THE
VOLUME 121 ISSUE 14 MAR 14 2013
XAVERIAN
Find us on Twitter @xaverianweekly
KISSING THE IRISH SINCE 1895
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NEWS
Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
XAVERIAN WEEKLY
Thursday Mar 29 2012
Volume 120 Issue 20
EDITORIAL STAFF
Thursday Thursday,March January 14th 31,2013 2012 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Volume Issue 14 7 Sean McEvoy121 xw.eic@stfx.ca | (902) 870-9431
OUR STAFF
PRODUCT ION MANAGER Emma MacPherson EDITORS-IN-CHIEF xw.product@stfx.ca
Sean McEvoy
MANAGING EDITOR Lewis Forward Joe T hibault xw.managing@stfx.ca | (902) 867-3732
xw.eic@stfx.ca
COPY EDITOR Alexandra Adams ART PRODUCT IST IC COORDINATOR ION MANAGER xw.copy@stfx.ca
Clayton Marie-Eve Pomerleau ART IST ICBlagdon COORDINATOR Marie-Eve Pomerleau xw.photo@stfx.ca xw.product@stfx.ca xw.photo@stfx.ca NEWS EDITOR MARKET ART IST ICING COORDINATOR MANAGER Lewis Forward xw.news@stfx.ca Taylor ClaytonKline Blagdon
xw.managing@stfx.ca xw.photo@stfx.ca CULTURE EDITOR Kennedy Murphy xw.culture@stfx.ca BUSINESS MARKET ING MANAGER MANAGER
SPORTS & HEALT H EDITOR Hillary TaylorSaade Kline Elliott Micha xw.sports@stfx.ca
xw.managing@stfx.ca
FEATURES EDITOR Annie Ewing COPY BUSINESS EDITOR MANAGER xw.feature@stfx.ca
Alexandra Hillary Elliott Adams OPINIONS EDITOR Amanda Daignault xw.copy@stfx.ca xw.managing@stfx.ca xw.opinions@stfx.ca DIST RACT IONS EDITOR NEWS COPY EDITOR EDITOR xw.distract@stfx.ca
Patrick Alexandra LeClair Adams
SENIOR REPORT ER xw.news@stfx.ca xw.copy@stfx.ca Seth Rutner xw.report@stfx.ca SENIOR REPORT ER OPINIONS NEWS EDITOR EDITOR Ellen Crosby Noelle PatrickJackson LeClair xw.report@stfx.ca
xw.opinions@stfx.ca xw.news@stfx.ca
DIST RIBUT ION MANAGER Adam Ross
FEATURES OPINIONS Contact EIC atEDITOR xw.eic@stfx.ca for information Ellen NoelleCrosby Jackson xw.feature@stfx.ca xw.opinions@stfx.ca FEATURES WRIT EDITOR CONTACT USER
General inquiries Megan Ellen Crosby Dewey (902) 867-5007 Advertising inquiries (902) 867-3732 Fax (902) 867-3941 xw.feature@stfx.ca xw.feature@stfx.ca E-mail xw.eic@stfx.ca
CULTURE EDITOR
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Kim111D, Luttich Rm. Bloomfield Centre PO Box 924 xw.culture@stfx.ca St Francis Xavier University Antigonish NS, B2G 2X1 DIST RACT IONS EDITOR
The Xaverian Laura O’BrianWeekly is the official student newspaper of St Francis Xavier xw.distract@stfx.ca University. The Xaverian Weekly is published on Thursdays by the Xaverian Weekly Board and is SPORTSPublications & HEALT H EDITOR editorially autonomous. Aaron Micha Saade Thornell
NEWS The other strike is not going to happen
NSGEU reaches agreement with StFX admin, avoiding strike MEGAN DEWEY | Features Writer
On March 8, the members of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees’ Union Local 88 voted against a strike, avoiding what would have been the second strike at StFX this year. The NSGEU represents full-and part-time staff of the Writing Centre, library and TSG, as well as administrative workers of various academic departments. The NSGEU has been without a contract since June of 2012. The university entered the collective bargaining phase of negotiations with the NSGEU on August 29, 2012, whereupon many of the issues regarding the upcoming contract were resolved. Despite the initial agreements between the university and the union, there were several issues regarding wages, sick leave, vacation, and hours for part time staff that
were unable to be agreed upon by both parties. The NSGEU entered conciliation with the university at the end of January 2013, with the initial conciliation meetings occurring on the 23 and 24 of January. Further talks between the NSGEU and StFX on February 15 resulted in the NSGEU rejecting the university’s offer due to dissatisfaction with the university’s treatment of the NSGEU’s two most pressing issues: wages and classification. Following the support workers’ joining the NSGEU in 2009, the university has been reluctant to attach pay scales to the job classifications. Failure to reach an agreement at the February 15 meeting triggered the filing of the conciliator’s report with the province and the 14-day cooling off period precedes a legal strike date, which occurred
on February 20. The filing of the report resulted in the NSGEU being in a legal strike position as of 12:01 on March 8. The university presented the NSGEU with a new agreement on March 7, which was presented to and voted on by union members on March 8. The members of the NSGEU voted to accept the university’s offer with 94 of 120 voters in favour of the offer. By accepting this agreement, the members of the NSGEU avoided the picket line. The final agreement included pay increases for all members of the union, and afforded signing bonuses to long term full-time staff. Prior to the vote on March 8, StFX Communications Manager Cindy Mackenzie called this offer “better than those reached and recently approved by NSGEU members at St. Mary’s University, Sainte
Anne University and Mount Saint Vincent University.” Should the strike have occurred, the university assured the students that they would have felt little to no interruption to their lives on campus. The current contract is for a three year term and will be up for review in June 2015. The members of the Canadian Auto Workers’ Union Local 2017, currently in conciliation with the university, will be casting their strike vote on Wednesday March 13. The CAW represents cleaning, grounds and transport staff on campus and in residences. The main issues currently in contention are wages and pensions. It is currently unknown how a CAW strike will affect students, as the university did not reply to inquiries from the Xaverian before press time.
@StFXProblems becomes a problem Cyberbullying incident incites online outrage and backlash SEAN MCEVOY | Co-Editor-in-Chief
Rising to become one of the most popular twitter accounts in the StFX community, @stfxxw.sports@stfx.ca problems has gained a dedicatThe Xaverian Weekly is a proud member ed following over the past two of the Canadian University Press, North America’s largest cooperative of student SENIOR REPORT ER ERS school years. However, a recent newspapers. Campus Plus is the Xaverian incident of cyberbullying has led Brooke Rutner Weekly’s national advertising agency. xw.report@stfx.ca Jonathan Bicknell to an outcry for the account to be xw.report@stfx.ca shut down and has led to numeropinions Opinions expressed in the Xaverian DIST RIBUT ION MANAGER ous complaints from the student Weekly are those of the author and Graham DIST RIBUT Haynes ION MANAGER body. do not necessarily reflect those of contact Graham EIC Haynes atWeekly xw.eic@stfx.ca for more info On the night of March 7th, the Xaverian or the Xaverian Weekly Publications Board. for more info the following tweet was sent out contact EIC at xw.eic@stfx.ca CONTACT US from StFX Problems: " Bonnie copyright General CONTACT inquiries: US(902) 867-5007 Fraser has to be one of the most All materials appearing in the Xaverian Weekly copyright their creator(s) Advertising Generalare inquiries: inquiries: (902) (902) 867-5007 867-3732 annoying girls at StFX #XProband may notinquiries: be used without Email: Advertising xw.eic@stfx.ca (902) 867-3732 lems." The post was subsepermission. Email: xw.eic@stfx.ca quently deleted approximately FIND US twenty minutes later but the submissions The Xaverian Weekly welcomes Room FIND 111D, US Bloomfield Centre damage had been done as some submissions of articles, letters, photos, PO Room Box 111D, 924 Bloomfield Centre followers had taken and posted and graphics. Submissions must be St. POFrancis Box 924 a screenshot of the tweet. received byXavier FridayUniversity 5 pm the week prior to should be Antigonish, St.publication. Francis Xavier NSSubmissions B2G University 2X1 The reaction from student sent to xw.eic@stfx.ca or to the relevant Antigonish, NS B2G 2X1 followers was swift. Below is a section editor. Opinions expressed are solely those of their ausample of the over sixty angry The editor-in-chief the section thors Opinions and expressed do not necessarily areand solely reflect those the of their viewsauof replies sent that night in reaceditors reserve the right to refuse to The thorsXaverian and do not Weekly necessarily or Thereflect Xaverian the views Weekly of tion to the incident. print submitted material and to edit Publications The Xaverian Board. Weekly or The Xaverian Weekly "Calling on @StFXProbsubmissions for length and/or style. The Xaverian Weekly willinnot mateAll Publications materials Board. appearing Theprint Xaverian Weekly lems 2shut down your account.U rial that is racist, misogynistic, sexist, are All materials copyright those appearing their in creator(s) The Xaverian and may Weekly not don't get 2 speak 4 the students homophobic, or of libellous. be areused copyright without those permission. of their creator(s) and may not anymore when you crossed the Contributors Editors be usedreserve withoutthe permission. right to refuse to print submitline! Shame on U #nasty." ted Editors material reserve andthe to right edit submitted to refuse tomaterial(s) print submitfor "Ashamed that @StFXProbJAMES length/style. ted materialMALLOV, and ThetoXaverian edit submitted MAYS Weeklymaterial(s) will CHAMI, not print for lems represents our school in any LAURA material length/style. thatO’BRIEN, is The racist, Xaverian misogynistic, Weekly LIAMsexist, will PROST, nothomoprint way. Negativity and bullying is BREANNA phobic, materialorthat libellous. is racist, MITCHELL misogynistic, sexist, homoNOT what stfx is about." phobic, or libellous. "Thinking @StFXProblems is going to be getting some well-
deserved unfollows tonight…and that's definitely not a #stfxproblem to me." "@StFXProblems you have to be one of the most biased and ill-mannered twitter parody ac-
the tweet was not meant to be sent from StFXproblem's account as personal or hurtful attacks are not the mission of StFXProblems. Bonnie has been apologized to and our team of
why in the world would someone tweet that?", said Fraser. " I have no clue, whatsoever", she says when asked about what could have initiated the tweet.
counts out there. Im am ashamed that you voice our Uni." "@StFXProblems WOW who do you think you are? #bully #norespect." "@StFXProblems doesn't matter who you are, or what it's about, you're in the wrong. Smarten up. #unfollowed." After the tweet was deleted, StFX Problems issued the following apology: "Our team of stfxproblems tweeters would like to apologize for the last tweet, it does not represent our viewpoints and we regret it was sent." The Xaverian Weekly further reached out to a contributor for StFX Problems, Students Union Off-Campus Councillor Caroline Gilbert, who issued this statement about the incident; "From what I understand
tweeters from StFXProblems sincerely regrets the incident. We have taken action to ensure a similar incident doesn't happen again and are committed to remaining more house neutral, promoting Xaverian spirit and never ever ever ever (sic) attacking a single individual ever, ever (sic) again." Fraser, a 2nd year Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics student, and TNT resident was perplexed when she first found out about the tweet. "I came back from the MacDonald/MacNeil hockey game on Thursday and one of my friends was looking at her phone with an astounded look on her face and I said what's wrong. That's when she showed me the tweet. I didn't think it was serious for a moment, then I thought
" I was at the game cheering along with my peers, encouraging MacDonald and pleased with their win. I am a very loud person when I yell, so maybe someone only heard me? Wish I knew why someone found me to be the most annoying girl at X, if it was because I was cheering on my friends or if there is an underlying reason." Fraser does not believe it was Gilbert who posted the tweet, although she was left slightly unsatisfied with the apology. "I don't believe she posted the original tweet regarding myself, and I believe that she disagrees with it, but the apology was very broad. Nice to have, although it was posted after some peers of mine suggested an apology was necessary." Continued on page 4..
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
NEWS
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The winter walk of Wisjinichu Nishiyuu An 1100 km winter journey along ancient invisible pathways is helping six Cree youth and their humble guide prove the value of their traditions, and heal themselves step by step LEWIS FORWARD | Co-Editor-in-Chief
In January in the village of Whapmagoostui, the temperature most nights drops below -30 degrees Celcius. It feels colder. The town sits on the cusp of the bleak arctic tundra. Snow blows relentlessly, pushed by Hudson’s Bay winds. The cold is severe, and the nights are long. On Jan. 16, from this remote Cree village on the northwest coast of Quebec, a group of six Cree youth and their guide started to walk. They aimed towards Ottawa, 1500 km south, with trust in the wilderness skills of their guide Isaak Kapawit, 46. For much of their journey they would follow traditional paths in places that no roads reachedplaces that appear empty on maps. They set out in support of Idle No More; and to affirm the value of First Nations tradition, prove the integrity of the Cree Nation, and in many ways, find personal resolutions. Walking a traditional route invisible to most, fully immersed in the sky, trees, and bitter cold, the walkers are now referred to by community members as “the Seven Warriors.” David Kawapit, 17, had the idea that triggered the journey. He is almost eighteen, and a natural leader. “This journey shows that the youth have strength,” David told the CBC. “They want to learn their old ways, and this generation is fighting for it. [The journey] will show how much natives and our youth want to protect our native rights, and how much we want to protect our old traditions.” David is a recent recipient of the Royal Canadian Air Cadet’s Lord Strathcona trophy for excellence in leadership. Stanley George Jr. stepped up to join early. He would not let David walk alone. George Jr. Is 16, the youngest member of the group, and carries a staff with the colours of his grandmothers, in their honour. They travel with Raymond Kawapit, 18, Johnny Abraham Kawapit, 18, Geordie Rupert, 21, and Tra-
vis George, 17. Isaac Kawapit, the humble guide and eldest member of the group, started the journey to leave his addiction and alcoholism behind, step by step. Kawapit was known in Whapmagoostui for his knowledge and love of the wild, but he had struggled for years with alcoholism and addiction. Isaac told CBC the origin of his journey. “I started because of my drinking and drugs. I thought that maybe this could change the way I was living, I really bring myself down....I haven’t been able to take care of [my children] because of my addictions. I only thought of myself.” People now call Isaac the White Wizard out of respect for his knowledge of the wilderness, and recognition of his signature white jacket. He is the one who has lead them along the traditional Cree routes that meet the villages they will pass through. To the members of the Seven, the walk is also a pilgrimage of healing. Isaac is walking away from his alcoholism and drug addictions. Raymond leaves, with each footprint in the snow, painful memories of the suicide of his younger brother last year. Geordie, too, lost a family member- a 10 month old son- this past summer.
Matthew Coon Come, Former Grand termined to walk all the way to the campChief of the Cree, spoke of the restorative site. I got offered many times if I would like power of these pilgrimages. “You start to to go on the Ski-Doo, but I really wanted put your issues to the side, all the prob- finish by walking,” said Abby to her mothlems that were bothering you, you give er, Rita Masty, after finishing a 25 km leg them to the trees, to of the journey. It the land, to the snow, is said that Abby you feel that they’re joined the jourgoing, that you’re leavney in response ing them behind.” to a dream she More walkers have had before the joined the Seven, who group arrived have visited and met in Chisasibi. with six different First At each stop, Nations communities dozens more peoin Quebec. They now ple join the jourhead south from their ney. “The group most recent stop in keeps growing Lac Simon, near Valand so the enerd’Or, accompanied by gy just keeps geta growing group, now ting stronger and numbering in the hunstronger. It really dreds. amazes me the Eleven-year-old determination of Abby Masty was one these walkers. I of the nine people who YOUNG TRAVELLER|Abby Mastey don’t know how joined the group at they do it,” said Chisasibi, the Seven’s first stop. Abby has Roger Orr, who provides continued assisnow completed several hundred kilome- tance to the walkers. At each community ters of the journey on foot. “I was really de- stop, the Seven and their followers are greeted by the community, and often a feast. The Cree name of this journey was far from a random choice, Wisjinichu, pronounced “wisjinee-joo,” means youth, and Nishyuu, pronounced “nish-eeyoo,” means modern human being. Both of these words, like many in First Nations languages, are betrayed by their English translation, and have more textured and universal connotations when spoken in the Cree tongue. These words weave a twoword tale of modern youth on a journey of strength, tradition and connection. The Seven Warriors and their followers’ journey is ongoing. They are scheduled to arrive at Parliament Hill on Mar. 25.
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NEWS
Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
Interfaith harmony
Research excellence continues at X
Community members create StFX Science Department leads way in common prayer room in Wellspring research internationally. Seriously. KENNEDY MURPHY | Contributor
Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians now have common place of worship in Antigonish. As part of the World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) held the first week of February, members of different faiths within the community came together in Wellspring, a positive meeting space in Morrison Hall run by the Sisters of St. Martha, to share their prayers. WIHW was first proposed by His Majesty King Abdullah the 11th of Jordan in 2010. A month after its proposal, it was adopted as a resolution by the United Nations. Now, the first week of February is dedicated to bringing faiths together to pray and create a dialogue. When the first WIHW was introduced, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent out a message saying, “the first World Interfaith Harmony Week is an opportunity to focus on global attention on the efforts of religious leaders, interfaith movements and individuals around the world to promote mutual respect and understanding between followers of different faiths and beliefs.” Here in Antigonish, Sister Marion of the Sisters of St. Martha learned of WIHW and their efforts towards a harmony between faiths through her work with the UN as a member of a non-governmental organization. She decided to join the effort and hold a ceremony similar to that of the UN’s. “The World Interfaith Harmony Week provides a platform, one week a year, when all interfaith groups and other groups of good will can show the world what a powerful movement they are,”
BROOKE RUTNER | Senior Reporter
said Sister Marion in her reading of the UN declaration and statements at the beginning of the gathering. The gathering brought members of the Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian communities within Antigonish together. Members of each gave a few words about their faith: Holly Chute gave a Buddhist prayer, Syed Jamal Ahmed spoke of the history of Islam, and Sister Joanne O’Regan gave a Christian prayer. Once each representative spoke, they poured water into a communal pool, representing their contribution to interfaith harmony. Finally, symbols of each faith were brought into a prayer room to unite all faiths in one area for worship that is open to anyone looking for a quiet place to pray. Zané, of the Buddhist community, hopes that the ceremony will provide, “an opening to other points of view and understanding [of different faiths].” Her hope is that this will show overlaps between faiths and reveal sameness where there was once believed to be differences. Zané’s hopes certainly started to become a reality after the ceremony. Even though it was a small ceremony, it created a dialogue between different faiths in Antigonish. Sister Joanne plans to continue working on the ceremony next year in order to reach a wider group. Any faith group wanting to get involved in next year’s ceremony or contribute to the prayer room should contact Sister Joanne at joregan@stfx. ca.
Despite course condensing and midterm season, we are quickly settling back into the stable, predictable routine of student life. The residual effects of the strike, needless to say, have left a scar on the great deal of confidence students once had for StFX academics, at least to some degree. Naturally, such scarring occurred after picketers proclaimed their fight to uphold “The Academic Mission,” along with other claims of the erosion of academics. However, students should fear not. Now back in the classroom, it is time to be optimistic and recognize that, despite recent events, StFX still remains a premiere institute of academics as well as research. This week, The Xaverian Weekly looked to the science department which has gained international recognition. Professor Cory Bishop of the Biology department explained how curiosity-driven research projects have resulted in major findings that have contributed to the body of scientific knowledge in the world at large. Bishop’s research has two components, a basic research program and an applied research program. “Basic research means that we are simply curious about the wonders and mysteries of the natural world,” says Bishop. This is the curiosity-driven research that is responsible for what is simply known as “knowledge.” Applied research is the application of this knowledge that is used to improve humanity. “Scientists have discovered that cancers result from a failure
of the system of checks and balances in our cells that normally controls when cells divide. Understanding cancer is really a problem of understanding how cell division is controlled. Once we understand how all of the proteins involved in regulating cell division function, we can then apply this knowledge to design drugs or other solutions to treat the disease. So, both kinds of research programs are necessary, in a sort of two-step process,” explains Bishop. Currently Bishop is undertaking two ongoing basic projects in his laboratory. The first involves a characterization of a newly discovered symbiotic relationship between a local salamander and a singlecelled green algae. “This is the first recorded instance in the world of this kind of relationship between an algae and a vertebrate, so we are very excited to be one of the first labs to be studying this phenomenon,” explains Bishop. The second research project involves unlocking the mysteries of delicate marine organisms called larvae. Many sea creatures such as barnacles, mussels, and clams reproduce by first developing a larval stage that swims around in the water before returning to the sea floor and undergoing a seemingly magical transformation into a juvenile form. This transformation is called metamorphosis and is very similar to the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Bishop is studying the cellular systems that control the timing of
this transformation. “Amazingly, one of these systems employs the same proteins that are targeted by the drugs like Viagra that help with erectile dysfunction in humans! Nature is leading the way in conservation,” says Bishop. In addition to basic research, Bishop is part of an applied research project. “I am involved in an applied research program here at StFX. I am a member of the Centre for Biofouling Research, a newly formed group that includes four biologists (myself, Lori Graham, Russel Wyeth, and Edwin DeMont), two chemists (Truis Smith-Palmer and Darren Derksen), and a physicist (David Pink),” says Bishop. Bishop explains that the sole task of the applied project is “to try and figure out how to get marine organisms to stop growing on submerged surfaces. All surfaces that are submerged in the ocean (such as ships hulls, oil drilling rigs, dock pilings) rapidly become covered by encrusting organisms, which can cause a variety of problems for industry. We are trying to design surfaces that prevent this unwanted accumulation of critters using a combination of field and laboratory studies. We are fortunate to be aided in our task by talented undergraduate and graduate student researchers.” This is just one example of the dynamic research that is currently taking places here on campus. Although our confidence in StFX academics may have been temporarily shaken due to the strike, we can rest assured that StFX remains a premiere institute of academics as well as research.
‘I would like the person to come forward’-Bonnie Fraser Continued from page 2... "Caroline did Facebook message me that night apologizing for the tweet and said that she was unsure of who did it, but was very sincere in how badly she felt that the whole incident occurred", she continues. "We messaged back and forth a couple of times that night, I asked if she found out who it was if she could inform me so I could sit down and talk to this person like an adult about why they think this way". The identity of the person who sent the tweet has yet to be confirmed. Fraser says she has been very
encouraged by the amount of support she has received as a result of the cyberbullying. "I knew all of my friends in TNT would be upset at the tweet, but the amount of support from everyone is astounding. People have informed me that StFXProblems has lost about 100 followers due to this, and many believe the behaviour demonstrated was unacceptable. Many people who don't know me as well as I thought they did responded in such a supportive and kind way that I couldn't help but be pleased". Despite the incident, Fraser has taken the entire incident in stride.
"I am very grateful that the tweet was towards me instead of someone that would have taken it to heart", she says. "I've had girls come up to me and be utterly confused about my demeanour with regards to the tweet and have said "I would still be in my room crying a day later". I laughed the whole situation off, as it is quite ridiculous.” "Cyberbulling has escalated everywhere", Fraser affirms. "I'm sure everyone has seen an article about a young person killing themselves over these sorts of things. I'm glad that I was raised to be a strong individual, with many great friends surrounding
me, but what if I wasn't? Did the person who tweeted this think about the possible repercussions that could have come of this?" Students Union President Nick Head-Petersen and Vice President Rachel Mitchell released a joint statement following the incident. "The Students' Union does not support any form of cyber bullying. Unfortunately it is an issue we see all too often on this campus. Education and awareness are important to tackling cyber bullying head on. It's important that The U take a greater stance in addressing this problem now and into the future."
"I would like the person to come forward and own up", says Fraser of what she would like to happen next. "I would like this matter to be resolved. I would like people to know that although I take such comments in stride, cyberbullying is real and occurs frequently, no matter what age you are. It is unacceptable and can have effects far more drastic then intended. Cyberbullying should not be tolerated in any forum, and if you have to question whether or not it will hurt someone's feelings, abide by the childhood rule: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".
OPINIONS
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
5
OPINIONS After the strike
Thoughts on a Post-Strike World at Good Ol’ StFX JULIA BRENAN | Contributor
Our fairy tale three-week break is done and now it is back to the grind where overwhelmingly the feeling has been that we are tired. Smacked with mid-terms, presentations and papers that we may or may not have worked on over the break, work has come flying at us like unwanted pudding in a food fight; its messy, gets everywhere, and for days afterwards you will be reminded of the incident by a whiff of chocolate and unassuming slime behind the ears. In short we, the students, are working hard and attempting to make up for lost time, but please, professors, we appeal to your compassion and ask to not be graded too hard. We understand that your professional world has fallen apart; you no longer trust your colleagues, administration, and perhaps your choice to teach at this institution, but just know that we are working hard. The strike was not a waste of time for any parties involved. Professors were able to know other teachers they may have never crossed paths with in other departments and got a
chance to practice what they teach in standing up and arguing for what you believe in. I am not sure how many professors or administrators thought about post-strike repercussions, but the healing time is now, and I bet you never realized exactly how small this town is until right now, while looking over your shoulder in Sobey’s or the drugstore. I personally suggest a group getaway or a Professor/Administrator Frosh-week-like activity – you will be hugging and loving each other in no time. As for the students, we have some stories and tales of triumph of our own. Any one who has ever wanted to try drinking seven days in a row had that chance to make their dreams come true, and local businesses, Pipers in particular, loved our support. Other students experimented with what it was like to actually have the prescribed nine hours of sleep each night, myself included, and can I just say going back to this five hours of sleep thing has caused me to start drinking coffee for the first time ever.
Those who took this break to heart decided YOLO and headed to the ski hills or the big city for a good time. These are the adventures of champions, or at the very least good stories typically come from last minute crazy road trips. Visiting friends at other universities was also a good way to spend those unstructured three weeks. For those stuck in Antigonish, good news professors, we have officially exhausted all Internet procrastination. Facebook, the news, Reddit, T.V. shows, movies and my typical blogs are no longer are as exciting as they once were when I had 12 hours a day, perhaps slightly hung-over, to explore the entirety of the Internet. In stark contrast, a large number of students went home and spent some quality time with family. However, if all you did was sit at home with Fido (the house pet), then this is not the way I would have advised students to spend the best God-given three weeks of their life. But, hey, whatever makes you happy. Still others decided to perhaps do some work,
might I add to little or no avail since they had no teacher supervision and had to greatly revise the work done due during strike when we got back. And, let’s face it, everything we read three weeks ago to keep up with our classes we no longer remember, so most of us decided to enjoy ourselves. Furthermore in this post-strike reflection, I do not think we will be so lucky with the next strike. It is doubtful classes will shut down, but hey, this was like striking gold in university. With 4,000 students hanging around with nothing official to do, we had an obscene amount of fun and got to bond with our peers and ourselves better than we usually are allowed this time of year. We did learn over the strike, just perhaps not the things that are typically graded in university. As a fourth year, this was a perfect way to end my last semester, spending quality time with friends from whom I am soon to depart. I do not regret the strike or the mountain of work that has come after it for one minute.
Why I’ll Be Getting Drunk This St. Patty’s Day March 17th might just be one of the best days of the year. LAURA O’BRIEN| Distractions Editor
Let’s face it, whatever St. Patrick’s Day was originally supposed to commemorate has been long forgotten. St. Patrick’s Day has become, especially for university students, a day to celebrate drinking. Our young livers await this day for the whole year, with only our birthdays, May 2-4 and New Year’s to contend with. In my opinion, St. Patty’s Day may just be the best drinking day of the year, and here are some of the reasons why: Day Drinking! Its one of the only times you’re happy to set your alarm, because you know that when that unholy buzzer goes off, you’re one step closer to get hammered with your best mates. There’s also the playlist that goes along with day drinking, filled with fun, country-pop tunes that you can drunkenly sway to and not look out of place. With day drinking also comes the really creative drinking games to accompany them, like chandelier or dizzy bat, because nobody wants to spend seven hours playing beer pong and flip cup. I always find it surprising how easy it is to get ridiculously sloshed during the day, time goes by faster than one might think during a round of century. You buy yourself a 12-pack or a 2-6 of liquor thinking that you’ll be good to go, only the next thing you know its empty and you’re dialing First Class with an NSLC order.
Drunk Naps! When all that day drinking finally comes back to bite you, there is always time for a pre-dinner nap. Cuddle up with your equallydrunk friends and find a soft couch, bed or rocking chair to snuggle up in and recharge your energy levels for the night ahead. Green! Who doesn’t love green? Ok, well perhaps not everyone loves green, but it is at least rather likable and very gender neutral. The colour green looks good on pretty much everyone, and it comes in so many different shades that no one has to worry about accidentally matching someone else. And the use of green on St. Patty’s Day doesn’t stop
at clothing, oh no. It is one of the only days a year where you can go absolutely maniacal with one colour. Green beer, green eggs and ham, green water, green pasta, green nail polish, green makeup, green paint. The list goes on and on. Green is such a cheery, happy colour that it makes everyone cheery as they drink away their memories. Pretending to be Irish! In my family, we are exceptionally proud to be Irishfolk, and this feeling is only intensified on St. Patrick’s Day. For as long as I can remember, my grandfather would make sure to call me on St. Paddy’s Day morning, relaying a jolly “Top o’ the morning to ya!” in his best Irish accent. I found
out in my later years that that phrase is rarely said in Ireland, but we continue the charade each year none the less. It’s nice to see everyone jumping on the Irish bandwagon as well, from the “Kiss me, I’m Irish” slogan to the high sales of Guinness on St. Paddy’s Day, everyone comes together to pretend to be something they’re not in the nicest way possible. Gingers become heralded in society for one day, with everyone assuming they got their orange locks from Irish ancestry and they’re loved all day for it. Sing-a-longs! St. Paddy’s Day is one of those nights at the bar where it’s okay to know all the words to the songs and to sing them loud and proud. It is not a normal, pump-the-bass, drop-itlow kind of night, but rather a wonderful, giant, drunken sing-a-long to all the songs you thought you forgot but never really did. Strangers wrap their arms around your shoulders, swaying off-beat to the song, steins of green beer sloshing in the air. There’s no better feeling of unity than making a new drunk singing buddy. So, those are my favourite reasons to celebrate and drink on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a day meant for fun, camaraderie and getting absolutely wasted. All of which, are the foundations of unforgettable days and nights to remember (that is if you don’t pass out to early).
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OPINIONS NEWS
Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
Have you “herd” the news? The horse meat scandal has us questioning the labels of food products VERONICA FARLEY | Contributor
There's a horse burger costume out! And one retailer reported being sold-out in less than a day, so you'd better pick up this new satirical guise soon. It would seem that some consumers (and one designer) have found the humour in Europe's outrage over being slipped horsemeat in their hamburger patties. And why shouldn't they? Despite a steep decrease in sales overseas, specialty stores in Canada have seen an increased interest in trying man's second-favorite friend (no doubt due to the free advertisement). Horsemeat is actually higher in protein and lower in fat than your average beefcake. No one was hurt by this omission (except for the miserable few who can no longer look their pet(s) in the eye), and it isn't as if companies haven't ever lied (oh, excuse me, stretched the truth) to their cash cows before. Everyone has encountered at least one misleading label at the grocery store. Rebranding products to twist
them into “bestsellers” is practically an industry all on its own (not even counting all those working in politics). It shouldn't surprise anyone to hear that General Mills is being sued because the real fruit touted in strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups is actually pears from concentrate, or that 2% milk (sold as the superior alternative to whole milk) contains only 1.25% less fat, or even that food labeled synthetic and drugfree needs to be only mostly organic. So why is this deception so much more horrible (IKEA is having a nasty breakup with its supplier; suing is involved) than the ongoing image-doctoring of all our other products (especially considering that horse is just a cheaper less-fat alternative to cow now that prices have been driven down by the United States closing the doors on all its horse-processing plants)? Some of the more vocal injured parties claim that eating horseflesh chances phenylbutazone
(or “bute”), a drug given to equines that can lower the white blood cell count and has been linked to aplastic anemia in humans. And indeed traces of bute were found in some of the unauthorized horseflesh being circulated, although experts assure us that to reach dosage levels to endanger a human one would have to eat 500 to 600 burgers tainted with the drug. The real problem with being hoodwinked this way seems to be the cultural or social taboos it violates. Muslim and Jewish consumers have extra reason to be concerned because this could just as easily also been pig tainting the meat supply as was found to be the case this January by a frozen food producer in the United Kingdom. But even people without strict religious codes regarding their intake have a beef with the (as of now) unnamed Polish supplier who sold IKEA this bold-faced lie. France may be blasé about its consumption of the poor
polo ponies and brave-hearted thoroughbreds straight out of War Horse, but other countries in Europe are appalled that they even came close to eating an animal traditionally regarded as a pet and a friend (guess I'm one of the few who watched Babe and Charolette's Web and still likes bacon). All joking aside, no one likes to be forced to go against their beliefs or con-
victions. Outrage is a natural reaction and leads to important questions being asked, for instance – who is to blame? However, mere outrage is ignoring the bigger implications of how this happened. The real question here is what will we be slipped next? I haven't seen many calls for stricter regulations on labeling or other reform to stop this from happening again.
OPINIONS
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
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Dear university presidents: you are failing An open letter to the presidents of Canadian universities MERCEDES MUELLER| T he Fulcrum (University of Ottawa)
OTTAWA (CUP) — Dear university presidents, You are failing us. No, I’m not talking about the hundreds of failing grades we rightfully earned last semester. I’m talking about how the million undergraduate students enrolled in Canadian universities right now are being ill prepared for the working world in a poorly organized education system. It’s no secret that recent grads are having a hard time finding jobs. With youth unemployment at 13.5 per cent, even the brightest students are stuck waiting tables after graduation. And perhaps we’ve been naive. We busted ass for four years to earn that BA, but we shouldn’t have really expected to enter the workforce and make a livable wage. Wait — what? It seems like the university system in Canada is overly preoccupied with the input-output function of institutions. On the input side, students enroll, tuition is paid, funding for research comes in and professors and other support staff fill the buildings. Then a bunch of stuff happens, and we magically have graduation rates, research findings and rankings to report. But what about your students? Where do our academic experiences, satisfaction with the university we’ve likely devoted four years of our lives to, and the extent to which we’ve truly mastered our field fit into this black-box approach to education? What’s going on inside that box is where
the majority of our problems occur. Universities pride themselves on teaching students critical thinking and reasoning skills. Yet upon entering the workforce, many grads have little to offer employers in terms of “skills.” Skills, primarily associated with the hands-on learning done at colleges, are a severely lacking component of university curricula. When one considers that the majority of BA graduates would like to enter the workforce without having to obtain further degrees, learning a skill or two in undergrad isn’t asking a lot. We also lack the information we need to make decisions about our education — be it as 16-year-olds in high school trying to decide if university is for us, or as 25-yearolds deciding whether to pursue a PhD. While it may be difficult to publish national data on enrolment, graduation rates and employment of recent graduates, you have this information about your schools, and that’s the information we care about. And because you have this information, it should be used to design better policies that help students in the long run. Why do you admit thousands of students to education programs when there’s an excess of teachers in most provinces? Why are doctoral students in some disciplines accepted in high numbers when there’s a shortage of tenure-track positions available? While higher enrolment means more money for the university, you aren’t doing students any favours by awarding us degrees in
fields already flooded with workers. Admittedly, you’re not all bad. Some of you have recognized these problems and designed policies to address them. And admittedly, these issues aren’t entirely your fault. The provincial governments and an absent federal presence in education policy are also partially to blame, as are administrative staff, professors, and students themselves. But you’re supposed to be the leaders in this failing group project. You can set policy that promotes better learning outcomes for your students. I know you aren’t exactly rolling in the dough right now, and you’ve seen your financial support from the government dwindle in the last decade. What’s more, poor employment prospects for youth have driven up enrolment rates, as students pursue second and sometimes third degrees. But the key to making our education more worthwhile doesn’t depend on financial solutions to the problems. What if you all worked within your provinces to create a more differentiated system of universities, specializing in the areas at which your institutions excel? If schools were differentiated by researchversus-teaching intensity, undergraduateversus-graduate focus, or what special programs the schools offer, such as coop or technical training, students could choose the school that best suits their career ambitions. On the topic of technical training, cre-
ating academic-versus-applied streams in certain disciplines would be an effective way to ensure those students who wish to pursue a career in academia are gaining the knowledge they need, while students who hope to enter the labour market upon graduation can learn the skills their employers are looking for. Partnerships between local colleges and employers could help facilitate these programs. If nothing else, supply prospective students with all the information they need to make their education decisions — and let that information guide university policy. Graduates will be best able to service the needs of the labour market if we can be confident we are earning degrees in highdemand fields, and program selection and admissions should reflect those realities. At the end of the day, I know you care about us. These problems keep you up as late as our crappy closing shifts at the bar keep us up. I met Allan Rock, president of the University of Ottawa, last year, and by the end of our brief chat, he made it clear to me that he cares just as much as I do about the future of university education. You all do — how could you not? We’re your students, employees-to-be, and the future of this country. So please, don’t let another couple hundred thousand of us walk across the stage on graduation day without doing something to make our degrees worth more than the paper they are printed on.
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FEATURE
MEGAN DEWEY | Features Writer
Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
FEATURE
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10 CULTURE
Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
CULTURE Drunk-or-exia
The measures taken by some to be able to get drunk fast. BROOKE RUTNER | Senior Reporter
Drunkorexia is a recently produced slang word to describe a common university student behaviour type in relation to drinking and body weight. As most are aware, alcohol contains a tremendous amount of calories. Drunkorexia is not the kind of rationalization of skipping dessert in exchange for a few extra rum and cokes, in an attempt to avoid the fabled freshman fifteen. It's a behaviour of extremity. It's a simultaneous attempt to indulge, to lose control, yet at the same time remain in control of intake and body weight. It's a failure to find balance between health and indulgence. It's starvation imposed on oneself to makeup for excess caloric intake from alcohol. This type of behaviour is attributed mainly to those already suffering from an eat-
REILLY MOORING | Photographer
ing disorder, yet restricting food in order to consume extra alcohol is common among female and males who does no suffering from any pre-
determined eating disorder. It's hard to pinpoint the exact number of how many engage in drunkorexic behaviour, but according to a University of Missouri 30% of female
college students openly admitted to it. Although the short-term goal may be achieved, that is avoiding weight-gain, medically, it is not recommended. The combination of binge-drinking and excess alcohol has severe psychological as well as long term physiological effects such as: -Greater risk of developing a serious eating disorder -Greater risk of developing substance abuse problem -Short and long term cognitive problems (trouble concentrating on studies, difficulty in decision-making) -Poor nutrition, leading to muscle loss and a weakened immune system In additions to this, when drinking on an empty stomach, it's hard to gage how
quickly the alcohol will hit, which leads to black-outs, alcohol poisoning and embarrassment.
When put into perspective, when reading the dangerous internal and long term downsides of binge-drinking / food-restricting, this type of behaviour seems completely
The Xav’s Weekly Playlist
irrational. Yet this type of restrict/ binge mentality in it's essence is what the majority of us prescribe to. Think about your study habits. Everyone knows that the most effective way to study is to portion small bite-sized readings into workable portions each day. But what do many of us do? We take too many days off, we stretch our weekend from Wednesday to Saturday and take that off too. And where does this leave us? Spending nine hours in the library on a Sunday the night before your exam, where not enough adderall can help sort through your notes coherently onto that blank Microsoft word document. This type of over-indulgence then restriction is a common behaviour trait among university students, which not surprisingly crosses over into the realm of body image.
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KIM LUT TICH | Culture Editor
10. Peer Kusiv - Let Her Go
8. HAERTS - Wings
6. Heartless Bastards - Only For You
4. FKJ - So Much To Me
2. KatDahlia - Gangsta
9. Dillon - Thirteen Thirtyfive
7. Austra - Homerounds
5. Kate Boy - Northern Lights
3. Generationals - Put a Light On
1. Wild Belle - Love Like This
CULTURE
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
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Album Review: Mac Demarco’s 2 A strangely awesome LP from an awesomely strange Canadian. KYLE McCLUSKEY | Contributor
Hailing from Montreal, Mac Demarco is a singer-songwriter with a refreshing style of laid-back, greasy indie-rock. Previously, Demarco experienced local success from numerous self-released records under the name Makeout Videotape. Changing to his birth name in early 2012, he debuted with the release of Rock and Roll Night Club, an EP that received favorable reviews from online critics. Ambitiously completed in mid-October of the same year, 2 is the first full length album under his real name. With a release as pivotal as a debut LP, most would begin transitioning into a more professional sound. Demarco, however, is clearly not aspiring to be a big staged, mainstream rock band. Mac recorded 2 by himself in his living room, cultivating the lo-fi roots that he clung to for years, which have subsequently shaped the musician he is growing into. The product is a record that sounds like a refined garage jam session, filled with intricate riffs and sleepily sung stories, undoubtedly intended to be performed live. It is evident in 2 that Mac has no intentions to seem or sound professional, ever. His live shows are filled with foolishness, nonsensical humour and countless beers. It is Demarco’s tendency of not taking himself too seriously that results in the loose, laid back atmosphere that ultimately defines his music. In fact, Demarco stated in a YouTube interview that he and the live band act so goofy onstage that local crowds are often taken aback. His approach of putting self-amusement before self-criticism is, for better or worse, what gives his sound its originality. By embellishing alt-rock with folk, blues, and an utter lack of tension, 2 effectively captures
the essence of rock & roll, a label that Demarco frequently uses to refer to his music. Not to be overlooked due to his disenchanted vocals are Mac Demarco’s lyrics. A strong example of his writing style throughout the record is on the first track, Cooking Up Something Good. The song opens with a funky, upbeat guitar riff, which repeats once before being accompanied by the rhythm guitar, bass and drums. Together they fuse older classic-rock influences with a ‘blue collar’ take on indie-rock. An apathetic Demarco sings us a scene of his seemingly average family life; “Mommy’s in the kitchen, cooking up something good/ and daddy's on the sofa, pride of the neighborhood.” The chorus later ensues and we begin to understand Demarco’s motives for ambitiously writing and recording two releases within the same year: “Oh, when life moves this slowly/ oh, just try to let it go.” Clearly, things have not been coming together for him at a satisfying pace in recent years. The second verse continues where the first left off, at least instrumentally. Without paying attention to the sleepily sung lyrics it would seem that the entire song continues along a mundane path. The first listen through, many will fail to apprehend the darker turn that the song takes: “Daddy's in the basement, cooking up something fine/ while Rick's out on the pavement, flipping it for dimes.” A songwriter that regularly draws upon particular personal struggles can easily become melodramatic; however, this is not the case with Mac Demarco. His ingenuity is in his ability to write relatable, crowd friendly music, which from time to time gives us a glimpse into the more
personal corners of his world. Despite his lyrics being on point, they are also perhaps too simplistic. Expansiveness is an area that Demarco’s writing could use work, as he was very conservative on 2. The opposite is to be said about the lead guitar riffs throughout the album. His electric guitar flirts with a twangy sound and dances over almost every track, dexterously taking turns with his vocals for the spotlight. Mac’s decorative guitar lines are the final puzzle piece of his sound, turning elementary song skeletons into complete tracks, brimming with colourful melodies. They provide the listener with engaging instrumentation at all times, without overpowering the vocals or oversaturating the songs.
The future is looking brighter for Mac Demarco due to the exposure and positive reception of 2. His recent success should also be accredited to the amount of entertainment that his live shows deliver. This is due to the reproducibility of his sound, the amount of skill that he and the band collectively possess, and perhaps most importantly the ridiculous hilarity that occurs onstage. Pitchfork Media produced a live-stream of a full set from the band entitled Mac Demarco – Safe For Work, which can be viewed via YouTube. It is nothing short of an entertaining performance that simultaneously gives us an accurate sense of what Mac and the band are all about. However, if you don’t find their antics amusing or his music enjoyable, it will probably be the most irritating 40 minutes of your life.
Gay=Forever Alone? If you think finding a partner is hard, try being gay X-PRIDE MEMBER | Contributor
Meeting people is hard. Just finding the right person can sometimes seem like Mission Impossible 5, or at least like finding an unbruised apple at meal hall. And once you think you have found them (and they’re stuck in your thoughts like a dirty, sexy shirt), the act of winning them over is even more stressful. You wonder what you can do or say to impress them (if you can talk to them at all), whether they have any feelings for you, if it’s maybe even possible they find you attractive. Yes, escaping from singledom is hard for just about EVERYONE, unless you’re Taylor Swift. But you know what can make breaking free from singlehood even harder? Not being straight. Now, to be clear, I do not wish to belittle the loneliness and frustration felt by all those heterosexual bachelors, bachelorettes and virgins out there. Your pain is no less intense than mine, and I sympathize with your heartache and horniness. However, I think it is time
someone spoke on behalf of your single homosexual friends. First of all, our pool for mate selection is significantly more limited than that of straight people, who for better or worse, make up the overwhelming majority of our population. Yes, we all know that the queer portion of our populace is exceptionally kind, sexy and awesome, but that does not overrule the fact that we are still relatively small, and often, not very visible. Therein lies the problem. In addition to the normal stress of seducing our love interest, the anxiety, the self-consciousness, the crying yourself to sleep, we are often faced with an additional perplexing problem: are they gay or not? In some cases, this is obvious. However, in many, it’s about as obvious as Einstein’s theory of critical opalescence, which is to say, not at all. They might be openly gay only to a select group of people, they might be in the closet, and they might just be a
flamboyant straight guy or a straight tomboy. Even if you have great confidence in your gaydar, it is always possible that you could be wrong. And that’s never fun. For anyone. At this point, you might be thinking, “Isn’t this what gay bars are for?” Yes, that is correct. However, in many places, like Antigonish, they simply don’t exist. But much more importantly, a lot of people, myself included, don’t really like going clubbing, or at least don’t find the raucous atmosphere at all conducive to meeting people the way they would like to meet them for the first time. I remember the advice given by Dan Savage, a famous gay rights activist, to single LGBTQ youth struggling to find a partner: get plastered out of your mind, show up at a gay bar and have a drunken one-night stand. For some people, this works, and that is completely fine. Good for them. For others, this is not an option. Finding a partner becomes a much more difficult
task. In my mind, making it easier for gay people to meet is one of the most important objectives of the gay rights movement. We shouldn’t have to meet at secret hiding places in city parks, we shouldn’t have to hide in a lonely closet and we shouldn’t have to play guessing games to figure out whether or not a closeted person is gay. Some emphasize that our choice to publicize our sexuality is a personal decision. True enough. But in my mind, a society where all LGBTQ people can be entirely open about their sexuality at a young age is a world that is much less confusing, and much more humane, for everyone. Given my own utter lack of mating success, I may not be in a position to offer advice to any Xaverian LGBTQ youth in search of a partner. However, I would say never to give up, because it is always just a matter of time. You are not alone and you certainly won’t be alone forever.
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Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
Ben Caplan’s fan base (and beard) grows Halifax’s Ben Caplan is attracting a cult-like following after years of touring and playing local venues. MEGHAN O’NEIL| The Aquinian (St. Thomas University)
“I was just some guy in the North End [Halifax] with a guitar and the audience response was great but it wasn’t a big deal but in Europe but it was like ‘Oh, this international artist all the way from Canada. Can’t miss it,’ said Caplan over the phone from Toronto. Caplan was attending the International Folk Alliance conference as one of the showcase artists. “So they’re ready to be impressed, but in Halifax for a long time I had to like tell people to shut up and listen and now I have kind of a really strong relationship so it’s starting to link up which is really cool.” Caplan has been a touring musician since 2006. He was born in Ontario, but Caplan now calls Halifax home having lived most of his adult life in the city. His stage presence and roaring voice command attention. His theatre background keeps him performing even between songs. When he’s not singing gypsy-folk
and playing his banjo or guitar, he’s making the audience laugh. Caplan is on tour with his first album In the Time of the Great Remembering, released in 2011. The tour will take him through Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes before heading to Austin for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in the spring. He’ll also be hitting stages in Australia and Europe before returning to Canada. Caplan will perform at Fredericton’s Capital Complex Saturday.
It’s hard to imagine Caplan having much time left for writing new material, but he’s constantly trying to make it work. “You really have to carve it out. Today, for example … I woke up, I had a meeting at noon that went until 2 o’clock and now I’m doing this interview in a taxi on my way to a hotel to [go to] another meeting [and] a show at 3.” Caplan said he’s in the writing stage of his next album and plans to be in the studio in May.
“I’ve got a great support team who are keeping my schedule full, so I have to fight for time to be creative and it can be really tricky to take that time.” Caplan has been nominated for two East Coast Music Awards for Rising Star Recording of the Year and Folk Recording of the Year. He said when the Juno nominations were announced, he wasn’t surprised he didn’t have one for his first album. “My next record should come across more … Polished? I hate that word. But much better sense of what I want to accomplish in the studio.” The upside of being busy is crossing things off what Caplan calls his “musical bucket list.” He’s recently made an appearance on cultural affairs show, CBC’s Q Radio with Jian Ghomeshi. He performed two songs in the Q studio off his first album, “Stranger” and “Down to the River.” He said he’s been able to cross
more off his list faster than he thought he could, but he’d not near the end yet. “I’d love to do some tours in Asia and I’m going to Australia soon which is cool. A couple others are I really want to do [CBC Radio’s] Vinyl Cafe and the rest is stuff like working with different producers and artists who can bring experience with different instruments. So I’m just developing the resources to be able to do that.” Caplan’s music isn’t the only thing getting attention. His unique sense of style, including a lengthy unkempt beard and curly hair are also getting people talking. “I didn’t sit down one day and say ‘I want to start a music career and stand out.’ I just happened to have a beard and I’m kind of just rolling with it. I think that has more to do with the kind of aesthetic I’m interested in. I’m not the kind of guy to shave every day and wear designer clothes,” said Caplan.
Canadian twin duo Tegan & Sara pull off the plunge into pop music “I’m not embarrassed about pop music. I fucking love pop music.” ALANA WILLERTON | The Gateway (University of Alberta)
Sara Quin isn’t afraid to say it, but apparently a lot of other people are. One half of Canadian twin duo Tegan and Sara, Quin is referring to those who’ve turned their noses up at the group’s recent dive into the world of pop music on Heartthrob, their seventh studio album. While much of the reaction from critics and listeners has been positive so far, there are still skeptics who doubt the twins’ decision to merge into the mainstream music scene after being the indie darlings of Canada for so long. “To me, the idea that pop music is vapid and shallow — I just think that’s such bullshit,” Quin exclaims. “I grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s where pop music meant everything. It meant U2, it meant Björk, it meant Madonna, it meant Depeche Mode. It was what sold out stadiums and arenas. That’s what I cut my teeth on and that’s the world that I wished I could be a part of. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life and career think-
ing, ‘Well, I was totally relegated to the fringe because it was cooler or because I was gay’ or whatever. I want to be able to set my goal as high as anybody and not feel like somehow that is reductive to my art.” But for some, it goes deeper than just a fear of what new sounds and musical styles will bring. Pointing to what she sees as a distinct display of sexism within the industry, Quin feels that being involved in pop music is only part of the problem for some people, and that being a woman tends to be the common factor amongst those who are criticized. While she and sister Tegan haven’t experienced a lot of blatant sexism throughout their years playing together, she knows it’s been present on a subconscious level in a way that can’t be denied. “I was actually just reading a really interesting statement that the artist Grimes wrote on her website about liking Mariah Carey and about how no serious man who likes music
has ever responded when she said that ... without dismay or without laughing at her,” Quin relays. “I just thought to myself, it’s totally true. There’s a real elitism and snobbery around mainstream music, and to me, it’s not a fluke that a lot of the stuff that people turn their nose up at in the pop world is women. People like Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Pink — all of these women are absolutely astounding; they’re like forces of nature. They are so skillful, their vocals are amazing and they just put it all out on the line. “I don’t understand why that has less value than, like, Grizzly Bear or the Dirty Projectors. I just don’t understand it.” And while skeptics question the power and seriousness of pop, that doesn’t mean their doubts are justified. As a member of a band that catered to a dedicated indie rock audience for years, Quin knows the security that a niche market and au-
dience can bring. Pop stars, on the other hand, are at the mercy of the masses, and the competitive genre brings with it more risk. Thankfully for Tegan and Sara, their risk on Heartthrob appears to be paying off. Their single “Closer” has been rising up the charts for weeks now, and a change in sound after all these years comes as a breath of fresh air. But as Quin knows all too well, sometimes it’s impossible to make everyone happy, no matter what you do. “We’ve always struggled with anything that even seems marginally purposeful,” Quin acknowledges. “Even from the beginning, where as far as I’m concerned, our records sound totally obscure and indie rock, people would say, ‘Ugh, this is so manufactured — it’s like a major label’s dream come true.’ And I would be like, ‘Are you fucking kidding me? We sold 40,000 copies of that thing. We are not a marketing dream come true.’ Most of the time the marketing people are like,
‘What the fuck are we going to do with you two?’ ” But now, with their new direction firm in hand and feeling confident in the decision, Tegan and Sara have left what others think behind them. And while some will always remain cynical of pop music, the band has done their best to put their heads down and power through, paying little mind to the criticism that will likely always follow them. “I just thought to myself, ‘We’re just going to have prove this in the long run,’ ” says Quin. “So we’ve been working our asses off and trying to just make music and connect with people, and also challenge ourselves and not be afraid that if we try to be more mainstream or more accessible that that means we’re playing their game and that’s a bad thing. “Of course we’re playing their game. If I wear a fucking paper bag over my head and make unlistenable music, I’m still playing a game — it’s just for someone else.”
DISTRACTIONS
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
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DISTRACTIONS LAURA O’BRIEN | Distractions Editor
WEEKLY TOP 10
Things you can turn green
Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans quite like the overuse of green.
10. Your fingernails 9. Your beard 8. Your walls 7. Your dog 6. Your neighbour’s house 5. Your sleeping roommate 4. Your body/anyone’s body 3. Breakfast 2. Beer 1. Puke
drinking drunk passout hungover whiskey beer pint cheers century
games chug hookup parties jig lucky lads lassies shamrock
Irish Ireland keg leprechaun PotOfGold rainbow tradition march green
DID YOU KNOW? T is for TEA.
-3 billion cups of tea are consumed daily worldwide. -Iced-tea was first ever ser ved in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair. -One cup of black tea has the same amount of antioxidants as six apples. -50% of the world’s tea is consumed in India and China. -The scent of tea is known to keep mosquitoes away. -The three main types of tea are Black, Oolong and Green, however Black tea accounts for over 90% of the world’s tea market. -Herbal tea is not a true tea because it is made from the roots, stems, flowers and seeds from a variety of plants. -If making tea at home, it costs roughly three cents per ser ving.
Quotable Quotes “We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that death will tremble to take us.” –Charles Bukowski
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” – Winnie the Pooh
“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” –Abilene Clark from The Help
“Everyone you meet knows something you don’t” – Bill Nye
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SPORTS & HEALTH
Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly
SPORTS & HEALTH StFX women’s hockey finishes third in CIS
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
X-Women hockey represents school well at CIS finals AARON THORNELL | Sports & Health Editor
The StFX X-Women’s hockey team may consider their result disappointing, but they have represented the school tremendously this year and capped it off with a third-place finish at the CIS finals this past weekend. Going into the tournament, the X-Women were ranked as the number-two team in the country, behind the newly-formed University of Montreal Carabins, who would go on to win the tournament. The StFX side dropped their opening game to the defending national champions, the University of Calgary Dinos, by a score of 4-0. However, they bounced back with a nerve-wracking overtime win against Queen’s Golden-Gaels by a score of 2-1, as rookie Taylor Dale netted the gamewinning goal. This put the
X-Women into the bronze medal match, in which they would be facing the hosting University of Toronto. The game once again went down to the wire, but the XWomen would ultimately emerge victorious, as they posted a 3-2 overtime victory. Fourth-year Erin Brophy, who finished the year tied for third in AUS scoring, scored twice, including the overtime winner, earning her the player-of-the-game award. Taylor Dale notched her second goal of the tournament as well. Katie Greenway was in goal for the win, and she made 24 saves in the effort. This was the X-Women’s second podium finish in three years, as they won a silver medal in 2011. The X-Women finished the regular season strolling to first place in the AUS divi-
sion, and Alex Normore won the league scoring championship handily. Her performance earned her a spot on the CIS second all-star team. This was Normore’s third consecutive all-Canadian ranking. McGill’s Melodie Daoust was named the CIS player of the year, only a year after she won the Rookie of the Year award. This year, Guelph’s Christine Grant received the honour of the nation’s top first-year player. Next year, only one player will be ineligible to play for the X-Women, defense-woman Alyssa Hennigar. However, the team has a number of fourth-year players whose futures at StFX are yet to be decided. Regardless, the squad is stacked with rookies who will look to continue the success this team has known in recent years.
StFX Football Evolves
Connor McGuire X-Men track & field runner Connor McGuire was named the StFX Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending Mar. 10, 2013. Connor, a fourth year science student from Summerside, PEI competed at the CIS championship this past weekend in the 1500m and 3000m events. He placed fourth in the 1500m with a time of 3:52.87, narrowly missing a bronze medal by only 2/10’s of a second. In the 3000m race, Connor ran to a seventh place finish with a time of 8:30.93 amongst a strong field of the top 12 in the country. He surpassed his pre-event rankings which were 10th in the 1500m and 11th in the 3000m for a strong weekend showing.
X-Men Football honours past, looks forward to future AARON THORNELL | Sports & Health Editor
At the end of February, a great member of the StFX football tradition received a great honour. The famed late head coach Don Loney, who led StFX for 17 seasons, will be named a builder of the sport in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Loney, whose name graces the Loney Lounge at the university today, led the X-Men to nine AUS championships, four Atlantic Bowl victories, and a Vanier Cup win as the country’s top team in 1966, a tournament he helped create. Loney is often referred to as the father of Maritime football, a title of which he is very deserving. Looking to the future, the X-Men continue to ready themselves for the upcoming 2013-14 season. Earlier this year, the X-Men football team was proud to announce the new faces that
would be seen alongside head coach Gary Waterman on the sidelines. They
brought in a wealth of experience between Bob Mullen and Bob Howes, who would be filling the positions of defensive coordinator and offensive line coach, respectively. This past week, Waterman had the honour
of announcing the 15 new recruits who will be joining the team. Waterman will be welcoming offensive linemen Vernon Sainvil (Boston, MA) and Kris Butt (Ottawa, Ont.), running back John Shields (Orillia, Ont.), and receivers Nolan O'Reilly (Chestermere, Alta.), Alex Dee (Fredericton, N.B.), Quintynn Parsons (Halifax, N.S.) and Nick Beale (Saint John, N.B.) to the offensive side of the ball. While joining the X-Men defence will be defensive backs Ryan Baker (Calgary, Alta.) and Mitch Graves (London, Ont.), defensive ends Kyle Sovie (Kingston, Ont.), Scott Ferris (Ottawa, Ont.) and Kaeto Okafor (Nigeria), defensive tackles David Bond (Antigonish, N.S.) and Alex Penney (Shearwater, N.S.), and linebacker Aaron Brownlee (Kingston, Ont.).
#72 Jenna Downey
X-Women hockey defense Jenna Downey was named the StFX Female Athlete of the Week for the week ending Mar. 10, 2013. Jenna, a fourth year human kinetics student from Stratford, Ont. was named a CIS tournament all-star as she helped the X-Women to a CIS bronze medal at the national championship this past weekend in Toronto. The captain of the X-Women, Jenna assisted on both game winning goals in StFX’s 3-2 overtime win over Toronto in the bronze medal game, and in their 2-1 overtime win over Queen’s in round robin play. She was a leader on and off the ice for the X-Women all season.
The Xaverian Weekly | Volume 121 Issue 14
The back page: make it public V. JAYJAY | Sex Columnist
DICK STEVENS | Sex Columnist #2
On last week’s episode of HBO’s Girls, the main character Hannah was scooting her bare ass across the floor and got a huge splinter stuck in her cheek. Watching this scene made me cringe for a few reasons; one being that Hannah’s depressing life only seems to be getting worse and the other was a vivid memory of when I got a splinter in my ass cheek while having sex on a park bench. We were going at it; the park was just dark and empty enough so that it wasn’t obvious whatS we were doing, but there were definitely still the silhouettes of strangers between the trees and along the paths. The sight of the casual stranger made it thrilling and daring enough that we got carried away pretty quickly and I was impaled– by a splinter. If you say you’ve never wanted to have sex in public, then I must tell you know you’ve only been lying to yourself. The adrenaline rush of having to keep quiet and discreet and the potential of getting caught make the sex wonderfully intense and lusty. It’s not like normal sex, there’s no undressing and preparing and time to worry about how you look. There’s only you and your partner, unzipping flies and pushing panties to the side in unquenchable desire. It’s hot. But of course, as hot as it can be, it can also turn into a total train wreck. Let’s go over some of those not-so-fun hookup locations and all the things that can go wrong: The public bathroom: You’re up against a stall thrusting and moaning until you hear it, splash. Your phone, your shoe, or worse, your foot have landed into this dirty, overused, un-flushed toilet and you can feel its contents squishing between your toes. The library: pulling out all your naughty secretary moves you lean up against a bookshelf only to have it tilt backward and fall, making a domino-like effect on every other shelf in the row. The books make thunderous sounds as they hit the floor, and what’s worse there is now nothing hiding your bare ass and red face from all the people in the library undoubtedly checking out what just happened. The car: You pull up to a seemingly deserted parking lot and leave the radio on so that you can get down. You squirm and twist to find a good position (watch out for that gear shift!) and just when you get a rhythm going a car full of teenagers, or cops pull up right beside you and they know exactly what you’re doing. So yes, public sex can be just about the most fun you can have, but it can also make for one of those embarrassing stories your friends will never ever let you forget about (and I’m saying that from experience). If you’re daring enough to try, pack your condoms, maybe a first aid kit, and go find your sex corner of this big bad world.
Would you have sex in the library? Publicity and sex usually only meet on the silver screen, where people advertise their sexcapades. Why, I say, is the fearlessness and reckless carnality of public (or potentially public) sex best left to those other, crazy people? "I'm not wild enough," I might say to myself. "But I do like sex." I also like cliffjumping, and the idea of skydiving is awesome to me. But does that mean I should unzip my jeans on the top of a highway overpass? Hopefully someone else is there so I'm not left exposing myself solo to the mid-morning rush hour traffic inching along below. I know it's illegal, but I think If I was stuck in rush hour and saw a little sex on my way to work, It would make for a little bit better conversation that morning. Maybe such obvious places are not the answer. I guess there is something perverted about willfully airing yours or your significant other's googly bits in public. Maybe the best public sex is in seemingly sort-of kindof semi-private areas, for example the fourth floor of the library. Actually, the third floor music room area is kind of isolated... Sort of. It's well known that the most memorably awesome way to get an STD is through those little gritty football-player-foot-tainted rubber bits that get mashed into your ass while you're banging on the giant X on the turf. I hear that stuff has Chlamydia. The best place on campus for late night escapades is a SUB room that you have the key to. Like the Xav newsroom. Or the CFXU station. Or, if you're lucky enough (like some of the Xav, CFXU, and Students' Union hombres are) to get a private office, then you have the easiest and fastest way to go from the Inn to sex. That's valuable, and part of the reason why you should apply to the Xav. Another awesome public spot that I probably can't legally recommend is the top of the Oland Centre. If you survive the jump, you might get to hump. Just don't try when its icy. Also, as anyone in residence knows, almost all sex you have in there is public, unless you muffle yourself or have whisper orgasms. Doors are thin, but, hey, it's Res. You're only in there once. I recommend blasting Shaggy's "Mr. Boombastic," to cover the moaning and telltale sounds of banging headboards. Showers. If you can master the tricky gymnastics required to bang in there, and resist looking down at the athlete's-foot-soup below you, you can have a great place for consistent and multitasking bang session. It's well know that the proper response when someone good-lookin' says "I'm going to get a shower" is "so am I, want to save water?" If you really believe it when you say it, it can work. The only problems are that shower doors are thin, and walks of shame are probably a bit more excruciating when you're wearing a towel. I wouldn't know, I usually forget my towel anyways. Things are always a little public in Res.
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Thursday, 14 March, 2013 | The Xaverian Weekly