The Meliorist Volume 45, Issue 8 by The Meliorist Publishing Society

For the week of Thursday, October 20 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 45, Issue 8

Campus beat

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 2

Janet Barriage Campus Reporter For more information on contributing to Campus Beat, please contact Janet Barriage, campus.beat@themeliorist.ca

What’s happening on

Club Hub EDGE

Janet Barriage Campus Beat

If you want to see your event posted in the “Beat,” please contact campus. beat@themeliorist.ca for more information. Events must be submitted by Friday evening to appear in the following issue of the Meliorist.

The Government Inspector Oct. 18-22 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the University Theatre Funny, frantic and full of frivolity, The Government Inspector by Morris Panych is a hilarious classic that has had audiences rolling in the aisles since 1836, solidifying its place as one of the world’s most popular theatrical comedies.

New Media Performances Oct. 21 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the U of L Penny Building downtown The New Media class 3680, Interactive Sequencing, is performing visual, jazz/rock, hip hop/ classical, improvised performances. There will be 10 performances and admission is free.

Western Canadian Philosophical Association Conference Oct. 21-23 The Department of Philosophy will be hosting the 48th annual Western Canadian Philosophical Association Conference.

Humans vs. Zombies Oct. 24-28 Everywhere The third annual Humans vs. Zombies game is back!

Halloween Cabaret Oct. 29 9 p.m. at The Zoo

When you see poverty in other countries, does it tug at your heartstrings? Do you wish there was something you could do to make a difference? There is, and you can do it right here on campus by joining “EDGE,” a club interested in humanitarian work. Their focus is on global issues and human rights. They are affiliated with A Better World’s youth division, an internationally-minded humanitarian organization. Despite the global scope of this club, they will be doing volunteer work and fundraising locally. They will pick one project a year and focus on fundraisers to raise money for the project. This allows them to concentrate and draw attention to one cause. The project they chose this year is the 100 Classrooms Project. The money they raise will go towards building schools for girls in Afghanistan. Their first fundraiser took place of Sept. 28. They did a “jail bail” style benefit, which is where

you approach “local celebrities” and ask them to volunteer their time by going to jail. They can leave once they have raised a certain amount of money. This event took place in the atrium from noon to four and raised $8,100 for the 100 Classrooms Project in Afghanistan. Dr. Mike Mahon, the university president, was the captive in this event. Many other students and influential individuals both from the university and from the community took part as well. Julie Anderson is the chair of the EDGE club. She started out with A Better World by working with her classmates to raise $40,000 in Sylvan Lake for a charity. She is a

seasoned pro at fundraising: and the EDGE club is in good hands with her! If you are interested in humanitarian work then this is the club for you. They are making

a real difference internationally. If you have any questions about how you can help to make a difference please contact Julie at julie. anderson@uleth.ca.

Congratulations graduates! Janet Barriage Campus Beat

Some students are just starting university, some are just about to finish, and some say they are never going to leave! Despite the fact that it can feel that the end is never in sight, it’s hard to be a student and not think about graduating every once and a while. It feels like everyone wants to know, “what are you going to do when you graduate?” And while I can’t answer that question I can give you an idea of what to expect when you reach that glorious day – Graduation Day! If you are near graduation or are just one of the many students who like to ponder this milestone, here is an idea of what to expect. This past weekend, on Saturday Oct. 15, fall graduation took place. This is mostly for students who took their last few courses during the summer semester. It is the smaller of the two grads and only lasts for roughly 3 hours. It is definitely the condensed version as the graduation that takes place in April is much, much longer. Just as legitimate as its spring counterpart, the fall grad is beautifully shorter and is much more intimate for students and administration. On the day of graduation, the graduates meet in the atrium of U Hall to get prepared. This is when you actually get your certificate, a rundown of what to expect, and you’ll also be organized alphabetically and by major. Next, you get to make the outdoor walk up from U Hall to the PE building. In case you needed any more

motivation to get back in shape before graduation, this might be it, as it is quite the walk! Your family and the rest of the audience will be waiting in the PE gym. Once the procession arrives and takes their seats, the real fun begins! This means speeches… lots of speeches. After the national anthem was sung, this year by Lillian Zheng, a traditional Blackfoot song, the Honour Song, was sung by 2004 honorary degree recipient Leroy Little Bear and 2003 Alumnus of the Year Billy Wadsworth. Then it is time for greetings from various members of the community; the City of Lethbridge mayor Rajko Dodic and Conservative MP Jim Hillyer

both wished the graduates luck. Next the honorary degrees were given out to WWII prisoner of war survivor and internationally acclaimed track and field coach George Gemer and Religious Studies scholar John Kloppenborg. Both men had some inspiring words of wisdom for the graduates. After a few more short speeches with more words of encouragement, it is time for the graduates to walk the stage. This is the longest process in the ceremony but also the event everyone has been waiting for. Family members come to witness and share in “the moment” together. A degree is announced and each student who has earned

this degree is introduced to the audience. As they walk across the stage, they stop to shake hands with the chancellor, pose for the professional photographer (portraits available online) and then continue to be greeted by various other members of the university faculty. They will receive their alumni pin from the Students’ Union president before leaving the stage. This is a wonderful opportunity for every grad to have their moment in the spotlight, literally with flash bulbs flashing in their eyes. After a lot of waiting, much like your time in university, your graduation ceremony is finished. Now it’s time for… wait for it… more pictures.

meliorist the

Campus beat

October 20, 2011 • 3

Aborting free speech:

Why the Genocide Awareness Project should be allowed to speak Eric Mathison The Gauntlet

The philosopher A.C. Grayling tells the story of a Hungarian Member of Parliament, who after a long discussion in parliament stood up and stated “Everything has been said, but not everybody has said it yet.” Campuses across Canada have had no shortage of opportunity to discuss the Genocide Awareness Project, a pro-life initiative in which a set of pictures of aborted foetuses are displayed, designed to get a reaction. When the question is whether or not abortion is morally permissible, pretty much everything has been said. But while this is the question GAP wants people to consider, the much more common question heard among GAP opponents is that the displays should be banned from campuses altogether. The argument usually takes the following form: the display should be banned because it’s exceptionally graphic. Some critics say people should be able to choose whether they want to see photos of aborted foetuses, and usually the display is set up in places that make this difficult. Free speech, say those who adopt this argument, must still accord with the standards of civility. In short, GAP is offensive. There are two main reasons, however, why this view is mistaken. The first is that it is a grievous wrong for any authority — including university administrations and students’ unions — to condemn an idea of inquiry as off limits, and it is also wrong to dictate how that inquiry may be performed. If we conclude that a topic isn’t entitled to further scrutiny or criticism, we commit the pernicious evil of forbidding any new evidence from being brought forth. It is an evil because in matters of value all ideas ought to be open to

The protests have been raging for a long time ; only the tactics have changed

revision. As our range of topics expands and our methods of inquiry become more precise, new arguments may become available, thereby demanding new interpretation. While we can think of moral truths as well-substantiated, they’re still fallible — a belief can be justified even though it is not conclusively justified or beyond all possible doubt. This should not be mistaken for relativism. We should simply proceed until we have reason to change. It can also be tempting to support the silencing of a group with which one disagrees, but in such cases it is even more important to be on our guard against bias. Silencing an opposing view may help your

argument temporarily, but only until the next group demands reasonable proof. If you have lost the ability to defend your beliefs, you are guilty of the same dogmatism you seek to end. After all, if it’s so easy to defend the permissibility of abortion, opponents of GAP should have no problem pointing them out. Learning that argument takes more work than claiming offence, but it’s important that people have the ability to defend their beliefs. Luckily, university is the perfect place to learn such skills. In the marketplace of ideas, everybody has an equal opportunity to access the truth. Science and philosophy rise so wonderfully above religious dogma because everyone

is within reach of the facts. I will never know a great deal about our scientific understanding of the world or how all claims about value are justified, but the only obstruction is my mortality. The right to dissent and criticize is still under attack, even from well-meaning individuals trying to prevent moral regression. A common rebuke of free expression is that its actions are sometimes offensive. But the history of human rights — going back to Magna Carta of 1215, all the way to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (if we exempt the perversion published by the Organization of the Islamic Conference known as the “Cairo Declara-

Photo: Eric Martin & Rick Johnson

tion”) — has not once mentioned the freedom from being offended. Surely tact is important to winning converts. On this point GAP can certainly be accused of a poor marketing strategy, but that shouldn’t prevent them from being allowed to sell their product. Prolife clubs across the country have the right to exist. Society has in no way called this case closed and it is only through open, serious discussion that progress will be made. So let them speak. Their right to say it is as important as your right to tell them they’re wrong.

No need to fear exposure with the Meliorist! Departments, and university organizations: Do any of your members like to write? Do they want to find out if they like to write? Whether you have lots or little to no writing experience we want to hear from you! You can use the Meliorist to get exposure for your club or event! The Campus Beat section is great if you want to promote a club, a cab, a department event, or anything else that’s going on at the university. Contact me with your event details or club information by Friday at midnight to see it in the next issue! It’s a great way to let the student body know how to get involved!

Become a contributor by sending your submissions to campus.beat@ themeliorist.ca.

news

the

meliorist

October 20, 2011 • 4

Sara Parkin News Editor For more information on contributing to News, please contact Sara Parkin, n.editor@themeliorist.ca

#ulethUPass Update

Redford downsizes Cabinet

Sara Parkin News Editor

Online voting for the U-Pass referendum is fast approaching and students have been heatedly debating the issue for weeks. Twitter has quickly become the forum of choice for students on both sides of the issue to express their opinions. The following is a collection of tweets about the U-Pass; some are informative, some come from U-Pass supporters, and some come from strong proponents of the “no” campaign. To see the rest of the debate or to get in on the conversation, search the #ulethupass hashtag on Twitter.

Old faces abound, but small 'c' conservative gain more representation Jeff Henry News Writer

Premier Allison Redford announced her new cabinet last week. Redford added a number of new faces onto her team, but much of the “old guard” will still be prominent in the front seats of the legislature. “I was looking for people that were smart, innovative, were listening to Albertans, had an understanding of how Albertans were feeling about the future of their province,” said Redford during the cabinet announcement. With almost no support coming into the first leadership ballot, and very little coming into the second, Redford didn’t have many people to reward with ministries. That list got even shorter when the lone MLA who did support her throughout the nomination, Calgary-Hays MLA Art Johnson, lost the PC nomination in his riding. Although not given a ministry, Johnson will spend the rest of his time in public office as the Parliamentary Assistant to Executive Council. However, in keeping with the PC’s strong sense of party unity, Redford was quick to give her leadership rivals top jobs in her caucus. Ted Morton was appointed to the Ministry of Energy, while Doug Horner, the undisputed “Queen Maker” of the leadership race, was appointed Deputy Premier and President of the Treasury Board. Even Gary Mar, the frontrunner during the leadership race, was given a solid appointment. He’ll be representing Alberta’s trade interests in Asia with a whopping $264,576 per year salary. In Redford’s key areas – health, primary education and community supports – the names may not be familiar, but in the coming weeks they’ll be well known to most Albertans. Already, Thomas Lukaszuk, who’s moved from Employment and Immigration to the Ministry of Education, has been working to reinstate $107 million back into the schools. Fred Horne moved up from Academics position as Parliamentvice Advice his previous Ad Alberta Alberta Alberta ary Assistant to Health and WellArt Art Art Books BooksMinister of Health Books ness to become Ca na Ca da nada Canada and Wellness. has a perspective Community Comm“He Community unity Clubthe s Clubs happening in Clubs on what’s been Curre

Current Affa irs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food oreign Affairs Health Local News Music Politics t-Secondary Ed. ronghorns Research Science udent Life Sex cial Issues Travel levision ademics

Current Affa irs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food Foreign Affa irs Health Local News Music Politics Post-Second ary Ed. Pronghorns Research Science Student Life Sex Social Issues Travel Television Academics Advice

nt Affairs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food Foreign Affa irs Health Local News Music Politics Post-Second ary Ed. Pronghorns Research Science Student Life Sex Social Issues Travel Television Academics Advice Alberta

LC looking into a upass as well. LA Transit addressing only one school at a time for now. #ulethupass would not be a joint endeavour LA transit asking for no increase in regular bus fees next year and 1% in next two years #ulethupass If no vote a different opt out could be negotiated. Including parking pass opt out. But LA Transit feels this is best option now #ulethupass past three years. He’s done tremendous work around the province on what the future of public health care needs to look like,” Redford said of Horne’s appointment. The big change that’s been at the forefront of this new government is the amalgamation of several government ministries into the Ministry of Human Services which will oversee Children and Youth Services, Employment, Homelessness and Alberta Supports. “We’re saying that the way that government has done its work before isn’t effective for Albertans. We have a number of departments that all provide individual programming very often to the same, what I’ll call ‘client base,’” Redford said of the decision to amalgamate several ministries under the title of Human Services. She also said, “If we look at something like Children and Youth Services, there are components of education and health care that need to be part of how that department is working to support the kids that are either in care or that the social workers are working with.” This has also lead to the consolidation of a number of other minisArt tries. Doug “fiscal Book s BooksGriffiths of the Cana Cana da da of Redford’s four” and one opponCommunity Community ents during ubs will Clubsthe leadershipClrace Current Affa irs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food Foreign Affa irs Health Local News Music Politics Post-Second ary Ed. Pronghorns Research Science Student Life Sex Social Issues Travel Television Academics Advice Alberta Art

oversee the Ministry of Municipal Affairs which now incorporates Housing and Urban Affairs. Alberta Supports has been moved out of the Seniors and Community Supports profile leaving rookie MLA George VanderBurg as the Minister of Seniors. “It’s about thinking differently about how we’re providing services, whether they’re effective, and whether or not they’re actually achieving the outcomes that we want them to achieve,” Redford said of the changes to the structure of the cabinet. Another first-term MLA, Cal Dallas will take on the Ministry of Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations which incorporates the former Ministry of International and Intergovernmental Affairs, Aboriginal Relations and Immigration. This merger has not been without controversy, however. Some warn that lumping in the affairs of the First Nations people with another department will delegitimize their standing with the Alberta government, but Redford was quick to shrug off that notion saying that this will recognize aboriginal governments alongside Canada other governments working Co mmunity with Comm unity Clubs Clubs Alberta. Cu

rrent Affairs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food Foreign Affa irs Health Local News Music Politics Post-Second ary Ed. Pronghorns Research Science Student Life Sex Social Issues Travel Television Academics Advice Alberta Art Books Canada Community

Drayton Valley-Calmar MLA, Diana McQueen will be taking over the Ministry of Environment, which Redford has amended to become Environment and Water. “I believe one of the things that will be very important for us to talk about as Albertans, not only internally but across the world, is the importance of water in environmental stewardship,” said Redford. “It’s going to be an important part of how we think about our future.” There were also some big names not returning to cabinet, including the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Mel Knight, Environment Minister Rob Renner, Culture and Community Spirit Minister Lindsay Blackett, and Finance Minister Lloyd Snelgrove. Many Albertans are looking forward to what Redford and her new cabinet will be able to do for the province. Redford said, “This is a strong team of people who have new perspectives, who are very interested in new approaches.” She later went on to say, “I know that our ability to build a team that will offer interesting and innovative solutions for Albertans is going to lead to some very excited discussions in the next couple months.”

Clubs Current Affa irs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food Foreign Affa irs Health Local News Music Politics Post-Second ary Ed. Pronghorns Research Science Student Life Sex Social Issues Travel Television

Writers Wanted

Academics Advice Alberta Art Books Canada Community Clubs Current Affa irs Dramatic Ar ts Diet D.I.Y. Environment Fashion Film Food Foreign Affa irs Health Local News Music Politics Post-Second ary Ed. Pronghorns Research Science Student Life Sex Social Issues Travel Television Ac ademics

Contribute today! email EINC@THEMELIORIST.CA for more information

#ulethupass LA Transit revenue will increase by $200-250 000 if it passes #ulethupass no parking pass opt out because no other university has it. Is the money from #uleth students going to pay for new bus stops for areas not covered currently for students? Likely not! #ulethupass I heard there is #ulethupass protests outside the @ULethSU building. At a time of austerity in the world and rising tuition; the #ulsu decides to put a extra $75 burden onto students Vote No! #ulethupass I think @LethbridgeCity should give all #uleth students a bus pass and put an enviro tax on parking passes. #ulethupass Given a fair and reasonable opt out plan, the #ulethupass could be a good idea. Currently it is not. How many students at #uleth don’t use the gym facilities either? Or don’t read the #meliorist? It’s for the greater good. #ulethupass

Right now, few students use transit. That’s true. The goal of Advice Alb the iserttoa increase that Albert a #ulethupass Art Arnumber t and lessen environmental Books Books Canada impact. Canada

Community Community Clubs Clubs forget that the Curre Current Affa Let’s not nt Affairs irs Dram Dramatic Ar Arts year pilot #ulethupass isataicone ts Diet Diet program that will D.I.Y. be re-evaluated D.I.Y. En viron Environment for opt meout. nt Fashion Fashion Film Film Food and Saturday Food Late night Friday Foreign Affa Foreign Affa service not irs an option, creates irs Health Health not. This is Local Nethan Local Newsmore problems ws sic #ulethupass Music not on the Mu table. Politics Politics Post-Second Post-Second ary ary Voting begins on Oct. 24 Ed. Ed. Pronghorns Pronghorns at 9 a.m. and continues until Research Research Scp.m. ience Make your Science Oct.26 at 4 Studeand Student Life nt Life VOTE! voice heard Sex Sex Social Issues Social Issues Travel Travel Television Television Ac ademics

meliorist the

news

October 20, 2011 • 5

Occupy Together The movement spreads from Wall Street to the rest of the world Sara Parkin News Editor

What began as a few hundred protestors occupying a city park in the financial district of New York City has swept the globe and become a worldwide phenomenon. Oct. 15 marked the official beginning of the Occupy Together movement, a day of action for the 99 per cent. Over 1,000 cities in 87 countries around the world held their own rallies, protests, and occupations sparked by the Occupy Wall Street movement in NYC. A statement on Occupytogether. org says, “We will only grow stronger in our solidarity and we will be heard, not just in New York, but in echoes across the world.” The movement is spreading a message of uniting for global change. Many of the individual movements in cities around the world have begun to refine their focus and started to look for real world solutions for the issues that are unique to their communities. Homelessness, pay disparity, corporate corruption, government bailouts, fiat currency and widespread unemployment are just a few of the issues that the Occupy Together movement is hoping to

have addressed worldwide, as well as a number of other problems pertaining to the global economic crisis and the capitalist system. The movement, to this point, has been largely leaderless, non-violent and organized through social media. Some mainstream media have begun to call the Occupy Together movement an “economic awakening;” moreover, people have begun to ask whether this is the beginning of a global revolution. An inside look at Occupy Calgary I had the opportunity to get an inside look at the Occupy Calgary movement when I joined protestors at their makeshift encampment in Olympic Plaza across from City Hall on Sunday. A general assembly for the movement was held, gathering approximately 150 people in the plaza to plan and discuss specific goals for the occupation. Mainstream media had largely painted the Occupy Calgary movement as disorganized, over before it even began, and dominated by the homeless, however, from my personal experience I have found that nothing could be further from the

Occupy 5th Street

Kelti Boissonneault Editor-in-Chief

Despite steady coverage in the Meliorist for several weeks now, there are still students on campus who do not know what the Occupy Wall Street movement is. As such, it might be high time for them to come out from U-hall and into the glaring light of reality: the social movement of our generation has come to Lethbridge. At 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, about 120 concerned Lethbians from all walks of life gathered on the lawn outside of City Hall. It being a Saturday, City Hall and all the banks down town were closed, but the message touted by the organizers was clearly meant for more than just the corporate CEOs and our city leaders: it was meant for everyone. As people gathered, short speeches on everything from the fracking on the Blood Reserve, to the postal union being legislated back to work by Harper’s government, reminded the crowd of why they had come. “We are the 99 per cent and we will not take this anymore.” Organizers of the rally led the march from City Hall down 4th Avenue and past large banking

truth. The movement began in Calgary with a rally in front of Bankers’ Hall and grew into two encampments being set up in the city. One encampment began on St. Patrick’s Island where portable toilets and fire pits have been set up to keep the people of the occupation in relative comfort. Another “tent city” went up in Olympic Plaza across from City Hall. Despite the divided encampments, the two groups are working together. Representatives from both camps have been in contact and a spirit of cooperation is apparent. Many protestors have expressed their intention to continue the occupation for the long haul. When asked how long they plan to stay, a number of occupiers will provide an open-ended answer of “as long as it takes.” The general assembly I had the opportunity to participate in saw around 150 protestors planning and discussing the future of the movement. The Olympic Plaza camp has developed a system of “working groups.” The camp has divided responsibilities with groups in charge of media, food, sanitation, security, legal, supplies, and a number of other occupation-specific issues.

There was a palpable atmosphere of respect that carried on throughout the GA. Despite the problems that the Occupy Wall Street movement, as well as a number of other cities involved in similar demonstrations, have had with law enforcement, the Occupy Calgary movement has remained peaceful. One speaker went so far as to thank the bike-mounted police officers that were keeping watch over the encampment for being there to “serve and protect.”

Occupy Wall Street has continued for more than a month. The grassroots movement was originally written off by the mainstream media and the government as a passing fad, but it has done nothing but grow and spread since its conception. The future of the movement and what it will actually achieve is uncertain, but it has become a worldwide phenomenon that can no longer be ignored.

A world-wide phenomenon hits Lethbridge

institutions and the post office shouting slogans like “We are the 99 per cent,” “People before profits” and “Ethics in corporate tasks.” As the crowd travelled peacefully up 5th Street towards Galt Gardens, both pedestrians and motorists showed their solidarity by honking their support, as well as their patience as 120 people crossed the streets in a single light. Despite the group not having a permit for the march, the police were an obvious no-show since there was clearly no threat from the group. Travelling down 3rd Avenue, the group finally congregated in the parking lot of Conservative MP Jim Hillyer’s office, where they were treated to a surprise appearance from the man from the Hill himself. Hillyer stood patiently and answered the tough questions posed by his constituents with the usual political measures of sidestepping direct action and hesitating on any affirmative action. Despite the crowd’s slight annoyance and obvious disagreement with the current social and political order, one has to give kudos where it is due and most of the group agreed: “He had balls to come out and talk

to us,” one protester said. After the brief stop at Hillyer’s office, the march continued down 8th Street and back to Town Hall where the group disbanded. Despite this show of solidarity being but a brief march around town, it certainly caught the eye of many Lethbridge citizens and highlighted the fact that the ordinary person does have a say in how the world is run – if they choose to have a voice. The protesters of Lethbridge gathered in a show of solidarity among movements: not just the Occupy movements spanning the globe. All sorts of human rights issues are currently under fire in Lethbridge, and Saturday served them all equally as a forum to join with likeminded individuals to demand change. Despite no tent-city being erected in Galt Gardens, the fact that over 100 of our citizens took to the streets shows that people are fed up – even in Canada’s wealthiest province. The Occupy movements nationwide impressed even those who are wary about such protests across Canada, where very little violence occurred. Lethbridge showed its solidarity with other major civic centres across the nation, joining in a social movement that has already spread worldwide. From it all, one message was clear from Lethbridge’s protesters: “we are here, we are not going away, and we will not back down.” The march on Saturday was just the beginning, according to event organizers, who encourage people to spread the word and become involved. Only when we band together, can the 99 per cent be heard. (To find out more, turn to this week’s centre spread on page 12 and 13)

Calgary and Lethbridge Occupy Events

features

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 7

Matt Baird Features Editor For more information on contributing to Features, please contact Matt Baird, f.editor@themeliorist.ca

Drink of the week: The Bus Loop Matt Baird

The Bus Loop You’ll need: Six shot glasses The Homestead 1/2 oz coffee 1/2 oz Irish cream 1/2 oz Irish whisky The Stop 1 oz of vodka 1/2 oz lime juice Ice shavings The Centre 1 oz of gin 1/2 oz of tonic The University 1/2 oz Blue Curacao 1 oz Goldshlager The Centre Redux 1/2 oz gin 1 oz tonic The End 1 1/2 oz Irish whisky

Features Mixologist

For those of you who drive to school daily, the sheer joy of the daily public commute that is riding the bus may be lost on you. From the early mornings to the awkward, staring non-conversation with those among you, riding the bus can provide inexhaustible opportunities to feel a deluge of emotions in such flavours as mind-blistering rage or stomach-churning disgust. While the traffic abuses and driving habits of Lethbridge commuters may expose you to some of these feelings as well, anyone who makes the commute to the university can usually agree on one thing: it drives them to drink. As such, this week we’re centring on a series of shots called The Bus Loop. With the U-Pass debate heating up, and worthy arguments for and against the U-Pass on both sides, one of the larger mistakes of campaign branding that is going on revolves around the idea of Bus Takers vs. Parking Passers. This is the wrong way to go about it. Those of you who take the bus

are obviously going to vote yes on the referendum; after all, you’ll be saving $330 annually on the so called privilege of taking the bus. But what of your friends who drive to school? While they could opt out if they live outside the coverage area of Lethbridge Transit, or perhaps suggest a similar program where the student body subsidizes a portion of the cost of a parking pass, these two suggestions require both time and effort, and as such will never happen. Instead, as a responsible bus user, fall back on the reliable tool of persuasion that has greased the wheels of society for centuries: bribery. Think about it this way. If you have a friend who drives a car and doesn’t want to cop up an extra $70 in tuition on top of the cost of the parking pass, dip into that $330 you’ll be saving on bus passes and buy your friend a drink; hell, maybe a round if you have a few friends in need of persuasion. If you are a person who drives a car and has no friends who take the bus from whom you can receive liquid graft, go make a few more friends. If you find yourself with a friend who

is rather hard to convince, then sit them down and line them up with The Bus Loop: six shots that emulate what taking public transit is like in Lethbridge. Start at The Homestead. Like any morning on the way to the university, you need a bracing drink for what’s to come. Coffee, whisky, and cream, which should hopefully prepare you for The Stop. Waiting for the bus in winter is harsh and sour, especially when compared to what you had in The Homestead.

Ride your way to The Centre, and choke back the juniper fumes so you can make it to your destination; The University, sweet Blue Curacao and expensive burning schnapps. Take a breather if you need it, and proceed to ride the loop to The Centre Redux; a little weaker the second time around. Finally, get to The End and sip your whisky. You deserve it.

Happy Humans vs. Zombies week! A celebration of zombies Rebecca Colbeck Features Bibliophile

Zombies are the new vampires! They’re not cool like werewolves, there’s no Warren Zevon song about them, and they’re not classy like Dracula and Frankenstein who can trace their lineage back to respectable 19th century novels. All zombies have is a bunch of George Romero movies. But the lowly zombies are making their move. Creeping into every aspect of our zeitgeist; from movies to books, they are everywhere these days. World War Z: an Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks Max Brooks is the guy for all things zombie, and this book

follows his previous best seller The Zombie Survival Guide. World War Z is a post-apocalyptic novel written as a collection of personal accounts in the form of anecdotes. Unlike his previous book, this is a serious novel, and not for the faint of heart. It tells the story of a world war from its beginnings in the remote village of New Dachang, China. His characters chronicle the spread of a strange disease that turns humans into zombies, and the only way to stop one is to destroy its brain. The disease, and the threat to humanity, expands exponentially and no place on earth is safe. The personal accounts also describe the changing religious, geo-political, and environmental aftermath of the Zombie War. It is creepy – really creepy, can’t stop reading creepy!

of this before me. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith What’s to say? This series, there are three in total, are parodies of the originals. I chuckled; purists will not. It is an expansion of the beloved Austen novels with the addition of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. Grahame-Smith lets Jane Austen do the heavy lifting (85% of the writing in fact) and the plot is obviously in place. He does, however, overlay a very giggle-worthy story. The series includes Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dreadfully Ever After and Dawn of the Dreadfuls. Victorian manners, Grindhouse gore and gallows humour. What’s not to love? Damn him for thinking

Sad Monsters: Growling on the Outside, Crying on the Inside by Frank Lesser This is a very charming and funny book from Frank Lesser, an Emmy-award winning writer for the Colbert Report, and it consists of vignettes about monsters and their very human problems. Monsters have it tough. Each short essay in this book looks at a different aspect of a monster’s life. Everything from high school and dating to child rearing, death, and diet. It’s all covered. They suffer from very real problems and are deeply misunderstood. Godzilla suffers through an existential crisis. Creatures from the Black lagoon face discrimination from

the creatures from the White lagoon. Mummies have body image issues. Sad Monsters documents the trials and tribulations of them all. From chupacabras to sphinxes, vampires to werewolves and even claw-footed bathtubs (I always knew those were evil). Most of these essays are laugh-out-loud funny, and some just make you smile. If you want a chuckle while reading in bed, or just wish to show solidarity with the creature living beneath it, Sad Monsters is an allencompassing, diverse collection that lays bare the tortured soul (or lack thereof) of all non-humans. These books are readily available at all bookstores, include your University of Lethbridge Bookstore. Happy Hunting!

the

Features

meliorist

8 • October 20, 2011

Friday, Oct. 21 – Movie Night!

We are radio active!

Screening of Roger’s Pass, which is the first feature length film by writer/director Colin Askey. It is a dramatic comedy about a disjointed family forced to come together under

Rock and friggin’ roll!

tragic circumstances and discover what really matters most. Shot on location between Calgary and Invermere, BC. Come hang out on Oct. 21 at 7:00 p.m. in PE275. Do it.

Aaron Trozzo CKXU Manager

We are approaching a crucial time over here at CKXU. Our future and our success lie directly in your tender, well-sanitized hands. We annually seek out your support during what we call FUNdrive, our version of a fund-raising telethon. This year we are RADIO ACTIVE, a highly intense force to be reckoned with, and by donating to CKXU you can receive a schwack of activityrelated items such as active wear, togo coffee mugs, hot sauce, tote bags, key chains, hacky-sacks colouring books and awkwardly long hugs! And, of course, the new edition of our “CKXU Friends Card,” which will garner you discounts at many awesome local businesses that are worthy of your patronage. During the week-and-some-change that spans from Friday the 21st until the following Friday the 28th, be sure to tune in to 88.3 FM and listen to our volunteers solicit some validation for the countless hours, pure passion and dedication they pour into the airwaves week after week. Our voices are diverse; some of us fight for advocacy on issues that slip through the cracks of mainstream media, some of us come from backgrounds that continue to go under-represented by commercial media outlets, some of us simply like to share the nerdy stuff we are most nerdy about, and some of us are just the freaks and weirdos who finally have a space to claim for

ourselves without the fear of oppression! And we do this all to a kickass soundtrack of unique, independent music while paying tribute to our local music scene. We are the true alternative, we run purely on the power of our community, and together we

re-defining the notions of programming and what radio is. This year’s FUNdrive is especially crucial as we are in the middle of renovating our studios. Like all of you, we’re growing up. Which I’m pretty sure means that we’re graduating, moving out of mom’s house, and finding ourselves unemployed and growing

a beard or wearing dress suits for no reason. We want to be all that we can aspire to be! Hence the paint fumes that have gathered around the CKXU studio... We even kept enough fumes around for everyone! If you come in to the CKXU studio space anytime soon, there just might be enough lingering airborne finite particulates around to get you (like us) a little loose, which means we might actually convince you to part with your hard earned cash in exchange for an all-vinyl Jimmy Reeves prize pack! Show your support by tuning in and calling our pledge line. Show your support by showing up to our live drive events. Be proud of the community that you are a part of, as well as the art, the music, the cupcakes, and the good company that comes out of it (Oh, and there’s free coffee). Check out the live drive events! There’s more information on Facebook, and you should also keep your eyes peeled for our sweet posters around the university! Check out our website at www.ckxu.com to tune in for updates on the events, ongoing totals for donations, and to stay up to date with the general buzz happening around the station! Turn on your radio and stay tuned to 88.3 FM! Take the CD’s out of your deck, switch your MP3 player to FM mode, and help make this the best year for CKXU ever!

Saturday, Oct. 22 – Don’t You Forget About Me! The Slice Bar and Grill will be presenting an evening of local bands playing cover tunes. This year’s theme? ‘80s movie soundtracks! Each band has chosen a different movie and will be playing sweet, sweet tunes from the soundtrack. Oh, and dressing up like the main characters in the movies. Don’t do it. Just kidding. Do it. Sunday, Oct. 23 – CupCakeCarnival! CKXU

proud

host

this

year’s

CupCakeCarnival in the Theatre Gallery at the Lethbridge Public Library. This event features cupcake bakers from all over strutting their stuff to see who can make the most outrageous and delicious cupcakes. Tuesday, Oct. 25 – Board Game Bonanza! The Owl Acoustic Lounge is hosting CKXU’s first-ever board game night! Featuring our own CKXU DJ’s spinning sweet and spicy tunes while you nerd out, challenging good friends to rousing games of Hungry Hungry Hippos and getting your Slang-Teasers on. Friday, Oct. 29 – Wrap Up Party! The Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) is hosting the CKXU FUNdrive wrap-up event this year. It will be a celebration of the week gone past and a recognition period of the hardworking people who gave it their all to make FUNdrive everything that it is.

meliorist

features

the

October 20 , 2011 • 9

Report calls for drastic changes to Canadian education system Failure in government co-operation is the cause of Canada’s deteriorating education system: CCL Lee Richardson

CUP Ontario Bureau Chief

Canada’s entire education system is need of restructuring, according to a new report. Released Oct. 11 by the Canadian Council on Learning, the report says that without a national regulatory committee, Canada’s education system will decline, leading to a loss of economic productivity and innovation. “They talk about the dysfunctionality of post-secondary education,” said Glen Jones, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. “There are some criticisms and some of them are valid, but I think it’s going too far to say that it’s dysfunctional.” The report is likely to be the final paper released by the CCL, which is set to close in spring 2012 after federal funding for the national learning organization was withdrawn by the Harper government last year. “Some of the comments are made with greater vitriol than have been made in the past,” said Jones. “But

that doesn’t mean that they don’t say some important things.” While acknowledging high participation rates in post-secondary education and praising Canada’s teaching staff and generally welleducated population, the report “What is the Future of Learning in Canada?” criticizes the lack of a federal body that sets national goals in terms in education. Currently, education issues are handled by individual provincial and territorial governments. “The principal cause of the unacceptable and deeply troubling state of affairs is that our governments have failed to work together to develop the necessary policies and failed to exhibit the required collective political leadership,” stated the report. Another criticism revolves around research and development becoming a priority of universities, which then often move away from delivering a comprehensive education in favour of aiming to gain research funding from the federal government.

“We have a higher education system where there are very strong incentives for faculty to attempt to become great researchers, but there are not as many incentives for individual faculty, or the university as a whole, to focus on the quality of undergraduate teaching,” said Ryerson politics professor David Trick, who has co-authored the book Academic Reform. “It’s almost as though highquality teaching has become sort of a token aspect of our universities, a token area that we need to reward rather than something that is as celebrated as research,” said Meaghan Coker, a University of Toronto public policy and governance master’s student. “That small example is one of many that indicates the imbalance between research and teaching.” While some universities in provinces like British Columbia and Alberta operate under different models, some of which put an emphasis on teaching, provinces such as Ontario have switched entirely to a university model that concentrates

on advancing research. “We’ve often talked about finding balance between the two,” said Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance president Sean Madden. “Several of our policies are on quality of education, specifically advocating for quality of teaching, transparent teaching and teaching development to become a larger part in a professor’s professional career progression.” According to Jones, however, the major problem with Canada’s education system is a lack of available relevant data, which is needed before changes in policy can be achieved. “We are behind many of our peers, and by that I mean many other Western developed countries that have much better data about how their educational system is going,” said Jones, who added that the amount of data the government has regarding its education system is not enough to develop effective policy analysis at the provincial and territorial level. “We need to know more about

post-secondary education,” said Jones. “But it’s difficult to deal with because there [are] very few political advantages in investing in data.” While the report calls for the formation of a national body to reform the country’s system, Jones states that apart from a need for the federals to collect more information about the national educational infrastructure, such a reform might not be necessary. “Many of the problems involve issues that can be done at the provincial level or territorial level, so I agree with the problems — I guess I disagree with their solutions,” Jones said. “But I think people have to take a step back and realize that in order to get policies that work, you really do need to make that investment in data and the public infrastructure that collects this information and allows for that analysis, and then you can have an informed public policy debate.”

My adventures in women’s studies, and what I found there Wherein I review a course

Photo: Marcus Cyron

Olivier O’Brien Features Op-Ed

Women’s Studies: Knowing Bodies, aside from being an appallingly misleading course title, was not the affirmative action free A+ for the domestically inclined that friends had told me it would be; indeed, the free A+ was for everybody! That is why the title was so misleading: women’s studies courses are not so much about women, but how greatly we are affected by our bodies versus our environment, which was brought home for me for the first time when I entered the women’s studies. Between the herds of glazed lulu lemons there were the

predatory crop tops that hissed “interloper” with their eyes. Suddenly I had become a WWII radio operator, my antenna giving away my position to the fraus no matter how many desks I hid behind. Being a white man I usually don’t have to worry about anything, least of all if I belong somewhere, because after all, I probably own the place. For once things didn’t go my way, and to earn my marks on my papers instead of the usual write my paper how I think it should be, I had to study my professor’s view and shamelessly suck up to it. Being forced into an uncomfortable and compromising situation to get what I want, instead of just getting it? Head! I had to get to the head of

the matter! It took two years. But finally I realized that compromising yourself to play somebody else’s game was probably the lesson she had intended for me and that she probably thought that the paper featuring the phrase “gyno-centric commune” was as much of a joke as I treated it. So now I can speak confidently about the troubles and trials faced by any minority, knowing exactly how they feel. What a load off my back; like I just dropped a mighty burden. However the course possesses a strange quirk insofar as its attendees go, aside from the obvious point that they’re all women. Interestingly, it seemed to attract two specific types of women. The most numerous were the stock, fresh out of the box first year student female model. Each one wearing black lulu tights, dyed blonde hair, and a brightly coloured hoodie, all curiously marked with the omega symbol – I had no idea that tabletop war-gaming had taken off so much among young women. They seemed antithetical to the course content, particularly when we were discussing sweatshop labour and beauty standards designed to be expensive and difficult to obtain. To compliment the space marine cheerleading brigade, there were the feminist artist types. But unlike the halcyon dames of my childhood, the guerrilla girls, these ones dislike entertaining dialogue. This was a choice that astounded me by its foresight once I considered the lexical root of the word dialogue. Finally, a group of purists who refuse to engage the law of excluded middle: the nobler of the two choices. As the majority of the coursework in WMST 1000 is group workoriented, this course allowed once again for a brilliant organic learning environment. Witness firsthand the kind of personal damage a cul-

ture built on dichotomy can inflict, as the fashionistas and the fascistas duke it out to see who could stray furthest from the assigned topic. I reserve a particular scorn for the reactionary feminist in my group, who never seemed to grasp that organizing your social worldview around the imperative was exactly the brand of thinking that necessitated women’s studies in the first place. Once again, all of the learning to be had in women’s studies comes from observing how the activities play out, rather than what the activities were in themselves. An important aspect of modern feminism is intersectionality (two years on, and I only remember the buzzwords): the notion that our bodies provide multiple layers of experience, not only physical sex, but race, gender and class. For-

tunately my group was all rich and white so I didn’t have to learn too much about other people. This was the only time I was unable to make a direct connection between my course materials and the observable world around me. Perhaps I don’t pay enough attention in my other courses but it was a real treat to be able to observe my course material in action. The course material was inexpensive and well worth keeping, as the universality of most women’s studies texts, being a critical method, making them useful for padding works cited lists. You know, it is odd; this entire article I have been organizing my thoughts into diametrically opposed ideas... I wonder what that’s all about.

opinions

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 10

Kelti Boissonneault Editor-in-Chief For more information on contributing to The Meliorist, please contact Kelti Boissonneault, einc@themeliorist.ca

Our truth and effort: I fear the future Kelti Boissonneault Editor-in-Chief

As a student of history I am worried about what future generations will think of the people who live in the 21st century. When looking back on the annals of the past, we are flooded with the material culture left behind: authors and playwrights and artists who left the finest examples of their societies. Certainly the arts were not the culture of the every-man, especially since much of the societal populations of the Renaissance or prior have slipped into historical obscurity; we don’t really know with certainty exactly how they lived, but we can guess. Looking at today, at the material culture (and boy is there a lot of it!) that we use and discard, I often find myself wondering how people will interpret our culture a thousand years from now. What will they say of the people of this century? Will they think us enlightened? Will they think us crude and pitiable? Will they think us romantic?

“

They will name this era the ‘Age of Individuals’

“

Illustration: Elizabeth Porter

we were a great civilization: the American Empire was one of the most powerful (if yet shortest lived) in history. They will write that this was the age when the economy globalized, and culture quickly followed. They will point out the dismissal of the public and private spheres as prevalent in the ages before us, and see us as the foundation for the greater generations that must surely follow. They will name this era the “Age of Individuals” and discover that the individuals were sheep, shepherded first by governments and then by their wants as told to them by corporations. They will dissect our literature and realize we lived in a world of fantasy. Through art and fantasy, though explicitly lies, comes the greatest truth. It is the beauty of the medium: triumph and dishonour. Unfortunately these scholars of the future will miss the point.

They will not see that while we shall be remembered as the selfish grew in population, we narrowed generation. What tradition and in worldview. They will miss the values should have taught us to fact that while we destroyed Earth shun, we have forgotten, and so our we sought ways to save it. They will forefathers must look down on us never guess that there are those who in shame. This is the golden age of awoke to the world’s plights, while humanity? No, such is either long the vast majority past or yet to slept. In this Age come. No one of Individuals we can convince lived for ourselves, …find our culture me that this and never regarded is our utopia. apathetic, weak, They the needs of our might neighbours. As convince me insubstantial, religion slowly died, that this is our inconstant, and a new faith took illusion. They hold – but a faith totally negligible. might convince without guidance. me that this is As our needs our wasteland. became fewer, This is not our wants grew to extravagances enlightenment. The Age of the until we could no longer tell the Individual has made us forget to difference. The might of rebellion love our neighbours. We reach out crumbled, our strength quelled only in necessity, and not in love. under the massive weight of apathy. This is why I fear the future. I fear this future where we

“

I hardly think so. I think they’ll study us and find our culture apathetic, weak, insubstantial, inconstant, and totally negligible. They will dig into our dumps (then long covered over, I assume) and discover the petrified remains of half-eaten hot dogs (because those things will never rot), vast webs of half-decomposed plastic shopping bags, and faded issues of Teen People magazine featuring Justin Bieber (or at the very least Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner) on the cover. When these historians quantify us, they will know that we grew immensely in population throughout the 2000s, and with every subsequent generation, consumed more of both the globe and each other. They will marvel that the planet could have sustained us in our wasteful habits and theorize about the obviously polytheistic system of worship we sustained around ever-changing celebrities. Those historians will know that oil, plastic, and metal monotonous individuals whose were the things we valued highest. worlds revolved around prime-time They will see that diamonds, gold, television line-ups. and oil were what we fought over Those distant historians might most. remark that, despite this, we knew Future sociologists will remark what beauty was. Through our upon our complex government art, our media, and our literature structures and they will know our interesting we understood and lucrative mortality and …in this Age of ways to spread the beauty it information. They Individuals we provides. Through will remark that we our religions they lived for ourselves were a suspicious will know we had populace given … never regarded morals. Through to theories of our genetics they the needs of our conspiracy and a will know we neighbours. chronic inaction had medicine, against the ruling confidence, and class. Then they mixed races. We will argue that such are the essence of things are false: only a small vocal an infallible human condition: to minority were given to conspiracy see and believe, to live and die, to theories – most everyone else just hate and love. swallowed what they were told When they publish their and remained crap-consuming, theories on us they will write that

meliorist the

opinions

mel•io•rism (meel’e riz’m, me’le e-), n. the doctrine that the world tends to become better or may be made better by human effort

Letters

An autonomous body, separate from the U of L Students’ Union SU-166, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Phone: 329-2334 www.themeliorist.ca

Understanding Cost To the editor, I read with interest a letter by Brandon RC Wilson published in the October 13th issue of this newspaper. While I certainly respect Mr. Wilson’s rights to his own views, and commend him on speaking out against something he disagrees with, I feel that his view of costs needs to be criticized, and a positive alternative be suggested. We need to more properly understand the idea of “cost.” Though monetary costs are first and foremost on the minds of many students (myself included), we need to expand the meaning of cost to include long term personal, environmental, and social costs, as well as financial costs in order that we may have a more holistic understanding of things. First, personal costs: having the security and peace of mind knowing that you will always have a (bus) ride, regardless of whether or not you have access to a vehicle goes a long way in creating the independence and freedom that Mr. Wilson at least implicitly espouses as the highest of virtues.

For those in residence, it can help to integrate campus life with the larger Lethbridge community – one would have a difficult time living a fully satisfying life if he/she were limited to those resources within walking distance, especially in the winter. For those of us with cars (myself, a former rural kid probably too addicted to my car included), maintenance and repairs can be costly endeavours. If our cars were to cease to operate, we would need access to transit in the interim until our vehicles were repaired. Though that interim may not be equivalent to the four trips per month that Mr. Wilson insists he needs to make the U-Pass worthwhile, the peace of mind knowing that you always have a ride has to be worth something, especially in the winter. With regard to environmental costs, more students and Lethbians in general taking the bus will remove tonnes of carbon from the air, which can be our early contribution to the fight against climate change – a fight that will likely define our generation. Mr. Wilson’s proposal of a protection agency is flawed;

we’ve seen these agencies fail us before, and an ambiguous mandate would almost certainly doom any new efforts in that mode. Thirdly, social costs of rejecting the U-Pass are great. With a possible injection of $750,000 yearly into the transit budget, transit can be improved, and students can do something good for the community in which we live. It can help underprivileged folks in the city get to work and improve their lives, allow students to better enjoy Lethbridge’s finer points, and improve connections between the University and the broader community. Further, it will help some of the most vulnerable in our own University community access the resources they need to better enjoy their lives and their experience. I find it painfully ironic that Mr. Wilson’s self-interested epistle concludes with a plea to collective action. There’s certainly nothing wrong with self-interest, in moderation like all things, but every now and again we need to take action on behalf of a greater whole. I hardly use the public medical

system, but I will fight tooth and nail to see that it remains in place, not merely out of self-interest for when I need it, but because I know that there are scores of people that rely on it every day for the most fundamental purposes. Similar to that, I know that people need better transit service in Lethbridge, especially students. I’m voting yes on the U-pass for those students, to mitigate the personal, environmental and social costs of self-interested, fossil fuel-addicted behavioural patterns, and in case my car craps out on me and I need to get around. We’ve all eaten enough Kraft Dinner, but let’s not blame that on one another, quite simply because it’s unfair, divisive, and disrespectful. Let’s take corrective, collective action like those that we’ve seen in the Occupy Movement, and get something done for one another, our community, and future generations of students.

cover to cover every single week, no matter the circumstance. The ten minute break between classes and The Meliorist combined to form a powerful force against boredom. This year however, I find myself spending less time reading and more time flipping through 9/11 conspiracy chaff, sloppy left wing rhetoric, and full page photo-shop

disasters simply to find that you forgot to include a variety of vaguely ethnic vegetarian recipes! I expect more from my student newspaper in the future. I would like to see The Meliorist stick to its strength. More campus beat, streamlined concert listings by venue and night, faculty interviews, recipes with garlic and ginger, and maybe

a section with photographs of cats paired with amusing captions. Please no more conspiracy theories, please at least make a token effort at showing both sides of an argument, and please no more photo-shop collages.

and I believe bloody foetuses are in no way considering the feelings of the people to whom they were exposed –university students and professors, in short adults whose beliefs and experiences should be respected. And I am pretty sure that many adults have had to face such an important decision as abortion in their life. I agree that within the university experience there should be a big weight placed on debates and pushing us towards questioning our lifestyles, and everything that surrounds us. However, I do not feel that aggressively showing pictures of bloody foetuses without considering all the social stigmas and the multidimensional aspects that are behind every abortion is a way to open up a dialogue. The answer I received to my question was that people do not care about abortion and that showing bloody pictures is the only way to open up the discussion… Well, I am not actually convinced that no one cares, quite the opposite. I even feel pretty confident writing that probably most women and men do care! Let me clarify myself here: I am not trying to take any position and

I am deeply convinced that both “sides” of the abortion debate can raise truly convincing arguments, arguments that can leave anyone without counter-arguments. But is it really the point? Should we really focus on fighting over arguments? I mean, why do we even try to make generalizations on the topic?? I respect people’s opinions. It is as hard to decide to become a mother, as it is hard to decide to have an abortion; it can also be easy in both cases. I understand why one thinks that a baby has the right to live. I also understand why one thinks that a woman has the right to have an abortion. Everyone lives particular and unique experiences, human beings can experience life in so many different ways; why would you limit yourself to a rule deciding who is “wrong” and who is “right” on something that is so subjective and particular to one unique occurrence? We all live different things daily, even though we may all have similar life-paths and seriously, who are we to decide and judge over other people’s life actions? (Please do not read in generalizing terms, I am not saying there is no such thing as “crime” in our society.)

Maybe you are mad that health care supports abortion, that it supports the “killing of human beings” as you might argue, and that we all “sponsor” it by allowing abortion to be legal. But come on, there are so many things we support and pay for daily that actually kill way more people in the world and that are truly violating human rights. Besides, do you think that making it illegal or very expensive would change anything at all?? Last but not least, I really do not think that aggressing and humiliating people with bloody pictures is an open-minded and respectful way of stating an opinion –should I say imposing an opinion? By exposing such pictures the message you are conveying is that women who abort (and men who supports them in their decisions) are blood-thirsty criminals intentionally “killing” foetuses that you defend as human beings. This is insulting. Now let me ask you a final question: should it be legal to insult people publicly like that? Personally, I hope that my letter did not unintentionally insult anyone.

- Keith A. Gardner

The Meliorist is a student newspaper. In order of importance to me are the Three Line’s Free, Concert listings, University Announcements, Local Issues, and Vegetarian recipes. Since I began attending the University of Lethbridge I have read the Meliorist

Thank You Michael John Chang Orr

Freedom Not to See Dear Meliorist, I would like to address this letter to the people of the U of L Pro-Life club (who decided to stand outside the Library building on October 12th with bloody pictures) and the general University Community. If one passed in front of the SU or the Library last Wednesday around lunch time, chances are one saw a few people standing with huge bloody pictures of foetuses. I was asked what my opinion about abortion is, and honestly, it is kind of hard to voice anything when one is surprised by bloody pictures. Why bother asking if obviously what you are interested in is not people’s opinions –if you were, I am sorry to tell that in my opinion it was a slightly counter-productive way of opening up a conversation! So I asked back, “what is the need to show something like that?” something simply out of context –would you feel comfortable showing pictures of war crimes in a place you know many people went under torture? Now I know this comparison is way out of context and extremely distorted (I apologize for this) but we are in a university environment where we learn to be critical and ethically sensitive,

Editor-in-Chief Kelti Boissonneault einc@themeliorist.ca Business Manager Nelson Chin b.manager@themeliorist.ca Advertising Manager Brandon Wallis

ad.manager@themeliorist.ca Production Manager Calvin Shiu p.manager@themeliorist.ca Creative Director Jeff Henry c.director@themeliorist.ca

Garlic and Ginger To the Editor:

The Meliorist is the student newspaper of the University of Lethbridge, published most Thursdays throughout the academic year by The Meliorist Publishing Society, an autonomous incorporated body. Please address all correspondence to The Meliorist, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, or drop it off at room SU-166. Deadline for submissions is Sunday 4pm. The Meliorist appreciates and encourages the writing of thoughtful, concise, timely letters. However, The Meliorist will only consider for publication those letters which are signed by the author. Special arrangements may be made for those wishing anonymity, but absolutely no pseudonyms. Letters should contain the authors legible name, address, telephone number and student identification number. The address, I.D. and phone number will not be published. The Meliorist reserves the right to edit submissions and will not print libelous material. Letters may be edited for brevity, clarity and legality.

Joanna Waszkiewicz

Account Rep Jillian King

account.rep@themeliorist.ca News Editor Sara Parkin n.editor@themelisorist.ca Features Editor Matt Baird f.editor@themeliorist.ca Entertainment Editor Billy Davey e.editor@themeliorist.ca Sports and Lifestyle Editor Nicole Meech s.editor@themeliorist.ca Campus Beat Reporter Janet Barriage campus.beat@themeliorist.ca Photo Editor Jon Martin p.editor@themeliorist.ca Illustrator Elizabeth Porter Copy Editor James Forbes Distribution Manager Tracy Fairs Production Assistants Jeff Henry Emma Ferguson Creative Designer Brandon Wallis Webmaster Chris Morris Printing Southern Alberta Newspaper Group Contributors RJ Balog Zoe Migicavsky Olivier O’Brien Rebecca Colbeck Aaron Trozzo Cover Elizabeth Porter

In a society where dissenting viewpoints are suppressed, those viewpoints are potent and dangerous... Where dissent is tolerated, it rapidly becomes quaint and is viewed as unsophisticated; people merely amuse themselves with the expression of contrary opinion. . - From David Simâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Melmoth, 1991

14 • October 20, 2011

Students’ Union www.ulsu.ca

UPass Vote Draws Near: October 24th – 26th ULSU Mobile App Now Available! iOS Zack Moline President

Android

Blackberry t Check www.ulsu.ca for more details!

As the end of October draws near, so too does the end to the heated debate on the Uleth UPass. Voting will begin next Monday at 9:00am and run until Wednesday at 4:00pm online at www.ulsu.ca. You simply have to head to our website and log in using your Bridge account information to cast your ballot. There is a lot at stake in this vote so I encourage you and everyone you know to get informed and vote.

For those of you reading about the UPass for your first time, here are the proposed terms: Price: $77.50. Opt-Out: Students residing outside of the service area, whether at home or on practicum. Term: One year trial period Service: Short term, Lethbridge transit will add buses to routes where demand shows it is needed. Long term, if accepted, they will meet with students once or twice a year to discuss service improvements. Overall, this program has advantages and disadvantages. Primarily, a UPass would provide students with unlimited access to Lethbridge public transit at a very

low price; thus providing them with a cheap and reliable alternative form of transportation. Additionally it would reduce traffic on campus and increase the environmental sustainability of our campus by pulling cars off the road. However, $77.50 is a lot of money and many students will not get their money’s worth out of the program. There is a lot for and against this program, so it is essential that students get informed and vote. Some students have wondered why the program is mandatory, or why the opt-out doesn’t include more students. The simple answer is: because it is a universal bus pass. Cost savings of this magnitude wouldn’t be feasible with a larger opt-out.

Lethbridge Transit would be faced with a large increase in ridership but would lack the funds needed to support it. In the end, whether the UPass is approved or voted down, the ULSU will be wholly supportive of the decision made by students. The rest of the Executive and I are proud of the neutral stance we took on this referendum. We take the representative nature of our jobs very seriously, and are proud to have represented you all equally. It was important for campus to have this debate this year, and we’re enthusiastic about the interest students have shown in the program, both for and against. Get informed, get involved and vote!

Upcoming Events: -ULSU GA Meeting - Oct. 20 at 6pm -Flames Game in the Zoo - Oct. 20 at 7:30pm Flames Game in the Zoo - Oct. 26 at 8pm -ULSU Garage Sale - Oct. 26 - 27 from 10am - 2pm -UPass Referendum - Oct. 24 - 26 -Humans vs Zombies - Oct. 24 - 28 -Trick or Eat Club Food Drive Oct. 24 - Nov. 1 -Halloween Cabaret - Oct. 28 -Big Rock Zoo Brew-HaHa Contest Draw - Oct. 29

Results of a Students’ Union Research Project uh, side effects.” Uh oh, I thought. The two of them had been designing a drug to administer to students to increase their

Lisa Rodych VP Internal

When I arrived at the SU office this morning I remembered that I needed to speak with SU President, Zack Moline. As I walked towards his office, I heard shattering glass and shouting. I frantically hurried my pace and tried to open his door, only to find it locked. I peered through his office window and saw Andrew Williams, SU VP Academic, standing across from Zack. On Zack’s desk were beakers filled with a mysterious green glowing liquid and at his feet there was broken glass. The shelves usually lining his walls had been knocked over. Andrew and Zack were arguing and didn’t notice me staring in. Suddenly Andrew grabbed some papers off Zack’s desk and swung the door open as Zack sat down, head in his hands. “Lisa!” Andrew exclaimed. “What’s going on?” I asked. “We… we messed up. The experiments have some,

learning capabilities. Leyland Bradley, SU VP Operations and Finance, was in charge of securing funding for the research, but was not

told the true nature of the experiments. The rest of the SU staff and General Assembly were left in the dark. I only found out what they were trying to do because some club representatives at the October Clubs Council meeting were acting quite strange after a “study session”. After scrounging for more information I confronted Zack and Andrew. They confessed to their experiments and that they had just began testing on humans, which was producing favourable results. That was a week ago. Now Andrew was standing in front of me looking scared and pale, even for a redhead. He showed me the papers in his hand, the first of which had a picture of a popular student with the caption ‘Patient Zero’. Underneath the picture there was data about the number of dosages that had been administered, then some writing. ‘At first, the patient showed very positive results. When presented with a fourth yearmathematics text the patient quickly read

the pages and solved problems throughout the book with ease, without any prior mathematical training. Ten days after the initial dosage, the patient began to display surprising side effects. The patient began to seem disinterested, and stared at the researchers with glazed eyes. The patient talked with slurred speech and then began to cough up blood. The researchers checked the vitals and found the patient had a slowed heart rate, saggy, dull coloured skin and a repugnant odour. Then the patient tried to bite the researchers and was quarantined within the confines of the SU building’. Andrew started speaking before I could read further, “That was yesterday. Patient Zero has since escape. Zack has destroyed most of the evidence and files pertaining to the experiments. He wants to ignore this. I think we have to tell the students. We need their help. Are you in?” “I’m in.” It’s back! Humans vs Zombies will be played on campus from Oct 25th to Oct 28th. Jointhe human resistance by signing up Oct 20th in the UHall Atrium or Oct 21st in the SU Atrium. Contact su.internal@uleth.ca for more information.

letters

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 15

Re: 9/11 truth or lies... To the Editor, In the PBS Documentary Center of the World (2003), structural engineer Leslie Roberts recalled how the column walls of the World Trade Center would fare against a 707 commuter crash: “We concluded that it would stand. It would suffer, but it would stand. What we didn’t look at is, what happens to all that fuel?” In each case, the structural failure of the Twin Towers on 9/11 was consistent with the damage they received. The fiery impacts of Flights 11 and 175 spread massive firestorms across six floors (North Tower) and eight floors (South Tower). While the “truthers” are correct that the steel didn’t melt, the truth is it didn’t need to. The damaged columns only had to weaken in the heat until they could no longer support the weight above. Duke University Professor Alexander Petroski explained after the atrocities, “Buildings like that are built so they can withstand fire, but not indefinitely. Eventually,

these columns are going to buckle, and as one column gives way the next one has to take more load, and of course it can’t because it’s also softened. So once the chain reaction begins there is virtually no stopping it.” If demolition experts were involved, wouldn’t these plotters have intuitively destroyed the Towers in the order they were hit? Yet the South Tower, hit second, counter-intuitively fell first -- because it was hit offcenter and lower down by a swifter impact, and its structural failure began at its point of damage. Exactly what you’d expect from the obvious evidence. Yet some early media reports erroneously claimed the North Tower, hit first, had fallen first -- reflecting the sequential thinking of some reporters. Wouldn’t a true plot have also assumed this sequence and used it? The idea that Building 7 was neatly destroyed is suggested by its appearance -- from north of the Trade Center site, where the media fled as the North Tower succumbed. They weren’t

on site to see the damage to Building 7’s southern face. But fire teams fanning across the rubble noted the flames that spread up from the oil reservoir in its foundation, and reported that its walls had begun to bulge as the flames climbed. They were ordered to pull out of the area, and were clear by the time the building fell. There’s nothing inconsistent in its fall with the account they tendered. Did Mohammed Atta speak Hebrew? I’m having trouble with this claim by Joshua Blakeney (Sept. 22). Atta’s slight acquaintance with a Palestinian named Amal wasn’t enough to make her his “girlfriend.” Statements left by the other hijackers establishes they were indeed motivated by Islamist militancy. Atta prepared his own last statement April 11, 1996, and was enraged that Israel bombarded Hezbollah positions inside Lebanon the same day. While Joshua correctly says the hijackers were “alcohol drinkers, drug takers and strip club goers,” he fails to reckon this was

part of their cover. They used alcohol to ease their acceptance into Western society, a taqqiya strategy they regarded as sinful, but expedient. Even then, it wasn’t enough to dissuade the suspicion of US authorities. Their presence at a strip club Sept. 8, 2001 aligns with the shahid tradition of foresampling the tastes of Paradise. Deeming them secularists mirrors the schizophrenic Arab Street claims that 9/11 was a great triumph for Islam... and that no Muslims were involved. James Fetzer (Oct. 13) disgraces his scholar’s stature with his personal slam of PM (Sept. 29), and his argument against Israel is monocular: apply this standard to Canada, and it becomes nothing more than its seal hunt, residential schools and “None is too many!” This hostility is the fanatics’ Achilles Heel: it gives them too little support. How they tie this abusive, anecdotal farrago to Israel is beyond rational process. Unfortunately, it’s not beyond fashionable spite. There were no Mossad

phone calls warning Jews away from the World Trade Center that day. Approximately 324 died; five were Israeli citizens. If Mossad was to destroy a building complex, surely its target would be the UN Headquarters? With so many of Israel’s enemies under one roof, Mossad could collapse the Secretariat Building onto the General Assembly Hall. The UN’s just lucky that Israel is more civilized than it is. What’s left of al-Qaeda issued an angry correction Sept. 29 to Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, restating its destruction of the World Trade Center: “Al Qaeda succeeded in what Iran couldn’t. Therefore it was necessary for the Iranians to discredit 9/11 and what better way to do so? Conspiracy theories.” Haranguers don’t have room for an alternate point of view. Knowing al-Qaeda’s hatred of the US, I believe we can trust it to be truthful in this claim. Tom Yeoman

! E T O V ! D E V GET INVOL

Oct. 24 - 26 FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.ULSU.CA

Vote at www.ulsu.ca

entertainment

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 16

Billy Davey Entertainment Editor For more information on contributing to Entertainment, please contact Billy Davey at e.editor@themeliorist.ca

Boobs!

“With the breast of intentions” Billy Davey

Entertainment Editor

Comedians across Canada have decided to join forces to fight breast cancer in The Boob Tour, featuring James Uloth, Allison Lane, Ron Josol, Greg Kettner and Tracey MacDonald. The Boob Tour bounced into Lethbridge on Oct. 16 at The Stone, where the tour raised money for local charities. The Boob Tour supports many charities, and one of the more obvious ones is The Canadian Cancer Society. The Lethbridge and area Cancer Society will be doing its 10th annual Relay for Life on June 8 and 9. For information, participating, volunteering, sponsoring, or pledging, you can call (403) 317-4658 or e-mail lethbridge. relayforlife@cancer.ab.ca. James Uloth Uloth was the MC and a performer for The Boob Tour in Lethbridge. Opening the show, he set the bar high, keeping the audience laughing his entire time on stage. He showed a lot of experience in the comedy business by keeping the crowd from starting their own conversations, and he also included them in his

jokes. From 2007 to 2010 Uloth was featured as the headliner for the Calgary Comedy Festival, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and performed at the Great Plains Comedy Festival. Uloth mentioned how he has been affected by cancer, his friend’s mom dying when he was only 16. The Boob Tour started in 2010 from his “I love boobs” fundraising logo. Lori Gibbs Following Uloth was Gibbs, who delivered an array of jokes directed at her own appearance and made some agreeable jokes and comments on self esteem. Gibbs was very at home with the audience and seemed to have a lot of fun on stage. Gibbs will soon be shooting her “Comedy Now!” special for CTV and an episode of “The Debaters” for CBC. She has been nominated as Best Newcomer for a Canadian Comedy Award in 2009, and she was a finalist for Alberta in Yuk Yuk’s Great Canadian Laugh off in 2008. Allison Lane

with a video of her documenting her journey through cancer treatment. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and decided to record herself in a comedic series called “Chem-ho.” In the series she began her search for a “hot doctor” that she could date, all the while going through some very emotional times with chemotherapy. During her performance in Lethbridge she brought the audience on stage to participate in boob trivia. With her energetic and lovable personality, she has been dubbed by CBC as “a female Jim Carrey.” Tracy MacDonald The headliner for The Boob Tour’s stop in Lethbridge was MacDonald. MacDonald had some well thought out jokes and was able to uses both Canadian and American perspectives. Originally from Canada, she now lives in the United States where she has appeared on Comics Unleashed, Comedy TV, The CBS Early Show, and Las Vegas Comedy Festival. She has also performed at the Just for Laughs Festival and was on Star TV in Canada.

Allison Lane with audience members | John Martin

Lane is from Calgary and is the owner of Out Of Our Heads Productions. Lane was introduced Lori Gibbs | John Martin

Foster the People Torches (Columbia/Startime)

Maroon 5 Hands All Over (A&M/Octone)

Adam Cohen Like a Man (Cooking Vinyl)

Starting with a strong and electric beat, “Helena Beat” has a very full sound, with seemingly endless layers of sound. “Pumped Up Kicks” has an very catchy hook that will stick with you long after the song has ended. The album will lead you on a journey through acoustic, electric, catchy, and incomprehensible sounds. “I Would Do Anything For You” has a sublime feeling to it, while it also throws in some disjunct piano riffs. Nearing the end, the album starts to resemble a dance piece, with increasingly strong rhythm. The last track, “Warrant,” summarizes all of the album’s strengths with a majestic and uplifting melody and powerful rhythm.

“Misery” has a lot of potential to be a very catchy tune, but the chorus doesn’t quite stick as well as it could. But “Stutter” makes up with a catchy hook accompanied by a rockin’ guitar and drums. The album has a very groovy and funky feel that is equally sustained by all members. “Get Back in My Life” has a very interesting and pleasing melody that carries the listener through the entire song. “Out of Goodbyes,” which features Lady Antebellum, gives the album a nice and rounded closing. The accompanying vocals from Lady Antebellum give Maroon 5 a completely different feature.

Amazing song writing is something I wouldn’t expect any less of from Leonard Cohen’s son, and, thankfully, he delivers. “Out of Bed” has a rolling rhythm created by multiple guitars and some neatly tucked-away string and woodwind arrangements that stay in the background. The smooth rhythms continue into the middle of the album, with Adam singing a soothing melody in all of the songs. “Sweet Dominique” starts and slows to a stop through the verses and releases the built tension in the chorus. Ending with “Beautiful” and “Stranger,” the album leaves you poetically heartbroken and longing to listen to Like a Man again.

meliorist

Entertainment

the

October 20, 2011 • 17

Lethbridge’s bee population in panic, Beekeeper approaches Billy Davey

But if you have listened to Beekeeper before, you will not want the song to end. Cyca describes the band as having an abstract atonal and math rock sound. They plan to “bring the best elements of that music to a bigger audience,” says Cyca, who considers Beekeeper a

Entertainment Editor

Many bands set their goals in the direction of fame and fortune and “making it.” But Beekeeper has a much more laidback and comedic view of themselves and the direction they will take. “I think we’ll just get weirder,” said Luke Cyca of Beekeeper. Another place the band will be going is Lethbridge on Oct. 23, where they will play at The Slice, which has listed the genres of the band as rock, indie rock, and “really good.” Beekeeper is based in Vancouver and consists of Devon Lougheed on vocals and guitar, Luke Cyca on drums, Terri Upton on bass, Tegan CeschiSmith on violin, and others. Lougheed and Cyca are cousins and started playing together in Vancouver. They were originally just playing for fun, but once they started taking their music more seriously, they decided to make a record. Beekeeper released their debut album, Be Kept, in the fall of 2010. “Sudden Cuckoo,” a single from the album, charted on college charts across Canada and has been regularly played on CBC Radio 3. “We had a blast ... we recorded it everywhere,” said Cyca, talking about bringing in friends to record with them and recording in multiple cities. Beekeeper is known for putting on a quirky and active live

The music and live show has a goodnatured feel to it Lougheed

performance. “The music and live show has a good-natured feel to it,” said Lougheed. Lougheed utilizes his experience as a standup comedian to supplement their live shows. “The comedy extends beyond the live show ... [and] it’s always been a part of Beekeeper,” explained Lougheed. Cyca and Lougheed also said that the comedic side of their performances lets them be more unique and keep the show fresh, and it is also a way to entertain themselves, says Lougheed,

We want to trick math rockers into listening to pop, and pop fans into listening to math rock Cyca “sometimes they can’t tell if we are being serious or not.” They say that the comedy makes the live shows easier, especially when “the one constant is we play well,

Double dose: mysteries Zoë Migicovsky

Entertainment Writer

The Diviner’s Tale The Diviner’s Tale by Bradford Morrow has all the potential to be a quietly disturbing story. It begins with a diviner, Cassandra Books, who has been hired by a developer to search for water, or dowse, on newly purchased land only to come across a dead girl hanging from a tree. When she returns with the police, however, the girl has vanished and there is no sign she ever existed at all. Having grown up with a family of diviners, Cassandra’s sanity is further questioned by this turn of events. Only the next day, a missing girl is found in the very same woods where Cassandra’s vision occurred. As increasingly creepy occurrences begin, Cassandra begins to draw connections between current events and those which happened when she was only a child. Unfortunately, despite its potential, The Diviner’s Tale is actually a fairly boring novel. The major problem is that Morrow constantly strays from the story and the bulk of the book is made up of random anecdotes while the reader never really has much opportunity to connect to the characters. Cassandra herself is pretty cold and removed, while her two young sons seem unbelievably charming and suspiciously uninterested in who their father is. I thought I was picking up a murder mystery, but in reality Morrow seems to forget about both murder and mystery

for the majority of the book and instead spends most of the time contemplating life. The language used by Morrow in The Diviner’s Tale is lovely and flows nicely, but it doesn’t compensate for the fact that the overly literary storyline leaves little incentive for turning the page. It is certainly not a book to be devoured and I often found myself putting it down, my attention drifting quite easily. Even two-thirds into the novel I was still waiting for the story to actually begin. Ultimately, The Diviner’s Tale negates plot for anecdote and rich characters for the unfeeling or unbelievable. Sure, The Diviner’s Tale has all the potential to be a quietly disturbing mystery, but unfortunately the most mysterious part about it is how it manages to be over 300 pages without really saying much at all — at least it does so with nice language.

The Accident Since I hate writing about disappointing books, I’ve also decided to share a novel that surprised me, in a good way, with its intelligent and exciting mystery: The Accident by Linwood Barclay. The story begins with Glen Carver at home, waiting with his young daughter for his wife, Sheila, to arrive. When Glen learns Sheila has been killed in a drunkdriving accident — one she was responsible for and which left a boy and father dead as well — Glen is both angry and confused. Sheila wasn’t a drinker, and she wasn’t even supposed to be out on the

road where she died. Glen is soon pulled into the conspiracy that includes his friends, neighbours, and employees, one which has him doubting everyone he knows including the woman he was married to. Desperate for the truth and wanting to protect his daughter, Glen is determined to find out what happened to Sheila, even as it pulls him into a vortex of corruption, illegal activity, and mysterious killers. I wasn’t planning to read The Accident, but when I ended up with two separate surprise copies, I decided to give Barclay, a Canadian author of domestic mysteries, a try. In fact, I started the novel on audiobook but halfway through I was so intensely involved in the story I had to pick up my print copy and devour the last 200 pages in one sitting. One of the aspects of The Accident that is so scary is the fact that all of what Barclay writes about happens in a seemingly normal and quiet American neighbourhood, but beneath the surface, evil of a suburban but dangerous nature brews. Barclay also takes one of our worst fears — that the person we marry will not be who we think they are — and explores it in a way that is both exciting and thought-provoking. Barclay tells a smart thriller, one full of excitement but also contains a cast of believable characters with unexpected depth. The Accident is a riveting and well-written mystery, both timely and shocking in the issues it explores and with plenty of twists that will have the reader’s heart pounding to the last page.

hopefully,” laughs Lougheed. Some of the best and most outstanding concerts you can go to are ones where the band not only pays attention to their music but also tries to entertain you in different ways. The ability to summon more talents reveals more of the performers’ character and personality and is what makes a true and versatile entertainer. It’s these kinds of entertainers, like the Beekeepers, that keep your attention even after the song has ended.

combination of pop rock and the less mainstream genre, math rock. “We want to trick math rockers into listening to pop, and pop fans into listening to math rock,” laughed Cyca. Cyca also revealed that he would also like to see the band explore both extremes of the two types of music, becoming “weirder and popier.” The disjunctive rhythms of math rock add to their quirky comedic live performances. This will be Beekeeper’s second time playing at The Slice. When asked what their favourite venue in Canada was, they replied with, “The Slice is the best,” and then explained how well they were received by the audience, selling most of their merchandise at their last performance in Lethbridge.

18 • October 20, 2011

TLFs

Dear Sodexo: 1 tiny piece of pineapple does not constitute a Hawaiian pizza.

Who just spent two hours watching Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? This guy

I’d pay $75 for a good UP ass, wouldn’t you?

This “UPass Town Hall Meeting” could be greatly improved if someone went streaking thru it. Get on that folks.

TO THE LOVELY GENTLEMAN WHO WALKED INTO THE STUDY CENTER! IM GLAD TO KNOW YOUR GOING TO HAVE SOME GIRL BONDING. BUT LEAVE THE CELL PHONE AT HOME. ps have fun at black friday <3

I didn’t deserve to be bombarded with bloody posters of other people’s mistakes this morning. You are not spreading the good word, love, or goodwill 2 mankind. So please shut up.

Uggh – the pro-lifers are out already? When will the business students and art students begin to battle. Cant wait for the artwork of a-holes, breasts, penis’ and a whole whack of laughs from business students! To RP and MA Congratulations on the engagement!! Can’t wait until June 2013!! (And scottish babies to follow)<3 I went on a random library computer on Tuesday to find some books and what website did the previous user leave on? Midget porn. Stay classy U of L. Brief history lesson. Thanksgiving originated shortly after Columbus discovered NA. It was the Flying Spaghetti Monster who guided Columbus’ way. Now you know. – FSM Attractive 22yr old Christian guy seeks Christian girl to share his time & affection with. Fun & easy going. Looking for someone beautiful inside & out. singleulethguy@gmail.com

I wonder how many people used that nickle after it was used for measuring that fetus in the posters Wednesday? To the people holding the big “Choice?” posters by the bus loop: those look delicious, though I generally prefer my steaks to be well done. To the boy with the backpack, I’m not Wilma but I could make your Bedrock. You know what I hate most about the pro-lifers on campus? They’re mostly men. I am a man – I have no right to decide what a woman does with her body, so what makes you so special? Props to the prolifer kids, you managed to make the art students look good. Keep your opinions to yourself and leave the preaching to the scientologists. Love, Borp. I got 99 problems but a beer ain’t one… hit me!

Dear 50-something business man/prof carrying 8 Timmy’s coffees whom I held the door open for…you’re welcome

To the fellow SC2 junkies. We’re setting up a group page on fb for games/tournies/ practice etc. Email jeremy.tamminga@ uleth.ca if interested.

I’m missing my VERY IMPORTANT USB sticks! There are 2 (1 pink 1 grey) in a plastic case. Send me a text if you have them/ find them and I’ll give you $20(403-8925948)!

How are the pro-lifers allowed to parade pictures of bloodied dead bodies around the bus loop when art students can’t show fake penises or artistically rendered nude forms?

To the pretty lass in my class, wanna go to Grad school? Meet me at Andy’s Place [AH100] Oct. 26th 12-3 for more info! Free food and drinks makes for a cheap date! Today I learned that the floor between my bedroom and my roommate’s is very thin and that he can hear EVERYTHING. I shouldn’t have slept with his girlfriend… Is there no other time in the day that grass can be cut? I spend good money to be in these classes and it would be helpful to hear what is going on. Okay, define backpack. On second thought, define footwear too. Hard to agree to copulation when I don’t whether it’s me, or the other 2000 guys with a backpack. To the straight, cute, nice guy: I will be behind CJs where all the couches are on Friday from 11-1pm. Sincerely straight, cute,nice girl. P.S. I have blonde hair & a blue backpack QUEERAOKE! October 28th, 11 PM at The Mix. You mean I get to sing and wear a costume at the same time!? That’s madness! Madness beyond reproach and I will be there! It’s coming… Tribal party, Nov. 26, at the Zoo. Bass WILL be dropped. Psych and Neuro, Meet the Profs night will be on Monday the 24th at 5:00 in the SU ballroom. It will be a great night guys so come along. ~PANiC Abortions are not something anyone wants, but what is sometimes necessary. These are very personal, private situations that should not be judged or protested. How many professors eat red licorice while lecturing…One. But will he share it with the class…no.

meliorist the

I’m stupid & ignorant cause my opinion is different than yours? I agree USA is screwed but anarchy or Marxism is no answer. Im not joining that bandwagon just cause Im a uni student To all the single girls out there wondering where all the decent guys are… they’re in the friend-zone, right where you left them. “Friendship is like wetting your pants; everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth” LA Transit sold 300 semester passes last semester. 6500 students would be paying for the U-Pass. 6500 paying for 300? That doesn’t make sense. Vote No October 2426 Should we require everybody to purchase parking passes as well? Even if they don’t have vehicles? If you don’t think so, then why should everybody further subsidize your bus pass? To naturally size 0: I don’t hate you! You are beautiful! I hate the girls who tell me I’m too fat to work out so I should stop trying. No one should be that cruel. Fat chick. If I have to pay for a UPASS I’m going to start spitting on people I see waiting for the bus. Vote no on UPASS unless you enjoy being spit on… To the guy who came up to me at the gym and said: “If u never had feet would you wear shoes?… Then why are you wearing a muscle shirt?” Screw you man!!! To the geography masters major, I like you. Come check out my landscape sometime Next time I move in with someone I’m going to ask to see their medicine cabinet to see how many prescriptions they have.

Submit your TLFs at WWW.THEMELIORIST.CA or to THEMELIORIST@GMAIL.COM. All TLFs must be submitted via a valid uleth account. Keep in mind that slanderous or offensive TLFs my be edited or omitted. The TLFs do not reflect the views or opinions of The Meliorist Publishing Society.

Band/Album/Label

* indicates Canadian artist

meliorist

Entertainment

OCT. 20

the

October 20, 2011 • 19

Emotional Blackmail @ Southern Alberta Art Gallery 10am to 5pm

In A World Created by a

and the Naked Ear

Drunken God

@ Whispers 8pm

@ Sterndale Bennett Theatre 1pm to 3pm

Galt Flashlight Cemetery Tours @ Galt Museum & Archives 8pm to 11pm Randy Epps @ Ric’s Grill 8pm to 11pm

OCT. 23

OCT. 22

The Otesha Project Theatre

Wheeler Dealer @ Lethbridge Casino 9pm

Performance

Jay Bowcott @ Whispers 8pm

10am to 11am

@ Average Joe’s

Cinema Politica: “Blood in the

@ The Slice

Mobile”

9pm

@ Galileo’s, Students’

Open mic @ 1010 Pub

Don’t You Forget About Me— CKXU

7pm to 10pm

Fundrive

9pm

Cafe Cuernavaca

9:30pm

@ Good Earth Coffee House 7pm to 9:30pm

Elaine Ryan and the Barefoot band @ Owl Acoustic Lounge

OCT. 21 Emotional Blackmail @ Southern Alberta Art Gallery 10am to 5pm Tristan Skretting @ Mocha Cabana 6pm to 9pm

Bluegrass jam @ The Wolf’s Den 7pm

Jazzerwocky with Tom Leigh

9pm

Rocking the Nations 3 @ The Barn 7:30pm

Throw Your Panties 4: Redman with MadChild of Swollen Members @ The Stone 9pm

Chicks with Picks with Shaela Miller, Karen Romanchuk, Katie Streibel and more @ Owl Acoustic Lounge 8pm

The Chevelles @ Sound Garden 9pm

Wheeler Dealer @ Lethbridge Casino 9pm

@ Owl Acoustic Lounge 9pm

Union Building 7pm

Cuff the Duke with the Hooded Fang

Open mic @ Bo Diddly’s

@ The Slice 9:30pm

Open mic

Emotional Blackmail

@ The Slice

@ Southern Alberta Art Gallery

9:30pm

10am to 5pm

Lethbridge Historical Society pre-

@ The Slice Sid Marty with Ken Hamm @ The Slice

L.A. Beat open jam

Ask a Naturalist

1pm to 2pm

Dale Ketcheson

OCT. 26

7pm to 10pm @ Helen Schuler Nature Centre

9pm @ Mocha Cabana

Beekeeper with No Don’t Stop

9pm

@ Helen Schuler Nature Project Julian Austin with Shane Chisholm

OCT. 25

Paul Kype and Greg Gomola @ Whispers 9pm Leeroy Stagger and his band with Matt Robinson @ The Slice 9:30pm

OCT. 24 Emotional Blackmail @ Southern Alberta Art Gallery 10am to 5pm Galt Flashlight Cemetery Tours @ Galt Museum & Archives 8pm to 11pm Monkey Junk @ Geomatic Attic 8pm The Deaner, with Night Seeker and Monster Truck @ The Stone 9pm Open mic @ Owl Acoustic Lounge 9pm

sentation

Build Diversity Educate

@ Galt Museum and Archives

@ U of L Penny Building

7:15pm to 9pm

1pm to 4pm

Have an event you want to share? Tell us about it at themeliorist.ca! Or, check out one of the events featured in our Flavour of the Week!

Theatre etiquette outrage Does it really need to be said? RJ Balog Op-Ed

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve used my cell phone in a movie. Just a glance to check who’s calling or what a text says, but I’d like to think that it can be done subtly while still being considerate to fellow movie patrons. Sure I’ve looked at my phone, but under cover of a toque or in my pocket so there’s as little light leaking as possible. Regularly I’ll try to cut off all ties pre-movie so there’s no need to worry, and if I ever really need to reply to something, I go outside. So why is it now that people think it’s OK to just casually use their phone during a movie; are they oblivious to the fact that it really is distracting to every person behind them, or are they that disrespectful that they just don’t care? Now I know that movies are made to entertain and to be fun and there isn’t really a set of rules and regulations that someone should have to yield to before catching a show, but it’s almost on the level of common decency that shouldn’t have to be explained. Some of you may find my opinion a little aggressive on the matter, but movies are a big part of my life. As lame as that may sound, I really do find solace in films, how they’re made, the way they can flow with such harmony, evoking an array of emotions and actually changing the way you feel or think (see films like Memento or Eter-

nal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind if you need convincing). A film is a piece of art, and it deserves to be treated as such. So what has sparked this hatefilled rant, you may ask. It’s not just one thing, but the accumulation of each little thing from every film I’ve been to in the last few years, and the rise of the cell phone and fall of civilized viewing. To avoid dragging this beyond anyone’s interest, I’ll keep things brief and stick to some of the majors that I’ve been subject to most recently. Over the weekend a friend and I attended a showing of the latest Hugh Jackman venture, Real Steel. Eager to see some hot robot action and fall victim to the cheesy yet surprisingly compassionate tale of a boy and his robot, we felt like kings entering the theatre. Yet we were pitted against some challenging foes right out of the gates. First with a guy two rows down that was playing Tiny Wings throughout all the trailers. And yeah, I know it’s just the previews and Tiny Wings is a jamming game, but come on man, that sets the tone for the theatre for the rest of the show. I’d like to put a lot of the blame for this next one on the Tiny Wings guy, as he was the one that started it all. Joe Hollywood in front of me was so important, apparently, that it was alright for him to listen to his voicemail right in the middle of the show. If you’re expecting such an important message, go outside the theatre to take the call or, better

yet, don’t go to a movie if you need to listen to your voicemail. The fast shifts from his ear to in front of his face to punch in his code was almost impossible to force out of attention – and honestly, is this guy that ignorant that he doesn’t know it bothers people? I’m reminded of my still memorable first view of Drive and all the glory that it is... except for the stain on my memory of this tool that was checking his e-mail in a synchronized fashion almost every 20 minutes. I know that some people have such important jobs that they probably can’t afford to be out of touch for long, but really, show some consideration and at least go to the hallway where you’re out of sight and not burdening the theatre with your presence. So lastly I’ll come to my point that I know is not always in one’s control, but is still really just ungodly annoying when people are jammering around like donkeys, making complete asses of themselves – pun definitely intended. Most obvious are those people constantly running up and down the stairs or that aren’t finding themselves stimulated enough from the film and have the need to entertain themselves by cracking jokes and interrupting all those awesome scenes you would have loved to see but couldn’t because of the obnoxious laughter. That and those people who are a little too stimulated by the film, like the 30 something couple sitting beside me

chanting the name of the robot as it fought and jumping and clapping like a 5-year-old child. I have honestly never seen a fully grown man or woman that excited by robots; don’t get me wrong – I like a good robo-rumble as much as the next guy, by this woman got so excited that she actually started hitting the side of her face as she was clapping to cheer on the movie. We left that theatre in a disoriented state, not really sure what to think about life or humanity. I know that some people might agree with me and some people

might think I am a little too gung ho with my rant. But to those that disagree: just once, before you go into to the movie, just turn your phone off. Take two hours to unplug yourself and actually experience the movie that you dished out 10 bucks for. You might just find that a movie can mean a lot more to you than you ever thought and can actually have an effect on you.

lifestyle

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 20

Nicole Meech Sports and Lifestyle Editor For more information on contributing to Sports and Lifestyle, please contact Nicole Meech, s.editor@themeliorist.ca

The latest craze:

Meditate your way to an A Nicole Meech

the experience, the idea is to open the door, welcome the experience, and feel it fully. In our everyday lives we are used to pushing away experiences that we don’t like, which leads to a partial existence. By welcoming all experiences we are able to become whole and fearless.

Lifestyle Editor

What is meditation? Meditation is a method of synchronizing your mind and body in the present moment. When your body and mind are in sync, you are naturally relaxed, alert, open, and aware. To synchronize your mind and body can be as simple as closing your eyes right now and focusing on the rise and fall of your belly. Within a few minutes your body and mind will be more aware of each other, which will make it easier for you to relax and be calm. In a society focused on constant go, go, go, our minds and bodies are never truly in sync. As university students, we can relate to being constantly busy – this business brings an ignorance of our own bodies. The result is a detachment; we are stuck in our own heads and can’t be aware of anything else going on inside of us. Meditation aims to slow this hustle down and allows us to really experience ourselves and the world in a direct way without any filters. It is through this experience that we are able to experience how full life can be and how trivial some of our daily worries are.

Why meditate? Meditation is not just practiced by experienced Buddhists, and for good reason. Meditative techniques have been taught outside of religious contexts more recently as a practice for stress reduction, pain relief, and overall increase of health and happiness. In order to meditate you do not need to be following any spiritual path – all you need is an open mind and a willingness to experiment with meditation. Dan Siegel, a prominent psychiatrist, reports that meditation strengthens

Do it yourself If you are a bit wary of this practice, or if you feel weird dropping in on a class to meditate, there are ways you can try it from home. Visit www.withinsight.com for more information and guided meditation practices.

On-campus resources

the areas of the brain responsible for body regulation, attuning to others, balancing emotions, being flexible, soothing fear, and for creating empathy, insight, moral awareness and intuition. Additional research suggests longterm meditators have a thicker cerebral cortex and increased brain activity in the left prefrontal cortex which is associated with feelings of contentment. More specifically, studies show mindfulness helps to do the following: • Reduce stress levels and improve resilience • Limit the influence of unwanted/ harmful thoughts • Increase compassion for self and others • Manage physical and emotional pain including depression and anxiety • Enhance academic performance

by increasing attention and focus, and decreasing impulsivity and reactivity • Boost immune function and lower blood pressure

How to meditate To calm the mind completely, meditation usually begins with focusing on an object. This is known as mindfulness – paying close attention to an object and constantly returning to that object throughout your practice in a nonjudgmental way. Different objects that you can use to be mindful include sensations in the body, a sacred word, a candle flame, or even the vastness of space itself. Beginners are often encouraged to focus on the breath since it is such an available experience. After a period of time, the object you have chosen will begin to settle your mind and body. You start to feel more grounded and present. Once you reach this point,

Neat-o nutrient of the week

Calcium will keep you strong! Nicole Meech Lifestyle Editor

You have more calcium in your body than any other mineral. Your body stores 99 per cent of its calcium in bones and teeth, which helps make and keep them strong. The other one per cent is throughout your body in blood, muscles, and fluid in between cells. Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, to secrete hormones and enzymes and to send messages through the nervous system. As students, we need to make sure to get enough calcium from the foods we eat. These foods include dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, and leafy green veggies. If you’re a vegan, it’s hugely important

to take a supplement since low calcium supplies can lead to an increased chance of osteoporosis as you age. The two main forms of calcium in supplements are carbonate and citrate. Calcium carbonate is more commonly available and is both inexpensive and convenient. Due to its dependence on stomach acid for absorption, calcium carbonate is absorbed most efficiently when taken with food, whereas calcium citrate is absorbed equally well when taken with or without food. Other calcium forms in supplements or fortified foods include gluconate, lactate, and phosphate. Calcium citrate malate is a well-absorbed form of calcium found in some fortified juices.

you move on to the next aspect of meditation: awareness. This involves experiencing whatever arises in the moment without concentrating on a specific object. While resting in awareness, you almost shift into neutral. You neither concentrate on an object nor push anything away – this is often called “resting in the natural state.” You are completely open, available, and receptive, which allows you to get to know the you that has been suppressed for so long.

The transforming quality of meditation The “transformation” in meditation happens when we are able to be completely aware of ourselves and everything around us. This involves bringing forth all experiences and memories that have been experienced but not consciously felt for whatever reason. No matter what

If, however, you are open to trying something new in a public setting, there are a variety of free dropin meditation classes here at the university. Just remember that most people are beginners and everyone is there for the same reasons – to have a more fulfilling life. The class will begin with an awareness of breath or sensations led by a facilitator followed by 2030 minutes of guided meditation. Blankets are provided, but if you prefer a meditation pillow you are free to bring one. During your practice it’s normal to struggle with complete focus or even experience anxiety, but you are encouraged to try your best and hold comments until the end of class. Drop-in dates: Mondays from 12-12:45 in AH 175 and Thursdays from 8:30-9:15 in D633. Check out www.uleth.ca/ counselling/events/2011-10 for the complete semester schedule for free meditation sessions.

meliorist the

Lifestyle

October 20, 2011 • 21

Fire extinguishers 101 Fire Prevention Week: Oct. 9 —15 Nicole Meech

water, or Halon form. Whatever type you buy, it should be labelled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. The higher the number rating on the extinguisher, the more fire it puts out. High rated extinguishers are often (not always) the heavier models. Ensure you can hold and comfortably operate the one you buy. Ask your dealer how to have your extinguisher serviced and inspected. Recharge it after any use. A partially used extinguisher might as well be empty. Extinguishers should be installed near an escape route and away from potential fire hazards.

Lifestyle Editor

This year’s fire prevention focused on keeping your family safe. Although many of us have fire extinguishers in our homes, many of us don’t really know how to use them. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure you don’t fumble if you ever have to use this handy resource. 1. Read the instructions on your extinguisher. Create a picture in your mind that will reflect the instructions. If there’s ever a fire, get everyone outside and ask a family member to call the fire department. Only then should you consider fighting a small fire with your extinguisher. If the fire becomes large, get out and close the doors to prevent the spread of fire. 2. Know the ABCD’s of portable fire extinguishers. A fire extinguisher can be labelled A, B, C or D, so make sure you know which one you have and use the right one for the appropriate type of fire. a. Ordinary combustibles – fires started with paper, wood, drapes and upholstery. b. Flammable and combustible

4. Learn how to PASS a. Pull the pin. Some units require the releasing of a lock latch, pressing a puncture lever, inversion or other motion. b. Aim the extinguisher nozzle (horn) at the base of the fire. liquids – fires started from fuel, oil, gas, paint, grease (frying pan), solvents and other flammable liquids. c. Electrical equipment – fires started with wiring, overheated fuse boxes, conductors, and other electrical sources. d. Metals – certain metals such as magnesium and sodium require

this special dry powder type extinguisher. A multi-purpose dry chemical labelled ABC puts out most types of fires: wood, paper, cloth, flammable liquids and electrical fires. If you intend to buy more than one, you may want to purchase a BC for the kitch-

Influenza immunizations

Don’t let the flu catch you! Dianne Carter

Lifestyle Contributor

Well, flu season dawns on the horizon and many questions come to us at the Health Centre such as “how do I know if it is a cold or flu” and “should I get the flu vaccine? I really don’t think that I need to.” First and foremost, flu season generally runs from October to March or early April of every year here in Canada. The flu is very transmissible as it is spread by coughing and sneezing. When an individual does either of these there is a “spray radius” of approximately 3 to 4 ft.! Yikes. And this is the main reason why it is so easily spread, especially in a university setting. This is also another reason why a person should look into getting the flu vaccination as prevention rather than becoming very ill, and perhaps missing a fair number of classes and potentially suffering academic standing.

Influenza illness Influenza illness is an infection of the respiratory tract that can lead to complications of pneumonia. It does not play favourites with any age group and, as noted above, it is very easily spread. The virus can live on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours, soft surfaces for up to 10 hours and can also be passed through touching. It is then spread when a person touches these surfaces and subsequently rubs their eyes, nose or mouth area. Once this occurs, symptoms of the flu occur within

two days and are characterized by onset of high fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint aches, sore throat, runny nose as well as overwhelming fatigue. The influenza virus is considered contagious between 5 – 7 days after your symptoms have started. Most people will feel better within a week’s time, but there are those that can develop serious complications and may even require hospitalization.

Influenza vaccination The number one prevention strategy is to get your seasonal influenza vaccination! In my many years of nursing I have heard all kinds of reasons why people don’t do this. Unfortunately, many of these reasons are based on fear and incorrect information. The influenza vaccination cannot cause illness. It is made from a “dead virus.” The reason why some people get aches and mild temperatures is because your body recognizes this as a virus and mobilizes your immune system into action – that is what is supposed to happen with a

healthy individual! This usually last only a couple of days and is over. For those of us who get the vaccination each year, this type of reaction becomes more and more mild. The influenza virus itself changes from year to year and therefore so do the ingredients in the vaccine. This is another important reason to get a vaccination each year – to accommodate for this change. The vaccination is free of charge to any individual who is over six months of age. The Health Centre will be offering some vaccination clinics on campus for students, staff and faculty. Please keep your eyes peeled on the notice board, TV screens and posters for dates and times of these clinics. If you have had a previous severe reaction, are allergic to any component of the vaccine (such as eggs), or have an unusually deficient immune system, then you can contact the Public Health Office at (403) 388-6666 for information on how to obtain protection against this year’s influenza season.

en, an A for the living room and an ABC for the basement and garage.

3. Buying and maintaining your extinguisher Extinguishers come in a dry chemical, foam, carbon dioxide,

c. Squeeze or press the handle. d. Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire and discharge the contents of the extinguisher. Note: foam and water extinguishers require slightly different use. Read the instructions.

sports

meliorist the

October 20, 2011 • 22

Horns destroy Dinos 57-7

Horns Highlights

Women’s rugby send Dinos packing in last conference game of the season

Men’s hockey Oct. 14 Lethbridge – Down two goals just past the mid-way point of the game, the Lethbridge Pronghorns rallied from behind to upend the UBC Thunderbirds 4-3 in a shootout. With the win, the Horns earn their first points of the season and improve to 1-1-0. The Thunderbirds have earned points in all three of their conference games thus far and move to 1-0-2 on the season. Oct. 15 After trailing 2-0 early into the second period, the UBC Thunderbirds rallied with five unanswered goals to skate away with the 5-3 victory over the Lethbridge Pronghorns. In the process, the T-Birds earned the weekend split and won for the first time at Nicholas Sheran Arena since Nov. 1, 2008. The Thunderbirds improve to 2-0-2 on the season and the Horns drop to 1-2-0 after the loss.

Nicole Meech Sports Editor

Fans were not disappointed to witness our women play under the lights at the U of L Community Stadium for the first time in history on Thursday Oct. 13. The third ranked Horns gave the tenth ranked Dinos a run for their money – quite literally. Our girls were speedy to steal goal after goal, eventually leading to our 51-7 victory, and ending the conference schedule with a perfect 4-0 record. The scoring was opened for the Horns within the first four minutes by Cassandra Orr. Kelsey Willoughby took a quick tap and a series of passes to get the ball wide for Orr. Coming off a scrum won by the Horns, Kendra Reeves moved the ball down the field and touched the ball down for the Horns’ second score. Laura Murphy-Burke hit the convert. Kayla Moleschi, Horns freshman, raced away from Dino defenders to score her fifth try of the season. The scoring was rounded off by Lindsay Duxbury in the opening half by punching the ball over the line. Murphy-Burke connected her second convert to put the Horns up 24-0 at the break. Only nine minutes into the second half, Lynn Suttie scored the Horns fifth try. Three consecutive Horns tries in the final 10 minutes wrapped up the

Women’s hockey

scoring, with Moleschi scoring her second, Sarah Gordon picking up her first and Paula Woynarowsky

scoring in stoppage time. Gordon converted on Moleschi’s try. The Horns now wait to hear who

they will be playing in the semi-final this weekend at the Canada West Championships in Calgary.

Broomball looks to continue growth in popularity The Fulcrum

OTTAWA (CUP) — Every Canadian knows about hockey, our unofficial national sport played on ice with a puck and a stick — but how many people know a thing about hockey’s counterpart, broomball? Founded in Canada between 1909 and 1910, this sport is played on a hockey rink, but with a rubber broom, ball and rubber shoes instead of skates. While it may not be the most popular sport around, broomball has grown considerably in recent years. Younger and younger athletes are beginning to play the sport, including fourth-year University of Ottawa student and sports therapist Sarah Achtereekte. “I got into broomball because of my parents,” said Achtereekte. “I started when I was four or five. My feet couldn’t actually fit in the shoes, so my mom gave me extra socks so I could start playing early.” The rules of broomball are similar to hockey. The goal of the game is to get the ball into the opposing team’s net. The only two rule-related differences between the sports are the location of the offside lines — for hockey, it’s the blue line and for broomball, it’s the

red. And there is not just a whistle for a highstick in broomball — hitting the ball above your shoulder results in a penalty. Achtereekte plays on an elite team in the Eastern Ontario region. Broomball tournaments are scheduled throughout the year, with the teams competing to go to provincials then nationals. The season for elite teams is quite different from that of other broomball teams, as the squad must make it to provincials the year before in order to qualify for the national competition. Achtereekte explained she doesn’t mind the system because if offers her team an opportunity to develop without worrying about protecting a championship. “This year, there are no teams from Eastern Ontario going to nationals; it’s the western team that is going. But our team is younger so we have time to grow,” said Achtereekte. “Right now, because we aren’t going anywhere, playing broomball is more of a health benefit for me this year. “Plus, because I’m a student, the sport is great for stress,” she joked. Broomball was taken under consideration for the the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, but didn’t pass the bar. Achtereekte thinks the Olympic consideration is indicative of new popularity for broomball.

“Since I’ve been playing, [the sport] has gotten pretty big. I mean, you have teams from Ontario, a n d just i n

Eastern Ontario you can usually play against three or four good teams and a couple of [exhibition] teams, but I don’t think it’ll get close to hockey,” she said. “There are still a bunch of people who don’t know about the sport.” Achtereekte also feels that broomball has the potential to become widely accepted among families because it is more cost efficient than sports like hockey. “It’s a lot cheaper than hockey and the equipment [costs] practically nothing. Registration fees are getting a little higher … [but] it is less time consuming than hockey. I don’t know exactly what is

Men’s soccer Oct. 15 Lethbridge – The Saskatchewan Huskies scored in the first minute and rode that early goal to a 3-0 victory over the Lethbridge Pronghorns in Canada West soccer action. With the win, the Huskies improve to 4-3-2, while the Horns fall to 1-8-1.

Sweeping into the spotlight Katherine DeClerq

Oct. 14 Vancouver – Two third period goals gave the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team a 2-0 win over the UBC Thunderbirds Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

Women’s soccer

Illustration by Mico Mazza

being done for advertising, but it seems to be getting out there.” Achtereekte has no doubt that the sport will gain popularity in years to come.

Oct. 15 Lethbridge – The Saskatchewan Huskies, on the strength of two quick goals within two minutes each other, defeated the Lethbridge Pronghorns 3-0 in Canada West soccer action. With the win, the Huskies improve to 5-3-1 and leapfrog the Calgary Dinos for fourth in the conference. The Horns remain winless on the season and fall to 0-8-1. Oct. 16 Lethbridge – The CIS seventhranked Alberta Pandas scored once in each half to complete the weekend sweep of Alberta opponents with a 2-0 shutout of the Lethbridge Pronghorns.

The Meliorist, 140 Characters at a time... #firstworldproblems Follow @the_meliorist in the twitter-verse

classifieds Career and Employment Services JOBS JOBS JOBS!!! WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!! Let us introduce you to CES CES is a student service office dedicated to assisting you with your Career and Job Search needs. We’re within the Career Resources Centre in AH154, along with Applied Studies and the Management and Arts & Science Cooperative Education programs. CRC office hours are 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 4pm Monday-Friday. Go to our website for more detailed information on our services: www.uleth.ca/ross/ces.

UP-COMING EMPLOYER INFORMATION BOOTHS & SESSIONS: Please sign up in CES to get times and locations (AH154 or ces. students@uleth.ca)!!

Information Sessions CGA Employer Forum – Oct 20 3:30-6pm Devon Canada – Oct 25 6-8pm RCMP – Nov 2 3-4pm CMA Information Session – Nov 8 – 6-7:30pm Operation Wallacea – Nov 16 11am-1pm

WORKSHOPS to October 28: Please SIGN UP for workshops at CES (AH154) or email ces. students@uleth.ca

CES Resume/Cover Letter Workshops: * Fri, Oct 21, 10am-12:30pm

CES Career Portfolios Workshops:

the

October 20, 2011 • 23

Shopper, Restaurant (Nov 30)

ERBC, Cgy – Recruiter (Oct 31)

Walt Disney International

Dan’s Carpet Cleaning, Leth –

Quadra, Grande Prairie – Account

Programs, USA – Walt Disney World

General Help Wanted (Oct 23)

Sales Manager (Oct 31)

International College Program

Cargill, Varioius Locations –

Canadian Freightways, Edm –

Woods Homes, Leth – Family

(Dec 31)

Various Summer Positions (Oct 28)

Freight Handlers/Dockman (Oct

Support Counsellor (Nov 4)

Aclipse, Thailand/South Korea –

Richardson International – Various

25)

Budget, Leth – Manager of Budget

Teach English in Asia with Aclipse

Locations – Agri-Business Summer

Kyla Stringer, Leth – Part Time (Live

Rental (Nov 3)

(Dec 31)

Students; Agri-Business Full Time

In) Nanny (Oct 25)

Nechi, St. Albert – Director of

Avalon – Teach English in South

Assistants (Nov 28)

Davids Tea, Leth – Sales Associate

Training (Oct 24)

Korea (Oct 30)

TD Canada Trust, Various Locations

(Nov 1)

Saskatchewan Parks & Rec,

Scotia Personnel Ltd – Daycare

– Commercial Banking Associate

Lethbridge College – Instructor/

Regina – Consultant/Parks & Open

jobs in Bermuda; Child Care in

(Oct 31)

Child Development Professional

Spaces (Oct 31)

USA; Teaching in South Korea;

Parrish & Heimbecker, Bow Island/

(Oct 29)

Autonomy Systems, Cgy –

Hospitality/Hotel Jobs across UK;

Mossleigh/Vulcan – Agribusiness

Software Development Support;

Child Care in Europe, UK, Asia,

& Agronomy Summer Positions

Software Developer (Dec 11)

Australia; Daycare in Nova Scotia;

Dillon Consulting, Various

Children’s Camps in UK & Italy

Locations – Professional Consultant

(Dec 31)

OCR POSTINGS

FULL TIME

(Dec 15) College Pro, Leth – Summer Franchise Managers (Nov 15)

KWB, Edm – Accounting Tech (Oct

(Nov 1)

Disco International, Boston/

Bayer CropScience, Various

31)

UofL – Health Educator; Fine Arts

Los Angeles – Japanese-English

Locations – 2012 Summer Sales

BCT Structures, Leth – General

Tech (Oct 24)

Career Forums (Nov 13)

Associates (Nov 8)

Labourers (Oct 31)

Davids Tea, Leth – Assistant

China Internship Program – 2011

Monsanto, Various Locations

Dillon Consulting, Toronto –

Manager (Nov 1); Manager (Oct

Internship Programs (Oct 30)

– Technology Development

Professional Consultant (Oct 31)

31)

S-Trip – Various Locations –

Assistant; DEKALB Assistant;

Cargill, Various Locations – Various

Canola Agronomist (Nov 18)

Positions (Oct 28)

PetroBank, Cgy – Accounting

Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Montreal/

Summer Student (Oct 28)

Winnipeg/Cgy – Industrial Field

CISC, Beijing – Legal Internships

Aclipse, South Korea – Teach

Pioneer, Alberta – Agronomy Trial

Positions (Nov 1)

with Leading International Law

English in Asia-Travel & Earn

Intern (Dec 5)

Streamline Automation, Cgy –

Firm (Oct 22)

Money! (May 31)

Lafarge, Cgy – Estimator Project

CNC Application Technologist/

Pegasus Recruiting, South Korea –

Youth Challenge International,

Coordinator (Oct 26)

International Installation Tech (Oct

Teachers in South Korea (Dec 31)

Tanzania – Youth Ambassadors

Johnston Morrison Hunter &

30)

Co, Brooks/Cgy/Med Hat – CA

AUX Sable, Cgy – Commercial

Articling Positions (Oct 25)

Operations Analyst; Field

PART-TIME

for Demonstration (Dec 31)

Trainee (Oct 31)

TD Canada Trust, Leth – Customer

U.S. Commercial Service, Cgy –

* Thur, Oct 20, 1:40-4pm

Services Rep (Oct 31)

Volunteer Internship Program (Oct

* Wed, Oct 26, 3-5:30pm

Launch, Leth – Retail Brand

21)

Ambassador (Oct 21)

Cargill, Viking – Agronomist in

Tompkins Jewellers, Leth –

Training (Oct 28)

Saturday Sales Associate (Oct 26)

Alltech, Cgy – Office Manager

Future Shop, Leth – Seasonal Sales

(Nov 1)

Associate; Seasonal Customer

AgCareers, Various Locations,

Services Rep; Seasonal Gaming

Various Agricultural Positions (Oct

& DVD/CD Sales Rep; Seasonal

21)

Merchandiser (Nov 1)

Excel Homes, Leth – Estimator (Oct

Premier Service, Leth – Mystery

31)

CES Networking Workshops:

ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING (OCR) On-Campus Recruiting is the process by which employers recruit students for full-time and summer positions for NEXT YEAR! Fulltime positions can start any time between January and September 2012, while summer positions generally start in May. Employers often come to campus to conduct their interviews. You must sign up for OCR in CES! (AH154) Go to our website: www.uleth.ca/ross/ces for more information.

ACLE, Italy – Summer Camp Tutoring 2012 (Mar 15)

(Oct 28) 14)

Unicorn Find

Locations – TD Agriculture Services Associate; Financial Services Rep

* Fri, Oct 28, 11am – 12:30pm

INTERNATIONAL

TD Canada Trust, Various

InStore, Various Locations – Tasters

* Tue, Oct 25, 10:50am – 12:15pm

Destination Staff (Dec 1)

Development Analyst (Oct 31)

* Mon, Oct 24, 12-2:30pm * Mon, Oct 31, 1:40-4pm

meliorist

Find this unicorn somewhere in The Meliorist, and e-mail the page number and where on the page it its to einc@themeliorist.ca to be entered into a monthly draw.