyone can stop by Centennial lobby and look at any of the fifty posters showing student research in a range of disciplines in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities. This includes topics such as the impact of humans on vegetation in the last 300 years presented by Jennifer Ward as her honours project for Environmental Studies, observed through a pollen analysis at Johnville Bog. Another topic presented
is the effect of nicotine on cognition presented by Samantha Cote and Ryan Lundell, research assistants for Dr. Adrianna Mendrek of the psychology department. Students who registered for the Research Week scavenger hunt have until Mar. 26 to uncover the answers to ten clues about faculty research at BU. The prize includes money for the individual and the club they represent. Monday saw the opening reception for research week and the launch of Bishop’s University’s new Institutional Repository that holds various articles published by individuals affiliated with Bishop’s University. Attendees of Tuesday’s workshop in the library learned more about this, including a chance to look through the repository themselves. Tuesday also presented the Teaching and Learning Centre Initiative, where a variety of faculty members discussed how their teaching became the sub-
ject of scholarship on pedagogy, and the History Round Table. The Round Table’s theme was “A Soldier’s Life” and was hosted by students of the History department, including Tegan Belrose, whose topic discussed gay and lesbian U.S. military service from the War for Independence to the present day. The flagship event of Research Week, Bishop’s Idol, also took place on Tuesday. There, student researchers presented their work in 300 seconds and were judged by Principal Michael Goldbloom, Dean of Arts and Science Michele Murray, and Vice-Principal Academic Miles Turnbull. Dean of Education Marie-Josée Berger and SRC VP Academic Chelsea McLellan hosted the event. Wednesday features student poster presentations from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Centennial lobby, and members of the Bishop’s and Lennoxville community are invited to attend and vote on the best
poster and presentation. There will also be a presentation from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Brûlerie FARO Lennoxville on Queen Street and Observatory tours, leaving from Nicolls 323, between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Thursday features a panel discussion at 10:00 a.m. on how research can move from theoretical knowledge to action via field work, an experience that Bishop’s encourages through opprotunities such as the Social Movements and Social Change in Brazil course offered by the Liberal Arts department. Research week closes at noon on Thursday in Centennial lobby with the closing reception, where the first ever Bishop’s University Emerging Scholar Award will be given, as will the prizes for the Poster Competition and Scavenger Hunt, and the annual MUSCLE Research Cluster student award.
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NEWS
MARCH 25, 2015 THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014
Water: Basic human necessity or priviledged luxury? Global health series RHONDA BOATENG News Writer
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orld Water Day was Mar. 22, but what kills more women and children than AIDS globally? Contaminated water. The leading cause of neonatal mortality, Sepsis, can be easily prevented by hand washing and sterilizing equipment used to cut umbilical cords with clean water. The lack of sanitation and unclean water also contributed to the spread of the Ebola disease throughout the West Africa. Contaminated water is also known for transmitting diseases such Malaria, cholera, dysentery, polio, and diarrhoea. Over 500,000 people succumb to diarrheal deaths caused by unsafe drinking water. Target 7C of the Millennium Development Goals sought to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Despite achieving this objective in 2010, 748 million people still do not have access to clean water. Upon investigating 54 hospitals in low and middle income countries (LMIC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and international non-profit, WaterAid, reported that 500,000 new-borns, nearly one in five babies, die due to disease brought on from a lack of access to this basic necessity. A third of medical staff and patients in LMICs do not have the capacity to wash their hands on-site,
PHOTO COURTESY TECAERIS.COM
Omni Processor, a beacon of hope in the fight to make clean water accessible to everyone.
and 19% of hospitals do not have toilets. Conditions are particularly troubling in Sub-Saharan Africa where 42% of African hospitals do not have access to the clean water, and as many as 18 Sub Saharan African countries have only 20% of their health care facilities equipped with access to water. This may be caused by a hospital’s inability to pay for utility services and results in companies ceasing their supply. Another precurosor to the problem is the lack of necessary technology and material required for the maintenance of clean water for distant sources. In light of this reality,
patients may be expected to bring their own water when seeking medical treatment. Many of the aforementioned diseases, which can be fatal, are easily preventable with adequate hygienic measures and resources. Initially, LMICs may not have the financial means to impliment these measures, but there is evidence of significant capital gains in relation to the provision of water within treatment services. Studies show that for every US dollar invested into sanitation there is a return of 28 dollars in GDP. In countries where women are the
ones responsible for fetching water, closer access to the source may improve their quality of life. Reduced distances would allow these women to focus on education and other matters that may impede their well-being. Women would not be the only ones benefiting from this, as a study at Stanford University found that cutting walking time to a clean water source by 15 minutes reduces the mortality rates of children under five years old by 11% and nutrition depleting diarrhoea by 41%. Before brushing this off as a third world problem, understand that it is not a plight unique to LMICs. Nearly 90,000 people living along the MexicoTexas border live without running water. There are current innovations into water sanitization that should dramatically reduce the number of contaminated water associated diseases. One of these innovations is the Omni Processor funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Omni Processor converts sewer sludge into drinkable water. A video of Bill Gates drinking the product of this machine went viral earlier this year. Innovation is primordial as the United Nations speculates a 40 percent drop in clean water access within the next 15 years.
WILLIAMS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS NEWS
Gauging Europe, the EU, and the Euro MATTHEW WARBURTON Contributor
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he current history and possible future of the European Union remains an important sphere to inspect. Already, a multitude of different micro and macroeconomic factors are chiseling away at the structure of the common currency of 19 EU and six non-EU countries that is the Euro. An inflexible monetary policy, as well as fiscal regulations that are frequently passed over in the greater interest of the supranational organization, produced mostly negative effects. This remains painfully apparent as Germany and France remain the only two reliable pillars of a questionable economy that Great Britain has always held a foot outside thereof. Iceland was to be the newest anointed member of this frivolous relationship before getting cold feet and withdrawing completely from the process of becoming an EU member nation. Into this mix is thrown one, extremely important observation: the United States Dollar con-
tinues to appreciate against the Euro while the North American continent answers strongly to the aftermath of global recession more than seven years ago. It currently takes only 1 USD to purchase .94 of a Euro. While this may seem an uneven trade, what should be remembered is that Europe styles itself as a” pseudo-mixed” economy with heavily integrated socialist policy. This essentially means that the lifeblood of the European economic environment runs on one very particular notion, the variation of prices between member nations. The industry of Western Europe is fueled by the cheap material and labor of the East. Evidence for this notion is the average wages paid on a monthly basis: France finds itself with €2400, Germany €2000, and Britain enjoys the high mark of the Pound Sterling equivalent to €2700. However, upon further inspection, it can be seen that nations like Poland benefit only from €700 with the Baltic Countries hold onto a mean of €650, and all major hubs of the manufacturing industry–be
it automotive or electronic—are located in Eastern Europe. Borders between countries are virtually non-existent as human capital doesn’t have to depend on passports or work permits. The beauty of this situation is it only appears somewhat reasonable in theory. The European Central Bank in Frankfurt alone holds the keys to the Euro’s value. A problem with this remains fairly obvious: member nations sacrificed a degree of their sovereignty by pledging towards a common currency that they must all play host to and let dictate the flow of their public action. In any case, the Euro hit its steady point three years ago at roughly 1.24 USD. The ramifications for Canada should be apparent enough for the casual observer. The ongoing Ukraine-Russian question has strained access to raw material where Canada clearly stands to gain in such a situation. Embargo, quota, and restriction are all barriers that have unhinged Russian interaction with the EU. Continued, deliberate devaluation of the Canadian Dollar through the ma-
nipulation of overnight interest rates has produced a CAD pegged at .79 of a USD, and exports are sure to be shipped out effectively as the nature of the great game changes. While oil continues to remain a touchy subject, the Canadian lumber market is booming. Silver and other metals remain commodities that Canada dominates and will reap their total benefit because their going rates are at the highest they’ve been in at least a decade. The trickle down from the United States is not lost either as exchange between Canada and the US is continually being facilitated with drafts of a new, broader policy in the works. Canada has also gained a substantial foothold into Asia that become effective with a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea made live on Jan. 1 of this year. The trend is certainly interesting. Canada has money coming and going against a weak European market; good relations with the US and a devalued currency focusing on export have also sped up economic growth to a healthy degree.
OPINION NEWS
THEBUCAMPUS.CA
Argue more; fight less
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Asha-Maria Bost, Opinion Editor » thecampus.opinion@gmail.com
What I learned from participating in structured debates TYLER KOLODY Opinions Writer
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ishop’s hosted the third-annual Up For Debate competition on Saturday, Mar. 21, with teams from Bishop’s University, Acadia University, Mount Alison University and St. Francis Xavier University participating. As a participant and supporter, I thought I would share what it has taught me about speaking, listening and arguing, both in the confines of competition and outside of it. I have enjoyed arguing since I was a child; it is a common and enjoyable form of discussion in which I have become practiced. This, combined with the presentation skills I have acquired through my time at Bishop’s lead me to believe that debating would come naturally, maybe even easily, with the only real challenge being the opponents themselves and the structure. Suffice to say, this was not the case, and formal debating much to my surprise and delight requires a different set of skills from both
informal arguing and standard class presentations or public speaking. The first major surprise was that if you are the opposition (the side opposed to the stated resolution), you might have to argue a different side of the debate than your personal opinion on the subject. The crown (the side in favour of the resolution) has the power to define the terms and ground of the debate, and it is amazing how far from the original meaning words can be twisted. By this, I mean that within the resolution, words and phrases can be defined to include, exclude or even refer to something other than what you would normally think they would. The second major issue I came across was that even if the points you prepared are valid, the time limit will get you one way or another unless you have practiced rigorously, which is not always possible. You may be forced to give what is essentially a seven minute presentation on a subject you have almost no
knowledge of, arguing a side you disagree with, and still make your argument compelling. Conversely, you may be forced to fit all your well-reasoned and researched points into what seems like an impossibly short time. The last major change in my view of debating and debate competition due to my participation in Bishop’s Up for Debate team is the increased level of on-the-spot thinking that is required to participate in these structured debates. If you are rebutting arguments made by your opponents, you will be preparing your piece, nearly from scratch, from the time your opponent starts, to the time you must speak, which is only a few minutes at most. It is this aspect more than any other that I think makes the debate format amazing, as it pushes you to a new level of discourse and a new level of thinking on your feet. With regards to these skills and everyday discussion and arguments, they are certainly useful, but more than the skills
learned, it is being forced to argue positions you do not agree with that makes debating an eye-opening exercise. It shows you in the most brutal and lightning fast manner that not only is it possible, but even common, for both sides of a debate to have valid points. I wish everyone could experience this kind of argument at least a few times, as I think it would lead to far more constructive discussions on the whole. Arguing both sides, as well as the civilizing structure of the debates themselves means that you cannot even if you wanted to, yell over your opponent. It forces thoughtful deliberation and intense research and examination, skills that many of us could improve on. I hope that this article has intrigued some of you, and expanded your understanding of the practice of debating and debate competitions. Who knows, with any luck, a few of you will consider joining the team next year and help carry on a long and honoured Bishop’s tradition.
The VULA App: Technology Changes Lives Once Again KATHARINE MCKENNEY Ar ts & Culture Editor
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nnovative uses of technology are nothing new – professionals in all fields are swiftly adapting to new technologies, using cutting-edge programs and software that help make their jobs a bit easier. However, the VULA app, designed and developed by Dr. William Mapham, is truly an avant-garde approach to medical diagnosis. The app uses a combination of photos, checklists, and a vision test to help diagnose cataracts in patients living in rural areas. ‘Vula’ means ‘open’ in Siswati, Xhosa, and Zulu – and the VULA app truly opens doors for those it helps to diagnose. While cataract surgery is widely available in Western countries, the health clinics where the surgery and diagnosis is available are often out of reach for villagers living in rural areas of African countries, The app seeks to bring patients closer to doctors, eradicating the issue of remoteness for medical diagnostic tests. Cataracts, most often associated with age, can be debilitating, especially for individuals in rural areas who rely on their sight to complete daily chores. Loss of vision can, of course, pose safety risks; alleviating the blindness associated with cataracts is life changing for people who had been previously blind. Doctors in rural areas often struggle to treat eye problems because they are typically general practitioners with limited access to resources and diagnostic tools. The VULA app provides general practitioners with instant access to information about specific eye conditions and allows general practitioners to send photographs to eye specialists, revolutionizing and streamlining the treatment process. These specialists are usually quite difficult to access from rural areas. As a result of these improvements, the VULA app is poised to improve the lives of those impacted by preventable blindness. Overall, the app is a significant advancement in longdistance diagnostic tools, and I believe it to be a step
A still from the VULA app depicting a method for diagnosis for cataracts.
in the right direction. Unfortunately, the problems of rural isolation and medical care are not limited to eye problems; many rural villages and their inhabitants lack even a general practitioner or nurses to administer basic care.
PHOTO COURTESY YOUTUBE
Although the VULA app is an improvement, medical care in disadvantaged nations due to isolation remains a major issue for the medical community to contend with – and these issues cannot simply be solved by the development of apps.
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OPINION
New Update to Ontario Sex Ed Curriculum
MARCH 25, 2015 THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014
A welcome update to an out-dated curriculum ASHA-MARIA BOST Opinions Editor
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he province of Ontario, under the direction of Premier Kathleen Wynne, recently updated their health and physical education curriculum for next school year. An update was scheduled for 2010, but was shelved amid criticism from some parents. I am happy that there has been an update to the sexual education curriculum in particular as it ensures that students learn about multiple perspectives relating to sexual education, consent, gender and sexuality. The update was long overdue, as the last one was in 1998, long before gay marriage was legalized in 2005, and society’s perspectives have evolved significantly since that time, thus the update will better reflect the realities of today’s youth. As a student in Catholic elementary and middle schools in Ottawa I feel my sexual education was severely limited by the practices we were taught. Yes,
we learned about the proper names for various body parts and learned a bit about condoms and contraceptives, but we were never introduced to the ideas of sexual orientations other than heterosexual and never learned what consent entails. The new curriculum aims address the topics that I would have liked to see while I was in middle and high school. The curriculum will teach students how to make decisions about sexual activity that are right for them, and teach them the importance of contraceptive methods, as well as how STIs can be transmitted from all types of sex. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of healthy, consensual relationships and teaches students how to recognize sexual harassment and abuse. The curriculum will also address that posting sexually explicit material online without the consent of the parties involved in the content is illegal. The curriculum will also teach students about diversity in sexual orienta-
tion, and gender identity. I believe this is extremely important as addressing these topics may eliminate the shame of students who are questioning their identity and allow other students to be more tolerant of the differences of their peers. By learning about the stereotypes that exist we can actively try to dismantle them. Parents from all backgrounds have criticized the law, which they have every right to do. Parents do have the right on some level to choose what is being taught to their children and as a result, can opt out of certain parts of the sex education curriculum if they find it does not fit with their religious beliefs. However, I think it is also important for parents to talk to their children about why they may not agree with what is being taught instead of removing their children from the class outright. However, parents won’t be able to opt out on teachings about stereotyping and preventing bullying against LGBTQ+ children and children who have homo-
sexual parents as this aspect of the curriculum has been protected by provincial human rights legislation. The curriculum may be criticized for discussing certain issues when students are too young to properly understand, but as sexual material is readily available on the Internet, I believe it is important that students are well informed and able to analyze what they are seeing even if it is at a young age. I hope the new Ontario sexual education curriculum can provide students with new perspectives and keep them informed about how to be healthy, and respectful in all aspects of their lives. I also hope Quebec reviews its curriculum in light of the new Ontario curriculum: currently Quebec tells teachers to integrate sexual education into other classes, such as biology, and provides some guidelines about what should be taught when, but sexual education is not taught as a separate subject.
senters and their chosen texts touched on many subjects including gender, philosophy, history, culture, religion, film, economy, environment, technology, media, and visual arts. Even science was brought into the discussion when presenter Tiffany Humble from the University of Manitoba made comparisons between Edmund Burke’s On the Sublime and the Beautiful and the human body’s sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The conference excited me about learning and allowed me to add many texts to my summer reading list. I am looking forward to reading The Golden
Spruce by John Vaillant after seeing Laval University student Leslie Savath’s presentation “Grant Hadwin and the Golden Spruce: The Duality of Souls in John Vaillant’s The Golden Spruce”. Savath analyzed themes of nature and mental illness found in this book about the logging industry, and I am now eager to read it for myself. QUEUC’s grand finale was a presentation by poet and Concordia University professor Jason Camlot, who gave a public reading of his poetry through the Morris House Reading Series on the first day of the conference. The presentation, titled “Scholar-Gipsy-Administrator: Vic-
torian Prompts for a Discussion on The Future of Higher Education”, encouraged the audience to consider and discuss the future of education and the study of humanities in particular. Camlot suggested that education should not be limited to the traditional classroom setting, but policy makes it difficult to change this. Thanks to the hard work of the organizing committee and the provocative topics of the presenters, the weekend was a great success. As a graduating student, my only regret is that I did not attend QUEUC earlier.
QUEUC: A Weekend of Ideas and Inspiration ALISON PETROVICH Features Editor
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UEUC (Quebec Universities English Undergraduate Conference) took place on the weekend of Mar. 14 and featured presenters from across Canada who shared their work with a group of motivated students. This intellectually stimulating two-day event provoked fascinating discussions and reminded me of why I chose to major in English. The study of literature leads to a broad education, as books can transport the reader to different cultures and historical periods, and can inform the reader about any number of subjects. The pre-
The Women Quota
New legislation in Germany aims to improve gender equality in the workplace TINA GOLAB Contributor
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ecently, Germany passed legislation that requires all leading companies in Germany to have a minimum of 30% women on their supervisory board of directors as of 2016. More than 100 companies will be expected to fill this quota, while another 3,500 firms will set their own quotas to be filled. The law was put forward when it was discovered that women occupy only 18.6% of supervisory board positions, despite the fact that women make up 43% of the labor market and 53% of women are graduates of post-secondary institutions. It is believed that with the
passing of this law, the gender inequality in the labor market and high-standing positions will become more balanced. If firms are unable to find a woman who is qualified for these positions, the seats must remain empty, rather than be filled by a man, and must remain empty until the 30% quota can be reached again. However, Heiko Mass and Manuela Schwesig state that the law would only require 170 new board members and are confident that there are more than enough women qualified to fill the designated quota. To justify the new quota, Schwesig stated, “if there are no equal opportunities at the top of companies, there are none in other areas either”.
While implementing a women’s quota for leading companies is a nice idea, there are problems as there are no consequences for companies if the board positions for women remain empty. If men are the reason women have failed to progress in the working world, as is suggested by the implementation of this law, then what is to prevent these leading men from simply keeping the positions meant for women empty? Schwesig and Mass might be confident that there are more than enough women to fill these positions, but they cannot be sure that the men already in these positions are willing to share these position with women. Additionally, there might not be enough regulations in place to en-
sure that companies abide by this new law rather than leave these seats empty. Furthermore, what does this law imply in regards to the women? On the one hand, this law attempts to bridge the gap between gender inequality and the working world. Yet at the same time, it is degrading to women due to the fact that one could easily claim that these women acquired their jobs due to a law rather than the fact that they deserve this position as a result of their hard work and expertise. This law in theory may sound like a good idea, but it seems to have a variety of flaws that need to be worked out if this law is actually going to serve its purpose.
OPINION
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Stephen Harper, the Federal Court, and the Niqab NICOLE GAUVREAU Copy Editor
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he right honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his conservative party have been making waves, firestorms even, in recent weeks because of their views on the niqab. The niqab is a veil worn by some Muslim women that covers not only the hair, but also the face except for the eyes. Earlier this month, Harper’s government appealed a court ruling saying a parliamentary guideline from 2011 does not fit with present legislation. The guideline in question stated that citizenship judges should advise Muslim women who wear the niqab that they would have to uncover their faces when they took the oath of citizenship. Current legislative guidelines require as much religious freedom as possible, within reasonable accommodation, when the oath is taken. As a result, federal court judges ruled, in January, that the guideline requiring women to uncover their faces could not stand unless the legislation surrounding the oath of citizenship was rewritten to state that one must say the oath with an uncovered face. As the courts have previously ruled that whether or not a woman is permitted to wear a niqab while testifying in court must be evaluated on a case-bycase basis, it seems unlikely that any legislation banning the niqab from citizenship ceremonies would be allowed to stand were it to be passed. Thus, it seems that the niqab will re-
PHOTO COURTESY J.P. MOCZULSKI / NATIONAL POST
Zunera Ishaq, a woman who wants to wear her niqab during her citizenship ceremony.
main an object of debate amongst Canadians and the world. While I, as a nonCanadian, have no say in the matter, I stand with the 67% or so of Canadians who say that the niqab should not be allowed when taking the oath of citizenship. Islam does not require the niqab; it is rooted in eighth century Arabian practices, and today has been adopted by any oppressive Islamist regimes, such as IS and the Taliban. These regimes do not force men to cover their faces, just
women. Thus, it is fair to say that the niqab is a symbol of inequality and repression. While some women may choose to wear the niqab, or say that they choose to wear it, many who do wear the niqab are from countries where the government or other ruling regime provides little choice in the matter. There are Islamic institutions and countries where Muslims make up the majority of the population that have banned the niqab on grounds that it
perpetuates inequality; these include Egypt’s Al Azhar University and the entire country of Turkey. Additionally, the niqab could be a security threat. If no females are available to take the niqab wearing prospective citizen into a private room where no men may observe the candidate as she takes off her veil so her identity may be verified, there is no way to be sure of who is behind the veil. Of course, this is a highly unlikely situation, but it is remotely possible and should be considered. Finally, the niqab divides a woman from the rest of the world, and when one is taking the oath of citizenship you are joining a group and should not separate yourself, either symbolically or physically, which is why suggestions to have veiled women take the oath in a separate room, but still within earshot of the judge, have been shot down. I have no problems with a woman wearing a niqab, if it truly is by choice and not influenced by some kind of oppressor, in her daily life, but to do so when joining the nation of Canada, or any secular nation, as a citizen marks the woman as separating herself from the very group she is joining. Since the niqab is not required, per religious doctrine, and non-face covering alternatives exist, to say it should be allowed by religious exemption is, if inadvertently, supporting rep
Brain Awareness week talk series: Our Brain in Motion Interesting insight into the inner workings of the human brain KRISTIE PECK Contributor
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o celebrate the 20th anniversary of Brain Awareness Week (Mar. 10 to 16), Bishop’s University hosted a series of talks about our brain and the various ways it has an impact on coordinating and executing our movements. The first speaker in the series was Victoria Kuczynski, a Bishop’s graduate and a master’s student in Physiology at Université de Sherbrooke. Kuczynski studied locomotion in cats, as their method of movement is similar to that of humans, that were experiencing asymmetrical motion as a result of stroke and spinal transection (when the spinal cord is unable to communicate with the brain). She compared these cats to normally moving cats using dual treadmills (a treadmill that changes the speed on one side), cameras and electromyography. The results of the study found that the cats pattern of walking did not return to symmetry even after trying to correct it using the dual treadmill and that the ability to walk symmet-
rically may lie outside of the spinal cord. The second speaker in the series was Dr. Maxime Trempe, a Sports Studies Professor at Bishop’s University. His talk was based on motor learning, focusing primarily on the primary motor cortex’s ability to consolidate motions within the brain, in order to improve the coordination of body movements. The improvement of these motions, such as hand-finger movements, is dependent on the practice that is put into performing certain motions. With increased practice, it becomes quicker and easier to accurately perform said motions. The study also found that when learning more than one sequence of motions with the same part of the body, the only one that would be improved would be the second set of motions performed, while the first set would remain at the same skill level. The third and final speaker in this series was Dr. Pierre-Michel Bernier, a
professor at Université de Sherbrooke in Faculty of Sports Science. His talk was about professional athletes, with a focus on the neural bases and brain structure differences in professional athletes compared to the average athlete. Bernier’s study found that professional athletes actually perceive the world differently than the average person in regards to motion and the location of their body in space. As humans, our perception of where specific parts of our body are located in space relative to our core is uncertain, and as a result we rely on external stimuli to help us. We use a predictive model that allows us to anticipate an action or sequence of events from prior knowledge. Bernier found that expert athletes were better at predicting sensory consequences a lot sooner than novice athletes. This difference is largely due to the fact that the brains of expert athletes are actually different than the brain of the
average person. The structure, wiring, and functions of the brain are different as they are specifically tailored to amplify that predictive aspect of the brain, which allows them to anticipate the consequences of their actions and reactions in regards to motion. The talks were very enlightening and really put into perspective how important the brain really is when speaking about sports. The brain can completely change itself to perform movements that are beneficial to the individual and their performance. I honestly never thought that the brain could change itself so drastically in order to focus its attention on certain areas of the body or even work to reduce the damage it receives from illnesses such as a stroke. The brain is quite an impressive organ and more resilient than I had imagined and the talks broadened my perception of the brain’s involvement in motion and how it can be best utilised to improve skills.
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FEATURES
THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014 MARCH 25, 2015
Alison Petrovich, Features Editor » thecampus.features@gmail.com
Raise a Toast
EMPTY HOUSES
KYLE HUSON Contributor
This tale is of the greatest place, Somewhere that’s known to some, It’s famous for its partying, And the pride of the alum. We come from far and wide you see, We’re not short on school spirit, You’ll love it as much as we do, Just as soon as you come near it.
Far from the lights of the big cities, We’re not easy to find, But once you do we welcome you, To kick back and unwind. You must be tired from your journey, On the long and winding road, That brought you from whence you came, To our humble abode. Way out here in East Quebec, We party every day, If you love it like we do, We invite you to stay. There are many dates to remember, Like Frosh Week and Halloween, But be careful, control yourself, You don’t want to spook the dean. Purple is our colour of choice, There are exceptions of course, But only one that I can think of, St. Patty’s is the source. The one day that we all wear green, To show love and support, For our friends in Ireland, Where drinking is a sport.
Now, naturally there’s more to school, Than partying with friends, And when the time does come around, We study to no end. We hit the books like no ones business, Taking in every word, But once that’s done and over with, The drinks are once more stirred. The Gaiters are our beloved team, They vanquish opposition, Be it on the court or field, They’ll end in pole position. We will beat you in Basketball, Football and even dance, When we set our minds on something, No one stands a chance. This place is great, there is no doubt, Don’t you try to deny it, Or we’ll gather altogether as one, We shall not stay quiet. Singing loud for all to hear, Raising a toast in Bishop’s name, After which we tip it back, Because that’s our claim to fame.
ANONYMOUS Contributor
Covered furniture sat like misshapen ghosts in the living room. They hadn’t left much, but the house was littered with their belongings like debris from an earthquake. There were still pots in the cupboards and soap in the dispenser by the bathroom sink. She had unleashed a flood into their home, and they still hadn’t returned to collect what remained of their lives here. I took a step forward. Wood creaked, creaked, creaked under my feet, echoing through the empty halls. A breeze blew through the doorframe; the ghosts in the living room billowed gently. The air in the house was stale, tense. The house had been waiting. She had been waiting. The upstairs hallways were dark; the curtains had been drawn across the windows. In the shadowed hall I could see bedroom doors. Hers was open, just a crack; enough to watch the door sway, back and forth, in the slight breeze. The ghosts waved once more. The house waited. Patient.
SOME WANTS ANONYMOUS Contributor
I want to talk to you, but you don’t know that. You don’t know that I’ve been pacing my thoughts of you, that you devour my sleep and my mind like an animal. You don’t know these things, and I would never tell you. I’m not sad. I’m not sad. I’m not sad. I’m just a girl that’s so happy I’m almost sad. I have nerves that stretch farther than my limbs – you know that, so can we please brush it off, like that eyelash on your cheek? Stop reminding me that I have a heart heavier than my body and I’m a little mess of asymmetrical promises and unrequited vows. I miss you, but you don’t know that. And I will never, ever tell you.
Dear Nobody ANONYMOUS Contributor
“Dear Nobody,
My words are stitched together with false hopes and wilting promises. This is all my fault; stories aren’t born overnight. You cannot force yourself to write a story. You cannot count pages; you must learn to count that rose from your skin on the lines of poetry that they carved on your bones. You cannot sit in front of a blank page and let the emptiness consume you. Let the darkness consume you; let the shadows rest their hands on your hips. Let them suck your breath away and slip stars in the hollows of your collarbones, but dear God don’t let the blankness take you in.” - Anonymous
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Shadow whale shark ASHA-MARIA BOST Opinions Editor
I The moon sheds its pale white over the still ocean illuminating the speckled back of the whale shark.
II Boats with dented wood and chipped paint corral around the chestnut dock while the whale shark ambles forward underneath. III A girl skin highlighted brown by the sun searches the sea for a killer whale, a cloud of billowing air rising from waves and misses the lurking whale shark.
IV A school of fish backs glinting silver scatter as the whale shark rustles its caudal fin but the whale shark glides, unhindered like skates coasting on ice. V Open mouth with grandma’s swollen gums forming flat cartilaginous lips, flappy gill slits undulating, wheezing liquid. The whale shark readying for a feast. VI Sea sucked through open maw swoooooop slosh smack microscopic plankton spinning. A day’s meal for the whale shark.
VII Boat engine churns water like butter the green turtle flips in the swirl the whale shark bones and limitless cartilage anchor the fish to the surface.
VIII The sun oils the blue white-spotted back in fissures of reflected lattice, but as the water sets with yellow and magenta circles the painting on the whale shark fades. IX I breathe cool air through nostrils swallow water down tiny tubes chew with sanded teeth and the whale shark filters.
X I lounge in the library green pen on notebook eyes on the cream page, yet the whale shark with its tiny bulb eyes can see me too.
BORYS MORGACH Contributor
This day was brighter than the others. The sun was diving low in the sky, Those clouds were so shapeless, And those trees were strong and green. The world is beautiful -- it makes me breathless. There was something missing though. When I was passing the greenest meadow, And making steps along the road I noticed that I lost my shadow. I turned around first, And then I jumped, But could not see my shadow. I look at other objects, Cars and kids passing widow. And oh goodness, They had their shadows present.
What’s wrong with me? Why no reflection on the road? My vision is good my mind is broad.
And then all of a sudden, Around the corner, The racing car came out fast and drove through me. And then it hit me, I am not real. I am shadow.
The Ring of Silence KUNA ZERO Contributor
She placed the ring on my finger, the ring of silence. I could dance, kiss and embrace, but say nothing. The words can never come, be ink on paper, be carved in rock. This was her demand, her order, the loud ring of silence.
I dream of sound, a cacophony of the future unemployed, banging on garbage cans and hearts. The beats fill my dreams, a flute flies through the treble clef, a bass clarinet supports it. A concert band erupts, with a penguin conductor up front, and I in front of a microphone. I open my mouth, and wake up, wearing the ring of silence.
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ARTS
THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014 MARCH 25, 2015
Katharine Mckenney, Arts Editor » thecampus.ac@gmail.com
A Weekend of Ideas MEGAN BUCHKOWSKI Contributor
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he third annual Up for Debate weekend was held from Mar. 20 to 21. Debaters and speakers from the other U4 schools—Acadia, Mount Allison and St. Francis Xavier—arrived at Bishop’s on Friday for a weekend of exciting ideas
and tournaments. Friday evening held the President’s Debate in The Gait. The first round saw two teams made up of one student from each university to debate about whether or not students should be graded. The second was between professors and debate coaches who discussed social media and public discourse. In the final
round Professor Chad Gibbs and Principal Goldbloom faced CBC journalist Ian Hanomansing and Mount Allison President Robert Campbell about the Golden Age of Journalism. Considering heckling was encouraged, the audience was frequently rolling on the floor in laughter. The following morning, student debaters competed for the Jane Blaikie
Cup. There were three rounds, followed by the finals held in St. Mark’s Chapel and judged by Hanomansing. Topics including YikYak and if the Toronto Maple Leafs deserve our respect were haughtily debated. St. FX and Bishop’s faced off in the final debate. After a heated discussion, the Bishop’s debate team won the Jane Blaikie Cup for the first time.
“But What Are You Going to do With That?” Tips for Job-Hunting KATHARINE MCKENNEY Ar ts & Culture Editor
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here’s a lot of romanticization about summer break. It may be four months free of essays, research, and feeling inadequate – but those four months open up a whole new world of opportunities to feel stressed about. You guessed it: employment.
Whether you’re a soon-to-be grad or just a student looking for some summer work, here are some basic tips on gaining summer employment, and hopefully avoiding those awkward dinner conversations that usually start out with, “But what are you doing with your life?”
1. Be pro-active. Start your job search before the semester ends to get a jump on summer employment opportunities as soon as they arise. Beginning your job as soon as possible is a great way to maximize the cash flow.
PHOTO COURTESY VULCANPOST.COM
2. Summer jobs matter more than you think. Step outside your comfort zone and apply for jobs that can lend you experience for the future. Sure, returning to Giant Tiger might be tempting – but will that really benefit you in the long term? 3. Don’t be sloppy with your cover letters.
As they say in the corporate world, you only get one first impression, and your cover letter tells all. Be creative, professional, and never submit the same letter twice. Each one should be custom-made for each position and company you apply for – now is not the time to cut corners. 4. Try unconventional methods of job hunting. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family if they know someone who might be hiring; and definitely don’t be afraid to scope out the lesser-known businesses and companies who might not be advertising on Kijiji or other search engines. A good resource for students and recent grads is Talent Egg, a search engine geared specifically towards student employment.
5. If you can’t find work, don’t stress! You have the rest of your life to work, and then you die, so make sure you spend some time in the sunshine!
Modern Languages Week VASSILIA VANDERSLEYEN Contributor
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rom Sunday, Mar. 15 to Friday, Mar. 20 Bishop’s hosted its annual Modern Languages Week. The four sections of the Modern Languages department, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese, presented various activities to promote and feature their cultures. The week started off with the Italian culture kitchen at Tierra del Fuego, where participants learned to make traditional Italian food and the secrets of authentic homemade pasta. Monday’s event was presented in conjunction with the ongoing Spanish Civil War Film Series, and featured the 1992 film and 1993 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Belle Époque. The film is set in 1931 and is about a young man who deserts the military, befriends an old man and pursues each of his daughters in turn, finally marrying the youngest. Tuesday, the Spanish department was proud to present in Bandeen Hall the
Cuban Jazz pianist Rafael Zaldívar. His dedication to his musical passion was shared when he played his best works and interpretations. The concert took the form of a personal encounter, where we were invited to ask him questions about the sources of his musical career and inspirations. In return, Zaldívar invited volunteers to improvise and freestyle on the piano with him. On Wednesday, the Italian guest speaker Serena Convitio held a lecture on the fascinating works Alda Merini, deemed the greatest Italian poetess of the 20th century. Convitio presented her biography and two of her works, in which her honest and crude photographs complemented her touching poetry. The force of her writing was influenced by her difficult life. Later that day, students were invited by the Japanese department to practice the art of Kanji writing using the traditional instruments of paintbrush and ink. That night the Italian de-
partment screened La Grande Bellezza, the 2013 world-acclaimed Italian movie by Paolo Sorrentino about the timeless quest of an artist for beauty. Thursday, the German department was proud to present their version of Faust, the best-known classic of German literature. As it is nicknamed the ‘’unstageable’’ play, it was truly a feat for Bettina Resse, the German teaching assistant, to direct a shortened version in German. This tragedy showed the extremes consequences of a desperate scholar in his search for the truth, namely by him concluding a pact with the devil and shattering the life of his beloved. The last day of Modern Languages had two events organized by the Japanese department: a bamboo flute concert and an A Cappella choir. The bamboo flutes, also called Shakuhachi, along with other instruments were meant to imitate the peaceful and relaxing sounds of nature.
The Japanese A Cappella choir sang classic songs of Italy, Germany and Spain in their Japanese translation. The participants were also invited to follow along with the original melodies in German, Spanish or Italian. The choir was composed of students from the Japanese department who have lived in or gone on exchange to Japan. The week concluded with the departmental Wine and Cheese held at the Uplands Museum, which provided a good occasion to have a cultured conversation with the languages teachers and other students as well. Being a Modern Languages student in German-Spanish, I can say, by attending the events that I have learned so much more about the German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese cultures taught at Bishop’s. It takes time and dedication to learn another language, but it is definitely worthwhile to go past the stereotypes and open yourself to another culture.
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Line-up for Osheaga: June 31st-August 2nd 2015
ARTS
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Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal Quebec KATHARINE MCKENNEY Ar ts & Culture Editor
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s many are already aware, this weekend marked the 10th anniversary of the Osheaga music festival, which kicks off July 31. The festival announced a partial lineup last Wednesday, revealing sixty-nine performers participating in the festival. The lineup includes: • Kendrick Lamar • The Black Keys • Ben Harper • Florence and the Machine • Nas • The Decemberists • Weezer • Alt-J • Chet Faker • The Hot Chip • St. Vincent • Future Islands • Patrick Watson • A Tribe Called Red • Charli XCX • Tyler the Creator • Young the Giant • The Kills • The War on Drugs
PHOTO COURTESY OSHEAGA.COM
• Of Monsters and Men • Father John Misty • Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros • Action Bronson • Alvvays • Run the Jewels • Schoolboy Q • Stromae • Interpol • Caribou aka Daphni • Marina and the Diamonds
Kanye West x Adidas - Yeezy “Season” SAMANTHA POLLEY Contributor
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anye West recently presented his new clothing collaboration with Adidas at the past New York Fashion Week. Since then, major controversies have been presented due to the lack of clothing on the models. The line, as it was aimed at carrying more affordable pieces, features items such as nude body stockings and see-through skin-coloured crop tops. The models, as they were in little to no clothing, stood in rows allowing for the whole collection to be presented in an
artistically sound manner. Kanye managed to convince Adidas to strip their traditional three-stripe logo from his designs. This allowed for the centre of the attention to remain on the line as such, as the stark expressions on the young models unified the unisex collection as one. Furthermore, a photo-shoot with fine-art photographer Jackie Nickerson caused even more controversy. While the line was elegantly captured with immense detail, offering a closer look at the textures and materials of the collection, it transcended from barely clothed, to completely nude. Distressed knits, structured overcoats,
To Pimp A Butterfly
• Milky Chance • Kygo • The Avett Brothers The lineup was released in an interactive app, similar to Temple Run, where players engaged in gameplay that slowly revealed the names of performers; the gimmick was available on the iTunes App store and on Google Play. Tickets went on sale as of Mar. 24.
outerwear and accessories (mainly bags) are presented alongside shots of urban street elements that allow for the sport/street wear essence to become concretized under the darkened neutral colour scheme. The nude female models are captured in motions of athleticism that appear effortless. Though the collection is unique enough already, Kanye himself is featured in the shoot wearing a tarp-esque black raincoat. With the nude controversy aside, there is no doubt that Kanye’s line was masterfully created. It is artistically unique, in that no other line has been presented in such a manner. Assisting partners,
PHOTO COURTESY RAPWAVE.NET
Adidas and Nickerson, should be praised for their ability to flexibly pursue, and successfully present such a distinct collection. The NYFW runway show, along with the Nickerson photo shoot is both accessible in full online.
Kendrick Lamar returns with third studio album JARED PERLMUTTER Editor-in-Chief
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fter the release of singles “The Blacker the Berry” and “i”, fans of California rapper Kendrick Lamar were already prepared for a deviation from his usual sound in what was to be his third album release. With little warning, Lamar released his third effort, To Pimp a Butterfly, on Mar. 16. Lamar’s last album, Good Kid M.A.A.D City, was released to critical acclaim, with many anointing him the new King of Rap. The album captured Lamar’s
upbringing in Compton, California and proved his debut album, Section .80, was more than just rookie luck. Kendrick’s later effort offered his response to the multitude of events that plagued the African-American community this past year. With his release of “The Blacker the Berry”, the second of two singles from the album, Lamar indicated to his listeners early that this album would offer more critical social commentary than the last. In light of the events in Ferguson Missouri this past year, the rap world has responded in a variety of ways. Whether it
was Vince Staples’ “Hands Up”, released shortly after the death of Michael Brown, or Kendrick’s effort this month, it is clear that the rap world has taken note of issues plaguing the African-American community and responded in kind. Asides from “The Blacker the Berry”, the album features a variety of other hits and Kendrick-style classics. “King Kunta”, praised by Pitchfork as the album’s top track, features a classic Kendrick hook, as well as an incredibly catchy beat. A departure from Kendrick’s usual pace and style, the track “u”, a follow-up to the album’s first single “i”, offers an
emotional availability not usually associated with Kendrick. Already hailed as the King of the Rap game, Lamar’s latest release cements his status as one of, it not the top dog in the rap industry. With this record, his label, Top Dawg Records, also continues to ascend, behind the rising star of Kendrick and Schoolboy Q. On the heels of this release, Kendrick has been announced as a headliner at both Osheaga and WayHome, festivals taking place near Montreal and Toronto respectively.
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THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014 MARCH 25, 2015
Dylan Konecny, Sports Editor » thecampus.sports@gmail.com
The new face of golf MIKE STANLEY Spor ts Writer
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A Sports announced on Mar. 16 that Rory McIlroy is the new face of its PGA Tour video game, a position that Tiger Woods held for 15 years. In June, EA Sports is releasing Rory McIlroy PGA Tour on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with the current No. 1-ranked golfer as its face and namesake. Rory has long been dubbed “the next Tiger”, and with ascension in the world ranking it appears that Tiger’s spot at the top and the limelight will never be the same. McIlroy will now be the new face of domination in golf. The same can be said with how Nike Golf has been advertising their roster of golfers, with Woods still holding his own clothing line, the rest of the focus seems to focus on McIlroy. The new line of clubs are out and now labeled the “vapor line,” which used to be called the “VR” or “TW” for Wood’s famed Victory Red on Sundays. Woods has now fallen to 87 in the world ranking; with the tremendous playing of young golfers lately, it is clear that we are witnessing a changing of the guards on the PGA Tour. McIlroy is at the forefront of the youth movement but I am curious to see if brands will be giving long-term deals to use golfers such as McIlroy as the face of their brands similar to those we’ve seen in the past with Woods. The PGA Tour now has one of it’s strongest fields ever, and with young guns like Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
PHOTO COURTESY EA SPORTS
Rory McIlroy is the first athlete to grace the cover of the EA Sports video game not named Tiger Woods.
and Rickie Fowler all giving McIlroy a run for his money, it will be interesting to watch whether we see a “Jordan Spieth PGA Tour” game out in the future or if McIlroy truly become the new king of golf and cements a new dynasty, following in the footsteps of his idol, Woods. When asked about his new video game deal with EA Sports, Rory McIlroy told GolfDigest.com: “When you grow up playing golf you never really dream of being a character in a video game, let alone the guy on the box. The technology powering the game is incredible. The courses are absolutely gorgeous, and looking at screenshots from the game you think someone just took a photo of the actual holes.” And it turns out, Rory is quite the gamer himself: “My first system was the original PlayStation, which I got back when I was a kid,” he said. “I’ll still jump into a FIFA match with a buddy every so often, and if a bunch of us want to play we’ll start up a round of EA Sports PGA Tour. I think games are a great way to spend a couple hours if you’ve got downtime and just want to relax for a bit.” As a golf fan, I look forward to playing the game and dreaming of Augusta National. Be sure to watch the action from the Masters between April 9 and 12 to see if Rory will be able to complete the “Grand Slam of Golf”.
Havana Affair Cubans in the MLB JARED PERLMUTTER Editor-in-Chief
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uba is a nation with a rich baseball history. However, with the limited interaction between the US and Cuba for much of the 21st century, the nation’s PHOTO COURTESY BOB DECHIARA / USA TODAY PHOTO COURTESY ESPN players remained stuck at home. Yoan Moncado is just one of the many new The famous Cuban defectors half brothers Up until recently, the only way for Cu- generation Cuban players that will benefit from Orlando and Livan Hernandez were two of the ban players to sign and play in the MLB relaxed rules for Cuban nationals. most notable players to defect originally. was to choose to defect from Cuba. This meant sneaking out of the country, and discussed much needed updates to their prospects signing for big money with likely abandoning whatever family the trade and travel regulations, the MLB Major League teams. This includes the players had in Cuba. followed suit. highly coveted Yuan Moncada, a 19-yearThis did not deter all prospects, In February the MLB updated their old infield phenomenon. however. Notably, Cuban brothers Or- regulations, now making the pursuit Moncada signed with the Boston Red lando “El Duque” Hernandez and Livan of top Cuban prospects easier for both Sox this past offseason and his conHernandez have both won Cy Young teams and players. Previously, the MLB tract included a US$31.5 million signing awards and the World Series. Addition- required a player to have an unblocking bonus. Should he perform as suspected, ally, Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes has license from the Office of Foreign Assets he could make upwards of US$100 milenjoyed a strong start to his career, re- Control. Now, players are only required lion over the next six years. cently joining the Detroit Tigers. to demonstrate proof of residence in a The bidding continues for another However, defection still remained a third country, verified by an affidavit. top Cuban infielder, Hector Olivera. The hard choice for many athletes to make, With this rule change, the recent MLB Marlins recently dropped out, after ofand thus they chose to remain at home. offseason has seen a flurry of Cuban fering a six-year deal with over US$50 However, shortly after the US and Cuba
million in earnings. The Blue Jays remain in the running, but the Padres and Giants stand as the favourites. Another target for top MLB teams is 18-year-old pitcher Yadier Alvarez. The towering righty stands 6’3, and has many teams interested in his services. The Nationals and Diamondbacks are the favourites to sign him. The final top prospect that has scout salivating is 21-year-old second basemen Andy Ibanez. Ibanez too has yet to sign with a team, but scouts from all interested parties appear to have him rated nearly as highly as Moncada and Olivera. With the loosening to decades old tension between the US and Cuban governments, it appears as though baseball fans will be appeal to reap the rewards. Asides from now being able to enjoy a Cuban cigar as they watch their team at home, they will hopefully be treated to some of the talent that Cuba has long been harbouring.
THEBUCAMPUS.CA
Flames Rebuild Complete?
SPORTS 15
Flames are in the hunt to hold onto their playoff spot DYLAN KONECNY Spor ts Editor
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t seems in the modern era there is one word that is constantly thrown around professional sports, the dreaded “R” word: rebuild. It has now become commonplace for teams to throw this word to their fans in hopes of a vision for a better future. Some rebuilds take longer than others, and it feels like some rebuilds start and just never end. Two teams on the constant rebuild in the NHL it seems are the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. You’ll notice that I mentioned two teams. That’s because I believe one team can be taken off of the dreaded rebuild list: the Calgary Flames. The Flames, for the first time since their Stanley Cup appearance in 2004, have put together a team that can be considered a playoff quality team. Currently the Flames sit in the Final Pacific division slot with less than 10 games remaining in this year’s campaign. Brian Burke was assigned with the retooling of the Flames after his abysmal stint in Toronto. Burke, known for his bruising teams in Anaheim that were able to win a cup in 2007, has taken a different approach than in past stints. In Toronto Burke tried to re-implement his winning model from his days in Anaheim. The Ducks were fortunate enough to benefit from a young Corey Perry, the quality leader-
ship of the Niedermayer brothers, Chris Pronger’s physical brand of hockey, and a fresh Ryan Getzlaf. The Leafs did not have the benefit of that kind of star power. This version of the Flames is on a tear this year with a 40-win season in their grasps, due to the talent that has been put together on this team. Johnny Gaudreau has 20 goals and 57 points so far and has been a staple of this team. After being drafted in 2011 by the Flames, Gaudreau was able to polish his game in the NCAA ranks at Boston College. The patience exhibited with Gaudreau has benefited the organization in the long run due to his smaller stature, standing at 5’9 and weighing a feathery 150 lbs. The other side of this quick turnaround has been solid play from veteran Mark Giordano, who has been sidelined due to injury. Despite missing the veteran’s presence, players like Jiri Hudler and goalie Jonas Hiller have stepped up in his absence. This team may not be the bruising team Burke has PHOTO COURTESY DARREN MAKOWICHUK been known to put together in the past, but by foJohnny “Hockey” Gaudreau is having an impressive rookie campaign. cusing on a more skilled model the team has been rebuilt correctly and a deep playoff run is less of a dream and more of a reality.
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MARCH 25, 2015 THE CAMPUS MAY 28, 2014
It’s starting to shape up! ANDREW SZASZ Spor ts Writer
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lue Jays’ camp is coming together nicely it seems. The pitchers are being named and the batters are making their stride. Brett Cecil could very well be the closer for the Toronto Blue Jays; it’s nice to see Cecil (28) become a major component of the Blue Jays roster as he was drafted 38th overall in 2007. Originally a starter, Cecil has been forced to get used to life as closer after suffering a devastating shoulder and elbow injury that threatened his promising young career. Quite the talent, Cecil throws a split-finger fastball with the utmost command. Barring any injury, Cecil could have a 30-35 save game season. On the other end of the ball, the eye is fixated on the recent off-season acquisitions. Former Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey is in his last year of an extended 2 year deal. If he does not perform this season, he will most definitely be cut. Russell Martin clocked a homerun in spring ball, while Josh Donaldson did so also. This has to be the season for the Jays and general manager Alex Anthopolous. The reserves are depleted and many players are entering free agency.
PHOTO COURTESY BENNY SIEU / USA TODAY SPORTS
Blue Jay’s Manager John Gibbons is whipping his players into top shape during this years edition of Spring Training.
The Jays are luck the AL East is weak this year. However, the Boston Red Sox are dangerous. The Orioles can scrape the clutch wins together. They have dominated the Blue Jays since 2012. The Jays are below .500 in home baseball games during this stretch. If the Blue Jays make the playoffs it will be the first time they have won the AL East pennant since 1993.
Polar Bears look to impress as tournament hosts MIKE STANLEY Spor ts Writer
PHOTO COURTESY UBISHOPS.CA
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n Mar. 27 to 29, The Bishop’s University women’s hockey team will host their annual tournament. The Polar Bears will host three other teams at the Molson Arena on campus, including two teams from the NCWHL SR A league in Ottawa— the Ottawa Ice Sr A (12-4-2) and Westboro Ice Cats Sr A (11-7-2). Both teams beat Bishop’s in their first two encounters, however the games were very close. The final team is Le Frigide de Sherbrooke, a local women’s tournament team who play two to three times a week. The tournament promises to be fun and competitive and is free of charge. The community is invited to come cheer on all teams as they compete for the Chancellor’s Cup. We encourage everyone to check out this event, make some noise and support the Polar Bears.