Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
Friday, March 23, 2007
UW bronze in Tokyo computing contest
vol 29, no 32
imprint . uwaterloo . ca
Fee increase raises questions
Michael L. Davenport staff reporter
Tim Foster
Walls around campus have been peppered with posters, debates on Facebook groups are heating up, and forums are being held. And it’s all about everyone’s favourite political issue: the U-Pass. As with all Feds referenda, both “yes” and “no” committees are formed, both charged with the task of raising awareness of the issue, and defending their point of view. With this particular issue, the rift between the yes and no sides comes down to utility: the “yes” side believes that all students will benefit from a pass, while the “no” side maintains that this is not the case at all. Public debates are held such that each side may attempt to establish their viewpoint as truth. The first forum was held on March 21 in the SLC Great Hall. However, the debate was somewhat one-sided, as the “no” committee was absent. John Soltys, chair of the “no” committee, said he was unable to attend because of a conflict with a class.
staff reporter
Three University of Waterloo students overcame stiff competition in Tokyo March 14 at the world championship for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) programming contest and acquitted themselves admirably. They earned one of four bronze medals as the ninth place team out of 88 finalists and 6,099 total entrants from 82 countries around the world. Tor Myklebust, Simon Parent and Malcolm Sharpe formed one of five Canadian teams to enter the IBM-sponsored competition and will split the $1,000 U.S. among themselves. In five hours of gruelling competition, they solved six of the ten problems with the ten-way tie broken by the time they took to complete them. They approached the problems by dividing them up, each member of the team formulating a solution mostly independently. They each took turns on one computer coding their programs. The programs were submitted electronically to judges who run them with an undisclosed data set. The only feedback they receive is ternary: if it is correct, incorrect, or if the program has crashed. This sort of detachment is understandable, but has its drawbacks. This year, one of the judges’ datasets was not formatted the way they told the teams, losing the Waterloo team valuable time as they tried to find the source of their program’s crash. The team’s coach, Prof. Gordon Cormack is philosophical about it: “It happens,” he said. “I mean, their solution was wrong. It’s just they spent a lot of time diagnosing the judging error, so they didn’t have time to move on to another problem.” In 2002 there was a controversial judging error that resulted in the solutions being re-marked, causing another school to tie with the Waterloo team’s second-place finish. Historically, UW teams have done very well. Waterloo began attending these competitions when several members of the CS club got it organized. See TOKYO, page 28
W NO
Gearing up for the U-Pass referendum
See DEBATE page 7
Valerie Broadbent
Voters and candidates gather in the SLC’s Great Hall to elect new Feds’ board members. Mohammad Jangda staff reporter
Students can expect an increase in their Federation of Students’ fee in the coming fall term. The increase was one of several changes voted in by the 100 or so members of the Federation of Students in attendance at the winter general meeting. This meeting was held on Wednesday, March 21 in the Great Hall of the Student Life Centre. The meeting is held annually in March primarily to elect the board of directors which, according to Eric Logan, chair of the meeting and a current member of the board, “is a surprisingly important body for the Federation of Students.” Comprised of four executive
members and five student councillors, the board manages the business side of the Federation. It has several financial, contractual and legal obligations to fulfill for the corporation, such as overseeing the operations of Feds’ businesses such as Bomber, negotiating contracts with external parties like Grand River Transit and communicating with lawyers for legal matters. The appointment of the executive team for the upcoming year, which was elected in the February Feds elections, was unanimously ratified. However, much discussion surrounded the election of the remaining five positions on the board, with seven people vying for the seats. In the running were Caitlin Cull (arts councillor), Jeffrey Aho (engi-
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neering), Justin Williams (environmental studies), Chris Neal (math), Andrew Falcao (science), Sally Jurica (arts) and Lu Jiang (arts). The nominees were given an opportunity to present their platforms, with each pushing their experience with Feds and board-related experiences. After the votes were counted, Cull, Aho, Williams, Neal and Falcao were announced as the winners. Apart from the board election, several amendments were made to Feds bylaws. Jokingly introduced by President Michelle Zakrison as “everyone’s favourite time,” the amendments were ratified with little discussion or opposition against the proposed changes.
Take a walk through Persia and see the traditions surrounding the Persian new year for yourself.
>> See page 15 Giller prize winner, Vincent Lam reads from Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures.
>> See page 21 A pair of former Warriors make the jump from varsity athletics to the world of professional hockey.
See FEDS page 10
>> See page 30
GRAND OPENING PARTY IN JO US
Saturday March 24, 2007 U W STU 4 - 8 pm DEN T SPE C Prizes, Refreshments and Special Promotions FREE membership!
IALS
N ews Dyer predicts future wars over food Imprint
Friday, March 23, 2007
news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca News Editor: Suzanne Gardner News Assistant: Narmeen Lakhani
Neal Moogk-Soulis staff reporter
Gwynne Dyer premiered a new idea in front of a two-thirds capacity crowd at the Humanities Theatre Wednesday. The talk, titled Climate Wars, predicted that the wars of the future would not be fought over oil, or to punished rogue states, but that they would be fought over food. He addressed the crowd in a comfortable leather jacket, jeans and sneakers while predicting that the world was going to be something different. As a well-known freelance journalist with contacts around the world, Dyer keeps his ear close to the ground. On the question of Cuba? “Castro’s finished. They don’t want him back.” The issue of climate wars first occurred to him when he was in Britain shortly after the British government announced that they were going to replace their current fleet of nuclear submarines, set to be mothballed by 2020, with a new generation fit for service through 2050. The British defence minister went on record to say, “Well, you never know what might turn up.” Confused, Dyer discussed the issue with several of his British contacts. “It’s about climate change,” they said, “Lifeboat Britain.” That didn’t help Dyer at all, so he had to do some more digging. “They’re not worried about the ice caps melting or polar bears drowning, though someone might set up a fund to buy polar bear life jackets, or rising seas. They’re worried about food supply.” The British theory goes that should climate change continue at the rate that it will, Britain will be able to sustain approximately 60 million people on agriculture. This normally wouldn’t be a problem, except that the British planners predict that continental Europe will suffer an agricultural collapse, where a hungry population might look to a well-fed Britain with envy. Dyer is currently developing this for a possible book, a series on the CBC Radio One program Ideas and later potentially television. Prior to his lecture, he sat down with a group of graduate students and later with Imprint to discuss his ideas. Given the climate change focus of his talk, Imprint asked him whether the climate change debate was simply part of an environmental renaissance and, if so, how it could be explained.
Krishna sivaranjan
Journalist and military analyst Gwynne Dyer signs copies of his books after his climate change lecture in Hagey Hall. they have mined out all of the experts and there is nothing left to say, and interest declines.” Dyer said that the current fascination with climate change is the third time the environment has been the darling of the news cycle. “The first was started by Rachel Carson and her book Silent Spring. It peaked in the 1970s, but was killed off by the oil crisis.” This first wave of interest led to catalytic converters being introduced into automobiles among other environmental measures.
“The third wave has been a less steep curve that started sometime around 2001-2002, but there is no clear trigger. Ironically, it may have been U.S. President George W. Bush withdrawing from Kyoto that was the trigger.” News coverage of the issue continues to grow by about 50 per cent per year, compared with the typical doubling. More people have become involved in the issue, which means there are even more experts to mine.
“Cheer up, it could be worse, but I can’t just remember how. Nobody’s to blame. As soon as we began mass civilization, we were bound to end up at this point. And now we have to deal with it.” — Gwynne Dyer “Have you heard of content analysis?” he asked. Content analysis is the monitoring of keywords across a broad spectrum of media outlets to chart what the popular press, and by extension populations, are discussing. “Generally, there is a steep rise, and then an equally steep fall, generally over a two or three year period. The trigger is some new piece of news, which triggers a media frenzy, and spiking interest. Eventually,
“The second peak occurred in the late 1980s with the discovery of the ozone hole over the Antarctic. It was all very science fiction, but there were real dangers like skin cancer.” That debate occurred when climate change science was in its infancy, but climate change rode the wave. The 1992 climate change negotiations that led to the 1997 Kyoto protocol were one result.
Al Gore’s recent push on climate change has benefited from this renewed interest, “But he’s no Johnny-come-lately. He was the first person to mention climate change in Congress in the 1980s. He’s found his niche.” Dyer singled out Canada as one of the worst abusers of the Kyoto protocol, while other signatories have done their best to meet their targets.
“What’s happened is that the Chrétien Liberals signed the deal, and now the Harper Tories will have to pay the price.” Under the terms of the Kyoto protocol, signatories that don’t meet their targets have to purchase carbon credits from other nations. Generally speaking, despite its poor record fighting climate change, Canada would likely fare pretty well, should the world heat up on average between 2-5 degrees Celsius. However, “We’d have a slight problem of 300 million American refugees at our border. [...] We’re going to have to go along, it would be unneighbourly not to, and you don’t dare not co-operate [with the Americans]. I foresee a situation where we would share our food, as long as we weren’t starving more than they were.” Should the climate warm up, nations would be hit hard, and not just the developing nations. China would likely lose a lot of its production, and India would see a 25 per cent drop. Given that India is only now able to feed its own population, a drop in production would be devastating. Another worrying sign of a global realignment was the current U.S. strategy of isolating China militarily. “Why make China the enemy? India is desperate to be taken seriously, and the only reason they don’t have seat on the Security Council with a veto is because their independence came two years too late.” Luckily, the Americans are unlikely
to attack China, and the Chinese are so far ignoring the threat. If the situation becomes dire enough, dire solutions, like a giant sunshade in space, may be needed. “If the emergency is big enough, you may want to do it if it’s the only way to keep from driving off the cliff.” Dyer had some final thoughts for his audience after spending more than an hour on dire prognostications. “Cheer up, it could be worse, but I can’t just remember how. Nobody’s to blame. As soon as we began mass civilization, we were bound to end up at this point. And now we have to deal with it.” During the question-and-answer period that followed, an audience member took Dyer to task for jetting around the world while preaching the need to prevent climate change. “For my work, I need to travel. You can’t do the kind of research from an office somewhere,” he replied. “Flying around the world to lay on a beach for a vacation is another matter altogether.” The final question of the night asked about finding a scientific solution versus a political solution. “Science, if you’re lucky, will produce a range of choices, but you can’t tease out the answers. God knows we need the science, but the choices will be made politically. You don’t need to be a Marxist to recognize the importance of politics.” nmoogksoulis@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
news
Conglomerate blues The hoardings went up this week to block off yet another piece of greenspace on campus. The accounting students will get a shiny new wing and we’ll lose another piece of greenspace. Increasingly, however, one gets the feeling that nothing is sacred on this campus. When the co-op building was built in late 2001, what were estimated to be the oldest trees on campus were in the way. Shoulders were shrugged and $10,000 was spent on some replacement trees that will take until the campus centennial to even approach the sizes that were lost. The administration has drawn up a price list for donors — anything is for sale on this campus. Ironically, the CEIT building, where everything inside is named for someone or something, holds a name that remotely ties to the building purpose. In the early days of campus expansion, construction was fairly simple. Parking lot or greenspace, it would be covered. The Davis Centre is a former parking lot, as is Needles Hall. After the Davis Centre, construction stalled. This meant that the green spaces and parking spaces on campus for the moment were safe. The sixth decade plan and other messages that we’ve heard from Needles Hall indicate that this campus will do nothing but grow. More students, more faculty, more research space. This campus is getting bigger, baby! Yet there is one minor problem. The space within the Ring Road boundary is fairly full, but
this won’t stop the administration! The new solar building is perched on the edge of the BMH green, the IQC building is eating up the entire B2 Green and looks like it will be kissing the SLC. The arts faculty is looking to plant buildings around and between their own buildings. Not to be outdone, the engineering department looks set to knock down the Grad House and put up a three storey building in its stead. Why aren’t people willing to step outside the Ring Road? We’re willing to banish departments to Cambridge, Kitchener and Dubai, yet we’re unwilling to put a building on top of another parking lot? Surely the administration has enough foresight to see that we can’t go filling up green space. Besides the BMH green and the quadrangle between DC and MC, everything else appears to be spoken for in one space or another. The administration is merely delaying the inevitable. Once the green space is filled up, construction will have to look elsewhere. By the time we start building on parking lots, the south campus will be nothing but a ramshackle conglomeration of disparately designed buildings. We’ll be nothing but a dense urban campus in the middle of suburban city. If you visit some of the great universities of the world, or even Canada, you’ll notice that green space and vistas feature prominently. I’m familiar with Toronto, Queen’s and Western, schools that have similarly sized campuses once you factor in our north campus. Those campuses are not claustrophobic. You don’t mind walking through their campuses. Hell, you can even stand in one spot and look across a lawn to see which buildings you’re looking for. At Waterloo, we can’t see the university for the buildings. nmoogksoulis@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
presents
Dr. Gerald McMaster
Rethinking Canadian Culture & History An illustrated lecture on the reinstallation of the Canadian collections at the Art Gallery of Ontario that will employ a thematic/narrative approach reflecting a strong First Nations’ perspective. Dr. Gerald McMaster (Curator of Canadian Art, Art Gallery of Ontario) is a Member of the Order of Canada (2006) and recipient of the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Art & Culture (2005). McMaster is a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation, Saskatchewan/Siksika Nation, Alberta .
Monday, March 26th @ 4:00pm Hagey Hall, Humanities Theatre
Friday, March 23, 2007
Family of missing Laurier student shies from public
courtesy cristian eric nunez lopez
Friends of Nick Vlasov gathered together for a mass distribution of the above poster in both Waterloo and Mississauga (Vlasov’s hometown) on March 18. Adam McGuire incoming editor-in-chief
Public interest in a Laurier student missing since March 5 may begin to fade, a trend that would be keeping with the wishes of the man’s family. Mykola “Nick” Vlasov, a first-year student at WLU, has been the subject of both local and national media coverage since his disappearance over two weeks ago. But Vlasov’s sister Katrina, who set up the Facebook group “Help find Nick,” recently stated her family’s wishes to keep quiet in hopes it will encourage Vlasov’s safe return. “Nick’s family does not want any media attention right now,” wrote Katrina in a post in the Facebook group. “It’s not that we don’t want to speak to them ourselves. We believe that if Nick were to come back soon, all the media attention might prevent him from doing so.” Waterloo Regional Police public affairs co-ordinator Olaf Heinzel said he understood and respected the family’s position in reference to the media coverage surrounding Vlasov’s disappearance. However, Heinzel was also quick to point out there is a fine line that both investigators and media members walk during investigations like this one. “We really don’t like to respond or comment on the position that other people take,” Heinzel said. “We have worked closely with the family and we have to be sensitive to the needs and wants of the family. As much as we respect the family’s wishes, we hope we are allowed the latitude to continue the investigation in the way we believe it should.” Heinzel goes on to say that, while the
discovery of Nick is the biggest thing on anyone’s mind, dealing with family members is also an integral part of the investigators’ duties. “We try to keep a balance,” he said. “We respect their need for privacy, and we never go public with information in any missing persons case unless we have full support from the family. We have achieved in having (the family) understand that a certain amount of publicity can help our investigation.” According to the webpage helpfindnick. googlepages.com, the 19-year-old native of Mississauga was last seen leaving his residence building at around midnight on the evening of March 5. By March 7, Nick had been reported missing and Waterloo Regional Police investigators began their search. The key piece of evidence was a backpack that police found on the Grand River bank near Lancaster and Bridge streets on March 8. Since then, diving units have scoured that area of the river and search dogs were brought in to comb the adjacent wooded areas of the riverside. Heinzel said that the backpack provides police with a valuable starting point. “It’s not absolutely clear where he might be,” Heinzel said. “We have to keep an open mind to all possible scenarios. (But) with the proximity of the backpack near the river, that has been the focus of the search.” Heinzel also added that, because of the seasonal changes to the river, searching it thoroughly becomes more difficult. Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Vlasov are asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police. amcguire@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
news
Friday, March 23, 2007
Mansbridge shares his Canadian pride at WLU
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CBC newscaster Peter Mansbridge moved from the television screen to the Laurier campus to discuss important current issues such as our role in Afghanistan and global warming. Sukhpreet Sangha staff reporter
Peter Mansbridge is much funnier in person than he is on TV. He’s also shorter, warmer and more obviously modest. But Mansbridge’s most striking characteristic is his overwhelming pride in Canada; while many journalists leave Canada for more lucrative positions in the U.S., Mansbridge has stayed here throughout his career due to his love for Canada and its people. Over 200 audience members filled Wilfrid Laurier University’s Senate and Board Chamber last Thursday evening to hear Peter Mansbridge’s lecture “Canada and Canadians in a Changing World,” the first in an annual speaker series presented by the Arts Students’ Advancement Program. WLU’s annual Fashion ‘N Motion show was opening in the Theatre Auditorium the next building over, prompting Mansbridge to comment, “Obviously you care because you’re here instead of at the fashion show. Hell, for all I know you couldn’t get a ticket; you’re the overflow.” Even if they were just fashion overflow, the audience gave Mansbridge their “rapt attention,” which he later explicitly thanked them for. When asked what advice he would give aspiring journalists, Mansbridge said to make sure that journalism was the career you really wanted before pursuing it, because otherwise it would not be worth it. It certainly has turned out to be worth it for Mansbridge, who has been CBC’s chief correspondent and anchor of The National since 1988. Mansbridge’s story initially sounds like a tale of immense luck and circumstance; he arrived at his current position without graduating from
high school, let alone earning a university degree. However, he doesn’t advocate this path and mentioned that he wishes he went to university for many reasons. A CBC Radio producer discovered Mansbridge when he was asked to announce a flight departure in a Churchill, Manitoba airport while working there as a freight agent, but he was quick to note that he has worked very hard since then. It took him 19 years, from his start as a CBC Radio Manitoba music show host in 1969, to get where he is now, so obviously it was not all providence. Mansbridge acknowledges his luck, but also believes that “everything is possible but you have to work at it, work towards that goal.” Mansbridge’s lecture was intended to motivate his audience, and Canadians at large. He wants them to educate themselves on world issues and get involved in order to both learn more about Canada and foster a positive reputation for Canada in the world. He shared three personal experiences he had while reporting abroad in Holland, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. In each case, Mansbridge encountered a citizen with a uniquely positive opinion of Canada, so he said he will never forget these particular encounters as they gave him a valuable understanding of how Canadians are perceived within the world. Although the stories were all very warm and idealistic, in Mansbridge acknowledged that the world’s picture of Canadians is not always so rosy. Our current involvement in Afghanistan, a decidedly non-peacekeeping endeavour, was of particular note to Mansbridge in relation to the changing roles and perceptions of Canadians. He highlighted how our
more antagonistic role is fostering a new perception of Canadians in the world; our involvement is a key issue for Canadians, especially in light of the constant threat of an impending election. The other issue Mansbridge emphasized was the environment, although he claims to have found Al Gore “a crashing bore” in business meetings prior to the release of An Inconvenient Truth. Global warming and climate change need to be considered a top priority on the Canadian agenda, like they were in the Mulroney era. Mansbridge is “tired of the argument about if it’s happening and who is to blame,” and believes that it’s time for solutions and answers. Mansbridge encouraged the audience “not to be shy about getting involved,” and later encouraged them “not to be shy about asking questions.” He fielded questions for an extra hour after the lecture, as well as during a reception after the event, during which he often showcased his trademark journalistic style by remaining un-opinionated, sometimes at the expense of giving a real answer. However, many of the audience members interested in speaking with Mansbridge seemed to be operating on specific agendas, which he avoided addressing. Mansbridge mentioned off the top of his speech that, despite a glowing introduction, not everyone in Canada knows who he is, and throughout the evening he showed how maybe if they did, they would have reason to be more proud of their Canadian identity. ssangha@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
“Everything is possible but you have to work at it.” — Peter Mansbridge
Diploma in occupational HealtH anD Safety The Program in Occupational Health and Environmental Medicine offers two diploma programs designed to provide basic instruction in the principles of occupational health and safety. The full-time program runs from September to November. The parttime program runs from September to April and is designed for students within commuting distance from Hamilton wishing to continue their normal employment while enrolled in the program. The part-time program is held one day per week, but includes two extended periods of full-time study lasting two weeks. While special consideration will be given to those already in the occupational health field, interested individuals without such experience may also be considered. A relevant university degree or equivalent is generally required. Information and applications can be obtained from our: website: http//www.mcmaster.ca/pohem/ telephone: Jean Bodnar ~ 905-525-9140, ext 22333 e-mail: bodnarj@mcmaster.ca.
news
Friday, March 23, 2007
Imprint EIC hands title off to new hire Narmeen Lakhani assistant news editor
valerie leigh broadbent
New EIC Adam McGuire (front) looks ahead while old EIC Tim Alamenciak (back) looks on.
Imprint is breaking in a new editorin-chief, Adam McGuire. McGuire completed his UW studies in Fall 2006, in the English Rhetoric and Professional Writing program. You might recognize him from his days as a sports columnist and assistant sports editor, although he admits that he is no athlete. “If you can’t do, then teach,” he said with a smile, and continued to say that he can’t do or teach sports, so he writes about them. During his first Imprint days McGuire also worked professionally for his local newspaper, The Goderich Signal Star. Away from Imprint, his time is greatly occupied by his 23-month old daughter, Andie, so McGuire returns with all the latest buzz on Dora the Explorer. “My daughter helps put things in perspective,” he said, adding that he thinks toys nowadays are much more exciting, so Imprint volunteers might have to watch out for remote control cars around the office floor. McGuire feels his new job as EIC is a “perfect fit” for his interest in journalism. “It’s a really great opportunity for me to start my career,” he said.
When asked about his plans, McGuire said he was interested in drawing in more volunteers to Imprint, through greater communication with first year students and better partnerships with the UW faculty, to ensure that everyone knows about opportunities at Imprint. When asked about his ideas for Imprint in the upcoming year, McGuire expressed his goal of “transforming every page into art” to keep the paper “looking good, as well as being technically sound and well-written.” Imprint’s new EIC is a talker, but while he is presently busy adding to every conversation around the office, he plans to get some work done, too. “First I need to learn what our strong points and our weak points are. I need to learn what the volunteers think our strengths and weaknesses are, too.” Right now he is a Coca-Cola addict, but he has learned from the outgoing EIC that coffee is the key to “good times.” So, what has outgoing EIC Tim Alamenciak got to show for Imprint in the past year and a half besides a glorious head of hair? He believes that he has added a “heightened sense of creativity,” while serving the broader goal of adding more focus to the paper as a whole.
In recent months, he has especially encouraged volunteers to play with different design ideas for the paper. His goals changed over the course of his time as EIC; most recently, his objective has been “to provide an awesome environment for volunteers to learn about journalism.” Alamenciak encourages Imprint volunteers to keep learning new skills while taking advantage of new experiences, because he says “what they do has a great impact throughout the campus.” To the campus at large, he advises students to “keep reading Imprint, and if you don’t like it, change it.” Alamenciak picked up his own skills by learning to act fast during a crisis. He says that in order to do the job of EIC, “you have to be confident [and] think that you’re better than everybody else.” He went on to explain that the EIC is pulled in many different directions, from which he has to steer in his own direction. Alamenciak looks forward to a career in mainstream journalism, where rockstar quotes will hopefully be as welcome as they were at Imprint. When asked about the future, he said: “Let’s just say... you’ll see my name in print.” nlakhani@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Feds VPED says federal budget will help students “very little” Jacqueline McKoy reporter
The Student Life Office and Office of Alumni Affairs are currently recruiting student liaisons for the GradFest 2008 celebration. The Job: Reporting to Heather FitzGerald, Student Life Office, and Chantel Franklin, Office of Alumni Affairs, the GradFest Liaisons will work to identify, develop and execute important elements of the GradFest celebration on behalf of the 2008 graduating class. GradFest Liaisons will: x Identify social and academic needs of the 2008 graduating class x Develop a GradFest program proposal x Liaise with members of the graduating class and university administration x Execute approved program plans for GradFest The Requirements: Successful candidates must be full-time registered undergraduate or graduate students (including co-op) in good academic standing. Must be on-campus both the Fall 07 and Winter 08 terms, and intend to graduate in Spring or Fall 08. Candidates must have excellent oral and written communication skills. The Benefits: Gain essential program and event management skills while helping both yourself and the class of 2008 through its final year at UW. Learn everything you need to know about “Real Life” after graduation. Interested applicants are asked to submit their resume with accompanying cover letter to the Office of Alumni Affairs – Attention: Chantel by Friday, April 13, 2007 For further information contact: Chantel Franklin, Alumni Officer Office of Alumni Affairs, South Campus Hall 519 888 4567 ext. 36225 ckfrankl@uwaterloo.ca
Office of Alumni Affairs
The federal budget released by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty this past Tuesday promised, as expected, more money for education in Canada. But the question everyone is asking is: What does this mean for today’s post-secondary students? The answer is “very little,” according to Federation of Students vice-president of education Jeff Henry. The federal government is setting aside $800 million for post-secondary education, but provinces will not see a dime of it until the 2008-2009 academic year. New financial aid programs might not be fully implemented in Ontario until a couple years after that. Federal funding for education will increase by three per cent every year after that, according to budget documents. As far as Henry is concerned, the government’s commitment to providing funds is welcome, but not nearly helpful enough. “The student financial aid system is overly complex and far too much money is currently spent on tax credits instead of on grants that would actually provide access to postsecondary education. Unfortunately, the current government has continued to emphasize more tax breaks, such as the textbook tax credit last year and uncapping contributions to [Registered Education Savings Plans] (RESPs) this year.” A point in the newly introduced budget eliminates the $4,000 per year cap on RESP contributions made by parents — a benefit geared to affluent families whose children are not yet in post-secondary education. Another gripe from student groups across the country, including Feds, is that the federal budget “doesn’t address the issue that we’re looking at a $300 million gap in funding,” says Henry. The announcement said
nothing concerning the expiration of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, which provides $350 million per year in merit scholarships and needs-based grants. Without another act of Parliament, the Foundation will disband in 2009. The federal government also released a tentative plan to allocate “$35 million over two years and $27 million per year thereafter” to create 1,000 additional Canada Graduate Scholarships. For students interested in grad studies, this is somewhat bittersweet considering that Ontario alone is adding an extra 14,000 spaces in graduate programs through 2010. One aspect of the budget that might brighten the outlook for current undergrads is that Ontario will have $111 million to spend immediately thanks to the Canada Social Transfer (CST), a transfer payment to provinces from the federal government that supports social services, including post-secondary education. Premier McGuinty, however, may not be focused on spending the CST chiefly on education. The province released its budget yesterday, and understandably, it was expected to focus more on poverty and environmental spending — both hot-button election issues. Another source of hope for education policy, thanks to a looming federal election, will be the newly released party platforms. So far, both the federal Liberal and Green Party’s press releases have been silent about the Conservative government’s education efforts. The NDP’s postsecondary education defense critic Denise Savoy, however, felt that there was “…no plan to make education more affordable for low- and middleincome families.” — with files from Feds, NDP, Daily Bulletin and CASA
news
Friday, March 23, 2007
Debate: Heated discussion continues despite absence of key figures Continued from cover
The non-representation of the “no” committee didn’t stop the “yes” committee from making their point of view heard. Headed by ES councillor Drew Adams and Planning Students Association president Garett Stevenson, the pair spoke to a small but accumulating crowd. One of the first arguments that Adams made was that the pass would be cheaper than driving. “Maybe you drive to campus. You’ll save $114 off the cost of your parking pass if you [had driven], plus gas and maintenance. You already pay $50 per tank of gas. If you leave your car at home for two weeks — the money you would have spent on the tank of gas, you can spend on the bus pass. And who knows, you might still use it.” However, when Imprint did catch up with Soltys, he disagreed. “The reason people drive is because it’s not feasible to take a bus. It’s because they live far beyond the reaches of the public transit system, and these service improvements won’t benefit the people that drive because they’re so sparse and spread out. These people that drive live in Elmira or Chicopee or the suburbs or some area where bus service is inept at
best. And they’re going to derive almost no benefit from this. All of these “improved routes,” they’re only going to be around campus, and they’re going to be screwing the people who live beyond the reach of the transit. And they’re paying for nothing, essentially.” Adams is quick to point out how inexpensive the pass is compared to other deals. After compiling costs of similar bus passes, he found that university students who have a pass pay $83 on average for it, some universities much more. Brock students, for instance, paid $120 for a four month pass in 2003. Emphasizing the low cost, Adams said, “If you take it once a week, one return trip a week for a term, you are going to see the benefit, the pass will pay for itself, and it’ll be a reliable ride that’ll always be there for you.” Said Adams: “Instead of a few cab rides home from the bar, take the bus and save the $50 that way.” But it’s exactly this idea Soltys finds repelling. “It’s not necessary,” he said. “I don’t really feel like paying for your trip to the bar, quite frankly. And I don’t think it’s fair to the people who can derive little or no benefit from it. There are people who get literally absolutely nothing out of this. Taking
Michael L. Davenport
The no team didn’t show, leaving empty chairs and lonely mics.
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Garett Stevenson (left) and Drew Adams defend their case for a universal bus pass. their money away for a luxury for others is unfair. Because it is a luxury...to get to the bar back and forth.” Adams stated that taking the bus is an environmentially friendly means of transportation which students should be encouraged to use. Fiscal conservatives point out that “walking” is an even more environmentally friendly means of transport. However, Adams pointed out that for the “smog days” in the summer, taking the bus (thus not spending long periods of time outside) can be advantageous. Both the “yes” and “no” sides are guilty when it comes to flawed assumptions or misrepresenting facts. When current Federation of Students vice-president administration and finance Renjie Butalid asked the “yes” committee how students who have no use for the pass could possibly save money, Adams replied that the proposed pass is much cheaper than the current adult pass, which is on order of $200 — completely ignoring the fact that only a small number of students actually buy such passes now. Adams also said that there would be a 15 per cent tax credit for the pass — but that is still net money out of students’ pockets. Moreover, the “no” committee’s posters contain misleading or outright false statements. One poster claims that “When Laurier got a U-Pass, service did not improve,” (emphasis theirs) when in truth improvements were made to Routes 5, 7, 8, 9, 12,
and iXpress. Another poster claims that only 15 per cent of students ride the bus, but those statistics are from 2001 — the more recent 2006 study pegs bus ridership at 32 per cent and at that, the survey reports on the percentage of students to ride the bus to campus, not ridership overall.
Both the “yes” and “no” sides are guilty when it comes to flawed assumptions or misrepresenting facts. Yet another poster claims that “The city of Waterloo is willing to give us a cheap, refundable bus pass that will work for everyone. But only if you vote ‘no’ to get a fairer plan.” In reality, any refundable pass would have to be administered by Feds; GRT would see the same lump sum of money whether students have a non-refundable pass or a slightly more expensive refundable pass. Feds would have to accept liability — or even potential financial losses — if large numbers of students requested refunds. Butalid has released a document outlining the potential methods of
April 3, 2007, 5 PM
Arts Lecture Hall (AL) Room 208 To be eligible to vote you must be a WPIRG member in good standing (a UW full-time undergrad who has not obtained a refund, or any other person who has purchased a membership). Info: x84882, SLC 2139
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authenticating students, justifying his decision to use the WatCard readers (the item responsible for the $9.50 fee). Soltys expressed concern at both this investment in infrastructre (possibly locking us into a bus pass in the long term) and the fact that the refundable pass idea hasn’t been fairly presented to students. GRT has already signed a “letter of intent” which is legally binding. Assuming students vote in favour of the pass, GRT has already committed to approximately 27,000 hours of service improvements, including improvements to Route 8, Route 13, and the iXpress. There are two more forums scheduled, both taking place in the SLC Great Hall: one on Friday, March 23 at 11:00 a.m., and the second on Monday, March 26 at noon. Also, there are Facebook groups both for and against the pass for both undergraduate and graduate students (with debate in the “no” undergraduate group in particular) as well as debate happening in the uwaterloo Livejournal community. Hopefully between all these different media, both sides will have presented all the arguments by the time the issue comes to a vote — to be held from 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 29.
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Baldly battling cancer
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Students, staff shave it all off for cancer research Amanda Henheoffer imprint intern
Monday kickstarted “Proudly Bald in Support of Cancer” — a campus-wide charity event continuing over the next two weeks to raise money for cancer research. Event organizers, Jason Shirtliff and Katherine Olsen, plan to raise $50,000 in student pledges. The money raised from this event will go to the Canadian Cancer Society. “The reason I’m doing this is for the memory of those that I’ve lost, and in support of those that I haven’t and don’t ever want to lose,” said Shirtliff, who has been touched by cancer on many occasions. “Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way, be it a distant relative or a close friend, but we all know the struggle and emotions it invokes in people — especially a sense of helplessness. That’s what this campaign is set out to do: help raise funds to support cancer research.” Students can donate money between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each day at any of a number of booths located across campus. These booths can be found in the MC outside the third floor C&D/ Comfy, in B1 near the Science C&D outside B1 271, and in the CPH foyer outside POETS/ Eng C&D. Students can also to obtain a pledge sheet to gather pledges from supporters, which they can also drop off at these booths. Organizers and volunteers will be collecting funds from students and faculty as well as shaving heads at the designated locations on campus. Anyone is eligible to shave off their hair in support of cancer, but is asked to raise a minimum of $20. You are also able to donate 10 inches or more of your hair to this cause, which will go to the making of wigs for cancer patients. Voila Institute has
hair stylists coming next week to the booths around campus to professionally cut the 10 inches of hair and then style your hair. If you are a little wary of getting your hair cut at the booths, you are free to get your own stylist to cut your hair. Instruction sheets about hair donation is available at the booths. Individuals are also able to attain a four-inch square at the booths, and are encouraged to decorate their square as an expression of their reasons for donating to cancer research. As the campaign draws to a close, the four-inch squares will be compiled into a banner that will be displayed at the closing ceremonies. The ceremony will be held on April 2 at 2:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre Great Hall where organizers will announce the total amount raised and headliners will have their heads shaved. Organizers of this event have lined up several intriguing candidates for the closing ceremonies — with stipulations of course. To name a few, Feds executive member Renjie Butalid has agreed to shave his head if $35,000 is raised, and Michelle Zakrison will donate 10 inches of her hair if $50,000 is raised. If the engineering faculty alone raises $5,000, GradComm Chairs Rishi Lukka and Ryan Haris will shave their heads, or if $10,000 is raised they have agreed shave their legs. Prof. Douglas Harder has agreed to shave his head if $35,000 is raised and his moustache for the price of $40,000. Dr. LeRoy and Dr. Bissonnette have challenged the science faculty to alone raise $50,000 for their hair, and a price of $100,000 is set for Dr. LeRoy’s beard. Everyone is encouraged to come out to the booths on campus over the next week and to the closing ceremony with friends and family to cheer on those valiant enough to lose their lovely locks for this great cause. ahenheoffer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Friday, March 23, 2007
Getting cold for charity Adrienne Raw reporter
On March 30, the Out in the Cold Campaign will run a 12 hour event in the courtyard outside the SLC. Participating students will sleep outside from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on March 31. The campaign — organized by students Nick Petten and Leah Morrow and co-sponsored by the History Society — aims to raise awareness of homelessness in the Waterloo Region. “There are many organizations and events on campus that focus on very worthwhile projects that focus on worldwide issues such as famine, war, political injustice and so on,” said event organizer Nick Petten. “Through the Out in the Cold Campaign, we are hoping that focus is also given to problems in our community.” According to Petten, homelessness is an important issue in the Waterloo Region. He argues that there isn’t enough being done and points out all the attention that is given to human rights issues around the world. He said that “[The purpose of the event is] to let students realize that we do have our own problems in our own community and we’re in a better position to change that.” “There’s so much ignorance in the students of homelessness issues in Kitchener-Waterloo,” said Leah Morrow, event organizer and Safe Haven liaison. “It’s a huge problem here.” Both organizers hope the event will not only raise student awareness, but also encourage students to look at issues within their own community. Morrow hopes that the event might inspire students to volunteer their time at the shelters. There are three ways that students can get involved: participating in the event, donating and spreading the word. If you’re interested in picking up a pledge package, contact Petten at outinthecold.event@gmail.com. There is also
a Google Group called Out in the Cold, for discussions and information. The Out in the Cold Campaign is accepting monetary contributions as well as donations of clothing, food, entertainment products and basic necessities such as hygiene products. Morrow encourages students to donate anything they can, even if they’re not sure whether it might be needed. Participating students will also be raising pledges on campus before the event. Donations will be collected at the information booth in the SLC and through student pledges. The bulk of donations, however, is expected on the night of the event. Donations will be split between Safe Haven Youth Shelter, Mary’s Place — a shelter for women and children — and House of Friendship — a shelter for men aged 16 and older. “By focusing on a large group to donate to, people might be more inclined to donate,” said Petten. These shelters will receive donations based on where they would be most appropriate. During the next week, expect to see various promotions for the event. The Out in the Cold Campaign plans to have a booth set up in the SLC as soon as possible. The booth will provide information on the event and also a box for donations from students. Campaign organizers have been talking to classes on campus about the issue of homelessness, encouraging them to donate to the campaign. Other promotions include fliers and discussions. Morrow encourages students to participate. “I want people to come out and support us, to show that they are aware of the issues,” she said. Even if students can only come out for a few hours, Morrow hopes they will make the effort to show their support. “Everybody helps,” she said. Both Morrow and Petten are planning to spend the night outside and hope to see as many students as possible come out for the event.
news
Friday, March 23, 2007
Panel empowers students at Human rights conference Keith McManamen reporter
Thirty-two concerned students convened on Monday night in the SLC Great Hall to hear the UW Human Rights Conference, where six panelists raised awareness of important global issues and discussed ways that students can make a real difference in big issues. The conference was a joint effort among a multitude of student organizations to educate students on ways they can take action and work towards a progressive change on issues at the local and international level. Many students want to get involved and do their part to effect change, but it is often difficult to find a place to begin.
“When we march together in solidarity, we can make a difference in events.” — James Clark, Stop the War Coalition The diverse panel of speakers discussed a wide range of domestic and global issues including sustainability, racial profiling, fair wages, women’s rights, world health, and the conflicts in Darfur, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Afghanistan. Notable presenters included Pam Frache, the education director of the Ontario Federation of Labour; Jeyakumar Nadarajah, co-founder of the International Information Committee for Humanitarian Relief and James Clark of the Stop the War Coalition. In addition, representatives from the Waterloo Tamil Students Association, Journalists for Human Rights, and Federation of Students vice-president
internal elect Darcy Higgins also spoke at the conference. While the speeches may have lacked some of the eloquence of famed speakers like Stephen Lewis, they were not short on insight or fervor. All of the speakers hit hard on the issues, and proposed many ways that these conflicts could be resolved. But the biggest message of the evening was that students have the power to act, and the time to do it is now. James Clark closed by saying, “When we march together in solidarity, we can make a difference in events.” Writing for a student newspaper or magazine is one way to make a difference. The WATSA representative said it best with, “If the pen is the mightiest weapon against oppressors, then what is the fate of those who hold the pen?” Panelists also talked about the upcoming election, and implored the audience to get out and vote. It was touched on that as voters, though it is our right to vote, it is also our responsibility to get informed. This can be accomplished by attending multiparty debates and asking questions of political candidates, or even just following the news. What the audience may have lacked in numbers was made up for in enthusiasm and spirit. Important issues were discussed, lessons were learned, opinions were shared and students were empowered to take on world issues. Even though the event was sparsely attended, movements on global conflicts have to start small and gradually snowball into something larger. The organizers hope that awareness will spread and there will be an even larger crowd for the next conference held. Higgins summed up the conference by saying, “I was impressed with the quality of speakers — I’m constantly amazed by students at this campus when they step up and act on an issue. The panelists ended up with really similar visions, understanding that we really need to connect and jointly work on issues.”
Drive to unionize UW staff leads to UWSA resignations UW administration urges staff members to “please think carefully” about the consequences of unionization Jacqueline McKoy reporter
Two UW staff association (UWSA) members, president Stephen Markan and president-elect Carrie Howells, resigned earlier this week. They were involved in the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation’s (OSSTF) efforts to unionize 1,800 staff members. Markan has been “prominent in staff discussions of the association and possible unionization,” said the Daily Bulletin. She organized two “town hall” meetings to get staff thinking about the possibility of unionization with OSSTF. While he has not signed a union card yet, Howells has as of March 8. Over 100 UW staff members attended a March 1 session to sign OSSTF cards, and union representatives have been on and off campus since then recruiting members. OSSTF requires about 700 staff members, or 40 per cent, to sign cards in order unionize UW. The union drive is not officially endorsed by the UWSA, according to a statement on the association’s web site. While talk of an OSSTF union drive has been ongoing since late last year, UW administration had
been quiet about the situation until a recent letter from Catharine Scott, associate provost of human resources and student services. In the letter, she urges staff to “please think carefully” about the consequences of unionization, reminding staff of “UW’s long record of cordial and respectful staff relations.” Negotiations between administration, the UWSA and various staff committees have improved working conditions for staff. Scott’s letter cites such perks as increased vacation time, staff recognition awards, pay equity and fairer parental leave policies. UW is also somewhat unique among Ontario universities in that its salary range increase for staff is equal to the scale increase for faculty. Staff members looking to join a union, however, are pointing fingers at their staff association rather than UW’s top management. UWStaff. ca, a resource developed by an “ad hoc group of staff at UW” outlines reasons why staff should consider an alternative to UWSA, which include UWSA’s lack of financial resources and negotiation expertise. One solution they suggest is the removal of current UWSA president, union advocate Joe Szalai. UWStaff.ca points out that OSSTF may not be the best alternative. Unionization means that staff members are denied individual involvement in negotiations — at a hefty price. OSSTF charges members 1.3 per cent of their salaries in union dues, meaning that “$639,000 of UW staff salaries go directly to the OSSTF headquarters to be spent on issues over which individual local members
have little or no direct input,” according to the website. OSSTF has already unionized Algoma University, Brock University and the University of Toronto. The spotty history of unionization at UW has involved staff, faculty and graduate students. In 2000 and 2001, the UWSA, also then led by Szalai, mobilized its members to sign union cards for the Canadian Auto Workers, but the campaign was called off when they were unable to meet the 40 per cent participation rate required to join the union. Some hourlypaid employees, mainly Plant Ops custodians and Food Services staff, have been members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 793 since 1992. Faculty at UW are not currently represented by a union, although in 1996 the Faculty Asssociation of UW (FAUW) made a failed bid to start a faculty and librarian union. UW administration, however, wanted FAUW members who fell outside the definition of full-time faculty, such as librarians, sessional lecturers and language instructors, excluded from the union. Graduate students, who have a two-fold role in the university as both students and employees, voted against forming a teaching assistant’s union in 1998. Students should not expect to see a change in service around campus as a result of the union negotiations unless relations between UWSA and administration deteroriates further. — with files from the Gazette and the Daily Bulletin
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Friday, March 23, 2007
Feds: Student Feds fee rises after lengthy council debate will help avoid odd distributions of Feds power. With a majority of in-favour votes, two separate motions to increase the Feds’ fee by $0.67, a yearly increase that follows with the Canadian Consumer Price Index, and $1, as per Bylaw 1, which calls for a dollar increase every two years, were approved. Although the first motion carried without contest, the second motion saw a flurry of discussion. In presenting the motion, vicepresident administration and finance Renjie Butalid said that after research through various groups within Feds, certain key areas had been identified that required additional funding, namely Fed Hall, the Feds website, and programming for first year students. “Fed Hall is not really being utilized as a student space,” he said. “We really want to encourage students to use Fed Hall and consider Fed Hall when planning their formal dinners, their end of term parties, even if it’s a small club.”
Continued from cover
The changes included minor edits such as the shifting of the Feds elections from the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before reading week to simply the week before reading week. The major change was related to the division of responsibilities in cases where executives have to leave their positions, and read that in the case of a single absence, the responsibilities are delegated as seen fit by the executive team rather than to a specific executive. In the case of multiple absences, the position with greater responsibility is delegated to the executive team while the remaining positions are assigned to members of the Board of Directors. The changes were brought about by the recent resignation of Sai Kit Lo as vice-president internal, as well as president Zakrison’s leave due to election campaigning, leaving only two executives in office. According to arts councillor Kate Daley, the change
Additionally, Butalid mentioned the need for a full-time website administrator, as well as programming targeted towards first years which goes beyond all ages bar nights at Bomber and Fed Hall. Butalid said revenues from the dollar increase, which would amount to roughly $50,000 a year, would go to remedy these areas. A fund would be created to help alleviate the Fed Hall rental cost for clubs, and not to directly fund Fed Hall. A co-op student would be hired for the maintenance of the website. However, doubts remained. As UW student Tim Foster said, “I think Fed Hall is an excellent example why there shouldn’t be a fee increase. We’re talking about offsetting a cost in hopes that it will one day make money … I think when you’re looking to invest capital to try to make something make money, this isn’t the way to do it.” Falcao echoed similar concerns: “To me, an increase isn’t ... an infallible
solution. You have to combine it with some sort of common sense.” Aho felt that Feds had the adequate resources to fund the areas that Butalid had mentioned and, as such, the increase was not necessary — a reallocation was. Butalid countered these claims: “It’s not that funds are not being allocated properly [...] Year-to-year we cannot rely on surpluses that the businesses make. Even going back to 2003, we sustained a loss of $80,000 because we weren’t generating revenue from Bomber or Fed Hall.” To Butalid, it boiled down to a matter of sustainability: a surplus cannot be carried forward to future years — instead invested in capital improvements like renovations or other investments — whereas deficits need to be dealt with, typically by cutting services. The motion carried 54–12–2, raising the Feds fee to $34.67.
FRIDAY March 23 Integration Bee The Pure Math, Applied Math and Combinatorics and Optimization Club hosts first annual competition for individuals or teams of two on calculus concepts such as multivariate integration. Free food will be provided. 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MC 2065
mjangda@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
MONDAY March 26 UW Arts Endowment Fund General Meeting Full-time art undegrads are invited to dicscuss on agenda for the AEF including constitutional amendments and Bylaw1. Bring watcard to participate and vote. 4:30 p.m. HH 373
WEDNESDAY March 28 3rd Annual “Footsteps of Death” walk for Darfur UW Genocide Action Group invites students, staff, and faculty to walk around the Ring Road in memory of the thousands killed during the Darfurian Genocide in Sudan. Proceeds will go towards aid for Darfurians.
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Four Pillars — Three Years Later Senator Larry Campbell speaks on four pillar method on dealing eith drug problems: prevention, treatment, enforcement, and harm reduction. 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. HCHP, Clarica Auditorium
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THURSDAY March 29 Cultural Caravan Different cultural groups have performances, food samples, and informative displays from cultures around the world. SLC Great Hall
11
Friday, March 23, 2007
opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Opinion Editor: Anya Lomako Opinion Assistant: Brendan Pinto
Friday, March 23, 2007 — Vol. 29, No. 32
Fresh out of the real world oven
Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 imprint.uwaterloo.ca Incoming Editor-in-Chief, Adam McGuire amcguire@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
Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Margaret Clark Cover Editor, Dinh Nguyen Photo Editor, Michael L. Davenport Assistant Photo Editor, Valerie Broadbent Graphics Editor, Christine Ogley Assistant Graphics Editor, Angelo Florendo Web Editor, Mo Jangda Assistant Web Editor, vacant Systems Administrator, Gautam Khanna Sys. Admin. Assistant, Peter Gibbs Lead Proofreader, Emma Tarswell
I knew this place looked familiar. After a year of post-graduate meandering and working for the sake of a paycheque, I have returned to the University of Waterloo, and my old stomping grounds of Imprint, for another go-round at the on-campus journalism game. Only this time, they gave me the big chair. Aside from the fact that my diminutive status prevents me from touching the floor in the big chair, this is pretty much a perfect gig. The Imprint office is a tremendous little corner of UW life; a bustling basement office filled with enthusiastic journalists working for the love of the newspaper game — all while trying to finish their chem papers for Thursday morning. And I am in charge of how many
of them? All of them? Toto, I don’t think we’re in the sports section anymore. That’s strange, too, because that is where I made my home during my three-plus years as a volunteer here. I thought sports were my thing, and the newspaper was just the medium. Turns out, the newspaper is my thing and sports were just what I knew best. As a matter of fact, I think it’s this newspaper that is my thing. Campus journalism is a whole different game, because UW is like its own small city — if the city was entirely populated by some of the brightest minds on the planet. The people at Imprint aren’t obligated to deliver the news and current events; they crave delivering it. I’m sure this sounds like a damn fun place to be. So much so, that I think you should see — and partake — in it yourself. The other facet of this newspaper that I admire so much is its commitment to education. If you don’t know the first thing about writing for the media, come on in. If you’ve never read an issue, come on in. If you don’t even know how to spell the word “journalist,” come on in (but, expect some mild constructive criticism). The point is that volunteers
have run this newspaper since the first heartthrob Trudeau was making headlines and this isn’t about to change any time soon. So come on in and check out the office. As for little ol’ me, I’ll be here learning how to be a “real” journalist in the coolest classroom I know. If you visit us, you might stumble across a random Dora the Explorer doll left behind from my turbo-cute two-year-old daughter Andie, or you might have to slide past a collection of golf balls used for putting practice on the welcome mat (which I have yet to do, but it seems like a hell of an idea). Along the way, I hope to be able to use this column to be as articulate and knowledgeable as my predecessor Mr. Alamenciak was, and I hope to keep Imprint at the high standards that he pushed it to during his time here. This is going to be a great year at Imprint. UW is turning 50, the campus and the city are growing rapidly and students are more engaged than ever. In fact, as I embark on my new position here, I don’t think I could ask for anything more. Now, if only I could get a shorter chair. amcguire@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Proofreaders Shivaun Hoad, Adrienne Raw, Duncan Ramsay Production Staff Linda Kong Ting, Kirill Levin, Katrina Graf, Tom Levesque, Kinga Jakab, Alicia Boers, Amanda Henhoeffer, Suknhpreet Sangha, Allison Bâby Office Staff Distribution, Andrea Meyers Distribution, Amy Pfaff Sales Assistant, Kristen Miller Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, Jeff Anstett president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Adam Gardiner vp@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Jacqueline McKoy treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, Stephen Eaton secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Darren Hutz staff.liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Imprint is the official student newspaper of the University of Waterloo. It is an editorially independent newspaper published by Imprint Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. Imprint is a member of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA). Editorial submissions may be considered for publication in any edition of Imprint. Imprint may also reproduce the material commercially in any format or medium as part of the newspaper database, Web site or any other product derived from the newspaper. Those submitting editorial content, including articles, letters, photos and graphics, will grant Imprint first publication rights of their submitted material, and as such, agree not to submit the same work to any other publication or group until such time as the material has been distributed in an issue of Imprint, or Imprint declares their intent not to publish the material. The full text of this agreement is available upon request. Imprint does not guarantee to publish articles, photographs, letters or advertising. Material may not be published, at the discretion of Imprint, if that material is deemed to be libelous or in contravention with Imprint’s policies with reference to our code of ethics and journalistic standards. Imprint is published every Friday during fall and winter terms, and every second Friday during the spring term. Imprint reserves the right to screen, edit and refuse advertising. One copy per customer. Imprint ISSN 0706-7380. Imprint CDN Pub Mail Product Sales Agreement no. 40065122. Next board meeting: To be announced
Federal budget suits the 1950s better than 2007
There are a lot of things wrong with the 2007 federal budget. From lip-service environmental action to exorbitant increases in provincial transfers — which, oddly enough, solidified both the Bloc’s support and the budget’s future — the budget is nothing more than the Conservatives attempting to fill the collective Canadian spank bank with dreams of a non-minority government. But that’s far from the worst of it. The budget, deemed “family-friendly” by several of the Canadian national dailies, is just that. With child tax credits being increased to $310 and several other family-centric benefits being unveiled, this budget completely passed over middle-class singles and dependent-less couples. The apparent pro-nuclear family stance adopted by the Tories is more than just a vote grab, it also signifies a regression into 1950s-style family values. In an article in The Globe and Mail, finance minister Jim Flaherty said, “There were many personal tax relief options we could have pursued in this budget. We made a choice: we chose to support hard-working families.” It is this very choice that sent chills down my spine as I read over the budget coverage Tuesday morning — and not just because I never plan on joining the baby carriage crew, but also because of the kinds of families that were targeted.
“Traditional” families — those with two parents, 2.5 kids and a stay-at-home mom — may be few and far between these days, but that’s who the Conservatives were reaching out to — and not the single-parent or professional mothers who may need the help much more. By slashing the Liberal promise of $1.2 billion for child care and replacing it with a $250 million pittance, the Conservatives have sent a clear message: family first, career second. In reality, this $100 is a mere nod to the child care crisis in Canada. I don’t know if you’ve looked for a babysitter recently, but my sister-in-law just had a baby and spent weeks trying to find someone willing to watch both her children under five. Although the government describes their endeavours as a “Working Family Tax Plan,” the promised $100 from the Conservatives wouldn’t even cover a week of child care, let alone help her find a suitable provider. She needs to go back to work financially, but after her child care costs it will hardly be worth the effort. Perhaps this is the Conservatives ultimate goal — get women out of the workforce and back in the kitchen “where they belong.” While working mothers may continue to face hardships when trying to find sufficient child care, single and childless couples are even worse off. This isn’t the 1950s, and we don’t need to further populate the country, there’s no need to push for a population increase in the way of child-friendly tax credits. I do see the benefit in increasing grants for contributions to RESPs as well as education efforts — these are much more universally beneficial than a credit that the government claims nearly 90 per cent of Canadian families will receive. A blanket-like credit such as this may benefit all families equally, but the three
Véronique Lecat
child household that pulls in $100,000 a year needs the money much less than the single mother of one pulling in $24,000 a year. Families and children deserve more support coming from the government, but social programs such as child care, foster programs, medical care and education should have received more significant funding than personal tax credits that may gain votes but hurt the nation in the end. csanandy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
12
opinion
Friday, March 23, 2007
Weird Cosmopolitan behaviour decod-
As I’m sure most of you can tell, I’m a total whore for Cosmo. Always thought - provoking, it serves for women as a window to the world of men and teaches girls how to, like, totally be girls. This month’s issue featured more in-depth articles ranging from “Weird Male Behaviour Decoded” to the vaguely familiar “Naughty Sex Tricks” — I’m almost certain I’ve seen that before somewhere. Was it last month’s issue? Maybe it was the one before that? Every Cosmo printed in the history of this magazine? My eyes, however, landed firmly on one entitled “How long should you wait to sleep with a guy?” Finally. Being single for as long as I have been, I forget the intricacies of the dating world. I’ve been waiting quite a while for this question to be posed, then answered for me. Ryan C. Browning, co-founder of the TLC Partnership, furnished the solutions. She’s a respected relationship expert, presumably because Cosmo said she is. I tried googling her to find out more and unfortunately, the only thing that comes up when you google her is the very same article I was reading. By far, she is the most under-the-radar relationship expert I have ever heard of. I never thought a question like this could possibly be answered in 500 words, but then again, I’m not a Cosmo-certified expert on
relationships. I wondered why such a short article would feature such prominence on the cover, but then I realized that with over 50 per cent of the magazine being full-page ads, the cover stories ended up being a pretty comprehensive table of contents — leaving one to wonder why they really even needed a table of contents on page 26 of the magazine (inexplicably labeled page 21.) The timeline outlined by Browning tells women to wait at least a month. “I know it’s hard to resist when the attraction is so intense, but trust me,” says Browning. I don’t know about you, but I trust her.
Assigning human interaction the same qualities with which we treat expiration dates on food only makes sense. Assigning human interaction the same qualities with which we treat expiration dates on food only makes sense. However, instead of a “best before” date, people have a “best after.” The important thing about this article is that it takes all the thought out of relationships. All you need to do to be happy is follow these simple guidelines. Like she says, “Once you give up the goods, you lose the upper hand in dating dynamics.” I applaud anyone who isn’t afraid to admit that dating isn’t a two-way street of honesty and connection, but a brutal power struggle, rife with
subtleties that, if not fully understood, will doom you to a submissive, powerless existence. The most important observation she makes is that when men start to date, they are trying to get laid, but also to make a connection. Even when we try to charm you into bed, what we really mean is that we want you to resist our advances and blue ball us into submission. It’s just like how when women say “no,” they really mean “yes.” When men say “Would you like to come back to my place,” we really mean, “I want to go home alone and masturbate to whatever is on Showcase.” I took an informal poll of the Imprint office and as it turns out, most people here didn’t wait the requisite month — in fact, in one case, the relationship started post coitus. This was probably a bad sample set given the depravity that is Imprint’s volunteer base, but now I know that even if these relationships look stable on the surface, they are doomed to fail for the reasons outlined by Browning. It’s a vital element of contemporary feminism to have such progressive, sage advice for women these days. Further on in the magazine there is an article on “12 Skills Every Chick Must Master.” The relevant skills ranged from “Grab a bartender’s attention” to “Make a great omelette every single time” to “fix a broken heel.” It’s a good thing “critical thinking” didn’t seem to factor in. If it did, I might not be able to wrestle away the upper hand in my next relationship. I’m Brendan Pinto and I’m single (because I regularly employ Cosmo’s trick of the month for March — “turn off your brain”), so tell your friends.
The U-Pass affair has come to a referendum. On March 28 and 29, votes will be taken in to finalize the bus pass decision. What will your choice be, and why? Imprint wants to know your stand on these issues. Submit an editorial of approximately 500 words to opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
bpinto@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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opinion
Friday, March 23, 2007
13
Subletting guide subletting survey, but here’s one that does the job the most effectively:
It’s that time of the year when people are fully immersed in their frantic search for subletters. Nobody wants to be stuck paying rent in Waterloo while at home for the summer, or while off paying more rent at a co-op job elsewhere. But finding subletters is about more than just the money. If some of your current roommates are sticking around then you (probably) don’t want to screw them over with a terrible roommate. A lot of people are so worried about the money that they’ll just accept the first person willing to pay, but in so doing give up their selection control. This could be disastrous for the roomies you’re leaving behind. Since screwed roomies will stop at nothing to get revenge, the last thing you want is to stick them with a subletter who is a douchebag, a sketchbag or any other type of negatively connotated bag. Such people will almost certainly do sketchy things like sneak into your roomies’ rooms to stare at them while they sleep, or douchy things like leaving unflushed logs of feces in the toilet. That’s why it’s important to go over the following checklist when you first meet a potential subletter: Does this person smell? If the answer is “yes” then they’re cut. If they smell when you first meet them then trust me, it’s not going to get any better. Is this person a huge jerk? If the answer is “yes,” cut them. Jerks are jerks. Your roommates will thank you. Now clearly you can’t know everything about a prospective subletter by meeting them once. This is why you should also make them fill out a personality survey to better gauge their subletting potential. There are lots of good variations on the
Do you have any pets? If your roommates are allergic to animals or even if they are just annoyed by them, you might want to cut any applicant who answers ‘yes’ to this. What is your position on personal hygiene? Obviously, a basic level of personal hygiene is necessary to foster non-confrontational relationships between roommates. How stringent are you about noise levels and quiet hours? This is a subtle and important question. Roommates must reach a consensus on how much noise is appropriate and at what times — a fine balance indeed. Do you routinely engage in raucous coital relations with significant others? Nobody wants to hear that. Avoid people who answer “yes” to this question if at all possible. Again, your roommates will thank you.
Week of open dialogue on Islam
To the editor, Over the years, I have noticed that when the issue of understanding Islam is raised, the notion of the hijaab is always placed at the top. As seen in the article for Islam Awareness Week, it is evident that it was one of the first questions addressed. In my opinion, in order for many of us to live in a diverse community, it is important to understand the context and reasoning for why many do things the way they do. I just wanted to explain my understanding of the concept of the hijaab. Before I recently began to wear it, I always thought of it at face value. It was meant to preserve my beauty and represented my dignity and modesty. Little did I realize that it is far more than just this. To understand the hijaab, one must understand a female’s relationship and devotion to God. This is why as much as it is an obligation, it is a choice. It is, in the end, used as a stepping stone to be closer to God.
Like many of the girls seen around campus, it was in fact my own personal choice. However, if ever asked to remove the hijaab, I would say, “No, it truly is a part of my identity and closeness to God.” Overall, when trying to understand Islam, one should not linger too long on the concept and reasoning of the hijaab for one misses the big picture: the meaning of Islam itself. — Sunna Zubair 1B planning
UW struggling to keep up with the sustainability pace
To the editor, I agree completely with the article, “Sustainability, UW struggling to keep up with the pace” by Rob Blom. I remember my first impression of the university as a prospective student was summarized in two words: gray and depressing. Indeed, the University of Waterloo does not scream “I’m sustainable” through its appearance at all. As a student in the faculty of environmental studies, I’m also surprised that the environmental values we learn in class aren’t applied by the university teaching us these values. Even without a sustainability office, UW needs update to the Master Plan
written in 1992 and include more efforts towards sustainability. Yes, there is conservation in the North Campus but I wasn’t aware of that until I scanned through UW’s Master Plan. Also, I believe UWSP and WPIRG have been doing a great job promoting sustainability, but it’s time for less talk and more action. If UW does decide to take the road to sustainability, this will not only influence the community but hopefully influence the mentality of UW students for a lifetime. UW is known for achievements in math and engineering, but we should follow the steps of universities like University of British Columbia and McGill University in creating awareness and acting on this awareness. UW should ensure that there is a healthier and environmentally sound future for its students and faculty in the next few decades. So far, one step students have taken is the upcoming referendum on a U-Pass. It is time for the administration to catch the sustainability fever, because without the finances and guidance from the higher powers, there is only so much students and environmental groups can do on this campus.
” “
Do you like to pee on people’s belongings to see how they react? You only think this is a stupid question until someone pees on your stuff. It’s best to just be clear about this from the get go. Do you like to walk around in the nude while opening pickle jars? If the answer is “yes” they are so very, very cut. Shudder...
It can be rigorously proved that this set of questions produces sufficient and necessary conditions for acceptable subletters, and also that this is the minimum possible question set to do so. It took me four years to figure this out and you guys are getting it for nothing. Feel free to thank me. I hope this will help at least a few of you to avoid troublemaking subletters and maintain a good and happy relationship with your current roomies. Good luck and happy subletting.
–– Rosa Shih 1B planning
Quote of the Week
What is the difference between the security services here at the University of Waterloo [and those in Iraq], aside from the latter carrying weapons? — John Nay,
American Consul General
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opinion
14
Recreation Discrimination
To the editor, Paintball is a sport that has gained the participation of countless people around the world, even surpassing snowboarding in the number of participants. With many diverse clubs in existence at UW, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to add this exceptional sport to campus recreational services’ repertoire of clubs. Approaching the person in charge of clubs, I was given a very optimistic future for the possible UW paintball club. I left the meeting with my head held high, awaiting the final approval of the idea. Four days later I received an e-mail informing me that the “manager” (no name or contact given to me) gave a firm no to the notion of UW paintball club.
In disbelief I read on. It was explained to me that because we would not be using campus facilities for the club they will not support the club. Looking at the Campus Rec services web site, I found that four of the 18 clubs do not meet on campus on any occasion. Reading on, it was also explained to me that paintball is too dangerous of a sport and the school would not back the club. For all the paintballers out there, this statement cuts all of us deep. Paintball has proven throughout the years to be one of the safest sports out there. American Sports Data surveys found that out of 1000 participants only 0.3 people were injured from the sport. This means that paintball is safer than those hard-hitting sports such as bowling, with 0.5 injuries per 1000, golf with 1.13, swimming with 1.3, and fishing with 1.37. In fact, paintball is safer than any of the sports that recreational services endorse, but I guess ignorance is bliss, right? Mind you, Campus Rec provides zero funding and no volunteer leadership for their clubs. Essentially, the possible UW paintball club would take zero resources from Campus Rec.
COMMUNITY EDITORIAL
Life, labour and the Americans There is little compelling me to lecture readers on America’s failure in Iraq. It is plain for all to see, and is widely accepted. It is only superficially known, however, that the United States is making increasing use of mercenaries, or Private Military Contractors (PMCs) in Iraq. PMCs provide security, tactical and strategic consulting and help prepare food for troops and repair military equipment. Last Wednesday, March 14, after months of planning, American Consul General John Nay visited UW to discuss American foreign policy. After the talk, I interviewed Mr. Nay, but found him understandably tight-lipped. I did, however, receive quite a reaction when I asked him about American dependence on “mercenaries” in Iraq. C.G. Nay was obviously shocked that I would use this term, and I quickly corrected myself, instead calling them “Private Military Contractors.” This seemed to make a difference to C.G. Nay, who quipped, “What is the difference between the security services here at the University of Waterloo [and those in Iraq]…aside from the latter carrying weapons?” Within his question lies the answer: weapons. Americans are insistent that PMC soldiers are used exclusively for security — to escort VIPs or to guard infrastructure. Unfortunately, this is not true. Today’s Iraq is, in the words of some soldiers: “The Wild West, but without the sheriff.” PMC contractors must unearth their own weapons (see: looting Saddam’s palaces), secure their own food, and guard their living quarters that lie outside the “Green Zone.” The biggest problem with PMCs, of course, is their lack of accountability. There is no hierarchy with PMCs — “battalions” consist of a melee of soldiers, ranked according to primitive dynamics—for example,
the biggest soldier leads the pack. Aside from their corporate bosses, these soldiers must answer to no higher authority. Thus, if a group of PMC soldiers butts into line at a gas station or runs Iraqis off the road (according to many journalists) because they threatened them, those protesting their actions will be regarded as threatening and are thus fair game for being shot at. Yet there is no recourse for Iraqis who have lost family at the hands of PMC soldiers. As private corporations, PMCs are under no obligation to answer to anyone, save for their stockholders. There are plenty of benefits, from an American perspective, to using PMCs in Iraq. As more soldiers die, Americans demand that their troops leave the country. So how did they work around this political predicament? By outsourcing the problem and buying soldiers. This creates the illusion that there are fewer casualties in Iraq than there really are, and it also permits the U.S. to cut down on the number of troops in Iraq. Of course, this illusion has a nagging truth to it. A significant proportion of the PMC soldiers in Iraq are foreigners from Fiji or South Africa, essentially risking their lives to help sustain their villages. According to Frontline host Martin Smith, most Americans are in Iraq to pay off credit card debts. Iraqis also comprise a significant chunk of the PMC workforce while they are, somewhat ironically, paid a fraction compared to their American, South African and Fijian peers to secure their own country with Coalition money. I do not need to point out the double-standard here, because obviously, Iraqi labour (and lives) are worth less than any foreigners’ are. — Rasta Daei
Friday, March 23, 2007
I replied to this e-mail and asked it to be forwarded to the manager. Of course, I did not get a response. So it seems that Campus Rec has chosen to ignore my requests for the club. If any paintballers or non-paintballer finds this as an outrage, let Campus Rec services know, because I sure have. But what the heck, right? There are always Feds’ clubs. — Kevin Hendriks 1B Arts
christine ogley
Supporting the pass I walk, I bike, I drive, I bus. I am a Waterloo student and I will benefit from a Universal Bus Pass at UW. Wherever campus life takes you — to class, for groceries, to the movies, the bar, the mall or to your part-time job — the U-Pass will get you there! The U-Pass is not just about getting students to campus’, it is about getting students around Waterloo Region better, faster and more efficiently. The U-Pass proposes unlimited transit access for all full time undergraduate students on any route, any time of the day, any day of the year for a fee no more than $51.58 — all it takes is your WatCard. The bus pass is not an outrageous fee, it’s something students can afford. It’s the price of a tank of gas, a night out, a few cab rides home or a dinner at a nice restaurant. You don’t have to take transit every day to get the value, it pays for itself if you make just one return trip per week. This is not just another line item fee. It’s a service on par with the health and dental plans and puts cash back in students’ pockets. Student’s currently taking transit pay over $200 for the same service and student’s who choose to drive would save $114 on the cost of parking plus gas and maintenance fees. Even if you still chose to drive, a few cab rides home will add up to over $50 quickly and the U-Pass will mean you don’t have to worry about having cash leftover at the end of a night to call a cab. Unlimited transit every term means knowing you’ll always have a ride, any day, any time any route. GRT is offering to improve transit to directly serve you and UW better. GRT is going to add evening and weekend service on iXpress, more peak hour service on Routes 8 and 13, more service on the Late Night Loop, revise Route 9 to directly serve UW better, add a brand new route directly connecting Westvale and Beechwood areas to campus and make transit on-time and efficient with online trip planning and GPS. In total, GRT plans to add 27,000 hours of additional service to serve
Waterloo students better. Transit will improve because GRT and Feds have a signed, contractual letter of intent binding them to make the improvement and transit did improve when Laurier implemented a U-Pass and students recieved over 8,000 additional hours and improvements on five routes plus the iXpress. The U-Pass is convenient and means a safe and reliable way home from night class, and means you can stop worrying about finding designated drivers or hailing cabs — transit is a hassle-free way home from the pub. The U-Pass means fewer cars on campus making UW a safer and more pedestrian and cyclist friendly place. One of the biggest local contributors to air pollution is tailpipe emissions from automobiles on our streets and highways.Taking the bus means fewer cars on the road and less pollution in the air. Unviersal bus passes work and get results. At the University of Victoria, transit ridership increased from 13 per cent in 1997-98 to over 50 per cent in 2003 after implementing a U-Pass, while UVic experienced more pedestrian activity on and around campus. At UBC, transit use increased to 63 per cent after implementing a U-Pass and is expected to continue increase by 10 per cent for the next three years. At Western, campus transit ridership increased by 50 per cent in the first year after implementing a U-Pass and prompted London Transit to add an additional 5,600 hours of service for students. Over 20 other Canadian universities already have bus passes including Brock, McMaster, Guelph, Western, Queen’s and Laurier — why not Waterloo? The idea isn’t new, in fact, it was first proposed over a decade ago. After being promised a bus pass time and time again at elections, isn’t it time we get UW on-board? When you vote on March 28 and 29 ask yourself what the Universal Bus Pass means to you and what it means for UW! Change doesn’t happen, it’s made. Take action, vote “Yes” for the Universal Bus Pass, and Pass the Pass. — Drew Adams Environment & planning
Against the pass At the end of March, students will be asked to vote on a Universal Bus Pass. To give you a bit of background, a Universal Bus Pass gives all students the right to ride the bus in exchange for a per term fee that is significantly less than the current per term bus pass fee. What is the problem with this you ask? The problem is that the majority of UW students do not take the bus to school. That’s right: we are a bunch of tree hugging hippies who choose to walk. The average UW student uses their own two legs to get to and from school. So it would seem that having a Universal Bus Pass is a bad idea. Maybe I am wrong though. Let’s try applying this same logic to other scenarios. How about a Universal Gas Pass and a Universal Dressing Pass? At UW, we have students who are shelling out tons of coin for gasoline for their cars. Why not have a Universal Gas Pass? We could certainly save a lot per litre through economies of scale. But wait a second, hold on, maybe it is unfair to ask all students to pay for gas, when not all students drive. Maybe those who drive and those who bus should pay for their own gas or their own bus pass. I am just throwing it out there. How about a Universal Dressing Pass? Every student dresses themselves before they go to school, right? Currently we pay a lot of money for clothing. Why not pool our funds and get the Federation of Students to buy us clothes. Feds would issue each student a hospital smock to wear to SLC each morning. Once you arrive at the SLC you would toss on some sweet Feds communal clothing. There would be a huge selection, you would never worry about wearing the same thing twice, it’s perfect! Wait a second, maybe people prefer free choice though. I am certain I read that somewhere in the principles of a democratic society. Perhaps people like the right to choose what they buy, and whether or not they buy it. The Universal Bus Pass will not be refundable. If you are a student you will be forced to purchase it, you will have no choice. Currently students have free choice to buy a bus pass. The Universal Bus Pass means that we are removing that choice. Furthermore, the majority of UW students support exercise, the environment and saving money. Because of this, we choose to walk to school. Perhaps we should tell the bus pass people that we want to continue to stay in good shape, save money and have clean air. For these reasons and many more we will be voting no on the Universal Bus Pass referendum. — Nic Weber Political science
Friday, March 23, 2007
features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Features Editor: Ellen Ewart Features Assistant: Christina Ironstone
Features Imprint
Prepare yourself for a
Brand New Year
15
Chocolate never fails to satisfy
Persian Culture Exhibition gives students a look at events and traditions that mark the New Year.
Courtesy Hossein Falaki
Narmeen Lakhani staff reporter
With the Persian New Year just around the corner, I decided to walk into the heartland of Persia, DC 1301. Ok, so it was as close to Iran as I could get on a student budget, but the Iranian Cultural Exhibition was a pretty good substitution. I walked in to a room that took my breath away with its luminescence. Every corner was decorated with Persian rugs, hand-painted ceramics and beaded scarves. The live music was weaving around every person in the room, the effect of the inspired tar and drum players. It wasn’t the kind of music that made you want to join a mosh pit — rather it was soothing and almost serene.
When I woke up last Friday, I didn’t think I was going to be underdressed for school in jeans and a T-shirt, but the adorned ladies at the exhibition made me regret that I hadn’t worn something sparkly to school. In my trance, I stopped at the centre of the exhibition at the haft sin table. The haft sin, which means “Seven S’s” is one of the critical aspects of the Persian New Year. As you may have guessed, the table has seven symbolic items that begin with the letter “s.” The British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS) states them as the sabzeh, samanu, senjed, sir, sib, somaq, and sombol. They translate into: vegetable sprout, sweet pudding, dried fruit, garlic, apples, sumac berries and hyacinth. There are other variations in which the table can include sekkeh (gold or silver
coins), serkeh (vinegar) and spand (wild rue). Although this sounds more like an unusual recipe, the items have historic meaning such as wishes for a new year of good health and wealth. I think we can all use a little more of that. Nowruz means “new day” in Persian, and it is celebrated on the spring equinox between March 20 and 22. According to the BIPS, “This celebration of the rebirth of nature has its origin in the pre-Islamic period. The concept of rebirth and renewal of life, as well as the triumph of good over evil, reflect aspects of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran.” There are also legends about how the holiday began. The Iran Culture and Information Center describes the legend of the famous Persian king Jamshid: “One version says
that after Jamshid had taught his people the art of building, weaving, mining and making arms, and divided them into four appropriate classes, he then set out to conquer the demon hosts. Then he defeated and reduced to hard labour for the benefit of men. Next he ordered the demons to build him a special crystal carriage. When it was ready, he entered the carriage and, to the joy and amazement of all the people, the demons lifted it into the air and Jamshid rode thus from Demavand to Babylon. The day was called Now Ruz (the New Day) and was made an annual celebration.” Now the tradition has spread to many countries throughout the Middle East and different parts of Asia. See NEW YEAR, page 17
As I was walking through the mall, my field of vision suddenly took on a hue of royal blue. It was then I realized that Girl Guide “cookie season” is upon us again. As I drew nearer, one of the girls raced over to me, chirping about their cookies and their vigilant request for me to make a purchase. Not being in the mood for cookies that day, I politely shook my head, mouthed a “no, thanks,” even gestured a “no” with the wave of my hand and kept walking. Despite performing all three nonverbal cues and displaying contented distraction via my iPod, I still could not successfully dodge these Girl Guides. They were certainly a welltrained and persistent group at the shopping centre that day! Suffice it to say I was soon confronted by another Girl Guide, who popped out of nowhere as I turned the corner. “Would you like to buy a box of cookies?” she said in a gleeful munchkin tone. She held the box of cookies in front of her, proudly displaying its contents: the colourful writing and the trademark pictures of the cookies and happy Girl Guides. I was fighting a losing battle. “Sure,” I said, “I’ll purchase a box of your cookies.” Unfortunately, availability of their chocolate mint cookies runs only from October to December so I left with the classic chocolate and vanilla instead. Although the classic cookies were quite tasty, I still needed to satisfy my craving for that chocolate mint combination. This rendition takes the form of a dense, moist devil’s food cake with mint chocolate ganache. I suppose I should thank these Girl Guides for an unexpected inspiration! The term devil’s food cake is thought of today as a dark, rich, dense baked chocolate item like a cake or cookie. As with the topping for the recipe, the word ganache is used to signify a rich and decadent icing made of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with hot whipping (heavy) cream.
See page 17 for yummy recipe details
16
Frosh week 2.0 Kate Dawson reporter
What do you think of when you hear the familiar chant “Water-water-water, loo-loo-loo?” If I had to guess, I’d say that it probably conjures up memories of your first week at UW. Remember the excitement of meeting new friends who were all wearing the same T-shirt as you? Remember the pillow case or laundry bag filled with all sorts of useful goodies for the first year university student? Remember turning your bed sheet into an attractive toga? I sat down with Heather Fitzgerald, director of Student Life, and Becky Wroe, orientation and special events Manager, to find out what is in store for new students during Orientation Week 2007. Although Orientation Week is still months away, important decisions have already been made about the week’s focus and events. Orientation Week as we know it is approximately ten years old. During this time, first year students have increased in number and become more diverse. Orientation Week 2007 will include increased programming for Waterloo’s international students, as well as for those students living off campus. Organizers want to make sure that these diverse groups are provided with networking opportunities and that all students are better prepared for the first week of class. Fitzgerald
understands that “nobody wants to sit in a lecture during Orientation week,” and stresses that her team wants to use unique and creative ways to better inform students about important topics like study skills, the city of Waterloo, budgeting and general life at university. Although many of Orientation Week’s staple events, such as Single and Sexy, Monte Carlo night, Black and Gold Day and the toga party will not be radically changed, new students will experience some exciting and evolved events and traditions. Leaders will again perform a dance on the field at Black and Gold Day but with some fresh moves and new twists. Fitzgerald and Wroe hope to establish the leader dance as an Orientation Week tradition since it was very well received last year. Waterloo’s 50th anniversary will be recognized during Orientation week, perhaps with a birthday party on the Friday. Although faculties are well into planning their orientation activities, specific details have not yet been finalized. Wroe hints that we can expect the schedule to look the same, but the programming to be different. From a logistics standpoint, a big change to 2007’s orientation will be the implementation of central registration. In previous years students registered for their faculty program and their housing program separately before arriving at Waterloo for Orientation Week. In 2007 students will register for both programs at the same time on either the Sunday or Monday of Orientation Week in the
features
Friday, March 23, 2007
Angelo Florendo
PAC. This change will likely make the entire registration process quicker and more efficient. September will also see a few new campus-wide initiatives integrated into Orientation Week, including the inception of a new waste management campaign. This campaign will focus on recycling, promoting the use of reusable coffee mugs and water bottles, and teaching students how to best dispose of garbage. Hopefully this early introduction to waste management for new students at UW will reduce the number of half eaten sandwiches and Tim Horton’s cups found abandoned in the SLC over the next few years.
Although it seems a bit odd to be thinking about Orientation Week as the winter term winds down, many people have already been busy planning Orientation Week 2007 for months. A group of 40 students representing every housing community and faculty begins meeting in January each year to plan the week’s events. Over 1,000 students volunteer a tremendous number of hours before new students arrive to ensure that Orientation Week is a success. This weekend four UW staff members and 19 undergraduate students will be heading to Grand Rapids, Michigan to participate in a
National Orientation Directors Association regional conference. They will share information about our Orientation Week and learn from other schools’ orientation experiences. In 2008 this conference will be held in Waterloo. Clearly, there is a lot more to Orientation Week than just what goes on during the week itself. If you are interested in learning more or volunteering for Orientation Week, go to www. orientation.uwaterloo.ca. Although Orientation Week is evolving, The cry of “Water-water-water, loo-loo-loo” will surely still be heard from UW’s new students come September.
The problem with marrying art to political science
This week I wanted to tackle political science and fine arts, foolishly thinking the topic would be easy. After all, I’m a political science student, and I know a thing or two about fine arts. Match made in heaven, right? And to be sure, linking the two is simple: even an introductory art history course will impress upon students that socio-politically relevant art rises to the top. This relevance is either created by provoking and questioning existing norms, or by participating in ongoing critical debate. In either case, art survives by documenting — however subtly or overtly — cultural conflicts and realities. Moreover, from a political perspective, the study of fine arts is integral to understanding propaganda campaigns. When we think of such work, we’re likely reminded of WWII short films and recruitment posters, but if anything, political rhetoric is more pervasive now than ever — simply because the means of propaganda production are now available to everyone, via blogs, websites and media distribution sources like YouTube. So what’s keeping me from writing a straight piece about all the ways in which political science and fine arts are as good as married in society, and should thus be taught with this connection in mind? Simply this: the more I observe contemporary media, the more I feel these two forms are too wedded together, such that their intersections should be considered with the utmost caution. This is because, thanks to the success of such work as Bowling for Columbine and An Inconvenient Truth, politically-conscious films have
become a central focus in mainstream media. Whether viewers are checking out big screen hits or YouTubing their own, movies that question normative values and launch criticisms at traditional authority structures are garnering a lot of attention. The problems with a more politically aware audience are not readily apparent — in fact, most don’t see any problem at all. But consider the case of a documentary entitled “Loose Change,” which hit the internet two years ago. The film provides a very slick 9/11 conspiracy theory, and because of its effective use of rhetoric, it’s very difficult not to finish the piece without being swayed into the realm of reasonable doubt. After all, art doesn’t have to prescribe to the journalistic dictates of “fair and balanced reporting;” art can omit whatever the hell it wants. But if contemporary viewers are turning more to art than news for political arguments and “investigative reporting,” artists need to recognize at least the following: that art should be the beginning of debate; never the end. And when art is used otherwise — or rather, when viewers aren’t trained to view the intersection between politics and art with exceeding caution — real knowledge isn’t disseminated: it’s imposed. Ours is an exceedingly complex culture. With more voices than ever chiming in on urgent issues, the temptation to use any means necessary to get people “on board” is tremendous. But if what we’re seeking is real social sustainability, we have to distance ourselves from those techniques that favour brainwashing and emotional manipulation. It’s not enough to stir everyone into action as soon as possible; we need to foster the consistent use of critical thinking skills across the board. And that takes more than gut-churning war paintings, compelling political slam-poetry or even incisive cinematic commentary and award-winning movie soundtracks. That takes time. mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
features
Friday, March 23, 2007
17
New Year: spring into Persian culture exhibition Continued from page 15
I have always perceived it as a celebration of spring, comparable to Easter in the concept of renewal of life. Reza Dorri Giv, an organizer from the exhibition, told me that Nowruz is the biggest holiday in Iran. The public gets about 20 days of vacation to celebrate, so I think it’s a good thing that drinking on New Years isn’t so big in the Middle-East. BIPS describes that, “On this night people jump over bonfires to chase away darkness, evil and sickness, and to prepare themselves for the brightness and goodness of the New Year. Children run through the streets banging pots and pans with spoons, and knock on neighbourhood doors.” Ok, that last thing could get a little annoying, but at least it’s only once a year. Dorri Giv described that it is a little bit different to celebrate Nowruz in Canada, especially considering that spring really starts more like around the time of the summer solstice here. In my journey through Iran, I was curious to see the different ways in which Nowruz is celebrated there as opposed to my experience of the occasion as a Pakistani. Nowruz marks the beginning of the new year in the Irani calendar, which is different from both the western solar calendar and the Islamic lunar calendar. So here’s to a prosperous and exciting new year’s 1386! Nowruz Mubarak! nlakhani@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Photos courtesy Hossein Falaki and Mehdi Amoui
Cake recipe: worth the time and effort Devil’s food cake
Tiffany Li
Devil’s food cake ingredients 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted 3/4 cup hot water 3/4 cup sour cream 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted (or 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour) 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Mint chocolate ganache ingredients 4 cups heavy cream 2 lbs good quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1/4 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F (if using a dark coloured pan, decrease to 325 ° F). 2. Grease two 9-by-2 inch round cake pans. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk cocoa with hot water until smooth. Whisk in sour cream and let cool. 4. In another medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside. 5. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine, then beat in the vanilla. 7. Add the flour mixture in two parts: alternating with the cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined. 8. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or when a toothpick is inserted in centres it comes out clean. 9. Let cool for 15 minutes, then invert cakes onto a rack. 10. Take half of the mint chocolate ganache (3 1/2 cup) to a large clean bowl and beat until ganache holds soft peaks (if you use a mixer, set it to medium high speed and it should take 5 to 7 minutes). 11. Transfer one of the cake layers onto a cake platter and spread the top with 1 1/2 cups whipped ganache. Place other cake layer on top then spread remaining whipped ganache in a thin layer over the entire cake, covering completely. 12. Refrigerate until set (about 30 min). 13. Pour reserved ganache over the top, letting it run down the sides. Pour from the centre and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the top and sides of the cake. 14. Put cake back in the fridge for another 30 minutes to let it set.
Mint chocolate ganache 1. In a small saucepan bring cream to a full boil, turn off heat. 2. Add the chocolate and swirl pan to completely cover with cream. 3. Whisk mixture until smooth. 4. Add the corn syrup, salt and extract, and stir to combine.
Serve immediately. Leftovers can be tightly covered and stored in the fridge for up to two days. Before using ganache, reheat gently in the microwave on low heat, stirring every few seconds. tli@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
features
18
Friday, March 23, 2007
“I’ll have what she’s having!” SEX Orgasms are a bit of a mystery — if you were to ask your friends and classmates to describe what an orgasm is or what it feels like, the only unanimous answer you’d get is that they feel darn good! When you try to describe orgasms more specifically, you start finding vast differences; some people experience orgasms as tidal waves surging up through their bodies and flooding their brain; others experience smaller surges; others describe their orgasms as bursts of light and energy, and still others feel their orgasms slowly creeping up their body before it floods their mind. To make matters even more confusing, one person can experience many different orgasms depending on what they are doing — orgasms
from oral sex can feel different from vaginal penetration orgasms, which can feel different from anal stimulation orgasms, which can feel different from masturbation orgasms! Your orgasms can also vary depending on how you’re feeling, if you’re sick or have other things on your mind, your orgasms might not be as intense as when you’re well-rested and really aroused. My readers who masturbate regularly probably have noticed that their orgasms can vary from time to time, even if they’re stimulating themselves the exact same way every time. Because orgasms are so fascinating, researchers in the Netherlands have been studying what happens in the brain during orgasm using PET scans. They’ve found that all kinds of interesting things happen when you hit that “Big O”; some parts of the brain (like the temporal lobe) shut down and other parts lights up. It’s a combination of these effects that makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud of euphoria, or being crushed under a wave of ecstasy, or experiencing pulses of pleasure between your thighs.
Girls frequently ask, “Can all girls get an orgasm?” The short answer to this question is “Yes, of course, silly!” The long answer is yes, but not all women know how to give themselves an orgasm and not all women can rely on a partner to give them one. Not all women can cum from penetrative vaginal sex, not all women can cum from oral sex — and even those who can often can’t do it every single time. So, yes all women are capable of reaching orgasm, but some might not have found their “O”s yet, even if they are actively enjoying sex with a partner. The most reliable way for a woman to feel that flood of rapture is if she does it herself — alone or with others — usually by stimulating her clit. Some girls also ask, “What’s the best [sex] position to get an amazing orgasm?” The best O-producing position can vary from person to person. Because a big chunk of the sexual experience happens in your head (not between your legs) some positions can really get some people going, just because it makes them feel more into what’s going on. If you’re really
into kissing while you have sex, then positions where you can reach your partner’s mouth are going to be the best for you; if you want to be groped (or grope your partner) all over during sex, then a position that makes this easy will be the best for you. But generally the most popular positions are rear entry (that’s entry from behind, not necessarily in your rear). Positions like doggy style and spooning tend to be a favourite because it stimulates a female partner’s urethral sponge/the roof of her vagina and allows her partner to get deeper inside (though this can also be a drawback). It also often leaves one or both partners with hands free to do other things to make the experience even more intense (read: orgasm inducing), like massaging the clit, rubbing testicles, groping breasts, etc. Orgasms can be particular and personal, no one can really tell you what is the absolute best way for you to come — you have to play around and discover it for yourself. ssparling@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
learn more Information on sexual health and abuse can be tricky to find. Look below for some handy resources.
On Campus Places: Health Services (519) 888-4096 Women’s Centre, SLC 2102 (519) 888-4567 x33457
Off Campus Locations: Sexual Health Program 99 Regina St. S Waterloo (519) 883-2267 Kitchener-Waterloo Sexual Assault Support Centre 151 Frederick St. Suite 201 Kitchener (519) 571-0121 http://www.kwsasc.org Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region 151 Frederick St., Suite 500 Kitchener (519) 743-9360
Sex Stores The Different Strokes Company 95 King St. N Waterloo (519) 746-1500 Stag Shop 7 King N. Kitchener (519) 886-4500
Websites and Numbers
Accountants
Certified Management Accountants
Sex Information and Education Council of Canada http://www.sieccan.org/ Reproductive & Women’s Health (519) 883-2005 x5388 Sexual Health Clinic (519) 883-2267 24 hour Crisis and Support Line (519) 741-8633
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contact us today. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec nous dès aujourd’hui.
Fight with the Canadian Forces Combattez avec les Forces canadiennes
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distractions
20
Friday, March 23, 2007
crossword Across
What’s the craziest thing you saw during St. Paddy’s Day? By Dinh Nguyen
“I saw a drunken tramp trying to flash me her boobs (it was Jodi).”
“A man wallowing in self-pity on the floor of a pizza place.” Darin Bloemberg
Zara Rafferty & Jodi Solish
1B kinesiology
“A girl cut her foot on a broken beer bottle but continued to dance anyway.”
“Someone egged my windows.”
4B recreation and leisure & kinesiology
Kathrine Olsen & Rob Sterling
Reid Cowper
2A mechanical engineering
“A refelection of myself doing laundry drunk.”
“An old man dressed all in green, dancing on a table.”
1B kinesiology
John Ferguson
Sean Geldart
1B computer science
3A arts
“An awesome Irish bar fight.”
“Two people with green mouths, making out after getting kicked out of the bar.”
Tyler Bradt 2B planning
Ashlee Gerard
3B recreation and leisure
1. Cathedral music box 6. Gelatinous laxative 10. Wander aimlessly 13. Self-cleaning oven surface 14. Rattle 15. Sexual partner 16. Stephen Lewis’ focus 18. Mystical sign 19. Snake-like fish 20. Second syllabic stress 21. Bedouin transportation 23. Winged sandal of Hermes 25. Australian for short 26. Meat and vegetable soup 27. Ubiquitous top 30. Hystorical European swordmanship 31. Operations 33. Pakistani language 34. Food scrap 35. Western Samoan monetary unit 37. Make a request 38. Function of a lawnmower 40. Possession 41. Ice sheet 43. Lennon’s middle name 44. Basic unit of electric current 45. Crayola’s truck and trade 47. Saucy 51. Native American tent 53. German lager 55. Register for class 56. A roofed colonnade 57. Though in poetic form 58. Party 59. Low-carb diet 62. Program functions 63. The root of all sentences 64. Abraham’s wife 65. Powerful hullucinogen 66. Cross-dress 67. Anglo-French hearing
March 16 solutions
Down
1. Groups of eight 2. Microwave 3. Radiator cover 4. Broadcast your grievances 5. Lowest point in your fortunes 6. Coffee and old socks 7. Costume 8. Life, the universe and everything 9. Ultimate soccer penalty 10. Home to Bob Barker or Alex Trebek 11. Artist studios 12. Thickest 15. Female role model 17. Remains inactive 22. Fall season 24. Gone Fishin’ 28. Northern dog 29. Irritate
32. UPS bread and butter 35. Sign ofdomestication 36. Attacked his reputation 37. Celtic mother deity 39. Made a mistake! 40. Full of disdain 42. Home of St. Patrick 43. Short stemmed vegetable 46. Referendum issue 48. The whole she-bang 49. Hear again 50. Wedding vows 52. Cookware 54. Cowboy tool 56. Northern seabird 60. Prominent rocky hill 61. Federal Minister for Public Safety
Friday, March 23, 2007
arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Arts Editor: Ashley Csanady Arts Assistant: Andrew Abela
Arts Imprint
21
Lam talks Bloodletting and books Veronique Lecat staff reporter
A crowd of bibliophiles sat in the pews of the Knox Presbyterian Church, all clutching little red books in their eager hands. Dr. Vincent Lam, author of Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, spoke to the group about his best-selling book and being a doctor as well as a writer. Lam’s collection of related short stories about the evolution of a medical student garnered a lot of attention since it won the 2006 ScotiaBank Giller Prize. The event, which was held the evening of March 20, was organized by Words Worth Books. There is no portrait of the author in Bloodletting, so it was striking to see how young he was as he approached the pulpit. Indeed, Lam is only 32 years old. He told the crowd that prior to winning the Giller, he was completely content living life as a husband, father and doctor. When he first heard he was long-listed for the Giller, he said “I naturally came to the conclusion that any sensible young writer would: they dialed the wrong number.” He did, however, allow himself to admit that “it would be rather nice to be short-listed.” When he did discover he was short-listed, it was via voicemail in between seeing patients. “My friend, an emergency doctor, asked if I had written an acceptance speech. He said ‘you must be prepared for the unexpected.’” Lam said he ignored his advice, and it paid off. “Emergency doctors are very superstitious people,” he explained, “if you are prepared to put a tube in someone’s throat, then it won’t end up happening.”
A hidden jewel in Uptown Gordon Hutchens’ pottery is on display at the Harbinger Gallery in Uptown Waterloo. See page 25 for the full story.
See LAM, page 24 Ashley Csanady
March 23 Luke Andrews CD release party — Bomber Starts at 9 p.m. 19+ March 23 Breaking the Colour Barrier: Jeff Ferst paintings — Gallery Double T
Imprint’s watching: Fried Green Tomatoes
Jon Avnet
March 23-29 2007 Fine Arts Fourth Year Graduation Exhibition — Render at ECH Tues, Wed and Fri 12 - 4 p.m., Thur 12 - 7 p.m.
Music and Lyrics
March 24-25 Working with Wood: Explore 19th century woodworking techniques — Joseph Schneider Haus $1.25-$2.25, Sat 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Sun 1 - 5 p.m.
The Postman Always Rings Twice
March 25 RHEOSTATICS — Starlight lounge $20 in advance, doors at 8 p.m., all ages/licensed
Marc Lawrence Festival Express
Bob Smeaton
Tay Garnett
Stranger than Fiction Marc Forster
March 26 Dr. Gerald McMaster: Rethinking Canadian Culture & History — Humanities Theatre 4 p.m. Free March 27 Guy Gavriel Kay (Ysabel) author event — South Campus Hall festival room Free, 7 p.m. March 27 PWAC panel discussion — The Writing Life: Making it Work — KPL Members $20, others $30, 6:45 - 8:45 p.m. March 28 Breaking and Entering — Princesss Cinemas Tickets $6 from Turnkey March 29 Bobnoxious with Saigon Hookers — Starlight Lounge $10 in advance, doors at 9 p.m., all ages/licensed
arts
22
Friday, March 23, 2007
Grindhouse cinema given final chance at revival It is a commonly accepted fact of life that more is better, in any given situation. When offered more candy, more money or more movies, who can refuse? The popular grindhouse theatres of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s exploited this well known concept to full capacity by consistently featuring delightfully grotesque films. These movies were often released back-to-back in one night, doubling both the gore and the fun. The classic film sub-genre of the same name, also known as “exploitation film,” contained all sorts of blood-spattered, bizarre, perverse and sexually explicit movies — and they made perfect use of the “more is better” phenomenon. By paying absolutely no attention to standard cinematic quality or apparent artistic effort, the films were free to indulge in subjects other movies wouldn’t dream of. Namely: depictions of incest, zoophillia, extreme violence or graphic cannibalism. I recently learned that grindhouse cinema is unlike all the dead zombies and sliced, fallen samurai it featured — it might live on. In an attempt to revive the long dead movie style, Quentin Tarantino
and Robert Rodriguez have written a contemporary piece of grindhouse. It’s two hours long, and it features their two movies Death Proof and Planet Terror, respectively, one after the other — yet another example of exciting excess! Although the local Galaxy or Famous Players won’t be as charmingly dingy as the late grindhouse cinemas, the long awaited resurrection will occur in exactly two weeks at a theatre near you. Although Tarantino is a self-proclaimed exploitation fanatic, his love for the movie type is far too evident to ignore in almost every one of his films. If you disagree with that statement, I suggest you bone up on some Kill Bill, Jackie Brown, From Dusk Till Dawn or Pulp Fiction. Or just watch the gloriously gruesome Reservoir Dogs scene with Mr. Black, the poor police man and an undercover cop with “Stuck in the middle with you” playing. Then you might know what I’m talking about. Even Rodriguez has alluded to grindhouse and exploitation cinema in his movie short Bedhead, or his work on From Dusk Till Dawn. And hell, Sin City is morbidly violent in an artsy graphic novel sort of way. One might wonder why anyone would be interested in reviving a long passed style of film. It could be considered childish praise, a sort of juvenile recognition for their youthful favourites. Or perhaps Tarantino and Rodriguez have other plans. To me, it can’t be more obvious.
They are attempting to fill a very empty void in current cinema. Every time I go see the latest “horror” movie, like any of the Saws, Grudges or Rings, it’s the same experience: I pay $10, feel teased for about a couple of hours and am left feeling empty. Case in point: just when the neurosurgeon’s saw pierced the old villain’s pia mater in Saw III, they cut to a scene of some dumb girl cringing. Why couldn’t I be the one cringing? Instead, they wussed out, and left the whole audience pent up and needing more — much like the other modern films that claim to be horrifying. To me, though, they’re just plan ghastly. In mainstream cinema, we are in desperate need of a no holds barred attitude towards filmmaking. Instead of being so concerned with artistic purpose, intent or plot complexities, more people should just film intensely realistic killing, zombies, cannibalism or sex instead. Even all four in one, maybe — that’d be a real hit. A true model of “more is better.” As a personal fan of exploitation cinema, I have high hopes for the modern grindhouse — and they better not disappoint me. As very few movies involving such graphic content so rarely permeate mainstream cinema, Tarantino and Rodriguez cannot afford to fail. The entire onus of exploitation cinema revival lies upon them, a weight that lies heavier than Atlas’ globe. If the familiar fans who frequented the arcane grindhouse film festivals thought that the cinematic
style was still living, they were wrong. This is probably as close to living as grindhouse cinema will ever get for a very long time, and as such, this is a monumental occasion. If Death Proof ’s woman killing psychopath or Planet Terror’s zombie-esque creatures the “sickos” fail to please the audiences, all will be lost forever. The thinly stretched, slowly fading spirit of grindhouse cinema has one last chance at sublime life. Its fate lies almost entirely in the hands of two directors who, in the past, have proved capable. I only hope they can succeed. At least their generous use of “more is better” bodes well for their effor ts — especially when it comes
Ange
lo Fl
to blood, guts, gore and exploitation. aabela@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
oren
do
What are you doing this summer? If you’re a student who returns home to Mississauga in the summer, get another credit under your belt. Take a summer course (or two) at U of T Mississauga. Visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/summer to find out more
arts
Friday, March 23, 2007
Every track on this album contributes to a wrecking ball of an album sure to destroy anything in its path. Hearing them play any one of these songs live would incite a riot and even have hardcore dancing haters like me fighting with a blindfold on. If you listen to aggressive music in any of its forms, you should get to know this record and this band. Seriously. — Andrew King
23 and hand drums, Korn’s music boils down to some very eclectic arrangements that translate extremely well in some cases like “Freak on a Leash� featuring Amy Lee of Evanescence on harmonies. When effective, acoustic Korn is haunting and contorted. Hand drums really let you feel how important a role percussion plays. The translation is not always successful. Songs like “Hollow Life� and “Twisted Transistor� due to a few weird sounds and a droning quality come off as being just repetitive. In either case though, these tracks are all fascinating experiments in genre transcendence. — Darren Hutz
Feist The Reminder
Comeback Kid Broadcasting‌
Interscope Records
Victory Records
Feist. Jazz/folk/indie/rock/pop/alternative, whatever you want to call her — first and foremost she is awesome. Feist set a standard with her previous album Let It Die, but this new album does not disappoint. When I previewed her songs (oh, legally, of course...) she kept her musical appeal without a feeling of dull dĂŠjĂ vu. “One Two Three Fourâ€? is a standout track on this album, with a catchy hook and rich inklings of trumpets, banjoes and a piano. “The Limit to Your Loveâ€? sounds like a modern-day Carpenters’ song and is mind-blowing. “Sea Lion Womenâ€? is a traditional folk chant once covered by Nina Simone, and how Feist manages to pull this off so successfully is beyond me, but she does. “Brandy Alexander,â€? co-written with Ron Sexsmith, sounds like the hipster brother who lives on Penny Lane. Feist is at her best when all’s quiet and you can hear the acoustics converge together to make up a beautifully sensitive sound. I prefer tracks where accompaniment is sparser, like “So Sorryâ€? and “The Parkâ€? — so that the richness in her voice becomes more intimate. “The Waterâ€? is also quite impressive. If the song sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s a different version of her song “The Eastern Shore.â€? A rawer cover of “Intuitionâ€? from her initial album, Monarch, is also featured. Each track is instrumentally varied and distinct, without losing the emotion we all know and love in Feist. Her songs manage to be playful, whimsical, sorrowful, sophisticated and wise — all at the same time. Feist’s songs can only be experienced best by being listened to, and not read about. So start listening already. — Tiffany Budhyanto
Were the clue in Final Jeopardy! ever to read: “2/2 thrash drumming, drudging power-chord riffs and gang vocals are clichĂŠd elements of this musical genre, often associated with pimple-covered teenagers dancing like mating gorillas,â€? whoever answered: “What is hardcore music?â€? would be laughing their way to the bank. Comeback Kid achieved the closest thing to perfection in hardcore music in the past five years with Wake the Dead, and this follow up is either a tad stronger or a tad weaker — I haven’t totally decided yet. What I do know is that this record, in classic Comeback Kid fashion — is ferociously angry and honest enough to warrant such a pretty alliteration. “Defeatedâ€? is a killer opener with a Norma Jean-esque intro riff that blasts into some blazing sonic wrath heavier than anything the band has previously released. The title track and “In/Tuitionâ€? allow Andrew Neufeld to showcase his pipes, and erase any existing doubts that he could front this band. However, as with all good acts from this genre, the vocals act more as a background instrument to let the fierceness of the music take the driver’s seat.
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- Beyonce
It’s Not Over
- Daughtry
Lips of an Angel
- Hinder
On The Hotline
- Pretty Ricky
This Is Why I’m Hot (Chorus)
- MIMS
What Goes Around / Comes Around - Justin Timberlake
10. You - Lloyd
Text "PLAY" to 4800 on your Rogers wireless phone to download your favourite ring tunes today.
MTV Unplugged Korn Virgin Records Us
Korn’s prior albums, through heavy distortion and unintelligible screaming, rely on being distinctly raw and heavy. It is easy to forget the singer/songwriters behind hits like “Blind� and “Got the Life,� but Korn Unplugged shows us stripped-down and rebuilt acoustic versions. But when you peel away the distortion, Korn reveals their chops as composers. With essentially nothing but acoustic guitars, piano
The Fratellis Costello Music Cherry Tree
Everyone who’s anyone knows the immensity of this band – they just don’t realize it. The Fratellis are the creators of the newest iPod ad. You know, that
ubiquitous piece without enunciation and an awesome staccato drum line? I started listening to this album with low expectations. I didn’t expect much more than one-hit-wonder status from a Glasgow band that sold their leading single to Apple. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. The CD starts with “Henrietta,â€? an energetic ditty that sounds like a cross between mediocre Libertines and the simplicity of the Ramones. They are kind of like Hot Hot Heat with a dash of Brit-pop charm and vocabulary. The concept of short, snappy songs set the tone for the rest of the record. Many songs like “Doginabagâ€? remind me of the White Stripes due to the driving bottom end and the alluring repetition. Songs like “Whistle for the Choirâ€? and “Ole Black ‘n’ Blue Eyesâ€? stand out, but true rock snobs would probably get a tad bored with the slightly formulaic song structure. However, between the borderline ridiculous lyrics and the sheer energy this album emits, one can argue that the repetition is the base of the band’s magic. The Fratellis’ debut album is a perfect score for a night of underage drinking and tomfoolery. I’d highly recommend picking it up just for “Flatheadâ€? (the iPod song), “Whistle for the Choirâ€? and “For the Girl.â€? Honestly, the liveliness will get you through a number of drab walks across campus. Hopefully, we will see more from this stellar band because their brand of animated dirtiness truly stands out in the modern Brit-rock scene. — Allison Bâby
arts
24
Lam: storytelling and the link between medicine and literature
Wake up and smell the golden spires
Continued from page 21
Lam spent much of the talk drawing connections between the art of storytelling and the art of healing: “The storyteller must tell something that is believable,” Lam told the audience. “It has to be convincing and cohesive. It must ring true…I think that we [doctors] also engage in a certain type of storytelling. We must listen to the start of the story. ‘When did the symptoms start?’ When I learn they have diabetes or a recent surgery, what I’m establishing is character. Then hopefully I can begin to understand where the story is going… and once again it must be convincing, the result has to make sense.” Lam also spoke of the mysticism associated with both becoming an author and becoming a doctor. “There is a conception that a writer goes away and comes back with a novel. A doctor goes away to medical school and comes back a doctor… both of them carry an element of mystery, secrets that can only be obtained with these processes.” Lam, however, also stated that both writers and doctors “obtain legitimacy through the audience. You only read a book that relates to you. You only see a doctor who understands you.” The audience questions revealed much about Lam’s reading habits (“I try to read books that are different than what I do stylistically”), characters (“I’ll come clean; all the characters come
from me”), and how many rewrites his short stories undergo (“The least was 10, the most 20 to 25. I edit a lot”). Since finishing medical school at the University of Toronto, Lam has worked as an emergency physician in Toronto. He has done air evacuation work and has practices medicine on Arctic and Antarctic ships, experiences that are related in Bloodletting. He has been writing since he was young, winning a short story contest when he was 14, receiving writing advice from Jane Urquhardt as a prize. vlecat@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Friday, March 23, 2007
Close your eyes, dear readers, and think of the golden spires of Oxford. Breathe in the air of immaculate academia, where students divide their time between exams and oil paintings, where clubs take not the form of beer pong teams, but rather writer collectives, such as the one forged by Tolkein and Lewis at the Eagle and Child. You may notice students on the main street being literally knocked over with inspiration, scrambling to find their notebook in which they can house this berth of ideas. Now wake up. Welcome back to UW, where you will find ivy-covered cathedrals replaced by monolithic monuments to mathematics. Here, the students trudge through campus, drones serving the Gods of Engineering and Business, wary of an open mind in case inspiration may send them reeling into a puddle and ruin their co-op suit. At UW, an admiration for Gray’s Anatomy is replaced by a fixation with Grey’s Anatomy, and an appreciation for the classics is diluted by an unfortunate association with classic rock. Shame on you, students of Waterloo. How dare you neglect your creative obligations in the face of exams, essays, tutorials, policy reviews, critical analyses, weekly assessments, novel studies, laboratory assignments, mid-terms, quizzes, workshops, debates, and part-time jobs. What happened to our (my) dream of making this university a bastion of artistic energy? Another year lost, friends, and my spirit grows weak. Next year, I want you all to resume classes with David Tubbs in your minds. David Tubbs, you ask? Don’t
I know him as a third-year history major at UW with a minor in religious studies, you say? Surely he is as bound to the same torturous chains of university life as I, you whine. Indeed he is, I answer, but David Tubbs has something the rest of your pitiful lot do not: priorities. At the beginning of the 2006 winter term, Mr. Tubbs embraced his creative passions and embarked on a project that would fill every waking moment he had in between classes and assignments. A year later, his labour has come to fruition in the form of a novel: at the beginning of March, Tubbs’ Three Days to Moriah was published.
While the rest of you complain about not having time to eat or sleep between research and reading, David Tubbs is represented on Amazon. com. For shame. Sitting in Dr. James Diamond’s class on Great Texts in the Jewish Tradition last year, Tubbs was struck by the imprecise nature of the Isaac narrative, in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice his own son on Mount Moriah. This passage is perhaps one of the most troubling, challenging stories in the Bible, and while it is a fundamental part of
Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it is remarkably absent of detail. Inspired by the intensity of this ancient human drama, Tubbs set out to fill in the blanks. The resulting piece of Biblical fiction attempts to illuminate the three days that stood between God’s request and the moment an angel appeared to intervene on the Mount. Imagining a narrative full of torment, trauma, and struggle, Tubbs filled in his vision by researching different rabbinical interpretations and giving new relevance to certain characters, such as Abraham’s wife Sarah. So, here we have a full-time student who has found the time to be a published author. Surely our valiant Mr. Tubbs will have something to say about the wretched state of art at our school: “I actually think it is very prosperous, especially in the theatre department…” Right. Well then, I ask Mr. Tubbs, if it’s so prosperous, why did you have to have a U of T student edit your work? “Well,” Tubbs intones, “Jill McCullough is an old friend of mine…” Bollocks. Obviously, David is reluctant to admit that UW students are useless, despite my protests that they need the motivation. After much pushing, however, I discover the author’s disappointment: “I would like to find another writer who at least has the ambition to be published. There are too many writers out there who have written a good book, but don’t feel that they should do anything about it.” There you have it, ladies and gentlemen; it’s time to get off your arses. For inspiration, check out Three Days to Moriah on Amazon.com. It may also be helpful to note that Tubbs shares an affinity for the work of C.S. Lewis, an Oxford man of the highest class. Just goes to prove my theory: when in doubt, close your eyes and think of Oxford. Godspeed on your creative endeavours. cmoffat@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
arts
Friday, March 23, 2007
Film urges us to persevere
25
Finding hidden art in Uptown Ashley Csanady arts editor
courtesy imdb
Breaking and Entering Anthony Minghella Miramax Films
Broken dreams, distant relationships, mentally ill children and urban decay all have one main thing in common: they are all in desperate need of reconstruction. Breaking and Entering is a film centred on these exact themes, with unfathomable analogies, parallelisms and imagery. Jude Law plays Will Francis, a sort of eco-architect who is set on improving the much-dilapidated King’s Cross area in London, England. The run-down area is shown in tatters at least five times throughout the film, probably because Miro (played by Rafi Gavron), the child in question, lives there with his mother Amira who was portrayed beautifully by the lovely Parisian Julliette Binoche. Minghella even takes the necessary opportunity to show her naked too, in a beautiful, vindictive scene of implied photographic blackmail. The film begins with a well-planned robbery of Francis’ workplace at the hands of cat burglar Miro and his uncle, where many computers are stolen. Later, Miro shows a sign of kindness by copying all of Francis’ family videos and pictures from his laptop to a burned CD. He then politely leaves them for Francis — after robbing his architecture firm blind for a second time. Francis’ co-worker Sandy, played by Martin Freeman, is a nice and charming character similar to a more mature version of Freeman’s role as Tim from the popular British version of The Office. He has an unusually awkward crush on the pretty African office cleaning lady Erykah. His relationship with her which, according to
him soon buds, acts as a nice contrast with Francis’ three relationships. In addition to the seasonally affective disordered blonde bombshell Liv, played by Robin Wright Penn, Francis finds himself distracted by a domineering and vivacious Russian prostitute, and later, his seamstress — Miro’s mother, Amira. The three different couples juxtaposed sequentially allowed for a wonderful comparison of the subjective and variable nature of love, infidelity, passion and romance. Especially central to the implied analysis was his awkward connection with Liv, since she has an autistic gymnast daughter Bea with another man (played by Poppy Rogers). The cinematography makes use of contrasting foci. This is accomplished by repeatedly changing focus from the background to the foreground. It alternates between emphasis on either of the two characters, as most of the scenes involve one on one intimate conversation. It is as if it is suggesting that we consider different perspectives within each multilayered, complicated relationship dynamic. It does not, however, put Francis’ doglike infidelity in a positive light — not even his prostitute frolicking. All in all, this is a naturally complex plot, with the many layers interconnected like a spider’s web. But instead of leaving the audience confused, the contrasting images and dynamics paint a nice picture of love, ambition and reconstruction. Ultimately, it is a piece about perseverance in the face of poverty, failure or conflict, urging movie-goers to repair all that is broken and to never lose hope. — Andrew Abela
SUMMER JOBS COLLEGE PRO PAINTERS
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Nestled in the heart of Uptown, the Harbinger Gallery is inviting, intriguing and inspiring. Featuring works by Canadian artists from across the country, the one-time house on Dupont Street provides an awe-inspiring look at the wide-breadth of talent our nation has to offer. Commercial galleries can often be intimidating, but the Harbinger gallery is anything but. When I walked in, friendly and approachable gallery manager and UW grad Linda Perez was more than happy to show me around. As we perused the exhibitions downstairs, Perez explained how she frequented the gallery while she was completing a fine arts degree at UW. Everything in the gallery is for sale. The upstairs has a wide variety of works and mediums while the downstairs features special exhibitions by a few artists as well as an extensive art jewelry collection. The jewelry was an unexpected find among the extensive collection of Canadian art. All unique pieces made by Canadian artists, artyou-can-wear pieces are great to invest in. Just perusing a few of the drawers of one-of-a-kind jewelry could brighten a rainy afternoon — although the art on display alone is worth the trip. Prominent Canadian artist and former UW Prof. Will Gorlitz has several works on display in the gallery’s lower level. His striking still lifes of roses and leaves are juxtaposed with empty cans in a bleak, gray abyss. Playing with light and shadow, Gorlitz’s definite brush strokes and shading create unique paintings of age-old subjects.
Colourful clay pieces by British Columbia artist Gordon Hutchens occupy the other room in the lower level of the gallery. The porcelain pots covered in a crystalline glaze that Hutchens developed himself are mesmerizing. The pieces are almost hypnotizing, and the crystals provide interesting patterns and different colours from every angle. Upstairs, the gallery has a few pieces on display from many artists, and more available for viewing upon request. With pieces priced as low as $15 and as high as several thousand, the Harbinger gallery is a great place to visit when looking for a great gift, or when killing some time before a movie. With a student friendly sticker on their door, Perez encourages students to check out the gallery, saying “it’s a really awesome place … and not just cause I work here, I used to come here as a student.” She explained how she took the gallery for granted when she
Ashley Csanady
was in school, but after moving to Toronto she realized what she had been taking for granted. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Harbinger Gallery has expanded over the years to take up the entire building. Still a very intimate setting, Perez explained that the gallery aims to “get people to be excited about art and not be afraid of it.” She encourages people to ask questions and discuss the art. Even if you don’t like something, feel free to voice your opinion because, as Perez elaborated, art’s a personal thing. The art they feature is more than just landscapes, so if you are interested in what the current Canadian art scene has to offer, check out the collection this gallery has to offer. From distinct sculptures to intricate abstracts, the Canadian art at Harbinger is a long cry from the Group of Seven. acsanady@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
26 VOLUNTEER Distress Line volunteers wanted – Canadian Mental Health Association is seeking caring volunteers to provide supportive listening and crisis deescalation to callers living in Waterloo Region. Please call 519744-7645, ext 300. Student career assistants needed for 2007-2008. Career Services is looking for students to fill two volunteer positions. Depending on the position, you will gain valuable job search, marketing and career-related skills by either promoting events and services or by helping other students in their career planning and job search. Open to regular and co-op students who are creative and possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. Applications available in Career Services, TC 1214, or from our web page at careerservices.uwaterloo.ca. Summer volunteer opportunities with Grand River Hospital/Cancer Centre. Information sessions will be in March, April and early May. Please call 519-749-4300, ext 2613 or e-mail volunteer@grandriverhospital.on.ca for details. Volunteers needed – volunteer with a child at their school and help improve their self-esteem and confidence. One to three hours a week commitment. Call Canadian Mental Health at 519-744-7645, ext 229. Volunteer Action Centre – connecting talent and community – Do you enjoy organizing events? ACCKWA needs creative volunteers. For details call 519-570-3687 or e-mail volunteer@acckwa.com. Pride Stables is looking for individuals to lead our horses and sidewalk with children with disabilities. Volunteers must be 15 years of age or older. For more information contact 519-653-4686 or e-mail www.pridestables.com. HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre is looking for peer support volunteers
Campus Bulletin to share info and resources to members. For info call 519-742-4673 or www.hopespring.ca. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors needed. Call 519579-5150 or www.bbbskw.org. Community Justice Initiatives is offering training for group facilitators. For more info contact Stephanie at 519744-6549, ext 208 or stephaniec@ cjiwr.com. Would you like to have fun in the sun? Volunteers needed at the City of Kitchener to help staff run summer playgrounds for children. For info call Angie at 519-7412389. Volunteer Services — City of Waterloo — 519-888-6488 or 519-8880409 or volunteer@city.waterloo. on.ca — “Royal Medieval Faire” seeks fun-loving, organized individuals for a mid-September event. “Volunteer Gardeners” are needed to assist seniors home support. For info call 519-579-6930. “Reception and Office Assistant” needed at Wing 404 Adult Centre. “Parade Route Assistants” needed for Celebrate Waterloo 150 Anniversary event on May 26. Volunteer opportunity available at Counselling Services for fall 2007. Responsibilities include: organizing existing materials, obtaining new materials, researching websites and booking space in the SLC for awareness events. Approximately 3-4 hours per week. If interested or have any questions, contact Angie at algoertz@watarts.uwaterloo.ca.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Travel Cuts inks exclusive deal to offer Canada’s cheapest flights to Europe and the UK for students. For info call 1-866-246-9762 or travelcuts.com/contact us. Hey students! Tune in weekly to “Morning Drive” with DJ Cool at
CKMS 100.3FM for important info on what is happening locally, on campus and in your area. Music, fun and more — morningdrive1@yahoo. ca. Exchange opportunities to RhoneAlpes, France and Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany for the 2007-2008 academic year – to undergraduates and graduates. For additional informatiton and application form/deadlines contact Maria Lango, IPO, Needles Hall, room 1043, ext 33999 or by email: mlango@uwaterloo.ca. Cigarette study — smokers needed. $70 cash paid. Please state your name, age and brand of cigarettes smoked most often. Call Sandy at 519-578-0873 or e-mail this info to smokesstudy@hotmail.com. Turnkey Desk Recycles Batteries. Drop your old batteries to the blue bin at Turnkey.
FINANCIAL AID
March/April 2007 Stop by the Student Awards & Financial Aid Office to see if your OSAP grant cheques are available. March 30 — recommended submission date for OSAP rollover form to add spring term. April 13 – recommended last submission date for Continuation of Interest-Free Status Form for this term. Also last day to pick up loans for this term. Check out our web site for a full listing of all our scholarships and bursaries. http://safa.uwaterloo.ca.
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. Beginning
Janaury 21 there will also be a 4 p.m. worship. For more info call 519-8844404, ext 28604 or mcolling@renison.uwaterloo.ca.
UPCOMING Monday, March 26, 2007 Faculty of Arts presents a public lecture by Dr. Gerald McMaster on “Render/UW Art Gallery,” at 4 p.m. at Humanities Theatre, UW. Everyone is welcome, free event. Wednesday, March 28, 2007 UW Genocide Awareness Group, a division of STAND Canada, is hosting the third annual “Footsteps of Death” Walk for Darfur from 2 to 7:30 p.m. on Ring Road, UW. For info call 519-748-8821 or 519-208-4146 or e-mail uwgag@hotmail.com. Faculty of Arts presents a public lecture by Senator Larry Campbell on “Four Pillars-Three Years Later,” at 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Lyle Hallman Centre for Health Promotion, UW. Everyone is welcome, free event. Thursday, March 29, 2007 Fine Arts Film Society presents “Four Films from Turkey” – 7 p.m. East Campus Hall Auditorium, room 1220 – ‘toonie’ admission – “Bye Bye/ Gule Gule.” Friday, March 30, 2007 International climate change expert Mark Jaccard (Simon Fraser University) will deliver a public lecture entitled ‘Fossil Fuels: Friends or Foes?’ This free event will take place in DC 1351 at 12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Wednesday, April 4, 2007 Laurier PoetryFest at Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick Street, Kitchener at 7 p.m. on April 4 and 5. Free event with charitable donation accepted. For info call Clare at 519-884-0710 ext 2665 or www.wlupress.wlu.ca.
FRIDAY, march 23, 2007
Thursday, April 5, 2007 Faculty of Arts presents a public lecture by Tim Kenyon on “Trawling for Columbine, school violence in the news media,” at 7 p.m. at Waterloo Public Library, UW. Everyone is welcome, free event. Rotunda Gallery presents “Another Dirge to Daedalus” with Niall Donaghy. Exhibit opens April 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St., W., Kitchener. For info call 519-741-3400, ext 3381.
Classifieds WANTED
Used books wanted for CFUW Book Sale, Friday and Saturday, April 2021, 2007 at First United Church, King and William. Drop off donations at church (back door) Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19. For more information, please call 519-7405249. No textbooks please.
mately 2.5 feet tall with freezer and pop/beer rack. Must sell as done University and moving away. Cost $180 - selling for $100. Email Steph at spclutte@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca.
FOR SALE
Premium three-bedroom townhouse unit in a professionally managed student complex. Perfect for students, close to UW campus. Now renting May or September 2007. Call Perry now at 519-746-1411 for all the details and to set up a showing. Room for rent for a quiet individual in a detached home near both universities. Parking and all amenities. Please call 519-725-5348. Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. 4, 8 and 12month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Perry at 519-746-1411 for more details. Five bedroom, two bathrooms, two kitchens, upstairs new, laundry, 10 minute walk to Universities, parking, excellent condition – must see. $2,200/month, utilities included, cable internet. Call 905-417-5538 for appointment. A perfect four bedroom apartment to live in comfortably within a short walking distance to both campuses. Enjoy the convenience of living in a great location close to many shopping amenities and the life of Uptown Waterloo. Call Perry now at 519-7461411 to set up a viewing today.
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HOUSING
Available May 1, 2007 – minimum four-month lease, very clean, 372B Churchill Crescent. Six bedroom, each room is $350-$375/month plus utilities. Free parking, laundry facilities included, two common rooms with TV, two kitchens, wireless capability throughout house and internet jacks in every room, 15 minutes from campus. Call Andrew at 416-5270369 or e-mail andrew.chalabardo@ hotmail.com. Apartments for grad students available May 1 at St. Paul’s grad apartments. Right on campus. Apply now. 519-885-1460 ext. 212 or stpauls@ uwaterloo.ca. Three bedroom apartment Hazel Street $400 includes utilities and parking. Also two bedroom apartment $900 and five bedroom $350. Also eight rooms at 120 Columbia $400 plus. Call 519-746-6327. House for summer available May 1, 2007. Four month rent. Up to five rooms available. Fully furnished house: washer, dryer, furniture included, two washrooms, large kitchen and common room. 15 minute walk to UW campus. Excellent condition. $350/month/room, negotiable. Call Lindi: 519-888-6232 or cabbage_ roll87@hotmail.com. Cheap summer sublet – two rooms, take one or both, furnished or unfurnished, close to UW/University Plaza – on Lester Street. $300-$325 per month inclusive, terms negotiable. Contact Tara at tara_w7@hotmail. com.
HELP WANTED 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, KW Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2. Work outdoors! Landscaping and property maintenance company seeks staff with positive attitude and solid work ethic for spring/summer, potential to continue into fall. Call 519-578-7769 or e-mail resume to sales@acelawncare.ca. Window cleaner required for summer employment. Kitchener, $13 to start, 40-50 hours per week. Fax resume 519-749-4022. No highrise but second story ladder work involved daily. Part-time employment available starting in April. Fun, games, sports and crafts with after-school children at Laurelwood Public School. Only a short walk from the university. Interested persons should leave a message at 519-741-8997. Used Book/Antique Store needs computer literate person with own transportation to St. Jacobs for parttime work (hours negotiable). Call Ron 519-664-1243. Support person needed for 13 year old boy who has autism and is nonverbal. Occasional weekend and evening hours during the school year, as well as daytime hours for summer vacation. Person to provide support while on outings in the community, at home and at summer day camps. Can job share with one or two other students. Laurelwood subdivision. Must have own vehicle, $10-$12/hour
depending on experience plus .37/km mileage. For more information call Deborah 519-746-1584. Excellent student work opportunity! The Survey Research Centre (SRC) here at UW is currently seeking part-time telephone interviewers for the spring term. The SRC is an on campus research centre that offers a variety of survey services. Telephone interviewers are responsible for conducting quality-orientated interviews and performing other administrative tasks. Must be fluent in English and have a clear, strong speaking voice and excellent communication skills. Experience in telephone work, data entry, or customer service is helpful but not required. Ability to speak French fluently is an asset. 10-12 hours per week required, mainly evenings and weekends. Starting wage is $11.50 an hour. Please send resume to Lindsey Skromeda, by e-mail at lmskrome@artsmailuwaterloo.ca. For more information e-mail or phone 519-888-4567, ext 36689. Imprint Publications is looking for UW student(s) interested in doing distribution for the spring/summer term. Valid drivers license and 21+ is an asset. For more info drop in to Imprint, SLC room 1116, between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , ask for Laurie. Fundraiser/grantwriter for innovative new private high school working hourly (few hours a week) at present, but may lead to full time in the future. Some knowledge of grant proposal writing. Mail resume and references to: Ivanel Academy, Box 21006, 34 Wellington St., Stratford, Ontario, N5A 2L2 or www.geocities.com/jrjazz2000/home.
Friday, March 23, 2007
science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Science Editor: Rob Blom Science Assistant: Yolani Heltiarachchi
Science Imprint
27
Studies that more than meet the eye Lyndon Jones’ research in optometry takes him to other disciplines, universities and countries Adam Gardiner staff reporter
It’s not hard to develop misconceptions about what the school of optometry does on campus. Situated in an unassuming, brown-brick building across Columbia Street, one might think of the faculty as isolated from the rest of campus, concerned only with performing clinical studies and handing out contact lens samples to guinea pig students. I certainly shared this view before my interview with Dr. Lyndon Jones, professor of optometry at UW. “Even the corridors look clinical,” I thought to myself as I wended my way to his office. “Everything I thought about this place must be true.” But a mere five minutes with Prof. Jones, and my opinions were permanently changed. An eclectic, upbeat individual with a cheerful Welsh accent to match, it took little for Jones to show me just how connected to campus the optometry department really is. Then again, Jones has been looking at ways to collaborate with other departments since he first came to Waterloo in 1998. “We can adapt their skill sets to try and understand some of the things that we’re involved in,” Jones explains. “For example, in physics, James Forrest has an interest in looking at how proteins interact with surfaces. That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m interested in. There are people over in chemical engineering who do drug delivery stuff; we could use contact lens materials to deliver drugs to your eyes if you have a sick eye. There are people who do friction studies … in hip and knee transplants. Well, again, we’re very interested in the frictional force that occurs when an eye goes over a contact lens. In chemistry there are people who have a great interest in looking at proteins and lipids — [that’s] perfect for the things that we’re interested in. In biology there’s a large immunology group; contact lenses and immunology are perfect ways to study things together. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, [we] see if there are other people here who would like to collaborate.”
“Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, [we] see if there are other people here who would like to collaborate.” — Dr. Lyndon Jones
That kind of attitude keeps Jones a busy man; in addition to his duties at the school of optometry, he is cross-appointed to the departments of physics, biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering, and supervises twelve graduate students in those fields. And that’s just at UW; he also holds an adjunct apointment at MacMaster University, with graduate students there. “My average day is really weird,” he admits to me, as the chirp of an incoming e-mail sounds from his computer, perfectly on cue. Of course, Jones is used to handling several subjects at once: it’s that unique quality that helped bring him to UW, along with his wife Debbie, who directs programs in the clinical faculty. “I have a Ph.D in chemical engineering,” he said, “looking at how contact lens material interacts with tears. And because I have that unusual background, of being a clinician with a high degree in that unrelated field, both myself and Debbie got invited to positions here.” Prof. Jones’ current research looks at the effect contact lens materials and solutions have on user comfort. “Over the last five to six years,” he explained, “we’ve seen the introduction of a brand new contact lens material [called] silicone hydrogels. Hydrogels have very little water in them, and the oxygen is transported through the lens by the silicone. The only downside of that is that silicone is very hydrophobic; it hates water. And as soon as you make a contact lens that doesn’t wet very well, you’re in big trouble: although the lens is transporting vast amounts of oxygen, you see comfort complications. When the lid moves over the lens, it doesn’t move very well. The oil in your tear cells adds to that lens, and you get a greasy lens. So my principal interest these days is trying to characterize how these new lenses interact with tear cells ... trying to understand the deposition of proteins and oils, and then trying to minimize that, either by modifyng the contact lens material, or by producing some form of wetting drops or contact lens solution that maximizes how they interact.” The impacts of such research could be quite significant, explained Jones. “There are 100 million contact lens wearers worldwide, of which about three million are in Canada. When we survey [patients] about how happy they are with their contact lens performance, about fifty per cent will compain about end-of-day dryness. That’s a big chunk of patients.” It is his teaching style, however, that has earned him the greatest accolades so far, including the prestigious Michael Harris Award from the American Optometric Foundation, an honour Jones was
Adam Gardiner
Prof. Lyndon Jones at work in one of the Optometry building labs. Jones’ research has the potential to affect millions of contact lens wearers worldwide. “absolutely elated” to receive. The always-engaging Jones tries to present his lectures in a more interactive way, using questions and scenarios to engage his audience. “People hate to sit in there being talked at,” he said. The way that you teach students is quite different from the way that you teach your peers. When you’re presenting to clinicians, it’s more a case of making an exchange [of info].” So what drew the Welsh native to pursue such an successful career? The answer is more surprising than one might expect. “I left school and became a DJ,” he recalls, “and after a couple of years working as [that] I decided it would be more sensible to go and get a real job. I chose the university [of Wales] because it meant that I could still work in the club … and I could put myself through university. And I chose optometry purely because [the faculty] has the best rugby team in the university.” Now, Jones is invited to present studies and speak at conferences around the world. In fact, the immense amount of traveling done by he and Debbie has turned their family into bona fide jetsetters. Fortunately, their two children — 11-year old Rebecca and 8-year old Ben — don’t mind one bit. “Oh, they love it,” says Jones. “They come with us as much as we can take them. To them, getting on a plane is a bit like getting on a bus. I didn’t go on a plane until I was 22; they have their own
frequent flyer cards.” He admits, though: “I’d like to maybe travel a bit less. That would be very nice; I travel way too much. But that’s probably not going to happen realistically.” In contrast, Jones is very excited about the future of the school of optometry. In addition to accepting more students, and establishing a satellite campus connected to the school of pharmacy, Jones noted that construction of a new wing on the optometry building is set to begin next summer. “We have simply outgrown the ability to teach the number of students that we have,” he said. “Every batch of students you take in has a huge impact on teaching resources; you can’t just take [upper-year] students and shove them in a lecture hall.” Hopefully the expansion will help alleviate the perceptions students have about the school. “The biggest impediment to people on campus knowing what goes on in optometry is Columbia,” sayid Jones. “That physical separation of our building really impacts heavily on people’s perceptions.” Fortunately, there are people like Prof. Jones to change those perceptions, whose work illustrates how there is much, much more to the school of optometry than meets the eye. agardiner@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
A behind-the-scenes look into a leading cause of death Faisal Naqib staff reporter
A topic that has been discussed over the past few decades is the possibility of an increased mortality rate of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack), or other emergency situations, on weekends. It was first believed that there could exist a physiological reason for this pattern, but after scientists failed to provide enough evidence to support this theory, the blame turned to hospital administration. Hospital staffing is not constant throughout the week, with a minimum in the amount of staff and the available expertise occurring on weekends. This results in many hospitals being able to provide only emergency and urgent care on weekends. This differential may result in different outcomes for patients admitted on weekends. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 15, 2007 analyzed the difference in the treatment and outcome for patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction on weekdays versus those admitted on weekends.
An acute myocardial infarction has several treatment strategies that must be implemented immediately. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one type of treatment — it can take the form of an angioplasty, where a doctor will guide a balloon-tipped catheter through the patients’ vasculature towards the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood and are the cause of the heart attack. Here the doctor will inflate the balloon which will widen the artery and hopefully provide the heart with more blood. Another possible treatment is coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) which is a major operation where the heart is stopped so that doctors can replace the clogged arteries with fresh arteries harvested from another site in the body. Researchers sought differences between the way weekday-admitted patients are treated and those admitted on weekends. The measured variables included the use and timing of invasive cardiac procedures and the length of hospital stay. The researchers had access to over 230,000 patient records admitted to a non-federal hospital in New Jersey between the years 1987 and 2002.
Minor differences between the characteristics of patients admitted on weekends and those admitted on weekdays were first observed. These included an increased age and proportion that had pre-existing conditions as well as a decreased length of stay in the weekend patient population. A much more striking result was the observation that patients admitted on weekends were less likely to undergo invasive cardiac procedures than patients admitted on weekdays. This means a patient admitted on the weekend was less likely to undergo PCI or CABG, procedures that have been shown to save lives. A difference in mortality between weekday and weekend admissions was also observed; patients admitted on weekends had a significantly higher mortality rate than those admitted on weekdays. This held true for the first few days after admission, 30 days after admission and even longer. The study’s authors do not believe that the mild differences in patient characteristics can explain this increased mortality. After applying statistical techniques that standardized for the
difference in the use of invasive cardiac procedures, the different mortality rates disappeared. This leads scientists to believe that the weekend patients suffer a worse outcome, which may be caused by the lower rate of intervention. Health care professionals are now left with the task of finding a solution to the decreased hospital operations on weekends. The solution, according to one American doctor, is to generate more efficient on-call schedules where if a patient presents to the emergency department in need of an invasive procedure the required professionals can be summoned to the hospital in a timely manner. One disadvantage of this — people who work in hospitals in the U.S. are not compensated for taking the weekend shift while Canadian hospitals offer their employees benefits for working the weekends. Although the differences between weekday and weekend patient treatment and outcome are small, the high incidence and fatality of heart attacks can lead to a substantial loss of life. fnaqib@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
science
28
Friday, March 23, 2007
Tokyo: UW takes bronze and retains record assistant science editor
U.S. and in Egypt are assisting with testing of the mummy.
European ancestry evident in mummy
Malaria-fighting mosquitoes created
A baby mummy acquired by a dentist in the Middle East at the turn of the century is being exhibited for the first time at the St. Louis Science Centre. Al Wilman, vice-president of the centre, has made significant contributions toward unlocking the mummy’s secrets, asking medical, science and art institutions in the U.S. and Egypt for their help. Carbon dating tests showed that the child had lived between 30 B.C. and 130 A.D., around the time of Cleopatra, and lived to be about eight months — evident from CT scans of the child’s bones, skull, teeth and body cavity. Anne Bowcock, a geneticist at Washington University, revealed information about the mummy’s ancestry by testing three samples of degraded muscle, tissue and bone — materials obtained via the insertion of a thick needle into the chest and shoulder. The tests showed the boy’s mother was European. A team of experts from various universities and museums in the
Scientists have created a new strain of malaria-resistant mosquito carrying a gene that prevents infection by the malaria parasite. The genetically-modified (GM) insects are characterized by green fluorescent eyes which arise from the insertion of the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP). Equal numbers of GM and ordinary “wild-type” mosquitoes were allowed to feed on malariainfected mice; it was discovered that the resistant insects had a higher survival rate than nonresistant ones. The team concludes that the resistant insects, if introduced into wild populations, could eventually replace the ones that carry the disease. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
Yolanie Hettiarachchi
courtesy david hill
From left to right: Gordon V. Cormack (coach), Tor Myklebust, Simon Parent, Malcolm Sharpe. Continued from cover
In 1993, a Waterloo team made it to the ACM finals and UW has continued to do so every year since then, a record only Virginia Tech can match. This record hasn’t been due to any single star programmer; the contest rules prohibit any student from attending the finals more than twice. So why has Waterloo been so successful? Cormack says, “There’s a
culture of doing these contests here at Waterloo.” There are competitions within the school of CS every term and in recent years, programming competitions over the internet have been multiplying. That isn’t to denigrate the hard work these students have put in. They have been training hard for this competition, running drills, “sparring” with each other and simulating an actual testing environment complete with submission logs
from real competitions to compete against. Now it’s time to start getting ready for next year to continue UW’s international renown. “Waterloo is one of the strongest [teams] over the last 15 years,” said Cormack. “We’re certainly being pushed hard now by China and Russia. I’m very proud of everyone we’ve had. I’m very proud to be a part of that.” tfoster@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
— With files from the BBCNews and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution yhettiarachchi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
CPR changes standard as mouth-to-mouth proves insufficient Basma Anabtawi staff reporter
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR, is a universal emergency procedure performed to restore blood flow to those experiencing cardiac arrest. CPR is carried out to prolong the life of a victim until an ambulance arrives. Controversy surrounding the actual guidelines for CPR have been around for years, causing confusion to people certified and non-certified, on the number of chest compressions and artificial respiration or rescue breaths required to keep the patient alive with sufficient amounts of oxygen reaching the brain. A study published recently in UK-based medical journal The Lancet focuses on differentiating between the requirements for CPR and the need for the artificial breathing. Dr. Ken Nagao of the Surugadai Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan led the study. He faced many difficulties in order to conduct the study
since informed consent forms had to have been distributed prior to starting the experiment. This was due to the high risk involved for the heart disease victims as well as the bystanders expected to perform the
The study is believed to have a bigger impact on the number of CPR procedures actually performed. resuscitation. The study shows that chest compressions alone — instead of the common mouth-to-mouth resuscitation — are sufficient, if not more effective at aiding recovery from cardiac arrest. The study illustrates that patients are
more likely to survive and have full recovery without any brain damage if the rescuer was performing only chest compression and skipping the normal mouth-to-mouth breaths. The American Heart Association revised the CPR guidelines from the average 15 chest compressions per two breaths to 30 chest compressions in order to minimize the time lost in giving air to the lungs, when the priority is to keep blood moving to the brain and heart. The study is believed to have a bigger impact on the number of CPR procedures actually performed. Often bystanders are not willing to carry out CPR to avoid the discomfort of performing the mouth to mouth breath resuscitation, in fear of contacting any oral diseases as well as having the fear of not knowing the correct compression/breath ratio. These individuals do not want to cause or be blamed for someone’s death when they were only trying to help, so sometimes they refrain from doing anything at all.
Dr. Nagao analyzed 4,068 adult patients who have experienced cardiac arrest in the presence of bystanders. Of those, 439 received chest compressions only, while 712 received the conventional combination CPR. The results show that 10 per cent of those who received combination CPR survived with full neurological function, whereas a 22 per cent survival record was recorded for those who received only compressions. Dr. Nagao believes that the reason for the success of chest compressions is that during cardiac arrest where a person was breathing normally beforehand, the body should still have enough oxygen to survive, hence the lack of need for the mouth to mouth procedures. The chest compressions, however, are still needed to ensure that the heart is still pumping the blood so that reservoir of oxygen left in the body reaches the brain to avoid cell death and brain damage. Yet this situation does not hold true for those who were experiencing a shortage of oxygen prior
to the cardiac arrest such as drowning victims or those in extreme fires where a deficiency of air was prevalent. Another interesting finding is that those with no previous education on CPR procedures achieved better results than those who have participated in awareness and formal CPR certificate education. The reasoning could be that those who have no previous experience were unsure of what the guidelines were and just continued to do chest compressions to avoid harming the patient. In the end, the study emphasized the importance and the difference CPR can make in the outcome of cardiac arrest patients and its effect on their post hospitalization recovery. So whether you are certified or not, if you see someone passing out or experiencing cardiac arrest, call 911, get down on the ground and do some chest compressions. You never know, you may save a life. banabtawi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
FRIDAY, march 30, 2007
VOLUNTEER
Campus Bulletin
Distress Line volunteers wanted – Canadian Mental Health Association is seeking caring volunteers to provide supportive listening and crisis deescalation to callers living in Waterloo Region. Please call 519744-7645, ext 300. Student career assistants needed for 2007-2008. Career Services is looking for students to fill two volunteer positions. Depending on the position, you will gain valuable job search, marketing and career-related skills by either promoting events and services or by helping other students in their career planning and job search. Open to regular and co-op students who are creative and possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. Applications available in Career Services, TC 1214, or from our web page at careerservices.uwaterloo.ca. Summer volunteer opportunities with Grand River Hospital/Cancer Centre. Information sessions will be in March, April and early May. Please call 519-749-4300, ext 2613 or e-mail volunteer@grandriverhospital.on.ca for details. Volunteers needed – volunteer with a child at their school and help improve their self-esteem and confidence. One to three hours a week commitment. Call Canadian Mental Health at 519-744-7645, ext 229. Volunteer Action Centre – connecting talent and community – Do you enjoy organizing events? ACCKWA needs creative volunteers. For details call 519-570-3687 or e-mail volunteer@acckwa.com. Pride Stables is looking for individuals to lead our horses and sidewalk with children with disabilities. Volunteers must be 15 years of age or older. For more information contact 519-653-4686 or e-mail www.pridestables.com. HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre is looking for peer support volunteers
to share info and resources to members. For info call 519-742-4673 or www.hopespring.ca. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors needed. Call 519579-5150 or www.bbbskw.org. Community Justice Initiatives is offering training for group facilitators. For more info contact Stephanie at 519744-6549, ext 208 or stephaniec@ cjiwr.com. Would you like to have fun in the sun? Volunteers needed at the City of Kitchener to help staff run summer playgrounds for children. For info call Angie at 519-7412389. Volunteer Services — City of Waterloo — 519-888-6488 or 519-8880409 or volunteer@city.waterloo. on.ca — “Royal Medieval Faire” seeks fun-loving, organized individuals for a mid-September event. “Volunteer Gardeners” are needed to assist seniors home support. For info call 519-579-6930. “Reception and Office Assistant” needed at Wing 404 Adult Centre. “Parade Route Assistants” needed for Celebrate Waterloo 150 Anniversary event on May 26. Volunteer opportunity available at Counselling Services for fall 2007. Responsibilities include: organizing existing materials, obtaining new materials, researching websites and booking space in the SLC for awareness events. Approximately 3-4 hours per week. If interested or have any questions, contact Angie at algoertz@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Travel Cuts inks exclusive deal to offer Canada’s cheapest flights to Europe and the UK for students. For info call 1-866-246-9762 or travelcuts.com/contact us. Hey students! Tune in weekly to “Morning Drive” with DJ Cool at
CKMS 100.3FM for important info on what is happening locally, on campus and in your area. Music, fun and more — morningdrive1@yahoo. ca. Exchange opportunities to RhoneAlpes, France and Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany for the 2007-2008 academic year – to undergraduates and graduates. For additional informatiton and application form/deadlines contact Maria Lango, IPO, Needles Hall, room 1043, ext 33999 or by email: mlango@uwaterloo.ca. Cigarette study — smokers needed. $70 cash paid. Please state your name, age and brand of cigarettes smoked most often. Call Sandy at 519-578-0873 or e-mail this info to smokesstudy@hotmail.com. Turnkey Desk Recycles Batteries. Drop your old batteries to the blue bin at Turnkey. Spring is maintenance time – even for your pets. It’s time to make sure your pet has proper I.D. in case of becoming missing. It is a free service – sign up at www.creaturecomfort.ca or call 519-664-3366 for more information.
FINANCIAL AID March/April 2007 Stop by the Student Awards & Financial Aid Office to see if your OSAP grant cheques are available. March 30 — recommended submission date for OSAP rollover form to add spring term. April 13 – recommended last submission date for Continuation of Interest-Free Status Form for this term. Also last day to pick up loans for this term. Check out our web site for a full listing of all our scholarships and bursaries. http://safa.uwaterloo.ca.
Janaury 21 there will also be a 4 p.m. worship. For more info call 519-8844404, ext 28604 or mcolling@renison.uwaterloo.ca.
UPCOMING Friday, March 30, 2007 International climate change expert Mark Jaccard (Simon Fraser University) will deliver a public lecture entitled ‘Fossil Fuels: Friends or Foes?’ This free event will take place in DC 1351 at 12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Saturday, March 31, 2007 Drive out to Elmira and join in the annual Maple Syrup Festival in Elmira. Wednesday, April 4, 2007 Laurier PoetryFest at Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick Street, Kitchener at 7 p.m. on April 4 and 5. Free event with charitable donation accepted. For info call Clare at 519-884-0710 ext 2665 or www.wlupress.wlu.ca. Thursday, April 5, 2007 Faculty of Arts presents a public lecture by Tim Kenyon on “Trawling for Columbine, school violence in the news media,” at 7 p.m. at Waterloo Public Library, UW. Everyone is welcome, free event. Rotunda Gallery presents “Another Dirge to Daedalus” with Niall Donaghy. Exhibit opens April 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St., W., Kitchener. For info call 519-741-3400, ext 3381.
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. Beginning
Premium three-bedroom townhouse unit in a professionally managed student complex. Perfect for students, close to UW campus. Now renting May or September 2007. Call Perry now at 519-746-1411 for all the details and to set up a showing. Room for rent for a quiet individual in a detached home near both universities. Parking and all amenities. Please call 519-725-5348. Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. 4, 8 and 12month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Perry at 519-746-1411 for more details. Five room house at Columbia and Hazel – large rooms, free laundry, parking, back yard, new paint and floors. $375/room. May lease, priced to move! Call Colin 519-859-8251 or cmcilveen@rim.com. Five bedroom, two bathrooms, two kitchens, upstairs new, laundry, 10 minute walk to Universities, parking, excellent condition – must see. $2,200/month, utilities included, cable internet. Call 905-417-5538 for appointment. A perfect four bedroom apartment to live in comfortably within a short walking distance to both campuses. Enjoy the convenience of living in a great location close to many shopping amenities and the life of Uptown Waterloo. Call Perry now at 519-7461411 to set up a viewing today. Available May 1, 2007 – minimum
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, KW Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2. Window cleaner required for summer employment. Kitchener, $13 to start, 40-50 hours per week. Fax resume 519-749-4022. No highrise but second story ladder work involved daily. Part-time employment available starting in April. Fun, games, sports and crafts with after-school children at Laurelwood Public School. Only a short walk from the university. Interested persons should leave a message at 519-741-8997. Waitstaff needed at Almadina Egyptian Cuisine, in University Plaza facing Philip Street. Bring resume to store during business hours. Excellent student work opportunity! The Survey Research Centre (SRC) here at UW is currently seeking part-time telephone interviewers for the spring term. The SRC is an on campus research centre that offers a variety of survey services. Telephone interviewers are responsible for conducting quality-orientated interviews and performing other administrative tasks. Must be fluent in English and have a clear, strong speaking voice and excellent communication skills. Experience in telephone work, data entry, or customer service is helpful but not required. Ability to speak French fluently is an asset. 10-12 hours per week required, mainly eve-
Classified and Campus Bulletin submission deadline is Mondays at 5 p.m. Drop in to SLC room 1116, call 888-4048 or e-mail ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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HELP WANTED four-month lease, very clean, 372B Churchill Crescent. Six bedroom, each room is $350-$375/month plus utilities. Free parking, laundry facilities included, two common rooms with TV, two kitchens, wireless capability throughout house and internet jacks in every room, 15 minutes from campus. Call Andrew at 416-5270369 or e-mail andrew.chalabardo@ hotmail.com. Three bedroom apartment Hazel Street $400 includes utilities and parking. Also two bedroom apartment $900 and five bedroom $350. Also eight rooms at 120 Columbia $400 plus. Call 519-746-6327 or 519501-1486. House for summer available May 1, 2007. Four month rent. Up to five rooms available. Fully furnished house: washer, dryer, furniture included, two washrooms, large kitchen and common room. 15 minute walk to University of Waterloo campus. Excellent condition. $350/month/room, negotiable. Call Lindi: 519-888-6232 or cabbage_roll87@hotmail.com. Amazing value – five bedroom licenced townhouse, air condition, laundry, internet, on bus route, 15 minute walk to UW, five minutes to shopping. Fall term, group of 4 - $400/room. Call Kate at 905-8253196. Apartments and suites for grad students available May 1 at St. Paul’s grad apartments, on campus. Apply now. Call 519-885-1460, ext 212 or stpauls@uwaterloo.ca.
HAS CONCLUDED FOR THE WINTER TERM. mAY 4 is the first issue of the spring term.
7.
Classifieds HOUSING
29
nings and weekends. Starting wage is $11.50 an hour. Please send resume to Lindsey Skromeda, by e-mail at lmskrome@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca. For more information e-mail or phone 519-888-4567, ext 36689. Line cooks, waitstaff needed at Angie’s Waterloo. Full and part-time hours available immediately. Drop off resume to Angies, 47 Erb Street, W., Waterloo or call 519-886-2540. 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.
Teach English Overseas Intensive 60-Hour Program
WANTED
Used books wanted for CFUW Book Sale, Friday and Saturday, April 2021, 2007 at First United Church, King and William. Drop off donations at church (back door) Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19. For more information, please call 519-7405249. No textbooks please.
CAMPING EVENT
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S ports Kitchener Rangers to open 30
Imprint
playoffs versus Sarnia Sting
Friday, March 23, 2007
sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Sports Editor: Shawn Bell Sports Assistant: Doug Copping
COMMUNITY EDITORIAL
Parking tickets to athletes playing campus rec We walked from the arena with our equipment on our backs, miserable after a close loss in the final regular season game of the campus rec season. It was cold and wet and the sweat soon froze against skin on that long, tired walk down the driveway to Parking Lot X. There was no gate on Parking lot X that Monday night and my friend had driven right past the yellow ticket-box, slammed into a parking spot nearest the rink and got out in a hurry because we were late. Paying to park in the empty lot seemed irrelevant. However, waiting for us on the windshield after the game, once we’d sloughed our gear in the trunk, was a parking ticket, with the University of Waterloo logo on top. My friend laughed as he took it from under the wiper and got into the driver’s seat. “That’s about $200 worth, now,” he said. Fortunately, his car is not registered with the university. However, he was slightly concerned. “Apparently they can tow your car,” he said as we drove out onto Columbia Street. “They’ll run your plates and if you’ve got outstanding tickets, they’ll tow it away”
Parking services “donated over $100,000 last year to UW scholorships and bursaries from citation revenue collected.”
Courtesy Kitchener rangers/photoguys.ca
Jakub Kindl and Steve Downie (above) prepare for a best of seven series against the Sarnia Sting. Game One was Thursday, March 22 in Kitchener. The Rangers are back home for game 3 at the Kitchener Auditorium Sunday March 25. James Rowe reporter
After a 47-17-4 regular season, the Kitchener Rangers open the Ontario Hockey League playoffs with a best of seven first round series against the Sarnia Sting. The Rangers finished second in the Midwest Division and third in the Western Conference in the regular season. Sarnia comes in as the sixth seed in the conference after a 34-24-10 season. Kitchener is coming off of a 3-2 road loss against the Plymouth Whalers on Saturday, March 17. The loss snapped the team’s eight game winning streak. The two squads met four times in the regular season with the Rangers coming out on top in three of the four meetings. The two teams last met on January 19, with Kitchener winning 3-1. The Rangers will be led offensively by two-time World Junior Championship Gold Medalist Steve Downie. Acquired midway through the season, Downie registered 32 points in just 17 games with Kitchener.
Along with being looked to for scoring and energy, Downie will also provide leadership and experience, having been to the Memorial Cup last season as a member of the OHL Champion Peterborough Petes. Other leading scorers who will need to produce for the Rangers to have an extended playoff run include Peter Tsimikalis (56 points in only 37 games), Justin Azevedo and the team’s two leading goalscorers, Matt Halischuk and Kevin Henderson, who had 33 apiece. Kitchener is anchored on defence by veteran Jakub Kindl. The Detroit Red Wings made Kindl the 19th selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and in his third season with the Rangers the young man from the Czech Republic had 55 points in 54 games. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season for the Rangers has been the play of goaltender John Murray. After being passed over in the last two NHL drafts Murray is ranked as one of the top goaltenders in this June’s draft. This season he compiled a 40-9-3 record with five shutouts, a 2.58 goals against average and a 0.909 save percentage.
Murray will face a Sting lineup that was led in scoring by Steven Stamkos. Stamkos put up 92 points in 63 games this season and the Rangers will have to slow him down to be successful. Also scoring well over a point per game this season were Harrison Reid, Trevor Kell, and Ryan Wilson. That trio, along with Stamkos, will be interesting to watch against the Rangers who allowed the second fewest goals against in the entire league this season. In net Sarnia will likely go with Peter VanBuskirk. The teenager from Windsor was 25-13-6 during the season with two shutouts. He had a 3.28 goals against average and 0.901 save percentage. The other first round matchups in the Western Conference are London-Owen Sound, Plymouth-Guelph and Saginaw-Sault Ste. Marie. The Rangers-Sting series was to get underway Thursday, March 22 with game one. Results were unavailable at press time. The next Rangers home game will be game three, which is set for Sunday, March 25, at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Game time is 7:00 p.m.
According to UW’s Parking Services website, the University of Waterloo reserves the right to remove vehicles found without a valid parking decal and vehicles with an unauthorized or altered parking decal from the campus. It got me thinking. We pay to play campus rec and it sure sucks lugging your equipment on the bus. So the only options are to buy a parking pass, $114 per term—or pay $3 a car to park at the arena every game. The people at Campus Rec were understanding. It is difficult, they said, especially for people who have a parking pass at another lot on campus. “And it’s really the hockey guys (and girls),” said Marc Iturriaga, manager of Campus Rec. “You can’t ride your bike with your equipment.” But the reality of the situation is more complicated. The parking lots are a system, there are classes at the same time as games and no way to monitor who is an athlete. 5,500 parking spots adorn the campus. As well documented in the U-Pass debate, this is not sufficient to meet the growing numbers of cars coming here everyday. The Parking Services website says they “donated over $100,000 last year to UW scholarships and bursaries, from citation revenue collected.” So people do pay the fines. When contacted, Parking Services would not reveal the number of tickets issued, or the number of tickets actually paid in the last year. We do not know how effective it all is, but we do know that the UW police are watching the parking lot.And a hundred grand in scholarship money is a big deal. So I’m saving my change. The playoffs are around the corner. If all goes according to plan, we will still need another $9 just to park. — Clive Peters
sports
Friday, March 23, 2007
31
Waterloo cricket 2nd at York tournament
Here’s the 2007 OUA football schedule. Of note, see the easy start vs Toronto (0-8) and York (1-7). The Warriors also lucked out in avoiding Yates Cup Champion Ottawa Gee Gees.
Warriors football 2007 schedule
Shawn Bell sports editor
The Pakistani Students Association is making a name for UW cricket across Ontario. The men went to York University on March 9 and finished second of eight teams, representing universities across the province. In November and December 2006 they hosted a 12-team indoor tournament at CIF, the first in five years, which featured 96 UW students in games held over 17 days. And to close out the school year, while the World Cup of Cricket goes on in the West Indies, they’re hosting another two-week, 10team indoor tournament at CIF. Looking at the coverage cricket, specifically on Canada’s World Cup team, in the major dailies these days, one wonders how long till the university sport community catches on? York’s Inter University Cricket tournament was Waterloo’s first major tournament as a team. “I had never seen my guys play as a team,” skipper Modassir Siddiqui said. “I just picked the eight people I thought were the best.” They surprised everyone by eliminating the hosts, and favourites York on way to the second place finish. see cricket on campus, pg 32
September 3, 2007 — Toronto vs. Waterloo 1:00 p.m. September 8, 2007 — Waterloo vs. York 1:00 p.m.
The Warriors played the national champion Carleton Ravens once, a 68—51 loss at the PAC.
September 15, 2007 — Windsor vs. Waterloo 7:00 p.m.
Carleton wins fifth straight national title
September 22, 2007 — Laurier vs. Waterloo 1:00 p.m.
Simona Cherler
Shawn Bell sports editor
The Carleton Raven’s basketball juggernaut rolled along through the National Championship tournament in Halifax last weekend, capturing their fifth straight Canadian Championship. The Ravens are now closing in on the University of Victoria’s astounding record of seven straight Canadian titles. Carleton was helped in this victory by their Ottawa rivals the Gee Gees,
who upset #2 seed UBC 92-85 in the quarterfinals. Carleton, #3 seed, romped over the Acadia Axemen in their own quarterfinal by 48 points, the second-highest margin ever at the tournament. In the semi-finals it was Carlton vs Ottawa, a now classic matchup of the top two teams from the OUA East. Ottawa upset the Ravens back in December. But this time, Carleton proved too much, winning 80—58. In the finals, it was the fourth seeded Brandon Bobcats, who beat Windsor
earlier in the tournament, in the way of Carleton’s fifth straight championship. It was the lowest scoring CIS final in history, and in the end the Ravens escaped with a 52—49 victory. Aaron Doornekamp, a third-year forward from Odessa, Ontario, was named gold-medal final and tournament MVP after tallying a game-high 20 points, including a dozen on threepointers, along with four rebounds and three assists. sbell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
September 29, 2007 — Waterloo vs. Guelph 1:00 p.m. October 6, 2007 — Waterloo vs. McMaster 1:00 p.m. October 13, 2007 — Queens vs. Waterloo 1:25 p.m. October 20, 2007 — Waterloo vs. Western 1:00 p.m.
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Friday, March 23, 2007
Darling and Macgregor to the pros
Cricket: huge on campus these days Continued from page 31
That came only after a dramatic finish in the quarter-finals. Facing elimination, Waterloo needed six runs off the last ball. Arqam Shaikh stepped up to bat and hit a six-run boundary, “to send the team into a frenzy� and advance Waterloo to the semi-finals. “The win was solely a team effort,� Guatama Khanna said. “Everyone played a vital role in this achievement.�
“There are many international students at (UW)...that is why the talent is so high.� — Waterloo cricket skipper Modassir Siddiqui
Simona Cherler
Warrior alumni head south: goalie Curtis Darling (30) to Reading; forward Ryan MacGregor (12) to Corpus Christi. Matt Levecki reporter
When the Warriors men’s hockey team lost out to the Laurier Golden Hawks in the OUA Semifinal two weeks ago, it marked the end of the season for all but two members of the Warriors team. For Curtis Darling and Ryan MacGregor, the sting of defeat was softened by the opportunity of a lifetime. Only a few days after Darling completed a fantastic university career, he was off to the Reading Royals located in Pennsylvania in the East Coast Hockey League. Darling’s accomplishments in the OUA with the Warriors were nothing short of amazing. In his first year with the team, he was named OUA West Rookie of the Year as well as Warriors team MVP. Darling followed that season up by winning OUA West MVP last year along with another Warriors MVP award. He has also recently been nominated for the CIS All-Canadian team. Over his three seasons at Waterloo, Darling had a tremendous 50-23-8 record with a 2.73 G.A.A.
However, it was not the long list of accolades on Darling’s resume that caught the eye of the Reading Royals. Instead, it was former Warriors Head Coach Karl Taylor who is now head coach and director of hockey operations with the Royals. Taylor is very familiar with Darling, not only on the ice, but off the ice as well. When Darling came available after the playoff loss, Taylor was eager to bring him down to Reading. The Royals are in the thick of a playoff hunt and Darling will be a nice bonus to have down the stretch. Darling may see limited playing time however, but only because he will be backing up a goalie with previous NHL experience. Yutaka Fukufuji played a number of games with the Los Angeles Kings earlier this year, which will give Darling a great opportunity to see and learn what it takes to make it at higher levels. Shortly after Darling agreed to go to Reading, another Warrior received his shot at getting some valuable pro experience. Ryan MacGregor agreed to join the Corpus Christi Rayz of the Central Hockey League for their
playoff run as well. MacGregor was one of the best Warriors this past season, capping off a fine university career. MacGregor’s clutch playoff performances during the postseason were nothing short of spectacular. It seemed like every time the Warriors needed a big goal, MacGregor was there to provide the answer. MacGregor is not sure what to expect as he heads down to Corpus Christi, but he is going down with the right attitude in place, “My goal is to leave it all on the line and see just how far I can make it,� said MacGregor. MacGregor is a very versatile player who plays with a lot of heart and guts, prompting teammates to often call him “the straw that stirs the drink.� With the Rayz heading into the postseason, they will look to MacGregor to provide all of the intangibles that he displayed throughout his Warriors career. Both Darling and MacGregor represented the Warriors admirably throughout their careers at UW, and they will take their experiences here and use them in their future pro hockey endeavors.
Salman Durrani led Waterloo and was named man of the match. Umair Khan led the team batting from the front, and scored the most runs. “There are many international students at Waterloo,� Siddiqui said. “From Guyana, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia. That is why we are able to hold such large tournaments, and that is why the talent level is so high.� Waterloo, however, is unable to practice in the PAC. “The other teams, like York and U of T, can practice in their gyms everyday,� Siddiqui said. “We went there, without team chemistry,� he explained, “and finished second. I think we can do even better, if we can practice regularly.� While the initial goal is approval to play cricket in the PAC, the team is also looking for varsity status. “This achievement will hopefully pave a path,� Khanna said, “for the formation of a Waterloo cricket varsity league by next year.� That is unlikely, however, if history sets any precedent. The Waterloo men’s baseball team, who began play in the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association in 1996, and started officially calling themselves the Warriors in 1999, only became the University of Waterloo Warriors in 2001. The Waterloo women’s fast-pitch team started playing, and courting varsity status, in 2002. They later ceased the struggle. Athletics at Waterloo has the mandate to name new varsity teams. The first stipulation for a sport to become varsity - the sport has to be sanctioned by the OUA. After that, student demand for the sport on campus must be high. Then, the finances must be in place, good coaches must be available and facilities must be able to accommodate the athletes. Cricket is not yet an OUA sport, so the Waterloo cricket team may have a way to go before they’re Warriors. But over the next few weeks, at the indoor cricket tournament at CIF, one thing will be apparent. The passion for cricket is alive in Waterloo. sbell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
47th annual Athletic Banquet
Presents
THIS WEEK IN ATHLETICS
Friday, March 30/07 at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD GYM. Reception at 5:30, Graduating Athlete Reception at 6:00, Dinner at 6:30. Tickets $24 for athletes and trainers. Tickets Must be Pre-Purchased from the PAC Offices March 12 - March 27. The PAC Office is open Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30
CAMPUS REC BALL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
Saturday March 31/07 FACE OFF IN PARKING LOT X 4 players + Goalie $30/team. register in Pac 2039
The Department of Athletics would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of Warrior Athletics for the 2006-2007 Varsity Year:
ATHLETES OF THE WEEK