Imprint The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
vol 29, no 10
Friday, September 22, 2006
New planet contradicts current scientific theories, page 26
imprint . uwaterloo . ca
Mountain biking on the verge of exploding across KW, page 30
Farm fresh produce available to students
Frosh week causes fluster with UW’s neighbours Rachel McNeil assistant news editor
away from. So if people are thinking about it, then that’s good.” This week, UW Farm Market purchased about $850 worth of food and sold out. Dabrowski said, “we had a constant stream of people until noon when we had to close because it was all gone.” This success was a pleasant surprise to the project’s organizers, who planned it with the students’ health in mind. Next week, Elkas said, they plan on purchasing almost double the produce they did this week by filling two vans instead of one.
Orientation week on any university campus is always a much-anticipated event; organizers spend months preparing for the few days they have to welcome the new student body. Yet, amongst all of this excitement, outlying factors, such as stage positioning and the effect noise may have on UW’s neighbours, can often get overlooked. Such was the case with this year’s toga party. However, the repercussions of the event will not likely be soon forgotten. Residents of the Beechwood area, including Terry Lavach, have already raised complaints in The Record stating that they were “able to hear perfectly the music and noise from this party even with [the] windows closed.” Lavach even claims to have heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the DJ’s statements in between songs. However, little could be done about the noise complaints, “as the University of Waterloo had been granted a noise by law exemption for the event.” Sergeant Mark Bullock, a member of the Waterloo Regional Police, has said that the frosh events at both the University of Waterloo and Wilfried Laurier University have been repositioned in recent years in order to ensure the activities remain contained and controlled. And while this is something that the regional police appreciate, Waterloo residents apparently hold a different view. “That they required a sound system capable of blasting music several kilometers away is ridiculous,” said Labach in an interview with Imprint. “The University of Waterloo should reprimand the people responsible for this party and ensure that in the future, sound systems used at outdoor university events are sized appropriately to the event.”
See PRODUCE, page 7
See FLUSTER, page 7
Ashley Csanady
Darcy Higgins, a 4A ERS student juggles local farm produce at UW Farm Market in ES Courtyard last Wednesday. Ashley Csanady news editor
Students can now get farm fresh produce right on campus. A joint coalition between Food Services, UW Greens and active students has brought UW Farm Market to campus for all students, staff and faculty. The first “market day” was September 20, 2006. Every Wednesday from now until October 25, at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the ES courtyard, a small market will be run with fresh produce from local farmers. All the prices are at cost, so the array of vegetables and
fruit is cost-effective for students. Some examples of the pricing are: baskets of baby potatoes sold for 50 cents, four large zucchini priced at four for $1; four mixed peppers are $1.50 and an eight inch mum plant sells for $6. Lee Elkas, director of Food Services, declared the day “a tremendous success.” Most of the food was gone by noon, with the market having been scheduled to run until 1 p.m. Heather Dabrowski, 4A social development studies and volunteer co-ordinator for the initiative, said the mission of the market is “to be able to get local produce and make
it available to students and at a lower cost. Having it on campus also makes it more available. “All the produce that we receive comes from within Waterloo region, which makes travel time less [and the produce] fresher and it’s supporting the local farmers so they can get more money than if they sell [to locations] further away,” added Dabrowski, “Foods are picked Tuesday morning or Monday night so they are extremely fresh.” She continued, “It’s the whole concept of letting people see where their food is coming from, because it’s something we’ve kind of moved
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N ews Renison celebrates new wing Imprint
Friday, september 22, 2006
news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca News Editor: Ashley Csanady News Assistant: Rachel McNeil
Brendan Pinto Veronique Lecat staff reporters
Spain
Recently, the organizers of Madrid’s annual fashion event announced that they were not going to allow models with a body mass index (BMI) under 18 to sashay down their catwalks. A normal BMI, according to the Health Canada website, is between 18.5 and 24.9. This decision comes in the wake of the sudden death of Lusisel Ramos, a 22-year-old model who had a heart attack at a fashion show in Uruguay after reportedly eating only leaves and Diet Coke for three months, according to an article in the Daily Mail. Understandably, the ban has met a lot of resistance within the fashion world. Worried that Britain would adopt the ban as well, Reuters reported that Stuart Rose chief exec at Marks and Spencer and a major backer of London Fashion Week asked, “Are we going to ask people to walk through detectors for BMI and say ‘I’m sorry you’re rejected?’ That would be quite difficult.” According to the article, the average fashion model has a BMI of 16 — so here’s to a little more jiggle on the catwalk! China
Michael L. Davenport
The new academic wing of Renison, a $4.3 million project, houses a new library, East Asian Studies Centre and more. Jacqueline McKoy staff reporter
For the first time in nearly three decades, Renison celebrated the creation of new academic space last Friday at their gala ceremony for the opening of their new academic wing. Last Friday, UW administration officially opened Renison’s new Academic Centre alongside heads of each affiliated college and members of Waterloo’s business community. The $4.3 million project, an expansion to the college’s Luxton building, was completed after nearly two years of construction. Funded in part by student dollars through the Renison Academic Stu-
dent Council (RASC), the new wing will primarily provide space useful to undergraduate students. The largest addition to student space is the 4,300 square foot Lusi Wong Library, more than double the size of the college’s former library. The new library, which opened for business last term, offers 30 study spaces, new computer workstations and wireless access that was unavailable in the former library. The Centre also features a language lab and East Asian Studies Centre to support the College’s popular East Asian Studies program, which offers courses in which close to a thousand students from across campus are enrolled. Renison’s connection with Asia also fills other spaces in the new
Academic Centre as well. The centre now makes Renison home to one of Canada’s two Confucius Centres, which will work to promote Chinese culture and language learning in K-W’s corporate community and beyond. In a previous interview, Renison’s fundraising and communications rep Cathy Voight, fundraising and communications manage for Renison, noted that “It’s really a wonderful compliment to the rapidly growing East Asian Studies Program that we currently have.” The opening of the Academic Centre also helps Renison strengthen its Anglican roots. The Li Tim-Oi Memorial Reading Room and archives was opened to celebrate the
contributions of Canada’s first female Anglican priest, Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi, to ministry both in her native Hong Kong and Canada. The reading room will provide Renison with “its first proper archival and rare books facility,” according to a news release, and serve as an additional resource for social science student research. The centre also give the college’s Anglican Institute of Ministry and Chaplainry a new home. While not academic in nature, the Institute of Ministry provides “Learning for Life” programs for general interest and for preparation for greater involvement in the Anglican Church. jmckoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Diversity campaign to feature Stephen Lewis among others Brendan Pinto staff reporter
The Waterloo Diversity Campaign fall line up is set to include performances by Joel Plaskett, Ill Scarlet and the Pocket Dwellers, as well as a weekend lecture by keynote speaker Steven Lewis. With a redesigned website brought online September 11, the organization hopes to build on the momentum of the previous year. The campaign re-launch officially begins September 29 with the concert at Federation Hall. The initiative is led by a board of directors consisting of the presidents from a wide array of clubs,
ordinary students wanting to help and is chaired by Rick Theis of the Student Life Office and Erin O’Leary, the Federation of Students special event orientation coordinator. The board worked to organize the events and develop the theme of this year’s campaign. Debuting in September of last year, this drive was created with the intent of highlighting the different perspectives of the various cultures and religions, their diverse talents, celebrating this diversity and fostering a sense of unity. Numerous student groups and societies have been invited to join. Most were accepting, though some need extra encouragement.
The campaign sponsored primarily through the University of Waterloo and Feds. Faculty societies have also contributed resources to this effort. While the campaign has never really ended, nor is it ever intended to, the re-launch is meant raise awareness of the organization’s mandate. Those who may be unfamiliar with the program such as first year and co-op students not on campus during last year’s inaugural events are the main targets. Continuing throughout the year, this promotion of diversity will be executed through a series of lectures and events. Diversity
profiles will soon be featured in the form of stories from across campus including the perspective of international students. All new information and the latest details can be found on their website http://diversity. uwaterloo.ca. This year’s keynote speaker will be one of Canada’s most recognized social affairs commentators, Stephen Lewis, who recently spoke at the AIDS conference in Toronto. Tickets for the lecture sold out in three days. For everyone without a ticket, the lecture will eventually be distributed as a podcast. see DIVERSITY, page 7
I’ve never been to Shanghai, but apparently it’s just one giant 8:30 a.m. linear algebra classroom. All day long! A survey sponsored by the Shanghai Academy of Social Science in conjunction with the Shanghai Women’s Federation, asked people whether they or one of their family members donned pyjamas in public on a regular basis. Over 16 per cent of the respondents said yes, while another 25 per cent said they did on occasion, Reuters reports. The same survey also found that public pyjama wearing was one of the most annoying parts of living there, along with disrespect for the environment, a lack of good Samaritans and aggressive pets. In a moment of inebriated inspiration, a Chinese tourist at the Beijing Zoo jumped into the panda enclosure with the intention of reaching out to the creature. After four pitchers of beer at a nearby restaurant, Zhang Xinyan, a 35-year-old migrant worker “stumbled to the zoo” and stopped by the pen, where a six-year-old panda named Gu Gu lay sleeping. The urge to touch the panda overwhelmed Zhang, so he reached out to hug it. Panic-stricken, Gu Gu bit the man in the right leg. When the man kicked the animal in retaliation, Gu Gu bit his other leg. This escalated into a tussle during which the man bit the panda in the back. Gu Gu is healthy and without injury and Zhang seemed to have suffered a big shock. Punitive action is not expected. bpinto@imprint.uwaterloo.ca vlecat@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
news
Marks now required for co-op jobs
UW reacts to Dawson College tragedy
Tim Alamenciak editor-in-chief
In an effort to ensure accuracy in reporting marks, University of Waterloo co-op students will now automatically have their transcripts plunked from the mystical machines in Needles Hall and sent straight to employers. Students will no longer have the option of opting out of mark submissions. According to the statement on the co-operative education and career services (CECS) website, some employers expressed dissatisfaction at the marks opt-out option provided by UW — a practice which the statement says does not exist at some other schools. In addition to this, CECS cites instances where students falsified their grades by opting out and submitting altered documents. The change to the system was subtle and slow. No students were consulted during the decision-making process. According to Feds vicepresident education Jeff Henry, the administration has apologized for this oversight, and it will be remedied in November when a committee convenes to examine co-operative education. The reshaping of co-op policies went through two phases: first policy 19 was modified in June to include co-op employers in the category of parties who can access grades, and then CECS instituted mandatory grade submissions.
“It means students no longer have the choice as to whether or not the transcripts are part of the application process — whether or not they expose themselves and that aspect of their lives to potential employers,” said Henry. The main issue, Henry says, lies with choice and the revocation of choice. “I view choice as a good thing, and this removes that choice.” He refers to the decision as “swatting a fly with a bazooka.” In other words, based on the actions of few, the way many apply for jobs has changed. First-year students Carol Lu and Elissa Park said, “Competition is probably tough, so we may gain a better chance of having a go at getting an interview with [our] grades, when upper year students have much more decent job experiences than us. So we’ll have to study harder to get higher marks.” Before mandatory mark submissions, employers could request marks from students. Students could opt-out of mark submissions during the application process. That is no longer the case. A review of the co-op system will take place in November. The review will seek to consult students through the Feds as student representatives, on the decision of CECS. At that time, Henry hopes to find a middle ground. “We are trying to find other options to deal with this that will placate university concerns and be fair to students.” editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
amy brooks
Director of Conrad Grebel’s peace and conflict studies program Lowell Ewart takes the podium in the Humanities Theatre during a forum on the Dawson College shootings. The noontime forum was held September 18. The forum was intended to help students, faculty and staff better understand the tragedy and allow them to ask questions of several professors.
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
news
Feds reviewing campus businesses Veronique Lecat staff reporter
A new business review committee was formed at the September 17 council meeting. The aim of this committee is to arrange long-term strategic goals for the Feds businesses, which include Fed Hall, Aussies, The Bombshelter Pub, Wasabi!, Scoops and the Used Book Store. Renjie Butalid, the Federation of Students’ vice president of administration and finance, spearheaded the committee. He says he did so because it was “something I really wanted to do.” He said that the businesses have been an ongoing problem that incur a loss of $100,000 each year. Not only was forming the committee among his campaign promises, but he also sees the review as something that is going to benefit everyone working for the organization. The first phase, which will run from
September 2006 through December 2006, of the review will deal with Aussies and Fed Hall. Butalid would like to have Fed Hall re-classified as a service rather than a business in order to reduce the costs charged by the university, which is currently $150,000 per year. Fed Hall has been in financial trouble in recent years; Butalid blames the fact that firstyear students are now underage and cannot take advantage of their liquor licence and also the increasing popularity of the bar scene over dance clubs. Butalid stressed that short-term solutions are important too, as a reclassification wouldn’t happen before January at the earliest. While he says he doesn’t want to “lose focus that Fed Hall is for students,” he would like to book more catered events, speakers, comedians and other acts at Fed Hall in order to increase revenue. Aussies is about to undergo a $260,000 renovation that will have it moved to the volunteer
offices across from Tim Hortons in the SLC. If all goes according to plan, the new location should be up and running by next September. Butalid would like to get students’ input to make the new Aussies a success. Some of his ideas include student surveys to get input on the look and product line, as well as holding a contest to find a new name, as the new location will mean the store is no long be “down under.” Phase 2, which will run from January 2007 through April 2007, will be a revision of the Bombshelter Pub, Scoops, Wasabi! and the Used Book Store. Bomber will receive a review of its operational and financial data since its re-opening last week after major renovation work, to see what went right, what went wrong and what can still be improved. Butalid also is playing with the idea of offering direct deposit at the Used Book Store and offering new items at Wasabi!. The committee consists of one non-
executive from the board of directors, two Feds councilors and two student-at-large seats, who will be voting members. The VPAF, currently Butalid, and Feds general manager, Suzanne Burdett, will sit as nonvoting members. Members of the committee will hold their seats from Fall 2006 to Spring 2007, when a new committee will be formed. Butalid would like to get input from the managers and employees at the businesses, to accumulate all the data and opinions before making any recommendations. Although he doesn’t expect to see much come of the committee during his term, which ends in April, he believes that the work the committee accomplishes can be continued by his successor. If interested in sitting in the committee as a student-large-member, e-mail Butalid at vpaf@ feds.uwaterloo.ca vlecat@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Paying the wedding bills Conservative government tries to milk their “honeymoon”
A large component of politics is spinning things just so and getting the semantics correct. When a new party comes to power, they like to redecorate and put their stamp on things right away. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t and sometimes it gets petty. When George W. Bush came to power, it was reported that the departing Clinton staffers took all of the “W” keys from their keyboards. The dominant colours on government web sites mysteriously match the ruling party colours within days. A particular case in point is the extended honeymoon that the Conservatives have granted upon themselves. From the day that they were elected, the Conservatives have branded themselves as “Canada’s New Government.” The phrase is boldly thrown around anytime that the Canadian government is mentioned. This has rankled the lower ranks of the civil service who felt that they were and always had been part of the government, no matter who was in charge. Andrew Okulitch, a scientist emeritus with the Geological Survey of Canada, had enough of this when a memo came down from on high dictating that all future correspondence that mentioned the government should refer to Canada’s New Government. Okulitch hit “reply all” and among other things wrote, “Why do newly elected officials think everything begins with them taking office? They are merely stewards for as long as the public allows.” Shortly after that, a correction appeared from
on high explaining that the new wording was only compulsory in documents being presented to or prepared on behalf of minister of natural resources Gary Lunn. It could be assumed that this particular directive came from the Prime Minister’s office given that every cabinet minister uses the same flagellatory term. Another e-mail from the assistant deputy minister fired Okulitch, citing, “strong, though misdirected views.” Okulitch, presumably as the retired scientist who didn’t give a damn, told a few friends and then the word hit the national press. The Conservatives then switched to full, backpedalling damage control as any good political organization would. Within 24 hours of the story breaking nationally, Mr. Okulitch had his job back. If there’s one thing that sticks out here for me, it’s the preening nature that the elected Conservatives have adopted. While they were quick to point out that they aren’t the old ruling party, as was their right on election night, they have been at the helm for almost eight months now. Some minority governments haven’t even lasted that long! At some point, new simply becomes current. Honeymoons don’t last forever. Soon, the Conservatives will have to admit that the problems with the government are their problems and not those of the previous government. This issue also brings to mind the definition of government. Is it the leadership? Or is the government everyone from the Queen down to the lowliest government intern? If it’s the latter, then I hope that we continue to have the same government. To suggest otherwise assumes that a revolution had taken place. The last time I checked, it was only a minority government, not a messianic one. nmoogksoulis@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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news
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Student plans change again Suzanne Gardner assistant editor-in-chief
The University of Waterloo’s student dental and health plans have changed once again, this time uniting the undergraduate plan run by the Federation of Students and the graduate plan run by the Graduate Students Association. According to the Feds/GSA Health & Dental Plan frequently asked questions (FAQ) document released by the University of Waterloo’s new full-time on-campus Health & Dental Plan office (located in SLC 1121A), the new plan “will provide increased dental coverage for graduate students and new vision care coverage for undergraduate students.” The plan will also continue to cover many important services that are not covered by basic health care plans (ie. OHIP), such as prescription drugs, travel health coverage and dental benefits. All plans are now combined under one administrator, Studentcare Networks (http://studentcare. net/works), which serves several universities across Canada, including McMaster University and Queen’s University here in Ontario. Feds vice president of administration and finance Renjie Butalid said that this unification is “the first step to making everything central because everything will be operating out of the one [Health & Dental Plan] office. In the past, students, when trying to get answers about
their plans, always had to call way too many different offices in order to find out about their health and dental plans. Now the same message is out there as all calls and e-mails are being forwarded to the office.” Students are still able to opt-out of either the health plan or the dental plan individually, or both plans as a whole. All opt-outs will now be completed online at the Studentcare Networks website and are only necessary once per academic year, rather than on a per-term basis as they were in the past.
Christine ogley
In order to opt-out of the health portion of the plan, students must provide proof of other equivalent health coverage — but only for their first time opting-out of the plan. Upper-year students who have opted-out of the health plan in previous years will find that their policy numbers are already in the Studentcare Networks’ system and thus they only have to confirm that they want to opt-out again this year. To opt-out of the dental
Steps to a sanitary campus ity of that program compares to the current campaign. The co-ordinator of this new campaign is Dr. Barbara Schumacher of Health Services. The funding however for this program is through a partnership between UW Health Services, the Pandemic Planning Committee, the UW Safety Office and UW Central Stores. Catherine Scott, chair of the Pandemic Planning Committee, released the funds to purchase the materials. When asked why this campaign was started, Dr. Schumacher told Imprint: “It’s part of our health education program for both students and employees of the University. The plan is to prepare students for a possible pandemic.” Dr. Schumacher’s advice for students wishing to avoid colds and the flu this season is to “wash your hands very frequently and especially before handling or preparing food for yourselves and others. If you touch a pet, open doors very often or use anything public, such as an ATM, wash your hands immediately afterwards.” She added, “It’s very important for students to realize the problem of spreading colds. Your term is so short — only four months — that 10 days is a lot of time to be under the weather.” UW Health Services will be setting up a flu vaccination clinic in November. Check out www.healthservices. uwaterloo.ca or UW Health Services magazine The Bridge to Health for more information.
Salim Eteer
plan, however, students do not need to provide proof of equivalent coverage. Opt-outs may only occur during the change-of-coverage period from September 11 to September 29. Shortly after the end of the changeof-coverage period, students will receive a credit on their UW student account for the health portion of the plan and a cheque mailed by Studentcare Networks for the dental part of the plan. The Health & Dental Plan office will also be working towards instituting a student account credit for the dental portion of the plan. Butalid stressed that this would be “beneficial for both Studentcare and the students.” Butalid also commented on future possibilities for the health and dental plans on campus, such as a permanent opt-out program and an on-campus dentist which “students have shown a lot of interest towards.” He emphasized, however, that these are still “future goals that will not be put into action for at least another year or two.” For students with specific problems regarding the opt-out process and their current insurance plans, the Health & Dental Plan office (SLC 1121A) and the dedicated call centre (toll-free at 1-866-369-8794) are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
staff reporter
Earlier this month, UW Health Services set out on a campaign delivering “healthy office kits” to all departments of the university. This campaign is part of the University of Waterloo’s Pandemic Plan that promotes personal protection measures. Over 250 kits have been distributed campus-wide, with many more still to be delivered as more offices are targeted. Each of these kits include Isagel (a no-rinse antiseptic hand cleansing gel), posters demonstrating the correct way to wash your hands,and that reminds individuals to “Cover Your Cough,” and finally CaviWipes disinfecting towelettes. CaviWipes are for cleaning shared office equipment such as telephones, keyboards and door knobs. A recent addition to the campaign is to put stickers up on the back of every restroom door on campus. This is the first time a campaign like this has been attempted at the university. Dr. Schumacher shared her excitement with Imprint: “I’ve been here for over 30 years and I’m not aware of a campaign such as this before [that is] targeted towards the entire campus. We’re all a community and our health depends on each community member’s participation in the program.” UW Health Services previously had a health awareness campaign started in 2000 titled “Managing Your Own Health,” but neither the manpower nor the public-
sgardner@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
seteer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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news
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Produce: Focus on local Continued from cover
Darcy Higgins, a 4A environmental resource studies student and one of the organizers behind the event, explained, “[Waterloo Region] public health did these focus groups. The nutritionists at public health were trying to get people interested in local produce and making the connections happen so that people can have access to local produce.” “Then, [Elkas] got the idea for a local food market on campus and, at the same time, I got the idea from an organic conference in Guelph and brought ideas back to the UW campus Greens club. So, we spent a few months talking to a bunch of people about how to best bring local food to campus for people. I heard Lee had a similar idea and the two of us met in May and said let’s go for it for September,” he continued. The committee that runs the UW Farm Market is made up of about 20 core volunteers and approximately 60 that are involved in a smaller capacity. Elkas said, “almost 99 per cent [of produce] that we bring to market is from the Elmira Produce Auction Co-op (EPAC), a fair market auction.” A local Mennonite community runs EPAC. All the farms are within a 20-25 km radius and bring their produce to auction. Many of the buyers are local stores, restaurants and markets. According to Elkas, the product is “straight from the grower” and “very traceable … from field to students.” Higgins explained the need for the partnership stating, “we needed to get
a purchasing number; so, it was easier for Food Services to do that.” Additional support for the market comes from FoodLink Waterloo Region. According to their web site, FoodLink Waterloo Region “is a non-profit organization seeking to create partnerships with food producers, processors, retailers and consumers to promote the sale and consumption of locally grown and produced food. In building a ‘food localism’ movement, FoodLink intends to identify, expand and create new markets for local farms and farm-based businesses while also building a demand for local food products.” The products that the UW Farm Market will carry from FoodLink include preserves, baked goods and more, as the season progresses. “It’s all seasonal,” said Higgins, “we had pears and apples today. [This week] we had corn and we had tomatoes. Next week we might have honey and apple cider.” Dabrowski added they “are hoping to get [fresh] herbs … each week it’s kind of a mystery what we are going to get. It all depends on what’s available.” The market is guaranteed to run for the rest of the fall, with different produce every week as the season progresses. As for the future of the UW Farm Market, Higgins said, “We’ll be working to make it happen again in the spring,” but that they, “need to get more volunteers, younger, [as most of the current volunteers are fourth year] who are able to take our place so it can be institutionalized.” acsanady@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Fluster: Noise nuisance Continued from cover
Yet, if this is the case, maybe the sound system was appropriately sized for the largest toga party in North America. As for the people responsible, Michelle Zakrison, president of the Federation of Students and a member of the Federation Orientation Committee (FOC), believes that the apparent increase in noise for this year’s party has to do with the change in positioning of the stage. “FOC will likely analyze the positioning of the stage to ensure most of the noise from the event stays on campus,” states Zakrison, though she hopes that this will not affect UW’s ability to get a noise bylaw exemption in the future. According to Cheryl Czerwinski, the manager of the bylaw department for the City, future bylaw exemptions will be a definite concern in upcoming years. However, the noise permits that have already been granted for such
events as UW’s farewell to the B2 Green — scheduled for September 28 — will not be revoked. “The amplifiers to be used at this event are one fifth of the power used at the toga party. Based on that, we don’t anticipate any problems,” explained Czerwinski. UW can only hope that its neighbours don’t find fault with upcoming events, as well. Certainly an increase in noise complaints from Waterloo city residents like Terry Lavach will lead to a decrease in granted bylaw exemptions. Zakrison believes that UW’s annual toga party will continue to be an enjoyable event in the future with fewer negative effects for surrounding neighbourhood: “I would hope that residents realize there are only a few events per year that generate such noise. Residents should respect UW students’ right to student life as much as students should respect residents’ right to their Waterloo community.” ramcneil@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Diversity: Campaign restarts Continued from page 3
In the tradition of last year’s launch, wristbands will be given out as a symbol of the Diversity Campaign. Issued at various events during the past few weeks, they are available at the Fed Office, Turnkey Desk and through most student societies. The focus on the individual is fundamental to the message this year. Through the medium of a ‘day in the life of ’ profile, students are given the opportunity to put forth the image of themselves that they want others to see, and break any stereotypes. The hope is to foster
tolerance by showcasing the perspective of these individuals, and help everyone to see the world as they see it. The Diversity Campaign wishes to promote the idea of unifying everyone under a common belief that it is the tolerant society that allows for everyone’s different points of view to exist. With an expansion of the international student population projected to rise as high as 20 per cent in the next 10 years, this organization hopes to maintain a strong influence over university life well into the future. bpinto@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Friday, september 22, 2006
opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Opinion Editor: Paul Marchwica Opinion Assistant: Ryan Webb
Friday, September 22, 2006 — Vol. 29, No. 10
Time for this city to grow up
Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editor-in-chief, Tim Alamenciak editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Advertising & Production Manager, Laurie Tigert-Dumas ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca General Manager, Catherine Bolger cbolger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Kitchener-Waterloo is a big place with big crime, big needs and big money. There are dark alleys, there are unexplained and convenient fires, and some people forget this. It’s not the picturesque vision of community living that it was back in the day. A group of citizens concerned about local government is making a move for the formation of a super-city, joining all the towns and villages in Waterloo region. The population would top 500,000 according to The Record. The group, Citizens for Better Government, is doing something that I think is the first step towards the citizens of K-W accepting that their romantic Little Berlin has become more reminiscent of Hamilton. As evidenced by recent stories on student partying, the police and bylaw forces in this city are having trouble keeping up. Now the discussion on our hospitals has come up once again. Back in the day, when I was young, the government had a wonderful plan to shut down St. Mary’s General Hospital. One of the few activist activities I have engaged in was saving that hospital; the one where both my parents are 30-year veterans and my grandmother has a gift shop named after her. Some committee somewhere is looking in to this doctor shortage. Numbers aren’t match-
ing up; facts aren’t straight. But, you know, a committee is on it. It’s time for the citizens of Waterloo region to start behaving like they live in a big town. We don’t gather in church anymore to discuss how Fred the Baker changed his cinnamon bun recipe. This is the big time. The whole idea of Waterloo being a big, bad city seems ludicrous to many of the long-time residents I’ve talked to. Even my own parents continue thinking that they live in a good neighbourhood. The neighbourhood where my friends and I have been jumped, mugged and beaten without reason more times than I can count. Granted, murders aren’t daily occurrences yet, and I hope they never will be, but it’s unfair to ignore the fact that crime exists in this city. Small crime, big crime — we’ve got it all. We need to put some real attention where it counts: vital services. Support the citizens looking to make a super-city. It will give our government the ability and mindset of a big city government and, in turn, will give vital services the attention they deserve. Many of you will just be flying in and out here. Perhaps you consider yourself a citizen of Waterloo for only eight months at a time. Regardless of how much time you spend in this city, I encourage you to take a high level of interest in how the formation of a supercity pans out. While UW provides a fair amount of vital services — campus police, health services — you will inevitably find yourself affected by how well these services are provided to the city at large. Imagine living on Albert St., trying to study the night before your exam and being distracted by raucous partying. You
call bylaw — nothing. Call again — sorry, too busy. And god forbid you have some sort of illness that Health Services can’t take care of onsite. Without the big-city mentality and attention to the hospital system, you’ll be facing a 12-hour wait for the chance to get in to that second waiting room and wait to see a doctor. I’d love to be able to pin the blame solely on government; as most writers do. Call them lazy, call them farm-town rather than boom-town. But really, the most productive area is for each citizen to get motivated. Support your fellow citizens in revolutionizing the government to accommodate big-city living. Local politics might seem comparatively boring when held up against the grand statements to be made about Harper’s Conservatives or Layton’s NDP. There is a certain charm in being able to identify with one political ideology and party and criticize policies you will probably never have to stand up and defend. I know I enjoy bringing up the whole “I would have voted Marxist-Leninist if there was one in my riding,” argument. Realistically though, being active and informed on local politics is much more important to your day-to-day life in Waterloo. Foreign policy will affect the country and, by proxy, your life here. But the direct decisions are handled by local government. Do you want a poorly equipped municipal body ruling over the vital services here or would you rather a grown-up big-city body empowered to help the volume and diversity of citizens in Waterloo? Remember, governmental reform is very sexy in some circles. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
World Pride unwelcome in Holy Land First barred by police, then threatened by violence.
More than a year ago, I wrote an article talking about World Pride: a giant, roving gay pride festival that toured Europe every four years. At that time, World Pride was making its way to Jerusalem — much to the chagrin (and fanatical hostility) of many of the people within the Holy City. Unfortunately, the event which was to be held in mid-August of this year, came to nothing. It was called off when the rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon broke out into all-out war. However, while World Pride aims to be rescheduled at some point, the situation for the Holy City has taken on an aspect of “out of the frying pan, into the fire.” While World Pride is now going to give Jerusalem a miss, the local GLBT community centre Open House was determined to hold their own Pride march in lieu of the larger event. Unfortunately, while the event has been toned down a bit, the opposition has only gotten stronger. The Pride march was initially barred from taking place by the police, who refused to provide security for the event due to the fact that it was originally scheduled to occur just days before the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays this week. Because of the holiday, the police argued that they would be understaffed
and unable to ensure the safety of the marchers. It was only with the intervention of the Supreme Court that both sides managed to come to an agreement, allowing the parade to take place in mid-November under full police security. Security which will be sorely needed. Unlike the festival-like atmosphere of most major North American Pride Parades, the Pride marches in Jerusalem are much more politically oriented: protest marches intended to show defiance and resolve, akin to those that spawned from the Stonewall riots back in 1969. Marches where the participants are as determined to be heard, as their detractors are to silence them. Last year’s Pride march through Jerusalem was marred by numerous arrests and several violent outbreaks, including one which resulted in three marchers being stabbed after a member of a militant Orthodox sect rushed into the middle of the march and began attacking people. The air of threatened violence has been carried over to this year as well. Back in July, flyers appeared in mailboxes in Jerusalem which — under the headline of “Death to Sodomites” — promised 20,000 New Israeli Shekels (around $5000 USD) to “… anyone who brings about the death of one of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah.” The flyers go on to describe how to create Molotov Cocktails in one’s own home, and the reminder that “During this parade […] corrupt animals are anticipated to march through the Holy City of Jerusalem, waiting avidly for the chance to put themselves on display before our children and our sacred Torah. They will try as hard as they can to
defile as many of our innocent children as they can. […] don’t let them teach our children their impure ways.” Granted, this flyer was originally aimed at the World Pride event, but it should give you a feel of the lethal opposition the gay and lesbian community are facing. No known group claimed responsibility for creating the flyer and the deeply religious community in which most of the flyers appeared denied any responsibility. This denial was made somewhat hollow, as the community’s own official protests over the World Pride event declared that “Anyone with the ability to do so has the duty to do everything he can to smash the jaws of evil in any way that he can.” The obvious question which I’m sure many of you are thinking is: why are they still marching? In the face of such blind hate, amidst open threats of death and violence, it would be the easiest thing to curl up and hide. But when this fight is brought to you daily, and challenges you on your very being — your right to live as you are — the only real option open to you is to change the world around you, or leave it behind. In Canada, we have marched through the thick of our own “culture war” and are breaking through to the other side. We are now winning our own social and cultural status as equals, and are breaking down the last barriers through such “rebellious” acts as holding hands in public or getting married. Other parts of the world are not nearly as fortunate, and it will take many more years for the beleaguered GLBT communities to enact change in their own countries and gain some measure of acceptance. All they have to do is to keep marching. gbarclay@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
opinion
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
A better world begins with U
September. School. Sustainability. The first two are pretty much synonymous. If we are to survive as a species, the latter must join their ranks. Here at UW, the September scene is a familiar one. Students linger in lines pondering which courses (and books) to drop and which to keep. Faculties prepare for another round of classes amidst the fray of ongoing research. And staff stay the course, maintaining the physical and social infrastructure that keeps it all going during this hectic month. The scene is the same on campuses across the country. Business as usual for the university. But how many of us populating the lines, labs or lavatories have taken the time to question — to wonder or reflect upon, just why we are here? What is the university and what power does it hold? What is its role and function in a society faced with a changing climate, democratic dysfunction and an economic system that threatens the very future of the planet and its inhabitants?
STARHAMMER
For those who have (and for those of you about to), prepare for departure to Planet U. What is Planet U? At a minimum, it is a great bit of writing on the role and character of higher education in the 21st century. Ideally, it marks the emergence of a movement directing society to a sustainable future — a movement spearheaded by the modern university. Tracing the evolution of the university from the Middle Ages to today’s “higher education industry,” Michael M’Gonigle and Justine Starke show us that it was not always the progenitor of credentialized experts for the corporate market that it is today. And their critique argues compellingly that — given the challenges we face — it cannot remain so. The university must create citizens — ecological citizens that understand what it means to “think globally and act locally.” And the university — as an institution — must practise ecological citizenship. As incubators of innovation, institutions of community and influential economic actors, universities should be leading the cultural transition to a sustainable relationship with our environment. Highlighting transportation, urban planning and land use as three areas the university can influence — through the knowledge they create and the actions they take
— M’Gonigle and Starke stress that the movement “is not just about a green building here or a student garden there, but about the whole structure and trajectory of higher education itself.” Planet U questions the very nature of the modern university and it urges each of us to do the same. It challenge us to look beyond the production of knowledge solely for the sake of a “knowledge economy” - to ask what we really need to know, to be accountable for the consequences of the knowledge we create, and to integrate our efforts into a cohesive movement aimed at shifting society onto a sustainable trajectory. In essence, the university must “institutionalize” sustainability. September is a time for building community on campus. UW is in the midst of a re-focus towards adopting campus sustainability as a core initiative. This movement is evident in the collective actions of faculty, staff and students. The UW Sustainability Project (UWSP) is a great example. Courses in campus sustainability are another. Planet U is key read for anyone who would like to help build this crucial movement — one that will benefit our community, pushing positive change from Ring Road, outwards. — Tony Maas — Darcy Higgins
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opinion
10
Tamils victims of government
To the editor, I would like to apologize to Feds and the UW administration for my previous remarks regarding them not caring about the students of Waterloo. I was privileged enough to meet up with both Feds and the administration before the Imprint was released and they cleared up a lot of the miscommunication and showed great understanding and support. I read a piece last week that was very misinforming. The particular sentence “Sri Lankan government is engaged in terrorist wars against the LTTE terror organization” is an unjust statement. The UN has rated Sri Lanka as the 12th most corrupted government. It is the secnd in missing persons, has created a two tier education system making it next to impossible for Tamils to get into university, and has demoted Tamil from being an official language which has stripped Tamils of most
professional jobs. The oppression of the Tamils by the government has been occurring for over four decades with various governing parties. Recently, the government has been held responsible for the bombing of 55 school children, the execution of 17 French aid workers, along with the regular dosage of civilian causalities, rape, killings of infants and bombings of churches and temples. This is a government that didn’t allow fair distribution of aid during the tsunami time and didn’t let John Mackay and various international media outlets visit the North and East. I do not understand how these actions can be considered to be fighting terrorism. — Sarujan Kanapathipillai Electrical engineering
Beware the “space stalkers”
To the editor, Anyone who drives to school has most likely found out that the parking situation has turned into a nightmare. The good old days of leaving for class 20 minutes early are no longer an option due to the overfilled and severely cramped parking lots available to students. Sure you can leave at 8:30 to get a spot and end up hanging out on campus for three hours ‘til your class but let’s be realistic. Sadly,
as a result of this parking dilemma, a new and disturbing phenomenon has emerged, which I simply refer to as “space stalking”. Space stalking is a process that usually seems to start around 10 a.m. An individual, frustrated from the 10-15 minute drive around a full parking lot, will watch and wait for a “returnee” or someone returning from campus to retrieve their car and leave. The “stalking” part comes into play as the parking spot seeker follows the returnee across the lot to their parked car and then takes the spot as that person pulls out. Some space stalkers even have spotters who will keep an eye out and give direction to the driver if they should see someone who could potentially be returning to their car. Obviously, this whole situation is very awkward at best. Imagine returning to your car while listening to music and turning around only to see a carload of staring faces following your every move. Awkward. In the end, maybe this whole scenario will be good incentive for people to start walking, ride a bike, take a bus or even car pool. Who knows? Ultimately, if you are one of the lucky ones who actually does find a parking spot remember to watch your back when you get ready to leave. — Jordan Brenner 4A arts
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Religion not the only source of morality
It is a very common misconception that morals and ethics came to humans directly through or as a side effect of religion. I have often heard conversations between religious and non-religious parties where even the non-religious group automatically concedes that religion has definitely done humanity at least this one service in blessing us with a system without which our civilization would fall to shambles. That if we did not have religion everyone would be looking to kill others, steal from
them or dominate them in some way to get material advantages; that even the people who do not technically believe in God or religion have inherited morals and ethics from their parents or from society and are not ‘bad’ people; that before religion humans had no moral or ethical codes. This attitude, is very irritating, and most absurd. I will try not to attack religion directly and mention its many crimes here, as I do not ‘believe’ in the system of justice that religion has blessed us with, the basic principle of ‘an eye for an eye,’ or generally, ‘do unto others as they have done to you.’ The rule of society outside religion has always been ‘treat others as you want them to treat you.’ But look what I just did! See INSTINCT, page 13
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Page 1
opinion
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
11
Afghanistan weakened by corrupt government
As Youth Rep for the K-W NDP Riding Association and graduate student here at Waterloo, I would like to express my disappointment at the repeated misunderstandings of the NDP position on Afghanistan that Matthew Bondy has shown in his article “Layton wants Canada out of Afghanistan.” Not only is his representation of the NDP inaccurate, but his representation of the conflict in Afghanistan is also seriously flawed. Bondy calls into question the purpose of the mission to Afghanistan as portrayed by Layton, namely to begin a democratic peace process or see that reconstruction efforts and good governance are achieved. He claims that ‘building peace’ is not what we are there to do, but that Canadians are engaged in the great struggle against the horrible, evil terrorists who instigated this war. If I recall correctly, while the Taliban is indeed a terrorist organization, the war was not instigated by them. It was begun by the USA when they decided to carpet bomb bin Laden’s known hideouts in retaliation for the attacks on September 11, 2001. Since they were unable to find bin Laden and his associates, they figured they should at least make the war look noble and turned their sights to ousting the Taliban and setting up a democracy in Afghanistan. Upon ousting the Taliban, the USA, NATO and her Allies, including Canada, were involved in setting up ‘democratic elections’ that saw Hamid Karzai take hold of the presidency and war/drug lords who had each ruled little areas of the country prior to the Taliban were put back in place as members of a ‘democratic’ government. In case you doubt whether or not the men and women of Afghanistan are being served properly by their current government system (which has been proclaimed a success by the US and her allies), I invite you to hear what Malalai Joya, a member of Afghani Parliament from the Farah province has to say. She was a guest at the NDP convention held in Quebec City and she told the delegates of the gross human rights violations against women, including herself, perpetrated by the very men whom Canada has helped to put in power. She spoke specifically of death threats made against her because she spoke out against the atrocities being committed against Afghani women every day; she shared the attempts made on her life, including bombings of her house merely because she had the courage to stand up to the war lords in parliament. The people making the death threats and carrying out attacks were war lords who had been ‘elected’ through electioneering tactics of manipulation, fear, shame and threats to the livelihoods of the average poor Afghan family. These are the men who derided Ms. Joya in Parliament, chanting “Rape Her!” and repeatedly denying her the
rights afforded her by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, simply because she is a woman. When the threats against her were presented to Karzai, she was told to be quiet and remember her place as a woman. Ms. Joya asked the delegates in Quebec City, “When the entire nation is living under the shadow of the gun and warlordism, how can its women enjoy very basic freedoms?” “Contrar y to the propaganda in certain Western media, Afghan women and men are not ‘liberated’ at all,” she said. “Conditions of its women will never change positively as long as the warlords are not disarmed and both the pro-US and anti-US terrorists are removed from the political scene of Afghanistan.” Bondy’s editorial claims that the NDP’s position is akin to negotiating with terrorists and that the party’s stance will not be taken seriously by most Canadians but will only serve to pick up a few more activists in Quebec. If Bondy were right about negotiating with terrorists, then I do not believe the NDP would call for immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. By keeping our men and women inside that country, we are doing just that — we are negotiating with those who want to silence the voices of women, construct a drug trade based on slave labour and return Afghanistan to the dark ages. Bondy claims that “the goal is securing a free and democratic Afghanistan, which recognizes the dignity of its citizens and affirms the rule of law.” If Canadians give their lives to help reconstruct an Afghanistan where the drug trade thrives legally and feudal war lords rule the country at the expense of democracy, good government and human rights, how can we look at ourselves and say that we have accomplished that goal? What can Canadians do? Ms. Joya told the delegates of the convention, “I think that if Canada really wants to help Afghan people and bring positive changes, they must act independently, rather than becoming a tool for implementing the policies of the US government.” The resolution passed in Quebec City does wonders to accomplish that goal. It calls for an end to Canadian involvement in the war on the ground, while significantly increasing our resource and finance commitments to multinational UNled peacekeeping in that country and elsewhere. It calls for a continuation of development assistance for Afghanistan and democratic peace building so that good governance is achieved, not merely a fake democracy where the interests of human rights abusers and war lords are best served. It does not call for negotiating with terrorists nor does it neglect the important need for Canada’s influence in that country. The NDP position is a principled stand for human rights, peace and the construction of a free and democratic Afghanistan, a stand most Canadians would be happy to take. It is not, as Bondy claims, a plea for a few more protest votes from Quebec at the expense of political credibility. — Peter Thurley
JOB OPPORTUNITY We are currently looking to fill the position of Federation Orientation Committee Administrative Coordinator The Federation Orientation Committee Administrative Coordinator will assist the Federation Orientation Committee in the planning and implementing of the cross campus Orientation Week events and other cross committee collaborative efforts. This position will chair cross campus event sub-committees and distribute tasks appropriately amongst the team members. The cross campus events include, but are not limited to, Saturday Night, Monte Carlo, Black and Gold Day, Safe Home Program and the Ask Me Booth. This position will also be responsible for taking the minutes at the weekly Federation Orientation Committee meetings. This position will work part-time (10 hours per week) throughout the winter term and full-time (35 hours per week) throughout the spring term. JOB REQUIREMENTS: Extensive experience as either a Federation Orientation Committee member or an Orientation Leader is essential. Excellent knowledge of all orientation cross campus events. Excellent knowledge of Orientation Week and the goals of the Federation of Students and the University of Waterloo for Orientation Week. Proven event planning experience. Proven communication skills. Proven experience leading committees and managing teams. Excellent writing skills and interpersonal skills. Ability to work independently. HOW TO APPLY: Applicants are asked to submit their resume along with a one-page writing sample on the topic “Before I came to university I wish I had known...” Applications should be submitted no later than Wednesday, September 27, 2006 to Heather FitzGerald, Director, Student Life, NH 3006. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 27, 2006. For a full job description please contact Heather FitzGerald, Director, Student Life, hafitzge@uwaterloo.ca.
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opinion
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Welcome Back Students!
The new age of mean girls
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FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
We’ve all seen the movies — or if you’re ambitious, read the books. From the 18th century novel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, to the modern-day film adaptation, Cruel Intentions, to Mean Girls, stories detailing the malicious actions of the wealthy, beautiful or popular have captured our attention. Yet, for some reason, these extreme stories of deception, seduction and revenge have taken a nastier turn, and gone from simple entertainment to real life. I was watching a Dateline episode last week that pulled me in with its tales of “Real Life Cruel Intentions.” The episode told of a young boy, with slight mental and physical disabilities, who had been deceived by some of the “popular girls” at his high school that they liked him — only so they could turn on him to make fun of him. He committed suicide soon after. All the harassment was done online, through MSN, MySpace and other such popular pastimes. The rest of the episode featured a case study from Brigham Young University, where several middleschool girls were placed into different groups, with a camera, a computer and cell phones at their disposal to try and gain the attention of the “popular crowd” — a group of university students who volunteered for the study. The game soon escalated to level of name-calling, extreme sexual innuendoes and downright nasty conversations. Backstabbing, lying and deceit were rampant among the girls — and this was only make believe. I honestly couldn’t fathom what I saw. The girls were questioned as to whether their actions were commonplace at home, and most of them replied, yes. Over the internet, harassment has become a huge problem. Girls will Photoshop photos of friends at parties and post them online — or worse. When did these extreme tales of bullying and mockery become commonplace in high schools and middle schools around the continent? I don’t
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know about you, but at my high school there may have been petty gossip and clique problems, but nothing as extreme as downright harassment or slander. There were incidents of harassment via MSN, but these were isolated cases that normally resulted in the perpetrator, rather than the recipient, being ostracized. Bitchiness was punished rather than rewarded. So, are these new trends the result of new developments like MSN or Livejournal, or are they result of these popular movies that glamorize mean girls and sluts? One of the most interesting things about the study was how quickly the girls, who all were around 13, got extremely suggestive and sexual with the older “popular” boys. The boys, all university students, found this disconcerting to say the least. Now, when I was in middle school, we sure as hell knew about sex, but I don’t think we were as over-sexed as to overtly proposition a boy nearly ten years our senior. So if the same tools were at our disposal, and most people I knew had digital cameras, cell phones and the internet, why didn’t things escalate to the same level? Is it that, since these technologies are so new, they have merely evolved into the newest form of harassment — or, are we, as a society, producing these “mean girls?” Despite the fact that these movies satirize the dangers of gossip and cliques — even showing the dangers of said actions as it generally backfires in the protagonists face — they still seem to have glamourized it in some way. To be frank, popular culture has once again made being a promiscuous bitch cool. In its wake, it has created legions of girls who are promiscuous bitches. The internet has merely become their tool, because, as one girl states, “it’s easier to forget that there’s a real person on the other end.” It’s not just the fact that the internet makes it easier, it’s also the culture the girls are saturated in. Even toys now are called Bratz instead of Barbies. The antics and catfights of Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan — former preteen idols — are rife in the media. The girls who once idolized them now try to be them, and we are now facing the
BARFLIES
consequences. While some may say they are too young to cause any real damage with their petty fights and antics — ask the parents of the little boy who committed suicide if they think the girls were too young. I’m not advocating the old fall back of “blame the media” because that really isn’t the answer. Les Liaisons Dangereuses has been around for centuries, and Cruel Intentions came out in 1999, and they never seemed to have any kind of adverse effect. No, these “real-life mean girls” aren’t products of the media, they are products of a society that is more obsessed with scandal and intrigue than ever before. There are new tabloids appearing on grocery store shelves almost monthly. We are a society engrossed by gossip. Reality TV, talks shows from Dr. Phil to Jerry Springer, even shows like Dateline all capitalize on this obsession with the outrageous. The market is saturated with it and we gobble it up. In turn, the girls are being fed this kind of slander from countless outlets that trickle right down into everyday life. The fact that these kids are saturated with this slander-culture isn’t the only problem. The media and society as a whole can only be blamed for so much. Shutting down websites such as MySpace isn’t the answer, like Dateline suggests, it’s about education and parenting. When I was little, we had to sit through countless assemblies and campy after-school special style movies about the dangers of bullying. Being a bitch on purpose wasn’t cool — it was stupid. We were taught to be nice first. I can’t count the number of times my mom would tell me, “nice girls don’t gossip.” That doesn’t mean I never did — but I sure as hell never waged a campaign of hate against anyone. From reality TV to celebrity catfights, these girls are constantly being shown glorified images of how being a bitch can get you ahead. Maybe these kids just need to be forced to sit down and watch a marathon of Care Bears — or maybe, just maybe, the parents need to take some ownership and tell them that “little ladies don’t tell tall tales.” acsanady@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Ian Blechschmidt
opinion
Double the standard, double the fun A while ago, I read an editorial regarding the double standard that exists with respect to the sexual proclivities of men and women. You are certainly aware of the notion that promiscuity in men is applauded, while women who share this behaviour are derided as unscrupulous. I’ve always subscribed to the notion that you should live and let live. Anyone can choose to sleep with however many partners they wish, and that’s completely fine with me. Unless you’re a girl, because, I mean that’s just gross. My personal views on promiscuity can be accurately summed up by the old adage — “Why buy the cow some milk, when you can have sex with it for free.” Now I don’t know why anyone would want to have sex with a cow, but there are websites that have literally explored this concept in excruciating detail. The essence of this metaphor, as I understand it, is that if you can have sex without committing to a monogamous relationship, then why bother with dating at all? Don’t allow yourself to be tied down sharing a bed with just one girl. Let’s be honest, emotionally fulfilling relationships are for ugly people. Sharing a profoundly moving romantic connection with a soul mate that understands you in a way no one else does only really happens if you got no ‘game.’ It’s
in a man’s nature to try and spread his seed to the point he’s labeled a pandemic. Genetic diversity is important to the survival of any species, thus men are hardwired to try and inseminate as many different women as they possibly can. That’s a scientific fact. On the other hand, if you are a girl and you sleep with multiple partners, you must obviously be a slut. A floozy, riding the trollop trolley to harlot town — population: you. You should be ashamed for even wanting to be liberated from society’s sexual constructs. With the more partners you have, and the more experience you gain, each successive guy will have a higher chance of appearing unimpressive in bed. Having had absolutely no prior experience, you would find it much more difficult to distinguish good sex from bad sex. I’m not saying this is the reason that guys desire a girl to be pure and virginal, but the greater your ignorance, the better we look. For women, seducing a man can hardly be characterized as arduous. Doing so is akin to… let’s say beating up a midget. There is little question as to its feasibility, but to do so would certainly incur scorn from anyone who witnessed this. Now instead of a midget, imagine pummeling a large psychopathic biker in a bar fight. Not only would this be unquestionably impressive, you would probably take home that cute cocktail waitress who kept giving you bedroom eyes all night. This metaphor would be more analogous to the situation in which men find themselves. As a result of the increased dif-
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ficulty inherent in our pursuit of copulation, male sexual conquests (beating up a recently paroled firebreathing biker) are congratulated, while female sexual conquests (one-punching a crippled midget in the back of the head) can easily be viewed with reproach. At this point you might be asking how is it to be reconciled that men achieve their genetically ordained objective to sleep many different women while preserving the chastity of the general female population. The great natural philosopher Pliny the Elder toiled at this conundrum ever since he was Pliny the Minor, but in my brief earthly tenure, I think I may have come up with a solution. Given the Homosapiens’ coital and gestation characteristics, it has been determined via game theory that the Nash equilibrium for male to female ratio is 1:1. It’s about time we changed this. How about it science? If we can put a man on the moon, we can certainly manipulate our genetic makeup to ensure (at least for future generations) that when he gets back, there is a 1:70 male to female ratio waiting for him at splashdown. Now I’ve heard some people say that my views characterize women as objects whose express purpose is the gratification of men. I’m not arguing this, I jut thought I’d point out that people say that. But they also say that what I write is sexist, baseless and inflammatory. These angry feminazis really just need to get laid — but only once. I’m Brendan Pinto and I’m single (by choice), so tell your friends. bpinto@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Instinct: animals don’t need religion to live Continued from page 10
For those who have enough sanity to not oppose biological evolution, here is a thought: the evolution of morals and ethics. It is all very silly and simple. Even animals are not seen killing their own species unless in desperate circumstances, under which humans behave no better to this day. In primitive times with no religion, as humans evolved more sophisticated brains and their thinking power rapidly surpassed any other living thing on the planet, they were bound to grow conscious of their superiority to other animals. It is inevitable that the individuals would learn, if only through direct experience and not any conscious
POSTSCRIPT
thought, the advantages of working in groups and supporting each other. The numbers of our kind grew because of an ability to adapt to changing environments that the evolution of our brain had equipped us with, it had to be accompanied by an evolution in behaviour and group dynamics, a conscious realization and invention of some laws that were necessary for peaceful co-existence within the same species or at least within the smaller groups or packs. And as clearly seen through the way that even the vast majority of animals behave towards their own species and even towards most other species of animals, this evolution is simply a strengthening of inherent traits. All of these are slow processes,
13
and the way that we are now is because of the way we have been. Religion did not suddenly make humans out of beasts. We are not inherently bad or evil. As religion would have it, we were all probably at each others’ throats until God sent some messengers to show us good and evil and give us morals and social codes. If we did not have the simple intellect to devise ways of existing together peacefully, we would never have even started on the way to become the most dominant force on this planet. So please theists, stop using the morality and ethics argument whenever you attempt to wander through the territory of logical thought. It is getting old. — Ali Alavi
Graham Moogk-Soulis
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Imprint
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Friday, september 22, 2006
Neal Moogk-Soulis
crossword Across
What should we do with Federation Hall? By Anya Lomako
“Turn it into a music club with live shows & DJs. Can’t go wrong with clubbin’.” Brent Laurence
“Make it a speed-dating service.” Kristina Pauk & Alison Higgins
“Turn it into a strip club.” Nick Jovanoski
“Keep it as a club and have more promotional events. ” Jason Hafgartner
3B biology 3B kinesiology
2A mechatronics eng
2A honours arts
1. Manmade watercourse 6. Pacific salmon 10. Flea market barter 14. Nigerian port city 15. Keener 16. North Brazilian river 17. Sky-bearing Titan 18. In Maslow’s heirarchy 19. Eras 20. Yukon capital 22. Due monthly 23. Sleepy times 24. Spanish break 26. Sound of escaping steam 30. Indicates a woman’s maiden name 31. Conical, spinning plaything 32. Polish text 33. The fourth bone listed in camp song “Dry Bones” 35. Was not 39. Fall off the wagon 41. Hindu deities 43. Charlie Brown’s sister 44. Flightless bird 46. Steak-worthy fish 47. French heroine’s maiden name 49. Large shade tree 50. Prima donna 51. Extinct Toyota model 54. Not here 56. Assist criminally 57. Not important 63. Multiple sites 64. Inconclusive 65. Hawk’s nest 66. Tied rope 67. March fifteenth 68. Anti-wheelchair entrance 69. Afterwards 70. To neglect 71. Breakfast bread
1A physics
September 15 Solution
“Casino that up, yo!” T.J.
“Burn it to the ground.” Tom & TJ
“Open it up to underyears then turn the balcony into VIP licensed section.” Jordan Dunn
“Licensed on-campus movie theatre with cheap prices.” Dave Mortindale
2A rec & leisure
6B rec & leisure
3A arts & business 3A arts history
2A georgraphy
Down
1. Diamand imperfection 2. Plaster backing 3. Tangerine-grapefruit hybrid 4. Castle defense 5. Industrial German metropolis 6. Kitchen gadget 7. Managerial role 8. Speeds along 9. Freak show winner 10. Leftover bits 11. Take home pay 12. Are not 13. Marco Polo Asian culinary find 21. Prolific American actor 25. John Wayne’s home state 26. Not his 27. Original concept 28. Supporting timber
29. Calcium carbonate hanging in caves 34. Alpine perennial in the Sound of Music 36. Porn shop mainstay 37. Gaurdian dog in Peter Pan 38. Russian monarch 40. Viking burial 42. Turkish porter 45. Funereal fleet 48. Medical establishment 51. High level negotiations 52. Black 53. Frt. line survey 55. Makes bread rise 58. Police driver screening program 59. Motion killing vote 60. Two dimensional surface 61. Tiny drinks 62. Short exam
F eatures A bright new beginning in Waterloo Friday, september 22, 2006
Imprint
15
features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Features Editor: Kinga Jakab Features Assistant: Ellen Ewart
Tariku Kebede reporter
When I learned the date that my flight had been booked, I could not stand the anticipation. However, I had been told that my admission to Canada was still pending, so I still wasn’t sure if it was really going to happen. In the beginning, I did not know much about the University of Waterloo. I went to browse at the public internet centre. There, usage is charged per minute on the old computers running on a tortoise-paced network. I worked in Kakuma as a temporary teacher of English, math and science. I was paid 100 Kenyan shillings per day (equivalent to approximately $2/day). I used about 60 minutes time ($1.20) to learn more about my university, especially the co-op program and the software engineering program that I had heard about on CNN. During this process, I asked myself one question: “Do I really deserve this?” I had just completed my Grade 12 in one of the world’s poorest country in a take-it or leave-it high school environment. Forget comparing my high school to the world, even compared to other schools in Kenya, the refugee high schools are hanging from the bottom. In preparing to leave, I had to resign from my teaching job and say goodbye to everybody in my community. I also had to deal with the International Organization for Migration who, thankfully, completed my medical exams a mere 10 days before my expected departure from Kakuma. The day before my departure brought bad news as tension in the refugee camp arose from the shooting of three refugees by an unidentified gunmen. As a result, some refugees went to seek revenge on the host community
Courtesy Tariku Kebede
Tariku Kebede in Kenyan refugee camp. He went from a refugee high school to studying science at UW. known as the Turkana, indigenous peoples living in Kenya outside of the refugee camp area. Although there are a few harsh men from the Turkana tribe, they are the friendliest community I have ever met. They are nomads and are easy to approach. Drought often affects them as they raise cattle for their livelihood. Nourishment from a cup of milk mixed with fresh blood along with a daily nap can be enough to sustain them for more than three days. Incredibly, some are fat and strong and highly resilient to diseases. For example, Turkanans could eat dead domestic animals, no matter how long the carcasses had been lying on the ground. The people are not normally scavengers; but it was life that forced them to do this. We do many things to make sure we
Keep your cool en route
On the highway of life, there are many pitstops. On one of the more recent pitstops, I got to thinking about just how deeply transportation has permeated how we relate to each other. Not only has driving become part of our identity, it has also changed the way we interact with other people. We would never put up with the things we put up with were we not in a car. The biggest change I’ve seen, and the most shocking, is how we treat other people when we’re on the road. Can you imagine how different life would be if people were equipped with horns and high beams? Occasionally, if you live in a dangerous neighbourhood, you may witness a high speed chase. You’ll see some young guy running down the street full tilt and right behind him are police officers with their radios blaring. However, if the young man falls and breaks his leg, and the police wait with him until an ambulance arrives, you probably will not witness a slowdown of pedestrian traffic to watch. Nor will you see others with similar injuries because they were watching the accident and not where they were going. We commit road rage because we know we’re in the safety of our car. Have you ever walked out of a store in front of someone, forcing them to slow down and when you finally get home and they’ve followed you.
“Hey, dickhead, you cut me off back there!” “Where?” you would probably ask, perplexed. “Back at the IGA. Don’t pretend you didn’t notice.” Cars make us think we’re invincible. They become extensions of us. I know I get a little freaked out sometimes when I’m driving at 130 km/h on the 401 and it occurs to me that I’m just sitting in a seat working the controls for the car. I’m not really driving. I’m just piloting this heap (and my car is a heap). If you mentally detach yourself from your car for a minute, it can really mess with your head. Either that or it was the gas leak in my car. So why is it that we act so differently in cars? Is it the isolation? Our four door sedans become little bubbles that stop us from being part of our society? Maybe if we all had microphones and speakers installed in our car that broadcast our words and thoughts to everyone else, we’d take things more seriously. We definitely wouldn’t curse about what the other person is doing. I know a few people who would limit the racial slurs they use when driving. Just because you’re encased in steel and glass, with a radio and cup-holders, it doesn’t mean you’re not interacting with other people. In fact, since we’re traveling at speeds that exaggerate every movement and decision we make, we need to take those interactions more seriously. So be a courteous driver. Drive with your windows down for a few more weeks, before it gets too cold. Talk to the other drivers if you can, or at the very least, treat them like other people, not enemies who could steal your spot in traffic. janstett@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
stay alive and that’s what they did. It is ironic, now I am here at Waterloo and see the many Canadian geese and ducks on the fields on campus unafraid of becoming a meal for the many students walking past each day. I travelled by bus with two others for two days to get to Nairobi from Kakuma. From Nairobi I flew to Canada. My travels from Kakuma were very difficult, but the experience was an adventure. As we passed police checkpoints, I saw the conductor shaking some of the Kenyan policemen hands exchanging money. Thanks to the efforts of the government’s anti-corruption unit, these events have significantly been reduced. To leave out any horrific details about the restaurants and the roads, I suggest that anybody who wants to travel consider doing so by air.
In total, we were about 38 people, including some of the students from another refugee camp called Daadab. For all of us, our first exposure to the outside world was in the airplane. One refugee in our group unknowingly drank a package of vinegar! When our plane was finally over Toronto, my thoughts flashed back. I thought of my new life beginning. No hopelessness, no constant fear, no inexperienced teachers and no Kiswahili — the official language of Kenya that was mandatory to study. This is a new life, new hope, new future and new freedom. All with the help of God and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and its volunteers, local WUSC committees.
Fed Hall Fantasy returns
After the bar closures in 2003, students were left to find bars in the community that fit their needs. When Bomber finally reopened students flooded the gates — and yet Fed Hall remained empty. Perhaps the push into the community enabled us to finally see that there was a wide range of choice available outside of campus and we never came back. What has happened to Thursday nights? I remember many students excited about dancing the night away in North America’s largest student-owned bar. Well, for those of you not camped outside Fed Hall doors, the bar was indeed open Thursday nights all of last year. Where is the hype? Fed Hall’s website makes no mention of Fantasy Thursdays but if you backtrack to the Federation of Student’s home page you might stumble across an ad for Fantasy Thursdays returning this fall. The downside to this iota of good news is a $5 cover. Why would we pay for our own bar? The poster indicates no more information than “Stay tuned for more details.” What else is there to do on Thursday nights? Ceasars’ popularity is borderline ridiculous, especially considering there is never any toilet paper in the bathrooms after 11:30. Could Fed Hall step up and provide an alternative to the crazy line on University Ave. on Thursday nights? As Feds’ vice-president Renjie Butalid points out, there has been a major shift in trends towards an intimate pub atmosphere rather than the over-sized dance hall.
Currently, the Feds are trying to promote the catering aspect of Fed Hall. The fact remains that Fed Hall is a great venue and when students come for events they have a great time. We may begin to see some positive changes if the newly appointed Fed Hall manager can take on a role of leadership. The Feds would like to see Fed Hall utilized more for special events and catering as a venue rather than pushing the nightclub scene. Having special guests and comedians once a month would likely be very popular as previous attendance has proved. Thursday nights will indeed continue this fall despite the low-key marketing efforts. As for the 19+ rule, it is true and completely the result of the alcohol committee and the university taking greater control over the student establishments. The Feds had no hand in dictating or deciding this. The $5 cover, although offsetting the enormous fixed operations costs of Fed Hall, may perpetuate what Butalid notes as the main problem of attendance. “The number one issue is that students don’t go to Fed Hall.” Existing in the shadow of Bomber’s popularity, it’s hard to see clearly and realize that 200 people at Bomber is a great success, but 200 people at Fed Hall isn’t much due to its size. You need at least 400-500 people to make Fed Hall look like it’s moving. If you want an active role in shaping the future of Fed Hall, show up on Clubs Day, find Dave McDougall, the clubs director, and join the UW Crew that deals with event planning. Since this is the direction Fed Hall is taking, get involved and make sure these special events are frequent and awesome. If you just want to party, have hope and stay tuned for Fed Hall’s $2.75 nights: $2.75 cover, $2.75 food, $2.75 “everything else.” — Ellen Ewart
features
16
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
features
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
17
Architecture students take university experience into their own hands Kinga Jakab features editor
ALLOY MEDIA & MARKETING
BOS000445B Jim Ferreira
9/22/2006
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N/AChantal Cornu Courtesy
Site information for Grand House.
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When UW’s architecture students moved to Cambridge in 2004, many of them learned about the challenges of finding clean, affordable housing. Probably the greatest challenge is finding housing close to the new school of architecture. When Chantal Cornu began her Master’s thesis, it was to address “a need to provide affordable housing to architecture students.” Cornu went to UW for seven years and knows what the housing is like in Waterloo — student housing everywhere and the majority of those give easy access to UW campus. That, combined with rising tuition, inspired her to begin designing the Grand House, an incorporated non-profit housing co-op, which is expected to house 12 architecture students at any given time. Cornu mentioned that Cambridge housing is “horrendous” and finding affordable rent is difficult. Since the students’ move to Cambridge many landlords have altered lease agreements to accommodate the mandatory co-op program in Architecture — many of the students can sign leases for four-month periods. Of course, only after they have settled on a house. During the first term of the architecture students living in Cambridge, a group of them were living in duplexes on a tiny street nicknamed “Cock Alley” where a prostitute would come knocking on their doors at all hours of the night. New housing is
a blessing. Cornu boasts that the 4,000 square foot Grand House is a “method of collaborating between the architecture students and the community.” Generous corporate sponsorship from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Co-op General Insurance and the Ontario Co-op Association totalled $23,000 in grants and a loan of $10,000. They also made sure to have workshops and tutorials for the business aspects of Cornu’s vision for the Grand House. The July issue of Waterloo’s alumni newsletter detailed the plans for the house. “The building will employ straw bale construction, recycled wood for the flooring, non-toxic paint, solar panels, a green roof and a wastewater and grey-water filtration and recycling system. In consultation with students from other disciplines and community professionals, construction is slated to begin this fall.” Cornu believes that the extremely environmentally friendly house is not only significantly less wasteful, but also “easier” to build and it guarantees affordability for the students living there because of the cheaper utility bill. She emphasizes that the project should be handled “in a way that’s responsible.” The architecture students are responsible for building the house because Cornu feels it’s important that it’s “an educational process for the students, by the students.” This summer commenced “BuyA-Bale” where donations could
be made by buying a bale of straw — what the house will essentially be made of. Last week they raised the necessary $50,000 to buy the plot of land and Cornu’s vision can officially be set in motion. They’ve since moved onto a second “Buy-A-Bale” project to physically start building the house. Monetary and material donations for the house are welcomed. Cornu estimates they will start building the Grand House by winter this year and hopes to be finished by fall term of 2007. Visit www.wacsa.org to find out more. kjakab@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Highlights of the Grand House q An incorporated non-profit housing co-op. q Will be constructed of straw bale and recycled wood for flooring. q Will utilize non-toxic paint. q Will have a solar panel and a green roof. q Will have a wastewater and grey-water filtration and recycling system.
Courtesy Chantal Cornu
Artistic rendering of how the Grand House is expected to look.
features
18
En Français: crêpes à maman
As a youngster, nothing beat waking up to brunch on the weekends. One of my favourites was a crêpe recipe my mom conjured up. Always in anticipation, I would devour these treats, bathing them in warm maple syrup. Crêpes, the French equivalent of pancakes, have captivated an exclusive audience for some time, indulged in by those who frequent fine dining establishments, which serve it as a dessert or as an appetizer. The delicate nature of these paper-thin creations needn’t shy anyone
from trying this recipe. All it requires is getting the temperature of the pan right, and having a bit of patience. This recipe contains eggs which are great sources of nutrition. Egg whites are a source of protein and riboflavin, and the yolk itself offers protein, iron, vitamins A and D, and choline (a nutrient that aids in cardiovascular functions as well as preserving memory). Crêpes can be eaten with sweet fillings such as whipped cream, or savoury ones such as a cheese sauce. Method:
Whisk the water, milk, eggs, flour and salt until blended. Add the butter and stir until you get a smooth batter. Let stand for 1 hour or refrigerate until ready to use. Set aside a baking sheet and line one half with paper towel.
To cook, set a skillet over medium heat, (if you have a crêpe pan use it, if not, don’t worry about it. Just make sure to rub the pan with oil if if the skillet is not non-stick.) When the pan is hot enough (a drop of water sizzles on it), pour in 2 tablespoons of batter and quickly coat the bottom of the pan evenly. If there happens to be a few holes, that’s all right, just leave it. Adding batter will cause the crêpe to be doughy. Cook until the crêpe starts to brown around the edges and pulls away from the sides of the pan (about 45 seconds). At this point, if the crêpe is browning too quick, lower the heat, if it is not browning enough, turn the heat up a bit. Run a table knife around the crêpe to loosen the edges, then carefully slip the knife under the crêpe and gently
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water 1/2 cup milk 2 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
turn onto the other side to finish cooking (about 30 more seconds). Slide the crêpe onto the paper towel to prevent steam from developing. When they cool down, set them on the other half of the baking sheet to make a finished stack. Serve with your choice of toppings. Makes about 18 6-inch crêpes. If not serving within one hour, wrap the crêpes in plastic wrap and refrigerate. tli@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Shore,
a fresh return for STJ
Steven R. McEvoy
chael Higgins moving to St. Thomas 1998. She is a passionate and engag- Will any of these notary speakers be asked University, the public face of SJU ing speaker. I admire her personal to return under your directorship? We try to get a good blend of is already undergoing a fairly major commitment to social justice that speakers who can speak to the polititransformation. Former director stems from her faith. At many of the lectures in the past, cal, social and cultural issues facing of the centre, David Seljak, did a remarkable job making the lecture undergraduate attendance appears to be Canadians today. Our purpose isn’t series one of the most respected in minimal — 15 to 25 per cent. Do you to advance just one viewpoint in the country, so I will primarily be have any plans on how to increase this the series, but to provide as many perspectives as possible. This is why student participation? following his lead. we try to avoid over-exposThis year’s series has fewer ing speakers. lectures than the past few years. With teaching at King’s Is there any specific reason for University College at University that change? of Western Ontario in London We usually try to have at this year, do you foresee any difleast one lecture a month ficulties carrying out your duties during the academic year. as director of the program? That is how I focused on I have amazing support setting up the program so at both St. Jerome’s Univerthere was no conscious desity and King’s University cision to hold fewer lectures College. this year. Last year we had a Most importantly, I have few “extra” lectures, which Carol Persin helping me were actually re-scheduled at St. Jerome’s, so I don’t lectures from the previous believe there should be any years — weather and the difficulties carrying out my health of a speaker or two duties. a few years back meant we From your new seat as direchad to cancel one or two tor, is there anything you would lectures. The number of like to share with the readers lectures fluctuates each Steven R. McEvoy of Imprint, either about the year. All but one of the lectures Dr. Megan Shore, director of the St. Jerome’s Centre or your role there or even about yourself ? have some type of corporate Centre for Catholic Experience. I’m honored to be headsponsorship. Are you actively ing up this lecture series. seeking new partnerships for We realize students are busy and David Seljak and those associated more lectures, and if so, with whom? I wouldn’t say they have corpo- they typically see Friday nights as with the lecture series over the years have set a very high standard. rate sponsorship. All of our lectures “down time.” Still, a number of have been endowed through gener- lectures do attract the undergrad For example, our new partnership with CBC reflects the quality of ous gifts to St. Jerome’s. We have population. In the past, lectures by Helen lectures. a tradition of highlighting these Because we are now working names in our programs and in the Prejean, Joe Clark and Romeo Dallecture to show our thanks. I’m laire, brought out large numbers with the Ideas program on CBC not actively seeking new partner- of undergrads. This year I think radio, all of Canada will be able ships or endowments, but they are undergrads will find the lectures to take part in a lecture series that always welcome. Our development by James Loney [the Canadian held has a tremendous local and regional office, under the direction of Harry hostage in Iraq in Nov-Dec 2005] reputation. Being a part of this kind Froklage, is usually the point person and Adele Reinhartz [on religion of forward-looking lecture series is and Hollywood…the CBC lecture] truly exciting. on this. What would you advise today’s unGoing back to your days as an un- particularly exciting. This year, as well as in past years, the dergraduates based upon your years and dergraduate at UW, did you attend any of the lectures? Did you have a favourite Centre has had some very big names in experience in academia? Study what you love. If you have lectures, such as Jean Vanier, Sr. Helen speaker or series? Yes I attended events when I Prejean, Henri Nouwen, Joe Clark, passion for what you are studying, was a student. It would be hard to Romeo Dallaire, Karen Armstrong, John it won’t seem like work! pick one favourite, but if I had to, L. Allen Jr. and many, many more. Are I would say Sr. Helen Prejean in you specifically courting any for next year? smcevoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
staff reporter
After beginning her academic career at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Megan Shore has returned to St. Jerome’s University (SJU) as staff, with a new leadership role. Dr. Shore is now the director of the St. Jerome’s Centre for Catholic Experience. The centre’s first lecture is this Friday, when Dr. William F. Ryan S.J. will be speaking on “Globalization and Catholic Social Thought: Present Crisis, Future Hope” at Siegfried Hall 7:30p.m. Dr. Shore recently took some time from her busy schedule to answer some questions for Imprint. Imprint: Megan you began your university career at UW before moving on to an MA at Dalhousie University and a PhD. at the University of Leeds. Is taking the role as Director of the St. Jerome’s Centre for Catholic Experience a homecoming of sorts for you? Shore: I guess you could call this a homecoming; however, I never really left St. Jerome’s. Although I have lived in many different places, I have remained connected to members of the St. Jerome’s faculty and staff and community. What excites you most about this year’s lecture series and your role in bringing it to fruition? I am excited about our topic “Catholic Social Teachings.” This is a great opportunity to discuss this “best kept secret” and raise awareness of the social justice dimension of the Catholic tradition. Too often Catholicism is equated almost exclusively with sexuality. The reality is that the Catholic tradition has a long history of promoting just labour practices, a fair distribution of wealth and sustainable development. These are some of the topics we want to highlight this year. This being your freshman year as director, is there anything you intend to do differently? Any big changes you see for the future of the series? I don’t plan on changing things too much because the series is already so successful. Besides, with David Seljak stepping down as director and Mi-
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features
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Surviving on the budget of a student can be trying — especially when new shoes, a new laptop or a case of beer all fall above food on your list of priorities. We at Features challenge you to come up with the best meal idea under $5. While you’re at it, send us the outcomes of your trials: What you made, price breakdown of ingredients, photo if possible and any other relevant details. It’s never too late to participate in this challenge. See what others submit and try to outdo them. Send proof and a description of your efforts to: features@imprint. uwaterloo.ca Happy Eating!
19 Work on Campus - Earn $10/hour! The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is looking for students with great interpersonal skills to assist with Know the Score, an interactive awareness program designed to prevent gambling-related problems among young adults.
The program will visit University of Waterloo campus from October 23 - 26. Students must be available to attend a paid training session on Sunday, October 22nd from 11 am - 2 pm.. Apply online before October 13, 2006 at www.knowthescore.ca/on/jobs.cfm
20
Arts Imprint
Friday, september 22, 2006
arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Arts Editor: Margaret Clark Arts Assistant: Dinh Nguyen
UW’s The Hitman hits and misses Jeffrey Kum reporter
On September 18 the UW Chinese Drama Club put on their fifth annual stage production: The Hitman, a murder mystery fused with a modern cop thriller. The performance was staged at Theatre of the Arts (Modern Languages), with an audience of over 400 students. The audience even included members from student organizations outside UW, with the production reaching unprecedented commercial success since the Chinese Drama Club was first established in 2002. Without formal training of theatre arts and production, the Chinese Drama Club still produced a quite impressive show consisting of a cast of 30 and a crew of 56. From the very first impression, The Hitman showed well with its audience: the programme was very well-organized and illustrated, the first 300 audience members received a free gift upon entry, and the prologue was presented in a very special fashion. Namely, what seemed to be a usual greeting from the director was actually a murder scene and part of the play. Unfortunately, last year’s production, Starz Boulevard, brought in high expectations — which made The Hitman pale in comparison. This is not to say the show lacked in production values, because there were significant improvements with stage direction. This was especially notable in that the theatre space was fully utilized for the creative movement and placement of actors. Scene changes were also very efficient, with voice-overs or actors performing within the audience between scenes. No time was wasted. The dialogue itself was very mature, yet did not lack a sense of humour to lighten the mood. The script was reinforced with voice performances from a well rehearsed cast. The show’s highlights came from actors Ken Ip, Ian Cheng and Leo Leung, who demonstrated genuine acting talent throughout the show. At
full colour
Courtesy of Fraser Smith
The cast and crew of the UW Chinese Drama Club celebrate another successful production of The Hitman. times the audience got quite a bit of close-up action in the intimate venue. Although the dialogue was well written, there were too many scene changes in the performance — a facet that made it difficult to anchor the story to a central setting. While the script might have been great for a movie, it did not really suit the atmosphere of a stage production. It felt almost like random clippings being mashed together, with a major weakness being the ending, which manifested more as a cliffhanger than a conclusion.
Ultimately, The Hitman’s biggest gains were achieved through the very effective technical production. Special effects using sound and lighting were exceptionally well done, the audience laughed when the undercover cop’s shoes were falling off while she was dragged across the stage, and the use of gunshots was timely enough to shock the audience. The creation of settings was also superbly done; the props in particular were prepared in great detail. Make-up and costume were fitted for all characters. It was also impressive that
they had invited six professional hairstylists for hair design. Overall, The Hitman received a lukewarm reaction: Well prepared. Well rehearsed. But underwritten. The effort that was put into the play was evident and dramatic improvements were likewise evident throughout the production. Still, the heart of the performance, the script, had room for improvement. The general hope is that this year’s experience will allow the Chinese Drama Club to come back next year in full force.
Barefoot in the Park kicks up matrimonial hilarity Alexander Lunde reporter
Have you ever wondered if the people who wrote old fairytales ever actually got married? The majority of fairytales and romantic comedies end with phrases like “and they lived happily ever after,” as if “boy-meets-girl,” the courtship, and getting the couple to the altar were the be-all and end-all of anything. Anyone who’s ever been in a marriage or an extended relationship of any type knows that this is only the beginning of the story. People have habits, objects, lifestyle preferences that their partner doesn’t necessarily share, which can explode into terrible conflict as the two partners struggle to define their relationship. This is what the riotously funny and slyly insightful Neil Simon play Barefoot in the Park is all about. Paul and Corrie are the couple in question. They are newlyweds in the 1960s who have just finished their six-day honeymoon in which the couple have found, to quote Corrie, “What Love means, on a romantic and spiritual level.” So now that the honeymoon is over, it’s time for Paul to settle into his new job as a lawyer and the apartment that Corrie has found for them. The apartment is in an old brownstone located on the sixth floor — fifth if you don’t count the stoop. There is no elevator, the oven catches on fire whenever Corrie tries to cook and the stained glass skylight ceiling is broken. At first there’s no furniture, the room is a collection of quirks and defects waiting for colour, structure
and experience, very much like the couple that inhabits it. Paul comes home exhausted after his first day of work and his wife asks him what he thinks of the place. She says that she expected him to say “Wow” — which he is able to do, but only after his wife has told him to. Corrie wants to get naughty, but he has his first legal case tomorrow, so Corrie’s briefs are the last ones on his mind (to her dismay). This is just the first in a series of wrinkles that threatens to undo what was by all accounts a spectacular honeymoon. The next is Corrie’s mother, a protective middle-aged widow struggling to deal with her loneliness and how to relate to her daughter. During her visit to the apartment, she mentions how she’s thinking about getting a job soon. When Corrie asks her what she wants to be now, she answers back “A grandmother.” To top things off, the neighbours are crazy, and in the course of dealing with one minor crises after another, the differences between the two became drastically apparent. The question then becomes can a marriage between such diametrically opposite people work, even with all the love in the world? At heart, this play revolves around mismatched couples trying to negotiate their way through new love. As such, two qualities are important in the leads: They have to seem like they’re feverishly in love, yet establish themselves as strong personalities that insist on having things their way. I can honestly say
that both Anna Hardwick as Corrie and Adrien Marchuk as Paul are both equal to the task of delivering the dialogue. Hardwick’s Corrie is vivacious, delivering her dialogue with a flirtatious sparkle and a great sense of timing. Marchuk on the other hand is quite proper, and is able to convey his character’s misgivings about his wife’s choice of apartment and her spontaneous nature without overplaying it too early. The romantic interplay is frisky and witty, yet when the two of them start hurling dialogue daggers at each other, the audience will wince in their seats, especially at the obvious bitter relish that Paul takes in asserting both his paternal and legal authority in the critical fight scene. Backing them is a solid supporting cast, whose highlights include the scene-stealing Costin Manu (the delighfully nutty Mr. Velasco), Lynn Vogt as Corrie’s reserved mom and University of Waterloo Prof. Trevor Copp serving a crucial role as the telephone repairman. He gets to serve as Corrie’s confidant, a job trade. This gives him the most profound line in the entire production, as it not only a pragmatic piece of advice, it sums up the theme of the play in one line. Together, the fleshed out supporting cast help bring the kind of humour and insight which makes Neal Simon comedies worth watching. The set design was done by Sean Mulcahy, and he has done a fantastic job. Elaborate painting techniques are evident throughout the entire design. The graffitied walls, the evident water damage and the old style stove give the appro-
priate feeling of age. The floor has also been painted to the texture of wooden floorboards, and the appearance was fairly convincing. He also found a way to construct the apartment so that it has a working stairway, a kitchenette and furniture (when it arrives) spread throughout the entire stage, creating the illusion of an actual room without cutting down audience visibility. The actors make excellent use of all the space, from the too small bedroom to the bathroom without an actual tub. The best touch of all is the ceiling and roof portion. Most of the ceiling is lined with irregular panels of what looked like stained glass, which look absolutely fantastic. There is also a section of roof overhead of the apartment, with a rail which becomes important during two hilarious bits of business. The show runs until October 1. Tickets are either $25-$29 on evenings and $10 for an afternoon matinée. For showtimes and more information about either the show or the company, go to www.theatreandcompany.org.
Correction Shuvo Rahman (not Ralaman) was one of the two writers reporting on last week’s Metric and Wintersleep orientation week concert.
arts
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Knives Don’t Have Your Back Last Gang Records
The thought of Emily Haines of Metric fame releasing a solo album after only two Metric albums have reached the shelves of your local record store might instill a general feeling of fear and uneasiness in fans of her group musical efforts. A message to you worrywarts: Haines’ work with the extremely talented musicians called “The Soft Skeleton” is only a side project, there is plenty more Metric music still to come. Speaking of Haines’ previous work, most of this album is nothing like Metric. Sure Haines’ gorgeous voice still haunts every track, but combined with soft piano chords and whispered strings, the entire CD is incredibly subdued when compared to the majority of the tracks on either Metric’s Old World Underground or Live it Out. For those of you with knowledge of Metric’s musical archive, the one track I could possibly compare this album to is “Ending Start” from the band’s second album, Live it Out — but really, even that song is too upbeat when pitted against what Haines and her Soft Skeleton crew have to offer. Fortunately for Haines, by making an album so completely different from her usual works she is now able to capture new fans more into pianooriented female singers like Tori Amos. And what about Haines’ pre-existing fans? I refer you to my previous reference: this album wonderfully displays Haines’ amazing voice. As a standard fare for Haines, the singer’s great lyrical prowess also storms centre stage on this album. This time, however, Haines’ vocal musings are much more tentative and vulnerable in comparison to the usual
clever and witty banter displayed on her Metric albums. The true beauty of this album, however, is the intensely private nature of each and every track, thus making each song feel like another page torn out of Haines’ personal diary. The resulting “guilty pleasure” sensation is intoxicating — once Haines gets herself inside of your head, you simply cannot keep your ears away. — Suzanne Gardner
Hellogoodbye Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! Drive-Thru Records
I’d love to be a fly on the wall at a record store to see what types of people are actually buying this record. My hypothesis, which has yet to be proven wrong, is high school kids in AFI t-shirts who are a little upset at the world because they caught their dad in a bra and panties putting on lipstick when they got home from summer camp. On their debut full-length, Hellogoodbye have somehow fooled people into thinking this CD is worth any more than the cardboard boxes in which the copies were shipped out. This album sounds to me like a bunch of dorks thinking that if they play watered down Motion City Soundtrack songs with lyrical content on par with your 11 year old sister’s diary, minus the training bra incidents, that they could actually make some money. To their credit, they did a great job in not overestimating the intelligence of their audience. This is a bland, uninspired synth-pop album with no energy and have songs with extremely clichéd structures, but the fact that the album artwork, song titles and carnie singer are so cute
September 23: Stories of Substance: “celebrating creativity, the earth and the art of feeding ourselves” — 44 Queen Street South. 7p.m. - 12a.m. — $8 September 23: Stitch N’ Kitsch Craft Sale — First United Church 10a.m. - 5p.m. — Money required to purchase merchandise
and cuddly has won them over with the post-pubescent scenesters that pollute the Warped Tour. Trust me, this album is not good. Your little brother leaves more appealing things in the gym sock under his mattress. — Andrew King
out the vocals to the point where it was difficult to make out the lyrics without opening the cover booklet. To their credit, it’s an overall fun, high energy sound. While nothing in particular grabbed my attention, many of the tracks would still be a nice addition to any party mix. — Brendan Pinto
Rum Runner Rum Runner in Guns at Cyrano’s Stumble Records
Rum Runner officially entered the music scene in the fall of 2001. A self-declared punk rock and roll band, the ranks have swelled from three to five since their creation. Rum Runner in Guns at Cyrano’s is their second album out in stores since June 13. The first thing that struck me in the initial play through is the unusual use of a banjo. It does not come across as a twangy bluegrass type sound and definitely adds positively to many of the tracks. The next most prominent quality I found was the occasional use of harmonizing that gives most music the feel of an Irish drinking song. “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” does offer a nice short, but telling example of how the banjo is included with measured subtlety, so as not to draw too much focus. As a track, however, it stands alone in that the tempo throughout the rest of the album is quite swift. Something that bothered me while listening was the hollow sound created by a palm-muted guitar in various songs that didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the ambience. Since I’m partial to albums containing a variety of different sounds, I was a bit disappointed. Many of the songs on the album give you a vague sense of déjà vu, but that doesn’t mean that there’s a great deal of creative production. Unfortunately, at times the instruments drown
Brandtson Hello, Control The Militia Group
Brandtson is a great indie rock band who writes great, listenable songs without any gimmicks, as proven by their extensive and impressive back catalogue, which includes great, yet very different albums like Letterbox and Send us a Signal. Being familiar with the band, I didn’t expect Hello, Control to sound like either of those releases, as Brandtson have always done a great job exploring new territory with their records. While this formula has yet to be proven to be flawless, they have produced some impressive material. This album finds the band exploring a more dance oriented sound, with more upbeat rock songs leaving it heavy on the synthesizer and ambient effects. Overall, the record is a reasonably fun listen, with a few great hooks and some interestingly fresh ideas; however, I can’t help but feel that the band seems to have gotten lost in their own ambition on their sonic explorations. I still think Brandtson is a great band, and so I recommend checking out their back catalogue, eventually working your way into this record. If you’re like me and are kind of digging the new, pop sound, but are left with an uncomfortable aftertaste, try the Men, Women and Children album instead. I’m not
totally behind Hello, Control, but I do look forward to following these guys further along in the future. — Andrew King
Circadian 5th Projekt Organik Rekords
This album dropped late in the summer after a long genesis. 5th Projekt is a Toronto-based quartet formed in 2003 that describe themselves as a “cinematic rock band.” You can hear their multitude of influences in each song; no two songs are alike. This album is one great kaleidoscopic orgy of sound. True to independent form, the band has added all sorts of experimentation. The four-piece band is in itself an orchestra with listed instruments going well beyond the guitar, bass and drums to include the “gna gna,” a pint glass and field recordings. Each song evokes a different theme. “In a Coma” and “Glockenspiel” bring to mind a hard and fast action movie with appropriate reverb, ethereal voices and solemnity all piled into one track. “Broken Like This” brings to mind a quirky art movie. At the same time, likely because of the wide range on influences, this is music that you think you’ve heard before. Listening to a track is like playing drop the needle on anything produced in the last 50 years. You’ll likely hear a bar or riff of a Tara Reid-like voice traveling up and down your spine, hitting you where it counts. At the same time, her voice has a fragility that brings to mind a clear crystal that could break at a moments notice. This is not music to play softly in the privacy of your own room. This is music to share. Loudly and from the rooftops. — Neal Moogk-Soulis
September 24: UW Dance Pak Auditions — PAC Studios 6p.m.
The Imprint team is listening to... Muse — “Knights of Cydonia”
September 23: Sundance Pow Wow: drumming, dancing and vendors — St. Paul’s green grass area 12p.m. - 5p.m. — Free admission
Collective Soul —“Heavy”
September 24: Baird Trio: Violin, Piano and Cello — KWCMS Music Room 8p.m. — reg $25, sr $20, st $15
Sufjan Stevens — “Springfield”
September 24: Word on the Street, National book and magazine festival — Victoria Park 11a.m. - 5p.m. — Free admission
21
Sleater-Kinney — “Modern Girl”
Belle & Sebastian — “Sleep the Clock Around” Stravinsky — “Right of Spring”
September 24: BOCCE: Reality Sandwhich — Starlight 9p.m. — $7 September 25: Intro to contact dance workshop — Waterloo Community Arts Centre (W.C.A.C.) 5p.m. - 7p.m. — $15 September 29: East Asian Festival Literary Event: feat. story telling by Noriko Yamamoto — Renison College 12p.m. - 1p.m. — Free admission September 29: Joel Plaskett, Ill Scatlet and Pocket Dweller : A Diversity Celebration — Federation Hall 9p.m. — Price not listed
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22
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Text tackles Aboriginal Warrior hits a wall, never issues in B.C. context reaches its second wind
Tony Penikett Reconciliation: First Nations Treaty Making in British Columbia Douglas and McIntyre
When I picked up this book, my knowledge of Aboriginal land claims was limited to what I had picked up in a native studies course and what I’d picked up in the popular press. Of course lately, the news has been periodically dominated by the events in Caledonia where a lengthy native occupation thrust native land claims to the fore. Tony Penikett’s Reconciliation: First Nations Treaty Making in British Columbia examines the native land claim issue from European first contact to today. Penikett grew up in the Yukon Territory and was territorial legislator from 1978 to 1995. Between 1985 and 1992, he was the minister responsible for Yukon’s land claim and self-government negotiations. As he ruefully notes, “I survived long enough to sign the final agreement.” Given that many modern treaties spent several generations working their way through negotiations, Penikett’s comment is not far-fetched. After leaving elected government in 1995, Penikett acted as an advisor on self-governance
in Saskatchewan and later as a negotiator and mediator British Columbia. He is intimately knowledgeable of the field and offers a lot of first hand experience to colour his conclusions. The book is laid out in roughly three parts, characterizing the three phases of the EuropeanAboriginal contact since Columbus stepped ashore in Haiti in 1492. The first chronicles the Spanish conquest of South America with a focus on the suppressive brutality used. The second focuses on the 200 years of colonization in North America, and especially the dispersal and attempted cultural annihilation that dominated both American and Canadian policies. The final, more hopeful stage, runs roughly from a 1973 Supreme Court native rights decision to today. Penikett displays a remarkable talent for shifting from the macroscale to the microscale. He will begin with a broad stroke survey of a given issue as it might apply to native groups at large, and once he has made his point, he will then apply his thoughts to individual cases that he has encountered over time. Generally, his thesis is that the sooner the land claim issues are resolved, the better: “My study flows from a belief that the public interest in social peace, economic prosperity and simple justice depends on expeditiously negotiating the settlement of long-standing Aboriginal land and governance issues. Left untreated, these will continue to frustrated us at home and embarrass us in the outside world.” While Penikett is primarily interested in the turgid land claims process in British Columbia, his thoughts and recommendations are easily applicable across Canada and indeed around the world where there are unresolved land claims. Penikett will be speaking about his book and native land claims next Tuesday, September 26 at 7 p.m. in the Theatre of the Arts. Admission is free courtesy of the UW Bookstore. — Neal Moogk-Soulis
The President’s Circle Award The President’s Circle Awards for Volunteerism were established in 1997 to recognize the significant contributions of students in volunteer work both within the University and the community at-large. The awards honour the extra-curricular contributions of students in a variety of service areas, some of which may not be highly visible but nonetheless important to the community. A Committee will normally select ten recipients for awards of $250 each. Nominators may be students, staff, or faculty of the University or member of the community at-large. As well, because volunteer work often has a low profile, students are very much encouraged to apply for the award. Nominators are encouraged to work with the student to ensure that the information submitted to the Committee is complete. If you are interested in nominating someone, nomination forms are available nominations/applications and reference forms are available at the following locations: x x x x x
Student Awards Office, Needles Hall, Room 2001; The Graduate Studies Office, Needles Hall, Room 3060; The Student Life Office, Needles Hall, Room 3006; The Federation of Students Office, Student Life Centre 1102; The Grad House.
The deadline for submission of all nomination and/or application materials is October 2nd, 2006. For more information on the application process and eligibility go to: http://www.studentservices.uwaterloo.ca/circle/circleaward.html
Courtesy of Lionsgate
Nick Nolte as “Socrates” guides Scott Mechlowitz in this predictable stinker. Peaceful Warrior Victor Salva Lionsgate
When asked what the toughest (e.g. manliest) sport available to young men in university, most would reply quickly with either football, hockey, lacrosse or rugby. Although these answers are indeed true, the most physically demanding sport is actually male gymnastics. Please don’t quote me on that assertion, though, for I am merely quoting Dan Millman (Scott Mechlowicz). Dan Millman is a short-tempered and reckless jock and a “lord of the rings” on the gymnastics team, until he gets into a car accident. Although he has many of the things that would presumably be satisfying to a young man of his age — lots of casual sex with women, athletic ability, and a motorcycle — he can’t help but feel empty inside. While jogging one night filled with acute insomnia, Dan meets a man in charge of a service station (Nick Nolte) who, we soon learn, is capable of jumping on top of buildings within the blink of an eye. Impressed by this unusual feat, Dan is suddenly intrigued by the odd and secretive service station attendant who seems to only be capable of speaking in metaphors. Dan’s curiousity causes him to ask this bizarre man many questions, to which he only replies in nonsensical metaphors or with more questions. The peculiar man, who is later named Socrates because of his philosophical disposition, is increasingly bothered by Dan with frequent visits. Socrates takes advantage of this and puts him to work, while simultaneously showing him how to look at life from a whole new perspective. This was exactly the point at which Peaceful Warrior became too much like The Karate Kid. Although this movie is based on a true story,
the apprentice relationship between Dan and Socrates was too similar to the one between juvenile. Daniel LaRusso and the wise Mr. Miyagi. As Socrates forced Dan to wipe a windshield or pump gas, I couldn’t help but experience nostalgia for the famous wax on, wax off routine. This wouldn’t have bugged me too much, but parts of the movie began to stretch out and drag on. The plot throughout the rest of the movie remained quite bland and predictable, which left me very bored. I began to not care if Dan made it to the Olympic qualifying competition or if he quit the team. The movie was two hours long yet the same story could have been told in a much shorter period of time. The unfortunate boredom that is brought on by a dry and repetitive plot forced me to seek out other creative ways of enjoying this movie. A good one, as suggested by my movie attending partner of the night, was to assume that the gymnastics coach was hitting on all team members in any possible situation. This ridiculous perspective turned out to be more believable than one would predict and consequently this movie became more entertaining. As you can probably tell, this movie was not that great. The things that I genuinely enjoyed, though, were the preposterous feats performed by Socrates (mainly because this is supposed to be a true story). It leads me to wonder if Socrates even existed or if Dan had been secretly dropping psychotropic drugs in the locker room (which was not shown in the film). I suppose both reasons are completely plausible. Either way, though, this movie could have been made a lot more interesting. Failing that, perhaps this story should not have been adapted into a movie at all. — Andrew Abela
arts
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
23
An open letter to first-year students The Arts Snob returns with warm greetings and a plan to put the “snooty” back in post-secondary education
Ah, dear, dear readers! It is good to be back! To my old friends, hello again… I hope you were not too dismayed by my absence in last week’s issue. I must apologize, but as you can no doubt relate, I was so swept up in the excitement of returning to lectures and my dear old mistress Dana Porter I could hardly steady my hands to write a column! To my newest readers — you young eager first-years — welcome to academia! Rest assured, your university years will be among the best of your life, filled with independence, adventure and a chance to stand on the shoulders of intellectual giants to look down on those not as cultured as you. It is understandable, I suppose, that many of you have become somewhat disillusioned during these first few weeks. I’ve seen you, oh yes, you: wandering around campus, a copy of Finnegans Wake under your arm, your messenger bag decorated with pins bearing socio-political statements, wondering why, perhaps, the buildings lack this fabled Ivy you always used to hear about. Why doesn’t the Davis Centre look more like the Grad House? Where are the dusty studies, the wood-paneled walls, the sense of tradition? Why are these professors not old and agitated? Why in God’s name are they young, hip and computer-savvy? I’ve seen you, open-mouthed before the Bomber, wondering why the campus pub is not darker and danker, why it isn’t the type of place you can retreat with your Anthology of Russian Literature to discuss with like minds the genius of Bulgakov. Why, you ask, must the place be filled instead with “bros” sipping Bud Light and laughing at you because you happen to have the sensibility to wear a scarf through all seasons? I’ve seen you. Too many of you, in fact. One can almost feel the colossal longing for film studies credits to be integrated into every student’s major plan. It gives me hope. The future lies with you, dear friends. You are just beginning your stay here in Waterloo, and although I near the end of mine, I feel we can still rally together to change things. Here is what I propose: Waterloo must undergo a revolution, one comparable in magnitude to Stalin’s collectivization initiatives and Mao’s Great Leap Forward. Like those revolutions, the loss of human life will be more than socially accepted as necessary for academic progress. Together we will capture the spirit that has propelled Oxford and Harvard to the forefront of Academe. To this end, all buildings will be surrounded by a complex outer shell of stone masonry. Every student will devote at least 30 hours a week to this monumental task, which will require every stone to be hand-
placed and mortared. Architectural flourishes will be directed by the religious studies department and inspired by the Book of Revelations. To show our diversity, perhaps we will also include some Zoroastrian designs. A rowing team will then be established, surely soon to become the pride and joy of our athletics program. (I suggest the little black lake by Health Services as a practice area.) If this is successful, a dueling club will also be initiated — and here I refer to far more than your usual, run-of-the-mill fencing society. Indeed, a selection of revolvers and sabers will be obtained by the Federation of Students for just this purpose.
Furthermore, formal UW intelligentsia will be collected to act as an advisory body to Feds. It will be hierarchical, condescending and completely out of touch with the lives of average students. It will however, have a much better knowledge of post-Modern philosophy and Norse mythology than you could ever imagine. Greek and Latin will be made compulsory subjects for ever y student’s major plan. A proper university experience cannot be achieved without Latin. Concordia cum veritate, as my fellow Classicists will observe, roughly translates to “Latin is the Coolest.” As for ancient Greek, a Greek friend of mine seems to attract all the “artsy”
girls, so I can’t imagine learning the language to be a bad thing. All of the $25 million donated by David Cheriton will also be diverted from the construction of a new computer science facility to the acquisition of a world-renowned sculpture garden, one to rival Berkeley’s Rodin collection. The remaining funds will be used to replace the chapel at St. Jerome’s with a gothic medieval church resembling the Dreaming Spires of Oxford. Perhaps we should helicopter one over for authenticity’s sake. Every professor will be required to wear tweed jackets with elbow patches, and be encouraged to hurry around campus with wildly unkempt hair, muttering to themselves and
trying desperately to hold on to a disorganized mass of books and papers. Thick, woolen scarves bearing the University’s colours will be distributed to every student, and will be made mandatory whatever the season. If these reforms can be carried out quickly, you will be able to forget the pain caused to you by unimaginative 1960s architecture and the ignorant “modern student.” That glorious day will be the true birth of our fair university — although the signs will be modified to suggest it was founded in the 13th century. This is my dream and I know it is also yours. Let’s make it happen. cmoffat@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Tatham Centre TC 2218 A&B September 26, 2006 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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arts
24
STUDY A MASTER OF TEACHING IN AUSTRALIA
A history of Gen-X through the movies Margaret Clark arts editor
Griffith University is one of Australia’s most progressive, innovative and dynamic universities and is strategically located in Australia’s fastest growing region – the flourishing Brisbane-Gold Coast corridor. Associate Professor Denis Jones, Director, Master of Teaching, will be hosting information sessions. A limited number of places in this program are available for commencement in 2007, but filling quickly so don’t miss out! Information session times are: Friday 22 September 2006 6.30pm to 8.30pm Station Park All Suite Hotel 242 Pall Mall Street, London
Saturday 23 September 2006 2.00pm to 4.00pm Holiday Inn Select Oakville @ Bronte 2525 Wyecroft Road, Oakville
Sunday 24 September 2006 4.00pm to 6.00pm Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa 350 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa
Monday 25 September 2006 6.30pm to 8.30pm Travel Lodge Hotel 1401 Paris Court, Sudbury
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Any UW student who’s ventured past Waterloo Park probably knows the main attractions in Uptown Waterloo, the movie theatres, the comic book stores, the art galleries, the local watering holes, the dance clubs, the restaurants. And then, of course, there’s Generation X, Waterloo’s number one source for alternative videos and media. Imprint recently had the opportunity to dig a little deeper into theatrical loves and leanings of owner Michael Greaves, and how best to share it, but through the films themselves?
Please contact KOM Consultants for further information: KOM Consultants PO Box 60524 Mountain Plaza Postal Outlet Hamilton, Ontario L9C 7N7 Phone: 905 318 8200 Email: info@komconsultants.com
But Greaves’s own love of films began much earlier. Throughout his childhood he was a big fan of movies, and as an adolescent made use of local cinemas like Princess to whet his appetite. The first movie he recalls seeing on the big screen is Charlotte’s Web, way back in 1973, though later his interests shifted to more mature, international and alternative flicks. Greaves attributes his strong interest in movies especially to his university years, where under Jan Uhde’s instruction at the University of Waterloo, Greaves got to “watch movies for credit” and hone his appreciation for the form. And from the moment Gen-X first began, with the understanding that Waterloo is home to two universities, a college and a sizeable arts community, Greaves started giving back. To this day, Gen-X keeps in contact with university film programs, puts aside films on the course lists for students and even tries to add titles to their extensive collection that will benefit students in the future.
www.griffith.edu.au/international CRICOS Provider Number: 00233E
The year Pulp Fiction came out in theatres (that’s 1994 for the rest of you), Michael Greaves started Gen-X at 69 Regina Street. No one was murdered in the making of this new city favourite, nor in Gen-X’s eventual move to its present location, just down the road by Erb Street. But what was the initial reason for creating Gen-X? Greaves explained that his brainchild was the result of two factors. However, the first factor — not getting into teacher’s college — is small peas by the importance of the second: namely, that while writing his thesis on films, he found that Waterloo region was sorely lacking in access to good alternative movies. Even the fairly mainstream works of Martin Scorcese were in short supply, so Greaves quickly found himself trekking to Toronto for all his “educational” movie needs. There he relied upon the selection at alternative stores like Suspect Video and decided Waterloo needed its own answer to Suspect. Enter, with all the pizzazz of Samuel L. Jackson looking for a taste of your burger, Generation X Video.
CRUDE CONTENT, DISTURBING CONTENT, NUDITY, COARSE LANGUAGE
When not elevating the quality of the average student’s mainstream education, Gen-X also has a sweet spot for those in the community who truly appreciate an, ah, alternative “education.” Yes, among Gen-X’s extensive collection, which rose from an initial 1400 titles to its present number of 11,000, the discerning Gen-X’er shouldn’t find it too difficult to stumble on the store’s extensive softcore porn collection. Greaves explained that the collection, which has been growing alongside mainstream films since the store’s beginning, is about reaching “the lowest common denominator” among movie-goers. However, contrary to popular belief, the collection only includes a handful of hardcore titles, and Gen-X generally seeks out the most interesting movies in the softcore genre. Moreover, at least one extreme hardcore flick bears the friendly warning that while Gen-X fully respects the customer’s right to rent the film in question, “We will think less of you if you do.” Greaves added with a chuckle that the note has indeed scared off a few curious porn purveyors, though the bizarre title (which shall remain nameless for propriety’s sake) still gets rented from time to time. Other feature collections include the Gen-X weekly spotlight, a set of up to eight movies displayed at the front desk and fitting into a theme of the week. Greaves confessed the spotlights are usually decided by picking a number at random, finding the movie catalogued under that number, and finding other
movies that match it in some capacity. Gen-X also has a dedicated wall for LGBT movie content, from which a wide variety of classic and contemporary alternative titles can be found.
There is, however, another side to this local hotspot: the “media” side. Enter Gen-X and you just can’t miss the huge array of alternative magazines and local featured on the right. These racks have pretty much always been a staple of the Gen-X experience, though of course the collection has grown quite a bit since the store first started out. One of the most recent additions can’t be found in the racks, though; you’ll have to visit the front desk to pick up your copy of Genxine, Gen-X’s newest venture. A fun, chapbooksized collection of comics, ads, employee soundtracks and — what else? — movie recommendations (not to mention condemnations), Genxine is a great little read for either the indecisive visitor seeking a good flick or the satisfied customer hankering for some reading material on the interminably long trip home. And just what would the owner of Gen-X recommend as “must-see”s for any movie-goer? Greaves and store manager Chris Beckett suggest Brazil, Resevoir Dogs, The Bicycle Thief and Seven Samurai.
When asked what movies they would compare to their own experiences at Gen-X (and begging that they not answer with the obvious, Clerks), Beckett then selected Modesty Plays and Greaves, The Third Man. But whether or not the selections were meant figuratively, students can rest assured: frequenting Gen-X is a Waterloo university experience not meant to be overlooked. mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
arts
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
25
Spotlight on local artist Rod Miers The owner of Kitchener-based Karma Art Supply and Gallery explains how he interacts with local artists Dinh Nguyen assistant arts editor
Just over a year ago 6 Madison Ave. South, downtown Kitchener, was Hannah’s Radiator Shop — a cold, mechanical store with mucky worndown floors and years of built-up stains on its walls. Now, after countless hours of renovation, the muck has been replaced with checkered tiles and the stain with fresh paint. Art pieces from Dan Mathers, a talented UW student, and other local artists of all ages, fill the room. Hannah’s Radiator Shop has transformed into the warm and cozy Karma Art Supply and Gallery, home to Kitchener artist and art advocate, Rod Mier. In the past Mier has done numerous art shows for local artists such as James Nye, Wayne Herchenrader, Bill Smith and Garry Babb. During the summer of 2006 he held an art camp for children aged 5 to 14 at his store. Five local artists were brought in to demonstrate different medians of art techniques. During the same year Mier had scheduled an art workshop for the street youths of Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (ROOF). Unfortunately, ROOF had to cancel the workshop when their main office burned down. “I had scheduled a wire sculpture workshop with the street youth of ROOF,” Mier explained. “In doing
so I hoped to use art to inspire. Art helps me focus, it helps me concentrate. I don’t always have time to work on it, but when I finally do finish a piece, the accomplishment of doing so just makes me say…wow. Sure it’s a bonus if other people think your art is good, but in the end you yourself know how good it is and feel proud. I wanted to reach these kids with art. Many people, especially these kids, lack self-esteem. I wanted art to help boost their esteem and perhaps help direct them. Unfortunately, on the day of, ROOF cancelled because they got burnt down.” On many occasions, Mier has visited the UW student-run “Arttery Gallery” and was impressed with what he’s seen. Twice, Mier has contacted UW’s art group, Students of Fine Art (SOFA) to give students opportunities for free art showings. In doing so Mier hopes to reach the young artists of KW and get them more involved with their art. “Students should be aware that big galleries are good, but independent places are also important. Oftentimes, big galleries filter out the smaller [insignificant] names. True,
sometimes there are openings for students to show their work. Even then, it becomes a mass competition of whose is better” said Mier comparing his gallery to larger one. “I am unbiased, I see something good in all arts and will try to make as much fit in my gallery as possible. I even have pieces from 10 year olds up…big art galleries can sometimes feel rigid. Smaller independent galleries are usually comfy. They give you a relaxed feeling. That in itself is very important, people are able to enjoy the true nature of the art pieces without feeling intimidated.”
Mier has contributed to many local art charities. One of his favourites is the Arts Network for Children and Youth (ANCY), a non-profit organization devoted to developing sustainable arts programs in communities across Canada; he has in his store a donation box for ANCY. Donations during his organized events usually end up going to the ANCY; you can learn more about them at http://artsnetwork. ca, or by visiting Mier’s store. Karma Art Supply and Gallery is a business known for it’s reasonable, sometimes below par cost art supplies and student discounts, it is a “hip spot” to get information on art news and events. More importunately, Karma Art Supply and Gallery is a representation of Mier’s heart. When asked what his definition of art is and why he chose to create Karma Art Supplies and Galleries, his selfless answer included everyone but himself: “The main reason why I chose to do what I do is for my kids,” answered Mier. “Many people come in here and ask me where’s my art? I tell them that they’re all at home. This place was created for others, not for me. It was
created to show my children my love for art, and that one does not need to bring in the big bucks to be happy. It was also created for others, for the customers and viewers who appreciate the art. The arts here are meant to inspire. They are not made to be sold. They are made to be enjoyed. They come directly from the artists’ hearts. If they get sold, bonus.” “Art is something that someone can enjoy. It is an expression of one’s emotions into a physical form. It is something that inspires… There’s a 15-foot statue between the library and art gallery, donated by Timothy Schmaltz, which is art because he dedicated it to all firemen who’s ever died on duty. The statue later inspired the local firemen to build a firefighter-theme playground. To me that statue is a true piece of art.” Currently, Mier does not rely on Karma Art Supply and Gallery as a significant source of income; Mier is in this for the joy of art: “Before he became famous, Picasso was laughed at a lot. Some people might not like some art while others might enjoy it. There’s an artist inside everyone, that’s why I have no bias. I enjoy meeting new artists and seeing new arts of any style. I see something good in everything.” dnguyen@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Classifieds Campus Bulletin HELP WANTED
VOLUNTEER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Weekend counsellors and relief staff to work in homes for individuals with developmental challenges. Minimum eight-month commitment. Paid positions. Send resume to Don Mader, K-W Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2. Imprint requires a marketing sales assistant to aid the advertising/production manager in contacting clients, updating data bases and other office duties on a weekly basis. This position is open to full-time undergraduate University of Waterloo students who qualify for the workstudy program (OSAP recipients and registered in a minimum 60 per cent course load). If this position appeals to you, please e-mail resume to ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca or bring them to the Imprint office, SLC room 1116 during office hours. Now hiring student fundraisers! $8.50/hour to start. Work on campus, flexible hours, raises every 20 shifts. If you are a good communicator, enthusiastic and dependable, then we want to talk to you. Please apply in person at the Office of Development in South Campus Hall. Please include a cover letter, resume, class schedule and three references. Child care – looking for child care in our home, Benjamin Park area, three afternoons a week, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call Lori at 519-886-1738.
Volunteer assistance needed – Waterloo family is looking for enthusiastic, energetic people who are great with kids. We are running an intensive home-based program to help our lovable 4-year-old autistic son recover. If you are accepting, playful, reliable, fun and able to volunteer four hours per week, please call Nancy at 519-725-8255. No experience is required – training is provided by our autism specialist. Want to do something meaningful? A four-year-old boy needs help in his swim leasson. He needs an adult to provide encouragement and support to get into the water and participate in his lessons. He swims on Saturdays from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. If inttereted call Kelly at 519-741-2226. The Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph chapter of the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS) is looking for volunteers to help plan, run events, etc. For more info email ajung.cagis@gmail.com.
Nominations are requested for one graduate student to be elected by/ from the full and part-time graduate students of the University, term to April 30, 2008. Completed nomination form (each nomination must be signed by at least five members of the constituency from which the member is to be elected) should be submitted to the Secretariat, Needles Hall, room 3060, no later than 3 p.m., Tuesday, October 10, 2006.
SERVICES Proofreading – editing: Assignments, theses, letters, statements. We correct grammar and improve logic and flow. Onscreen, fast, professional. 30 years experience. Full details at www. checkedit.com. E-mail checkedit@ cogeco.ca. Phone (905) 335-3192.
J&A Airbrush, 84 Queen Street, S., Kitchener, 519-342-3147 or www.jandaairbrush.com.
FOR SALE
Two office items for sale – Xerox 5614 b/w desktop model photocopier for sale. Great for home office or small workgroup office. Reduces and enlarges. Two paper trays and a bypass tray, 14 copies/minute, four spare toners included in price. Photocopier needs its paper feeder fixed. $650 cash or cheque. Toshiba TF231 fax machine in excellent working condition – great for home office or small workgroup office. Uses thermal roll paper, one-touch and abbreviated dialing, automatic and manual reception modes, automatic and manual redialling, easy operation, copying and polling features, transmission reports and security transmission. Six 98’ paper rolls included, $100 cash/cheque. View both items at Imprint SLC room 1116 or call 519-888-4048.
HOUSING Premium three-bedroom townhouse unit in a professionally managed student complex. Perfect for students, close to UW campus. Available May and September 2006. Call Perry now at 519-746-1411 for all the details and to set up a showing. Ask us about your signing bonus and gifts! Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. Four, eight and 12-month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Perry at 519746-1411 for more details.
CHURCH SERVICE St. Bede’s chapel at Renison College offers worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. or take a break mid-week with a brief silence followed by Celtic noon prayers on Wednesdays. For more info call 519-884-4404, ext 28604 or mcolling@renison.uwaterloo.ca.
SERVICES
i-TUTOR is a FREE student resource. We encourage learning and promote education within Ontario. Our website resource helps tutees find qualified tutors. Tutors are university students who are independent of this organization and have their own rate and schedule. http://www. i-tutor.ca.
FINANCIAL AID Fall 2006 Student loan pickup – Starting the week of Sept. 18, all students who have not yet picked up their loan documents are welcome. All documentation must have student’s name, SIN and to the attention of Elena Tabong. All letters must be original, signed and dated. No faxed or scanned copies will be accepted.
UPCOMING Saturday, September 23, 2006 The community’s fourth and biggest ever “Autumn Stitch n Kitsch Sale” at the First United Church (King and William St) Waterloo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For info call Sue 519-5796344 or karmasuetures@yahoo.ca. Orchid show and sale on September 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cambridge Hespeler Arena, 640 Ellis Road, Cambridge. For info call 519-745-3815 or OrchidOntario@yahoo.ca. Monday, September 25, 2006 Alzheimer Society annual general meeting is from 12 to 2 p.m. For info call 742-1422, ext 15. Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Woodland caribou in Ontrio may be on the road to extinction. Come learn the untold story and how you can help save this iconic Canadian species at the Kitchener Public Library at 7 p.m. and at noon at UW, ES1 courtyard. For more info www. cariboutheuntoldstory.org. Wednesday, September 27, 2006 Join CSA Group’s president and CEO Rober M. Griffin for an informational session on “employment jobs for you” at 4 p.m. Laurel Room, South Campus Hall, UW. Friday, Septmber 29, 2006 Relay for Life – Waterloo Park, Canadian Cancer Society, 7 p.m. (Sept. 29-30) Twelve hour all night noncompetitve walk. For more info and to sign up to participate or volunteer call 519-886-8888 or www.cancer.ca. Saturday, September 30, 2006 Amanda’s Cruise for Juvenile Arthirits will take place for the second year at noon in Cambridge at Shade’s Mills Conservation Area. BBQ, draws, prizes, music - lots of fun!! For info call 519-576-8764 or acja@rogers.com. UW Homecoming 2006 – many events to attend, such as Warriors football team vs WLU, ES amazing race, Impact UW Expo, East Asian Festival, Homefest at Bomber, Conrad Grebel Fall Fair, etc. For more info: http://homecoming.uwaterloo. ca ... something for everyone! Sunday, October 15, 2006 UW Fun Run – UW North Campus at 2 p.m. Registration begins September 18 to October 11 at the PAC office and at Runner’s Choice (King and University.) Come out to support the UW Varsity Cross Country Team as well as the Canadian Athletes Now Fund. For info email www. canadianathletesnow.ca.
S cience Discovered gas giant contradicts nature 26
Imprint
Friday, september 22, 2006
science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Science Editor: Rob Blom Science Assistant: Stephanie Anderson
Scientists baffled at recent discovery of HAT-P-1 Michael L. Davenport staff reporter
Science is about models. Researchers try and build models in an attempt to figure out how the universe works. However, the universe sometimes throws the researchers a curveball — and this has happened recently in astronomy. Astronomers researching for the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics recently discovered a strange, “puffed” planet in a solar system 450 light years away. Though the planet (currently named HATP-1) is 1.36 times the diameter of Jupiter, it has only half the mass. That means this newly discovered planet has only one-fifth the density of Jupiter despite being larger, which flies in the face of astronomer’s preexisting models. “We have Jupiter and Saturn, with the same chemical composition to first order. They have hydrogen and helium in the same ratio as they exist in the Sun.” said Gretchen Harris, professor of physics and astronomy here at the University of Waterloo. “If you take a body [that’s composed by] approximately 70 per cent hydrogen and 30 per cent helium and let it settle out to equilibrium, the denser object will be the more massive one.
Harris explained that density/mass relation is due to gravity: the more massive the planet, the greater the internal gravitational forces will be. The greater the internal gravitational force is, the more densely the gas atoms which make up the planet will pack themselves. So judging from size, planet HAT-P-1 should be more dense than Jupiter, not less. If this was the only planet which broke the model one could assume that it may be a fluke, or perhaps some measurements were wrong. But this isn’t a first. Another “puffed” gas giant with a large radius and low mass has already been found — though that case isn’t as drastic. Planet HD 209458b also has a radius 10 per cent to 20 per cent larger than predicted by our current understanding. Robert Noyes is a Harvard-Smithsonian researcher who co-authored the research paper which was accepted by The Astrophysical Journal. “Out of 11 known transiting planets, now not one but two are substantially bigger and lower in density than theory predicts,” said Noyes in a Smithsonian press release. “We can’t dismiss HD209458b as a fluke. This new discovery suggests something could be missing in our theories of how planets form.” See CONTRADICTION, page 27
A new gem in technology Adam Gardiner staff reporter
In a world where berries are common, a Pearl is a beautiful thing. That’s the attitude Waterloo-based Research In Motion (RIM) is taking with their new Pearl, a compact “smartphone” that is expected to launch the world-renowned BlackBerry brand into the consumer cell-phone market. Touted as “small, smart and stylish,” the phone contains the same wireless e-mail technology that made the BlackBerry famous, but has the compact shape and features of ordinary cell phones, such as a camera and Mp3 player. Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO of RIM, unveiled the new phone to the world September 7, drawing attention to its looks and features alike. “The BlackBerry Pearl elegantly combines an incredibly small, stylish and full-featured smartphone with the gold standard in wireless email,” said Lazaridis in a press statement, “and the result is something special.” ‘S’ alliteration aside, the Pearl is already being hyped by technology buffs as the model that will bring new life to the BlackBerry brand, whose dominance in the PDA market has been challenged of late by competitors such as Nokia and Palm Treo. It’s even better news for RIM’s finances, as the company weathered a drop in share prices and a nasty out-of-court litigation settlement in the last year alone. Shares in RIM have been steadily climbing back up since the September 7 announcement and with the statement by American analyst, Charlie Rose, on Tuesday that BlackBerry is “the leader in the smartphone space,” they appear set to cross the $100 per share mark — something RIM hasn’t been close to since April. But then again, the phone, which took three years to develop, is more than either your average cell or BlackBerry. The long list of standard features on the Pearl is enough to make even Inspector Gadget drool. For starters, there’s the camera, which offers 1.3 megapixels, a 5x digital zoom and a built-in flash. The media player supports both music and video files and can
courtesy of David A. Aguilar
The newly discovered gas giant HAT-P-1 has astronomers confounded as theory contradicts its very existence. HAT-P-1 has a radius approximately 1.38 times Jupiter’s but contains only half its mass.
Opening a door once thought to be eternally closed Faisal Naqib staff reporter
courtesy of Research in Motion
The top view of RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl play using either conventional headphones or a Bluetooth headset. Although some music junkies are already wishing for BlackBerry versions of players such as iTunes, RIM has no plans to collaborate with any other companies regarding that kind of software development. Text messaging is available through all the major providers: AOL, Yahoo!, MSN and ICQ. Typing is accomplished on a QWERTY keypad featuring BlackBerry’s SureType system, which essentially assigns two letters to every key and provides the software to interpret which of those letters you meant to choose every time you create a word. Although many users find the technology a headache, it allows the Pearl to keep its sleek, 1.97-inch wide shape. See RIM, page 28
It’s a dull fall afternoon; the leaves haven’t even started to fall off the trees, albeit with the winds continual appeals. From your window, you can see a man playing with his dog in the park across the street; throwing the ball to the dog, getting it back from the dog and throwing it again to the dog. You would have liked to continue watching, as this is the highlight of your afternoon, but someone has turned your wheelchair to face the opposite side of the room. Now you’re sharing a round table with your mother and father. They come to visit every Sunday afternoon and share any news they have. You’d like to ask them your own questions, about your friends, previous job or anything that’s happening in the world, but you can’t. Just before the nurse leaves, she asks your parents if they’d like anything, they politely thank her, and she leaves without asking you. That seems like a bizarre scene, everyone is focused on you yet seemingly ignoring you at the same time. Your parents come to visit you, but never hear what you want to say; the nurse is there to take care of you, yet you’ve never asked her for anything. Thousands of people live like this everyday, as patients in a long-term care facility, victims of accidents that have left them in a vegetative state. People come to visit them, but are not sure whether their loved one is aware of their presence or aware of any of their surroundings for that matter. The clinical diagnosis of ‘vegetative state’ is a patient who shows no external awareness of themselves or their environment. This yields the long asked question: “Are people in a vegetative state aware of their surroundings but simply unable to respond to any stimulus?” Recently, published research is shedding light on this particular problem.
Researchers in England observed one of their patients, a 23 year old female in a vegetative state since July 2005, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine if any neural activity existed when asked to perform simple mental tasks. fMRI works by locating areas of the brain that become more active during certain situations; this is done by monitoring oxygen consumption. When the patient was asked to think about playing tennis or walking around her home, areas of her brain, similar to those in healthy individuals completing the same task, showed activity. This is a breakthrough observation, as previous attempts at scanning the minds of people in vegetative states have never yielded more than reflex activity. Although these results are promising, many scientists remain skeptical. It could be possible that the effects seen were because the patient was on the road to recovery and the activity observed was a projection of neural cells creating new connections to replace damaged ones. Even if the observations are real, they might only be linked to a certain type of vegetative patient. Many kinds of neural trauma can leave a person in a vegetative state, but perhaps only a small subset of these allow the person to remain aware while the rest are, in fact, vegetative. If these findings are verified and validated they could open the lines of communication with the people that we thought we had lost. It could solve highly ethical problems, such as when is the termination of treatment of a patient in a vegetable state acceptable. It could also yield further information on how our brains work. Many scientists are involved in this line of research and the field seems to be changing each day. fnaqib@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
27 science Poplar branches into genomics Get in shape and save the environment FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Trees are made up primarily of cellulose and lignin. Cellulose is easily broken down into usable fuels like ethanol while lignin is somewhat less useful. By changing the genetic makeup of the poplar, scientists hope to make a higher cellulose, lower lignin, more space efficient super tree that can be efficiently converted into biofuels. A tree based fuel economy also has the added benefit of being sustainable and self-correcting. The carbon dioxide made by burning the fuels is in turn used by the trees to make more fuel. While this research potential is mainly fixated on solving energy problems, it is also opening new doors in the study of plant phylogeny. Already, it has revealed a history of gene duplications and relations with other plants like Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the research potential in the bonsai tree industry is tremendous. Scientists still need to understand the some 45,000 genes contained in the poplar genome. The human genome by comparison, while being longer, contains only 20,000 genes.
David Judah reporter
Botanists rejoice! After four years of research, the black cottonwood poplar (populus trichocarpa) joins the growing club of organisms to have their genome sequenced. It will now become a mainstay in biochemical laboratories alongside rice and Arabidopsis, the only other two plants to have their genomes sequenced. Along with having this rare distinction, the poplar has also earned the title of being the first tree to have its nucleotides recorded for posterity. Plants are often neglected when it comes to genetic sequencing and research, as their similarities to humans is limited. Most researchers keep their studies close to where the heart is, which tends to be where the humble plant isn’t. Despite this shortcoming, the poplar was sequenced due to its potential in the fuel industry. Trees have proven to be one of the most successful life forms to plant foot or root on solid land and it is the hope of scientists to use this success to compensate for waning fossil fuel reserves.
2006 y 2007 SEASON
Kitchener • Waterloo Symphony
Experience the Difference
Presented at Centre In The Square, 101 Queen Street North, Kitchener
October 13 & 14, 2006 - 8 pm Daniel Warren, conductor Bob DeAngelis, clarinet
Driving is something I never really liked for so many reasons. The fact that I’m naturally a nervous driver doesn’t help. I also truly despise sitting in traffic amongst other individuals in their carbon spewing cars, watching the rising prices of gas at the corner station. My bank account balance doesn’t like that either. So when my 1994 Dodge Spirit stopped running in April, I decided to neither fix it nor insure it any longer. With the $800 I had saved for the insurance I went on a shopping spree at McPhail’s bike shop. I bought a white and silver Gary Fisher. She rides like a charm. I even had enough money to buy a matching white helmet, cute blue biking gloves, a bell, lights, a rack and two decent side bags.
I haven’t had a bike since I was 12, so I was a little anxious about my bike riding ability. Fortunately, within a couple days, I had my courage back and another solid reason to avoid driving whenever possible. Biking is so much fun! It’s a carbon neutral alternative. I can stay in shape and actually get to work faster than I would if I was driving. Biking allows me to take short cuts by avoiding red lights and construction sites. This was something I didn’t consider as a motorist. I have much more mobility within cities as a bicyclist. With city buses equipped with a bike rack, getting to places a little too far or inconvenient to bike isn’t an issue anymore. There are lots of other benefits. The cost of biking is significantly less than driving. There’s no fuel from oil reserves required. There are no engine fluids, just the fluid I need to drink. Fixing a broken bike is quicker and much cheaper than a car and the tune-ups I can do myself. Parking is always free and doesn’t necessitate vast amounts of asphalt and painted yellow lines. I also love the idea of the social neutrality of biking. When I see
someone on a bike, I see a person. When I see someone in a car, I see a status symbol. As the summer wore on, I needed to get others on board to the idea of biking. One aspect of being an environmentally minded person is spreading the word and sparking conversations and thoughts regarding sustainability. This can be easily accomplished through the use of stickers. I went online and bought one to put on my helmet and it reads “One Less Car.” I have often noticed drivers in traffic staring at my head with a thoughtful gaze. I must admit I do find myself enjoying biking down busy streets where cars have to go around me. As a cyclist, I have just as much right to be on the road. We’re all trying to get somewhere — I’m just choosing a different mode. I love to show drivers how easy and stylish biking can be. The mentality that cyclists are dangerous or a nuisance has to change, because if nothing else, sweat doesn’t stink nearly as much as CO2. tgarland@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Contradiction: Planet reveals new insights Continued from page 26
The planet is only 0.055 AU away from its star (about 1/20th the distance between Earth and the Sun) so it is hotter than a gas giant which is distant from its star, such as Jupiter. (Gas expands when it is heated, hence a hotter planet would be larger than a cooler one if both have the same composition and mass). However, proximity alone cannot explain the planetary size, as there are other gas giants close to their respective stars which are not similarly puffed. The researchers have an idea as to how the planets could be super-sized: “tidal heating.” Basically, if the planet
is close to its parent star, the star’s gravity could distort the shape of the planet such that it’ll be ellipsoid rather than spherical. If the planet orbit is eccentric rather than circular, the planet would be stretched and unstretched as it moves closer and farther away from its star. This repeated stretching and unstretching would cause the planet to heat up due to internal friction — kind of how a paperclip warms up when it’s repeatedly bent back and forth. However, the researchers maintain that it’s unlikely this effect explains both planets. As paper co-author Gaspar Bakos said, “We could be looking at an entirely new class of planets.”
Planetary mass and size can be measured as follows: a planet orbiting a star will cause the star to “wobble” due to the planet’s gravity. The more massive the planet, the greater the wobble. If the planet, in the course of its orbit, passes in between its star and the Earth, it will obscure its own star from our point of view. Planet size can be measured by how much the star “dims”. Such measurements are a great boon to those who wish to study solar systems from light years away. mdavenport@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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science
28
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Noise pollution harmful to animals and humans alike Suzanne Gardner assistant editor-in-chief
Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise, was viewed as only an annoyance rather than an actual environmental problem by world governments up until the 1970s. While the most dominant form of noise pollution is caused by motor vehicles, human noise has also become increasingly problematic in recent years. As the new school year comes back into full swing, the city of Waterloo faces an increase to their population by way of the over 20,000 non-resident postsecondary students attending the two universities and one college within the city limits. Naturally, with more people also comes more activities, more events and more sound. Take the recent noise violation issue from the Orientation Week toga
party, for example. Even though the University of Waterloo was granted a noise bylaw exemption for the event, the Waterloo Regional Police still received a large number of phone calls complaining about the ridiculous volume level of the music. The music was subsequently turned down, causing students and organizers alike to feel extremely frustrated and disappointed. But let’s take a minute and look at the negative side-effects of excessive noise, shall we? First off: noise pollution can be harmful to animals to the point that they can actually interfere with animals natural cycles, including feeding behaviours, breeding rituals and migration paths, according to New South Wales’ Department of Environment and Conservation website. One of the most extreme examples of environmental damage caused by noise pollution that
this website cites was the death of a species of beaked whales as a result of extremely loud (over 200 decibels) military sonar equipment. If you need a side-effect that hits closer to home, let’s look at how extreme noise can affect your own personal health. According to the Australian Academy of Science’s Nova: Science in the News website, “explosive sounds with peak noise levels of 140 decibels or more can destroy [the inner ear’s tiny hair cells] and cause permanent deafness [and] extended exposure to loud noise can also lead to long-term hearing loss.” In addition to effects on hearing, the Nova site also cites that continual exposure to high noise levels “has been shown to lead to a range of physical symptoms such as accelerated heartbeat, high blood pressure, gastro-intestinal problems and chronic fatigue.”
Christine Ogley
So next time you feel like blaring your music to unimaginable levels, do think twice, not only for your own health but for the health of the animals around you as well, be them two-legged or four.
For more information concerning the city of Waterloo’s noise bylaws, please visit their wesite at www.city.waterloo.on.ca/. sgardner@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
RIM: new style of BlackBerry Continued from page 26
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In a first for BlackBerry, the familiar side navigation wheel has been replaced with a glowing, magnetic-sensor trackball from which the Pearl gets its name. While current BlackBerry addicts may have a hard time adjusting to the new interface, it does allow for scrolling in four directions, something the old click wheel did not. As for making calls — did we forget the Pearl is actually a phone? Standard features include Voice Activated Dialing, a speakerphone, speed dialing, conference calling and the aforementioned Bluetooth capability. Other assorted features on the Pearl include an expandable 64MB flash memory, a large, high-resolution screen with light-sensitive brightness controls, a USB port and the BlackBerry Maps navigation service. Not bad for a phone the size of a Kit-Kat bar. Then there’s the trademark e-mail technology itself: the ability a BlackBerry user has to synchronize with their office computer, thus receiving and sending messages in real time, is still seen by most as unparalleled in the industry. Up until now, BlackBerry models have offered only business-style accessories in a shape that has practically become a symbol of the white-collar business scene. Part of the Pearl’s new appeal is that it offers professionals and consumers alike the luxury of “corporate” technology without the business-like connotations. Testers of the new Pearl actually disguised the technology within old BlackBerry shells to avoid arousing too much attention before the product’s release. The Pearl will be available to Canadian consumers in October through Rogers Wireless and will likely expand to all major service providers at some point afterwards. Pearls are already available to US customers through T-Mobile at a cost of $200, or $224 Canadian. RIM is confident in the potential the Pearl will expand into the European and Asian markets following its Canadian release. It may have the potential to give you Carpal Thumb Syndrome, but for what it offers, it won’t take long for consumers to realize that smooth white gemstones aren’t the only “Pearls” worth coveting. agardiner@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
30
Sports Imprint
Riding feels good
Friday, september 22, 2006
sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Sports Editor: Vacant Sports Assistant: Shawn Bell
From the Sports Desk Week two at the Sports Desk as we’re approaching the heart of the fall athletic session. Varsity teams make their presence felt. Campus Rec leagues are underway, UW clubs are in full swing, and the world outside our university bubble flourishes in the crisp fall air. It’s good that the Sport Writer team we’ve been searching for has begun to surface. Doug Copping, with the first installment of his weekly athlete profile, looks deep into the minds of UW athletes to discover what makes them tick and the word on the street says we may have found our much sought after photographer. Look for her work in next week’s edition. There are chairs at the desk still waiting for a seat. The same deal applies, long hours, no pay, and creativity limited only by imagination. Continue to support your athletes! The football team is back in the playoff hunt and will play University Stadium on Saturday night. The soccer teams take on Laurier Saturday afternoon, while the womens rugby team plays Laurier on the next field over. The men’s rugby host Trent on Sunday, and the golf team plays the weekend out in RIM park. The fall season is well underway. Go Warriors!
A Saturday full of sport
Doug Copping
Doug Copping reporter
The sport of cycling is about to explode across K-W, fueled by the construction of a top-notch mountain bike facility at McClellan Park in Kitchener. The Waterloo Cycling Club (WCC) Freeride Park will be an Eden in the world of Ontario cycling, including a permanent 4X course, a dirt jump park, a trials park and three north-shore style mountain bike trails with hand-built wooden obstacles and jumps. WCC is spearheading the Freeride Park project. “The goal of the club is to get people on bicycles,” says Brent Ellis, treasurer for the WCC and the committee chair for the WCC Freeride Park. “Once they start, hopefully they will ride for life.” “This project is designed to enhance the sport of cycling,” Ellis continues, “providing a safe and supportive environment to explore and grow the sport of mounitan biking in K-W.” Admission to the park will be free and open to all. Designed to challenge all levels of riders, from the beginner to a national champion, WCC Freeride Park will feature a vast spectrum of trails and exciting jumps, engineered by landscape architects to ensure adherance to the International Mountain Biking Association standards. In addition to the fine physical structures found at Freeride Park, the community of cyclists in the K-W area intend to run cycling clinics and community events at the park to enhance the sport of cycling and give experienced riders the opportunities to teach something they
love. “We intend to host clinics on the proper techniques for jumping a rhythym section, for example,” Ellis says. “These clinics will be designed to give young riders the tools to grow and develop as athletes.” The public will also be welcome at Freeride Park. WCC intends to host 4X races, as Freeride Park will feature the only permanent 4X course in Ontario. 4X, where four racers battle it out elbow to elbow over jumps, berms and rhythym sections, will provide K-W spectators an adrenaline-fueled introduction to competitive cycling. This project needs the public’s support. Support in the form of donations can made out to WCC and will gladly be accepted to support WCC Freeride Park. Petitions are being gathered to demonstrate the public’s interest and enlarge the volunteer base for the actual building and maintenance of the park. As well, petitions will enhance the presentation to Kitchener city council for building approval, and support the application to the major potential funder, the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Signing the petition will also connect you to the community of cyclists in K-W, granting access to email dialogue about developments, upcoming events and important dates. The WCC’s goal is one thousand signatures by the end of October. To sign a petition, make a donation, or get more information, visit the website at www. wccfreeride.ca, email wccfreeride@gmail.com, or ask in person at King Street Cycles, 2 King St S, Waterloo.
Team Canada fourth in World University Golf Championships Shawn Bell assistant sports editor
On September 9-11, the Eleventh World University Golf Championships took place in Torino, Italy. Waterloo Golf coach Dave Hollinger was there as an assistant coach for Team Canada. Team Canada was composed of six players from across the country. “As a team we flew to Italy a few days early,” Hollinger explained, “had a mini-camp in Torino. It was important to give the players a chance to bond before the tournament started.” “Right from the flight, the team was led by Will Mitchell,” Hollinger said. “Will was the captain,
and the best player.” (Mitchell shot 6-under for the tournament, 8 of 76 individual players). “With his humour, he brought the team together and helped them to bond right from the flight over.” “The opening ceremonies were something to see,” Hollinger reminisced, “15 countries, with flags flying, parading through downtown Torino.” “We were housed in a beautiful hotel, four stars, alongside the other teams from around the world. All teams ate together at the hotel. During the tournament we were up at 6:00 a.m. for breakfast. Then we’d all head to the course.” See GOLF, page 31
Shawn Bell
Shawn Bell assistant sports editor
Men’s soccer. When I arrived, the game seemed to be nil. The crowd was dull and small. Waterloo, in white and black shirts, looking like Germany, controlled the ball, ate up those green spaces and dominated the blue jerseys of Windsor. True, they didn’t generate chances. The strikers, with little cohesion, dribbled each alone ahead, taking on one blue jesery after another or chipping it up to the defence. But as a team the Warriors kept the Lancers chasing the ball around their own half, turning and flailing and looking confused with their own goalie screaming at them to pull their heads in the game. So I was surprised when the fellow next to me said it was 1-0 Windsor. Later the Lancer goalie asked if I got “a snapsnot of that bicycle kick?” I suppose it was a nice goal. By then they were up two — nil and he was feeling confident because it was the second half. But at this point, the Warriors were controlling the pace without generating much offence, and the Lancers were in a defensive position, with a one nil lead, not allowing much at all. The half went on and ended one-nothing Windsor. Perhaps 50 people scattered across the hill that runs the gravel drive that overlooks sunken Columbia Field, flat and green under rolling grey clouds, painted in white lines and bordered by a mixed line of oaks, pines, and chestnut trees. Behind the trees is Columbia Lake where the geese can be heard when the traffic on the highway, that runs along the lake and the field, stops. The highway runs atop the hill behind one goal on the soccer field. From the highway the players looked small and the open green spaces were too large and too slow to fill with white jerseys. The crowd, scattered along the side of the hill, was mainly parents, girlfriends and female varsity players.The cars blocked any noise the crowd may have been making. When the second half started I moved down the hill on the grass between the Windsor goal and the highway. I spent many minutes fixing the camera on the back of the goal, setting in my mind the perfect picture of the ball soaring into the net inches past the outstretched hands of the keeper. Unfortunately, the Warriors did
not send a ball into the top corner of the goal. There were a few scrambles in the six-yard box and the keeper made a few small saves. The rest of the play was across the field. With 20 minutes to go a chip shot from the box put the Lancers up two. Minutes later a penalty shot put the Lancers up three. The Warrior players hung their heads. A late header finished it off. Four to nil Windsor. The girls warmed up in the next field and the RMC Rugby team stretched in Field 1 as the men shook hands and the dejected Warriors walked slowly off the pitch to meet on the hill below the highway. First the players gathered in a large group, to wait on a few stragglers, and then the dejected words flowed down. “Are we taking it for granted,” one voice asked, “that we’re Waterloo varsity?” Other comments followed. Then the coach came and talked of his old varsity experiences, of players who played with their hearts and their soul on these fields, of team mates who bled the black and gold. He added that the player who didn’t plan to show up tomorrow for the game against Western, focused and ready to play soccer, could hand over his jersey right now. He said he didn’t want to hear words spoken of anything except soccer before the game. The players spoke their agreements and the coach left to join the women’s bench. A team leader spoke. He reflected upon the game and the coach’s words. The players around him were quiet. “We all must come ready to play,” He said. “There is no excuse.” Suddenly the rugby team poured down the hill, in all black, and thundered by in a disciplined line. I followed them to Field 1. They were stomping and hollering, “No one beats us at home,” and they were enormous. The RMC team huddled around their coach who looked awfully small. The Warriors kicked off and immediately hammered the military boys to cause a turnover. It seemed this was a mismatch. Waterloo quickly tossed to the far side, made a nice run and scored their first try. The kick was good. seven to nil. Behind me an RMC parent said, “It takes year to build a team. RMC hasn’t played for years.” See SATURDAY, page 32
sports
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Baseball playoff push Brendan Pinto staff reporter
The Men’s Baseball team heads into the weekend facing a double header against McMaster. The games will be played this Saturday September 23 at 1:00 and 3:00 in Hamilton. Coach Bishop describes this years roster as a good mix of both veterans and rookies who have displayed a great chemistry this season. Wes Koch in particular has impressed the coaching staff with solid performances on the mound in his past two games. Last weekend the team played
double headers on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s first game against Western ended in a disappointing 0-6 loss, but rallied in the second game for a 7-2 victory. Sunday against Toronto started strong with an 11-0 routing of the Varsity Blues. Game two ended in a 1-5 loss. In the Tuesday meeting against Brock, the Warriors trounced the opposition in a convincing 11-0 win. The next few games will be very important to the success of this season as a whole but both coaching staff and players are confident. bpinto@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Branta Canadensis: insolent and in control
Canada Geese have control of campus. In flocks they strut the paths and fields of UW with a docile indifference to the students who pass; they nest where they want, they shit where they stand, and they have reduced the frosh to walking in packs for fear of attack by a gang of these 42kg hissing giants. This is the Giant Canada Goose, a Canadian symbol of freedom, the domestic version, feeding itself fat in utopic insolence, breeding and lounging amid throngs of predators. The other day I walked the paved path along ring road. Before I came to engineering I came upon a flock. Twenty-six geese stood across the path, blocking my way. I stomped my feet. The geese did not move. “Move over!” I yelled. The geese did not move. I took three steps and clapped my hands menacingly. The three behemoths in front turned their trunks to face me. Their wings ruffled and their heads rotated, with their eyes on my own, slowly, side to side. I stomped my foot again, pitifully this time. The ringleader took one step towards me. His pack followed tight behind. A bird in the middle honked. I turned around and went back to South Campus Hall. “If only I had the proper gun,” I thought. “Then I’d show these geese.” So I called Shooters Choice, where the proper gun for this bobbing-forapples kind of hunt, a 22” bolt-action 30-caliber rifle, goes for roughly $300. September 23 brings the autumn waterfowl hunt to Ontario. With quotas
of five birds per day, the autumn waterfowl hunt is the perfect time of year to re-establish control of our campus while putting succulent, free-range meat on the tables of the hungry. The type of domestic goose found on campus range between 28 – 42 kg. Too big for most conventional ovens, the birds are best cooked roasted on a spit over an open fire. The meat is also tasty stewed in chunks or broiled in small pieces with vegetables in the oven. For the new residents of Canada, you can forever dispel doubts of your patriotism when you serve fresh grilled goose breasts, glazed in maple syrup, with the last of summer’s corn-on-the-cob, at your next Canada! dinner party. Be warned however, the Giant Canada Goose has the law on his side. The Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), a branch of the Ministry of Environment, requires every aspiring hunter to apply for: a) ‘A Federal Migratory Game Bird Hunting Permit’, on which you need a Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp; b) An Ontario Licence to hunt small game; and c) A permit to discharge a firearm from your local authorities. Acquiring these permits effectively rules out hunting by students on campus. The proper authorities responded to my queries with a variety of smirks, sighs, and goodbyes. However, the CWS has no enforcement agents operating at UW, or in Waterloo at all. But the CWS is not the only line of defence. The UW Police also guard the geese. There is a $50 fine in place for harassing wildlife on campus. Any student who discharges a firearm on campus will be expelled. So the geese stroll, insolent and in control, while the students of UW cross the street to let them pass. cpeters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Rugby East (Men) Team GP W L T PTS Queen’s 2 2 0 0 4 Brock 3 1 2 0 2 RMC 2 1 1 0 2 Trent 2 0 2 0 0 Carleton 2 0 2 0 0 Toronto 3 0 3 0 0 Rugby West (Men) Team GP W L T PTS McMaster 3 3 0 0 6 Western 2 2 0 0 4 Waterloo 3 2 1 0 4 Laurier 2 2 0 0 4 Guelph 2 1 1 0 2 Windsor 2 0 2 0 0 Mens Soccer (East) Team GP W L T PTS Toronto 5 5 0 0 15 Carleton 5 3 1 1 10 Queens 5 3 1 1 10 Laurentian 6 3 2 1 10 Ryerson 5 1 3 1 4 Trent 6 1 4 1 4 Nipissing 6 1 4 1 4 RMC 2 0 2 0 0 Mens Soccer (West) Team GP W L T PTS Western 6 5 0 1 16 Brock 6 3 1 2 11 Laurier 7 3 2 2 11 McMaster 6 3 2 1 10 Windsor 6 2 3 1 7 Guelph 7 2 4 1 7 York 6 2 4 0 6 Waterloo 6 1 5 0 3 Womens Soccer (East) Team GP W L T PTS Ottawa 6 4 0 2 14 Queen’s 6 4 1 1 13 Carleton 5 4 1 0 12 Toronto 5 3 0 2 11 Laurentian
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Ryerson 6 3 3 0 9 Nipissing 7 1 5 1 4 RMC 4 0 3 1 1 Trent 8 0 7 1 1 Womens Soccer (West) Team GP W L T PTS Laurier 7 4 1 2 14 Brock 6 4 1 1 13 McMaster 6 3 0 3 12 Western 6 2 2 2 8 York 6 1 1 4 7
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Athlete profile: Rebecca Stewart
Age: 19 Sport: Varsity Soccer Program: Civil Eng Year: 2
Doug Copping reporter
Do you remember the first time you kicked a soccer ball? Kindergarden. What do you love most about your sport? I am very competitive. I like the challenge. What does it take to compete at this level? Heart. You have to want to do it. What drives you to do it? Challenge. Describe a typical week in the life of a varsity athlete? Three hours of training everyday except Monday plus weekends, with games across Ontario. What lessons have you learned via soccer that you apply to other aspects of your life? Getting along with others. Leadership. Teamwork. Supporting each other. How do you balance athletics with academics? I get all my work done before practice. Soccer is my reward. What athletes have most influence you? About six years ago, watching the US Women’s soccer team play live. They were having lots of fun, were friendly to the crowd, and generally good ambassadors for the sport. Vision for 2006 season? Victory over Western last weekend meant a lot to the veterans because Waterloo hasn’t achieved that for many years. Supporters often say we can go far. We now believe it. How do you plan to achieve your goals for 2006? Hard work at every practice.
Golf: Team Canada takes fourth
Continued from page 30
“We’d compete with these foreign players, then at night all teams would meet back at the hotel for dinner. The comraderie between players of different countries was high. By the end of the week players were trading jerseys and hats. They had become friends.” Team Canada shot 11 under for the tournament, two strokes from the bronze medal; the best finish in the history of Canadian University Golf. “The team performed better than anyone could have imagined,” Hollinger said, “We nearly pulled off a major upset. When the medals were presented you could see our team believed we should have been on the podium.” Hollinger returned to UW with lessons for the Warriors. “These players have better pre-shot routines,” he said, “they are very focused and show little
emotion. When they miss a green they chip the ball and don’t miss a beat.” As for the Warriors, who are one week into the season, Hollinger was proud to talk of them. “Our first tournament in Windsor, we won. By 23 strokes. Our guys placed first - second - third. Our captain, Jud whiteside, shot six under par, the best finish in the 50 year history of Waterloo golf. As a team we shot three under par. That was the first time the Warriors have ever finished under par. In 50 years.” Canadian University Golf is as good as it’s ever been. And the Waterloo Warriors are the best of the bunch. This weekend they play the Grey Silo course at RIM park, where, with coach’s focus on chipping, they’ll attempt to better the best-ever Warrior Golf tournament in weekend Number 1. sbell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Football Team Windsor McMaster Queen’s Laurier Ottawa Western Waterloo Guelph York Toronto
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THIS WEEK IN ATHLETICS
Saturday, September 23
vs vs Queen’s Queen’s Golden Golden Gaels Gaels 7:30 7:30 PM PM University University Stadium Stadium
FOOTBALL
WARRIOR SOCCER
WARRIOR [W] RUGBY
Saturday, September 23, 2006 vs WLU Golden Hawks (M) 1:00 PM, (W) 3:00 PM UW North Campus
Saturday, September 24, 2006 vs WLU Golden Hawks, 1:00 PM UW North Campus
WARRIOR [M] RUGBY Sunday, September 24, 2006 vs Trent Excaliburs, 3:00 PM UW North Campus
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
IMPRINT | SEPTEMBER 23
Jon Morbey | [M] Football
Rebecca Stewart | [W] Soccer
Jon, a fifth year Economics student from Waterloo, Ontario, led the Warriors to 28-25 win over Toronto on Saturday afternoon. Jon rushed 6 times for 133 yards, including a 75-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to put the Warriors a head for good. Jon also threw for 265 yards in the air with two touchdown giving the Warriors their first win of the season. Jon was named OUA Athlete of the Week for his performance.
Rebecca, a second year Civil Engineering student from Mason, Michigan, has been rock solid for the Warriors defense which has not conceded a goal in 180 minutes play. This past weekend the Warriors tied Windsor 0-0 and defeated Western for the first time in 6 years, 1-0. From her sweeper position, Rebecca's speed, agility, and her ability to read the play has been instrumental in the success of the Warriors early in the season.
Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005
sports
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UW defends Kendo title
Saturday: games Continued from page 30
courtesy uw kendo
Doug Copping reporter
The UW Kendo Club won their second annual Gold medal in the team division at the Southwestern Ontario Regional Dojo (SWORD) tournament this past weekend at the University of Western Ontario. UW team A defeated Mississauga Kendo Club three matches to two to win the gold medal. Overall, the UW kendoka (kendo players) won six medals, reaching the podium in three of the four divisions UW was represented. “Once again,” said Ian Blechschmidt, Kendo team member, “we proved ourselves to be the team to beat in southwestern Ontario.” Kendo originated from several of the old sword schools of Japan. The main idea of the Kendo sword practice is summed by a quote from Itto Ryu, a Japanese swordmaster from the 16th century, who said “All sword techniques come from one, kiri otoshi (dropping cut).” In Kendo, bamboo swords, called shinai, are used to strike the oppo-
nent. There are eight targets on the opponent. The top and two sides of the head just above the ears, the right forearm just above the wrist, and the left forearm if the left hand is above the shoulder. The two sides of the chest may be struck for a point and the lone thrust permitted is to the throat. Players must make two out of three points in a five minute match to win. There are time extensions if the players are tied. A good hit for a point is made from full “maai” (starting distance). Proper posture and balance must be maintained. The player must call the name of the point as it is hit. The blade must be controlled on and off the target, and must be wielded with proper sword angle and motion. When both players hit at once, no point is given, otherwise the first hit is the point that counts. UW Kendo is in its 24th year. Beginners are welcome at the club, however if you are interested in joining you must attend practice, in PAC studio 1, on Mondays at 8:30pm, Wednesdays at 8:30 pm, or Saturdays 11:30 am.
Somewhere else a Laurier scout was explaining to a fan, “It’s five points for a touchdown. Literally a touchdown. The ball has to be touched down. Then they kick for two points.” The old folks from RMC were flustered. “We don’t know this game. We know football.” To which the first fan said, “They don’t play football at RMC. Only rugby.” On the field Waterloo scored a second try. Soon enough they scored again. And again. At half it was 34 – 0. I wandered over to the girls soccer match. The girls were in the first half. A trio of blondes, with green pinneys atop their all black uniforms, said the score was nil as they jogged past. For the rest of the first half I stood behind the Waterloo goal and watched the Warriors’ keeper control the game. She stopped all incoming blasts, controlled her defence with shouted bursts and kicked half the field while yelling instructions to the mid-fielders. The half ended with no score. In the second half the Warriors controlled the play and had many good chances but the Windsor keeper was very good and could not be beat. This large girl wore bright orange and dominated the players around her with a confidence unmatched on the pitch. In the first half she got carded when she hoofed a Warrior striker who had fallen in the six yard box. In the second she was unbeatable and the Lancers escaped with a 0-0 draw. Over on Field 1 the Rugby Warriors were finishing with RMC. With the second string on the field they had scored another try in the second half and won 40-0; they were off the field with a 2-0 record and the most impressive start of all the 2006 varsity Warriors. The first of the fall Saturdays was over.
FRIDAY, september 22, 2006
Warriors beat Varsity Blues in coach Bingeman’s debut Shawn Bell assistant sports editor
On Saturday in Toronto, quarterback Jon Morbey placed the Warriors offense on his shoulders, leading three unanswered second half touchdown drives and handing Marshall Bingeman a 28-25 victory in his head coaching debut. “We said last week we have to win four of the final six games to make the playoffs,” Warrior coach Marshall Bingeman said, “it was nice to get these two points.” The first half did not look promising. Toronto got on the board early and the Waterloo offense sputtered. It took a stellar defensive effort to keep Toronto from running away with the game. “The defense played great in that first half,” Bingeman said. “We put them into tough positions with fumbles deep in our own end, but they held us in.” With playoff aspirations falling through their grasp, the Warriors went to the locker room down 10-0, needing the offense to step up. The coaching staff turned to the quarterback, fifth year starter Jon Morbey. “We really challenged Jon to step it
up at halftime,” Bingeman said. “He came out and responded.” To start the second half, Morbey immediately led the Warriors on a nine play, 85 yard drive, capped by Travis Gellatly’s 11 yard touchdown run. Nine minutes later, Morbey connected with wide reciever Sean Cowie for a 30 yard touchdown pass to put the Warriors on top. Early in the fourth quarter, Morbey broke free on his own for a 75 yard touchdown run to seal the Warrior victory. Morbey finished 12-28 for 265 yards in the air, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was also the Warrior’s leading rusher, picking up 133 yards on six carries. Coach Bingeman was humble in victory. “The win was great for the kids,” he said. “They worked hard all off season, all training camp, and now we’re starting to see this group come together as a unit.” Next for the 1-2 Warriors, the 2-1 Queen’s Golden Gaels come to University Stadium for a Saturday night game. “We got the first win,” Bingeman said. “Now we’ve got to win 3 of five. Starting with Queens on Saturday.” Game time is 7:30. sbell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
cpeters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
courtesy Jim Hagen
Quarterback Jon Morbey leads the Warriors’ offensive front with three unanswered second half touchdowns.