Imprint_2008-10-03_v31_i12

Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper

Friday, October 3, 2008

imprint . uwaterloo . ca

vol 31, no 12

A different kind of homecoming Engineers Without Borders share overseas experiences, page 14

Who doesn’t like a good debate?

Ethan Oblak

From left to right, NDP’s Rod McNeil, Liberal’s Orlando da Silva, Conservatives’ Harold Albrecht, and Green’s Jamie Kropf sound off at St. Agatha Centre, in the Kitchener-Conestoga electoral riding, on the evening of Tuesday, September 30. Some (not all; see below) of the Kitchener-Waterloo candidates debate on Thursday, October 2 in the SLC, just after Imprint’s press deadline. While the content of the Kitchener-Conestoga debate centred on the economy and job market, with a few nods to moral issues and healthcare, the UW debate is predicted to have a more youth-oriented focus. Below, background, KW candidate standings as of September 30, 2008, according to VoteForEnvironment.com, which gives riding-by-riding statistics.

All-candidates’ debate at UW Andrew Telegdi, Liberal (current KW MP)

Peter Braid, Conservative Cindy Jacobsen, NDP Cathy MacLellan, Green Kyle Huntington, Canadian Action Party

The homecoming game Page 32 Feds, student parents need you too.

Pages 18 and 19.

UW steals gold for the third time in a row.

Check out www.imprint.uwaterloo.ca for complete coverage of the October 2 Kitchener-Waterloo candidates’ debate.

kitchener | waterloo

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

The bailout and us Part 3: Why American politics have serious consequences for our stability, and what that means for the Canadian election Brendan Osberg reporter

M

onday, September 29: the biggest point drop in stock market history, ever. A loan-securities sector in free-fall, and a government too busy bickering to fix it. Some were even calling Monday the beginning of the second Great Depression.

It’s possible that this is an overstatement: stock prices regained a fair bit of ground the following day, and the U.S. Congress scrambled to revisit the bailout proposal. Nevertheless, there is good reason to think that the impact of the sub-prime calamity will have far-reaching impact on the Western economy, and that the doomsday forecasts filling prime-time this week are more than hyperbole.

To add to the dramatization — and dysfunctionality — of it all, the elections in the U.S. have led Western leaders into a dangerous, and complex game of chicken: each “injecting politics” into the issue by accusing the other of doing the same; each navigating their own leaders into positions where they can claim credit for the solution, yet distancing themselves from failures.

The issue has naturally dominated the campaigns, with leaders of parties on both sides of the border trying to prove that they are best equipped to heal the ailing market, and as each day passes, more and more of North America’s stalwart financial institutions succumb to the rip tide produced by almost a decade of unregulated corporate greed and mismanagement.

To be sure, there is some insulation between the Canadian and American economies, but it will be a hard pillow for the Toronto bankers on the way down from their skyscrapers, and if multi-million dollar insurance companies aren’t able to stay afloat in this storm, one must wonder how this will affect those adults in the most precarious financial position of all: students.

“In Canada, the access issue today is partly a result of our pres-

Courtesy ethan Oblak

Candidates for Kitchener-Conestoga riding answer questions from the audience about how the American bank bailout will affect Canada. ent national education system. It is a hodgepodge framework for Canadians to navigate.

“There is no national plan, and hence, no agreements between governments that allow for an effective partnership to coordinate federal and provincial resources,” said Feds VP of Education, Andres Agustin Fuentes-Martinez. He is speaking of the economic “accessibility” to postsecondary education that Canada tries to create through its system of student loans and bursaries.

Feds is advocating a mix of greater funding to post-secondary institutions, realistic loan-maximums that cover true cost of education, and a

more fair distribution of financial resources.

“Differences in tuition, local costs of living, and personal circumstances means different funding requirements for students,” said Fuentes. “We believe each Canadian is important and a contributor to the economy. This is why we believe the federal and provincial governments have a responsibility to work together to ensure adequate resources are available to students and services are delivered in a comprehensive and coordinated fashion.”

This existing student loan system is not without flaws. The “Coalition for Student Loan Fairness” (CSLF), a national student loan advocacy group,

has publicized an eight-point plan that addresses what they consider to be the eight largest problems related to the Canada students’ loans programs.

According to Fuentes, Feds agrees with the CSLF in its assessment of its eight criticisms: • • • • • • • •

Peter Trinh

America “sneezes,” Canada “catches a cold” — a fear about the consequences of American destabilization thankfully not fully realized, as Canada remains in better circumstances for now.

High student loan interest rates Inadequate and ineffective Interest Relief programs Absence of an effective dispute mechanism for student loan borrower complaints Problem of multiple loans and multiple payments opposed to One Student, One Loan!

Challenges borrowers face obtaining accurate statements of account in a timely manner Poor recovery methods of collection agencies managing overdue or defaulted student loans Inadequate hardship relief programs Lack of six-month interest grace period following studies

While serious discussions about the climate change crisis may be an endangered species in the United States, recent polls show the issue is still a high priority in Canada, though the divide between environmental and economic concerns is widening and the contrast is increasingly dominating campaign coverage.

Advertisements from the Conservative Party trumpet their economic credentials, and portray Liberal leader Stéphane Dion’s platform as a slew of “risky” environmental policies. Given the economic situation, this approach

may have both merit and popular appeal, though while Harper appeals to the economic concerns of Canadians, his recent claim that Dion is “virtually cheering for there to be a recession” is cognitively dissonant.

One must ask what concessions need to be made in light of the recent down-turn: Are cutbacks in environmentalism — or cuts to post secondary education (PSE) funding for that matter — really the answer for our collective pocketbook?

“No actually, quite the opposite,” said Fuentes. “Research into renewable energy technologies, for example, is one way the federal government can invest in education and address climate change.

“Investment in PSE is an investment into the economy as well as the individual and society. PSE acts a means to provide education and training for our residents to meet the national labour market demand, but it also promotes research. Research promotes the development of new enterprises that drive economic development.” Time will tell if we can have our cake and eat it too.

For now, however, the fate of Canada’s economy — and a significant portion of the developed world — hinges on the decision of lawmakers in Washington.

In retrospect, bailing out bankers from their own investment mismanagement will be seen as one of the great ironies of President Bush’s ideology, the man who, in April 2005, signed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act to “restore personal responsibility and integrity in the bankruptcy system.”

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

New textbook grant from osap Even non-OSAP students are eligible to receive the $300 per annum textbook and technology grant Ethan Oblak

Dinh Nguyen

assistant editor-in-chief

F

ull-time university and community college students can now access a textbook and computer cost grant aimed to assist them with tuition costs. The Textbook and Technology Grant (TTG) is a provincial grant put into place for the 2008/2009 academic year. It will allow students to seek up to $150 assistance annually; and will increase to $300 per year when fully implemented.

To be eligible for the TTG students must be taking at least a 60 per cent of load (three courses) or 40 per cent (two courses) if they have disabilities.

Students must also be enrolled in a program approved by the Ministry of Training and may be required to be in good standings with OSAP. A list of Ministry approved programs is outline

on the TTG online application, and more information regarding program eligibility may be obtained through the registrar’s office.

There are two ways to apply for the TTG. Students who submitted OSAP applications are automatically considered for the grant. Non-OSAP recipients must create a login and apply using the TTG online application found on the OSAP website (users should be directed to an option page with TTG on it when they log in).

Upon approval of the application the Ministry will request information from the student’s institution of study to confirm enrolment status. Once the information is confirmed, a cheque will be sent to the address provided on the application form.

The TTG is a part of the Skills to Jobs Action Plan announced by the Ministry of Finance in the Ontario

2008 budget. The plan aims to invest $1.5 billion over a period of three years to increase the number of people in job fields that will “strengthen Ontario’s competitive advantages.� According to the Ministry of Finance, the Jobs Action Plan will help ensure that “all Ontarians have the opportunities and tools they need to succeed.�

The TTG’s only one part of implementations the government hopes to begin in Ontario. The original investment in the Jobs Action Plan is further combined with the campus renewal capital investments included in the 2007 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review. This sums up to a total of $2 billion and is divided into three sectors of investments: $560 million will go to support skills for new careers, $465 million will help expand postsecondary student aid programs such as OSAP, and $970 million will go towards building places to learn.

Students who wish to apply for the grant should do so as soon as possible as deadlines are drawing near.

Applications for students in one term programs (12 to 20 weeks in duration) must apply within 30 days of their study period. Students enrolled in two- and three-term programs (21 to 52 weeks in duration) must apply within 90 days of their study period. — With files from CNW Group and the OSAP website. dnguyen@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

campus events Keystone Run/Walk for Excellence.

Wednesday, October 8, 12:00 noon @ Davis Centre Join UW staff, faculty, students, and retirees for a one lap run around Ring Road to support undergraduate and gradate scholarships.

Suggested donation of $2.

Meet Jay Ingram Wednesday, October 8, 7— 8 p.m. @ Fed Hall Co-host & producer of Daily Planet, TV’s first daily science show, international bestselling author of nine books including The Daily Planet Book of Cool Ideas: Global Warming and What People are Doing About it. Tickets are $3 in advance from UW Bookstore.

Konja Cooking Day Friday, October 3, 4:30 PM @ CLV 23 Konnichiwa Japan hosts its popular cooking day event featuring a bevy of Japanese delights. Sushi, okonomiyaki, soba, and gyoza are some of the delicacies you can expect. $5 for members $8 for non-members reThink Waterloo Friday, October 3, 8:30 — 5 p.m. @ Waterloo Recreation Complex Free full day environmental event with seminars held throughout the day. Sheila Watt-Cloutier speaks at 10 a.m.

Keynote speaker: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20 students $35 general public

Health Service Nutritional Facts Session Thursday, October 9, 12—1 p.m. @ MC 5158

Philosophy Colloquium Friday, October 3, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. @ Hagey Hall 334.

Sandy Ace will show how to use the nutrition facts table to choose products that fit a healthy diet.

Register at UWRC@admail.uwaterloo.ca

“Human Flourishing: A New Approach to Equality� with Christine Sypnowich, professor of philosophy, Queen’s University, Kingston.

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

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us bank bailout fails, then passes, cairo’s captives, and iranian nuke rebuke Bobbie Swartman reporter

US house votes down bailout deal WASHINGTON, U.S. After the House of Representatives voted down on a plan to bail out the American financial industry on September 27, with a $700 billion package that was negotiated by the U.S. congressional leaders over the weekend, a revised bill passed in the senate on October 1. The plan was originally rejected by 228 to 205 votes; then passed 74-25-1.

Members of President George W. Bush’s Republican party were strongly opposed to the bailout. Two-thirds of them refused to back it; President Bush had earlier appealed to lawmakers to pass the bill, saying it would restore economic confidence. A White House spokesman said that the U.S. leader was “very disappointed” by the result.

The financial markets nosedived in the wake of the deal’s rejection, with the Dow industrial average plummeting as much as 700 points, its biggest single-day drop, and Toronto’s S&P/TSX composite index falling as much as 800 points.

The original vote came as banks failed in the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. The fourth largest U.S. bank, Wachovia, is being bought by Citigroup after becoming the latest to hit problems.

“Today is the decision day,” said Barney Frank, on the House floor. “If we defeat this bill today, it will be a very bad day for the financial sector of the American economy and the people who will feel the pain are not the top bankers and top corporate executives but average Americans.”

Bush acknowledged that many voters were opposed to helping out Wall Street with tax dollars, but said there is little choice but to move forward with the plan. “Every member of Congress and every American should keep in mind—a vote for this bill is a vote to prevent economic damage to you and your community,” Bush said.

But after a several hours of impassioned debate, the bill’s opponents - the majority of whom were from the Republican Party—got their way.

Iran urged to end nuclear works

The United States and Israel have refused to rule out military action if diplomacy fails to end the nuclear row.

Iran says neither country is in a position to attack the Islamic Republic but has warned that U.S. interests, Israel and Gulf oil shipping lanes, would be targets if Tehran is pushed.

TEHRAN, Iran

— With files from CNN, BBC, and Reuters

The revised bill goes up in the House on Friday, October 3.

— With files from CBC, BBC, and CNN

The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a new resolution on Iran, reaffirming demands it stop enriching uranium, but imposing no new sanctions.

The text calls on Iran to “comply, and without delay, with its obligations” under past resolutions and co-operate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran dismissed the move and said it would not stop enriching uranium, which it says is for peaceful purposes.

Europe also urged Iran to fully cooperate with a U.N. probe that is trying to assess its past and current nuclear activities. An EU statement at the opening session of the IAEA’s 145-nation conference declared: “The international community cannot accept the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.”

The draft was agreed after Russia said it would not support further sanctions.

But Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said the new resolution would cause “mistrust” and would not help global peace and security. “These [resolutions] are not constructive,” he told Iranian television.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi, in a news conference, made it clear Iran would not accept the main demand: “Enrichment is our obvious right. Demanding that Iran suspend its uranium enrichment activities is beyond their legal right and we are continuing our natural path,” he said.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned it would resist “bullying powers” trying to thwart its nuclear ambitions.

Iran, the world’s fourth biggest oil producer, which sits on huge gas reserves, says it wants nuclear technology to make electricity so it can export more of its hydrocarbons.

Abducted Western tourists unharmed CAIRO, Egypt 11 European tourists—five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian—and eight Egyptian guides abducted in the Egyptian desert 10 days ago have been freed, unharmed, near Sudan’s border with Chad, in an operation in which some of their kidnappers were killed.

The freed hostages were greeted

by Egyptian military and government officials on arrival in Cairo as well

as foreign diplomats, and were then taken for medical checks.

The kidnappers were believed to be Sudanese and Chadians, and a document found with the abductors showed that they belong to a Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Movement. None of Darfur’s numerous rebel groups have said they were linked to the kidnappings.

The Egyptian government and political analysts have said the kidnappers did not appear to have political motives. Tour operators say acts of banditry in the area from which the hostages were snatched have been on the rise.

Masked gunmen seized the travellers on September 19 from a desert safari near Egypt’s borders with Sudan and Libya, then whisked them into Sudan and demanded a multi-million-dollar ransom, which was not paid. “They have all arrived safely. No ransom was paid from any of the hostage countries,” the Tourism Minister Zoheir Garrana explained to reporters.

The 19 were freed in what Egyptian

media called a “rescue and recovery operation.” An Egyptian security source speaking on customary condition of anonymity said Egyptian forces ambushed the kidnappers, and 150 people took part in the operation.

The hostages’ 10-day ordeal has embarrassed Egypt, which depends on tourism for six per cent of its gross domestic product. Garrana has told reporters: “We will co-ordinate with security agencies to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

— With files from BBC, CNN, and Reuters

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Radio still waving goodbye

Financial support for CKMS has been removed, but students continue to seek radio refunds Jennifer Serec staff reporter

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ebruary 15 marked the end of the long referendum that ultimately left CKMS financially unsupported by the UW students for the first time in over 30 years, as published by Imprint and Feds.

Despite the fact that students no longer have to pay the $5.50 fee that would normally have been added to their tuition, there are still students making their way to the off campus location to have the fee refunded.

Even though it was a hot topic on campus last, this doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone on campus made an effort to involve themselves with the CKMS issue.

“With emails and visits, [CKMS has seen about] 2-3 students daily,” said Henrie Walker, the administrative co-ordinator at CKMS. Upon telling the students that there is no longer a CKMS student fee, “[the students] don’t believe us. They point

out WPIRG and Imprint fees [on their tuition statement]. They’re just confused.”

In response to the confusion, Feds President, Justin Williams stated that despite the extensive documentation of the referendum,

expressed that, “Feds has a breakdown of the fees online, we’re hoping to do something similar for Quest, [by] hyperlinking each student free to the corresponding website pertaining to that fee.” To access the site

Upon telling the students that there is no longer a CKMS student fee, “[the students] don’t believe us.

They point out WPIRG and Imprint fees [on their tuition statement]. They’re just confused.”

Henrie Walker, CKMS Adminstrative Coordinator co-op students away from the university community wouldn’t have had the same exposure to the issue.

In addition to sending out bulk emails informing students of fee changes to avoid similar situations in the future, Williams also

listing Feds student fees, visit: info.feds. ca/fees.

So how does CKMS feel about all this? Steven Krysak, the President of CKMS, chuckled, “I find it funny. It really displays how little people knew about the referendum.”

Steven went on to talk about CKMS’s future highlighting some great new programming to look out for. Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. CKMS air their new show Warrior Weekly where they air people from the athletics department to publicize the current news on varsity teams.

Another program to look out for is The Stewpot which is hosted by two students also airing Wednesdays following Warrior Weekly. Steve describes the program as, “hilarious, it’s a good mix of music old and new, more eclectic. It’s a lot of fun!” For a complete weekly airing schedule of CKMS’s programs, visit their website at www.ckmsfm.ca.

As a final note on what we can expect from CKMS, Steven states “Lots of students are starting or are in training. We’re always looking for creative students for new programming, [especially] come October.” If you have a creative flair for broadcasting, why not try it out? jserec@imprint.uaterloo.ca

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Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

H is for Harper

Does endless politicking help or hinder the voter?

Friday, October 3, 2008 Vol. 31, No. 12 Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editor-in-chief, Maggie Clark editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Advertising & Production Manager, Laurie Tigert-Dumas ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca General Manager, Catherine Bolger cbolger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Ad Assistant, vacant Sales Assisstant, Lawrence Wang Systems Admin. vacant Distribution, Rob Blom, Ash Mukadda Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, Jacqueline McKoy president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Sherif Soliman vp@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Lu Jiang treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, vacant secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Peter Trinh liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Dinh Nguyen Head Reporter, Andrew Abela Lead Proofreader, Paul Collier Cover Editor, Kevin Shahbazi News Editor, Yang Liu News Assistant, Nokyoung Xayasane Opinion Editor, Travis Myers Opinion Assistant, Keith McManamen Features Editor, Duncan Ramsay Features Assistant, Caitlin McIntyre Arts & Entertainment Editor, Mark Kimmich Arts & Entertainment Assistant, Marco Baldasaro Science & Tech Editor, Anya Lomako Science & Tech Assistant, Eric Gassner Sports & Living Editor, Adrienne Raw Photo Editor, Mackenzie Keast Photo Editor Assistant, Yosef Yip Graphics Editor, Tifa Han Graphics Editor Assistant, Jacqueline To Web Administrator, Sonia Lee Systems Administrator, vacant

A

fter consummating my role as proudbut-largely-absent aunt this past weekend — a ritual that involved delighting over the opportunity to change my one-year-old nephew’s diapers, eagerly cleaning, dressing, and feeding him, and all the while repeating my name in the futile hope of having “Maggie” parroted back by the end of the day — I cast about my father’s house for a story to read to him. The old Dr. Seuss collection mysteriously absent, I picked The Little H Book from an alphabet collection — the choice a blatant nod to my nephew Haiden himself.

But my nephew already knew a thing or two about the social script of reading, and as I tried to interest him in all the hens, hogs, hippos, and helicopters the book provided, he kept trying to flip to the last page and wriggle out of my lap — recognizing, I assume, that when a book is closed the reading usually stops as well. Crushed at his indifference to story-time, I let my nephew toddle off and set the book aside. Besides, my younger brother had picked up my copy of The Iliad, and after gushing about Homer’s work being “the greatest war story ever told; a 2,700 year old epic with more violence and bloodshed than most contemporary works put together” I offered to read him a few choice parts.

My brother, dubious about the worth of an ancient story, went from cautious listener to turning off the T.V. — South Park at that — and remarking on various lines. Haiden, however, was the bigger surprise: At the thunderous back-and-forth argument between Achilles and Agamemnon, he ambled back to the couch, crawled into my lap, and began clasping at his cheeks, jaw slack and eyes bright with interest as I read. Even I, a huge proponent of classic literature, was stunned by his delight: Anecdotal as his reaction was, I’d just been given clear proof that there might be more to reading children tales in iambic pentameter, rich with strange new words and varied intonations, and regardless of their contextual complexity, than picture books could ever provide.

The place of universal narratives has been much on my mind these past few months, with

Production Staff Danielle Whitmore, Alicia Boers, Susie Roma, Cait Davidson, Arnel Chesnais, Ange Gaetano, Rajul Saleh, Paul Parkman, Zach Arnold, Tom Lavesque Graphics Team Geoffery Lee, Nikoo Shahabi, Peter Trinh & Sonia Lee 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.

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Next staff meeting: Monday, October 6, 12:30 p.m.

Next board of directors meeting: Monday, October 6, 1 p.m.

two elections now in full swing. Just as my nephew likely didn’t grok the meaning of the words I used when reading from The Iliad — but reacted and showed interest in my oration all the same — I’m almost past believing the substance of these political tug-of-wars means a damn thing either. Rather, the vehemence of certain deliveries, coupled with the natural, almost iambic rise and fall of favour and disfavour, instead appears the primary driving force for most of the media coverage and daily citizen polls surrounding these elections.

Nikoo shahabi

Take, for instance, the September 12 Globe and Mail article, “Are positive polls a problem for Harper?” Clearly, from the very name of this column, I’m all for meta-commentary — but it’s still exhausting to see news-section election coverage reduced to meta-speculation. And yet, yes, there might be something to the article in question: Peak too early in the U.S. election polls, for instance, and history shows you might just be

dooming yourself to a fatal decline with voters come November. So it is with other aspects of human life: Remember Juno? Fun, sweet, lighthearted movie, and everybody watching early on were quick to praise it. But then, sure enough, some indeterminate tipping-point of accolades was reached and the fallout was inevitable: some people just had to express their dislike to an extreme that could potentially match, or at least stay, the initial onrush of praise. Had the film not reached the level of acclaim it did, anyone’s dislike of it surely wouldn’t have been as fervent: Socially, we’re quick to tear down anything erected too quickly, and too fervently. And politically, no matter how many good works a political figure does, there will always be dissenters. In some ways, it’s quite healthy.

Where it tires me is how this cadence of politics, however compelling for the media and general citizens alike — each new ebb and flow of public incident and consequence an exciting chapter for their daily consumption — does not necessarily lead to an enhanced understanding of each leader’s capability; and in turn, a better electoral outcome. Instead, as with any storytelling cut short by the lateness of the hour, the U.S. and Canada elections have set conclusion dates, with no consideration as to where in the “narrative” we’ll find ourselves come election day. Is it possible to break from this cyclical rise and fall of favour and disfavour? Sure. Despite how much certain social rhythms resonate with us on the most basic, even intuitive of levels, I’d like to think we all have the capacity to step outside the ebb and flow of daily politics and political reporting. ... Unless, of course, a huge can of worms is opened just before either election date. In the immediacy of absorbing any new information about either candidate or the climate in which they’ll operate, we might not have time to act with reason and the wisdom of objectivity. At such a point, we’d be following one of our most basic, most universal instincts: To be swept up in an exciting story, wherever it might take us. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Border crossings

Confessions of an American in Canada

A

s an American who lives in Canada, I often find myself in the most interesting discussions. Do you really have a shotgun rack on your pickup truck? (No.) Is life in the U.S. really like the Jerry Springer show?

(In some places, sadly). Why don’t you have an accent? (I’ve lived in Canada for more than a decade.) Are you offended that I’ve accidentally just made fun of your country right before finding out you’re an American? (Ermmmm….no?

I’ve gotten used to it?)

Every four years, though, the questions take a different tack. They focus around this question: do you get to vote? And they’re not talking about Canadian elections.

The answer, of course, is yes.

True, I find politics to be genuinely fascinating on both sides of the border. But as an American in the Great White North, there is an extra scrutiny. My two nations (I hold dual citizenship) enjoy one of the world’s closest international relationships. From Big Macs and Britney Spears to George W. Bush and the Iraq War, Canadians are keen to understand how “the States” has an impact on their lives.

Not having a say in the American democratic process leaves many Canadians frustrated.

They feel there is little they can do to effect change, except to influence my voting choice.

POLITICAL FORUM (Not true.) From the resulting discussions, I learn a lot about both Canadian and U.S. political views.

Even Imprint got in on the action, offering to drag me out of student-journalism retirement and give me a regular feature in the paper again.

So, for the rest of the semester, we’ll be checking in on various election issues — on both sides of the border.

For this first feature, let’s get caught up to speed on the U.S. election. A “skinny kid with a funny name” vaulted into the spotlight four years ago after an impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention. He chided the Democrat-Republican, Blue-Red divide, reminding the crowd that “we worship an ‘awesome God’ in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States.”

People loved what he had to say, and they loved the passion with which he said it. He earned support from powerhouses like Oprah, beat out “Hil-dog” for the Democratic nomination for president, and, in response to criticisms about his lack of “experience,” he chose the

chair of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee as his vice-presidential running mate. Oh, and Barack Obama also happens to be the first serious African-American contender for the presidency. But what happened to his impassioned speaking character? And will race really play a role?

On the other team, we find good old John McCain (critics are quick to emphasize the “old”) move from his role as a disliked Republican outsider and nuisance to the George W. Bush presidency to become his party’s overwhelmingly endorsed candidate. At first he was billed as having “experience,” but then when he chose the very inexperienced “guns-and-hockey-mom” Sarah Palin as his running mate, he had to change it up to being a “maverick.” This ticket has garnered the interest of many Canadians, who give serious consideration to how much their mental images of “Americans” fits so well with the appeal of this team. That is, it scares them.

But should it? And what do people really think of Palin?

They only give me 500 words, so I need to stop. We’ll explore all this, and more, in the coming weeks. Until then, stay tuned.

— Andrew Dilts

8

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

The SPP won’t let me be

T

he CP Spirit Train is right now crossing Canada spreading Olympic Spirit with every carbon emitting chug of its engine.

What would happen to your Olympic Spirit if you knew that the Canadian government has signed a deal that will allow American troops into Canada at the request of a premier?

Furthermore, this agreement will see these unaccountable troops in B.C. undertaking “crowd control” measures on the poor, the compassionate, the angry, and the dispossessed (I think that covers everyone) in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics.

The victims have already been criminalized for not having the black heartedness of the oligarchic corporate elite — their homes and lands ripped away under the premise of an unending development paradigm that is proving unsustainable — as is witnessed by the financial meltdown now being experienced.

Trav Myers

What will happen to your Olympic Spirit when you see the police use aggressive tactics against non-violent protestors on Thanksgiving Day when the train arrives at the Cooksville GO train station in Mississauga? The police response to Spirit Train protests in Vancouver and Edmonton is a great indicator of their willingness to protect their monetary overlords.

The point of commonality between the military agreement and the Olympic Spirit Train protests is the repressive actions of police which have been intensifying since the unfortunate events of September 2001. This is a Fascist-Soviet style crackdown being choreographed by the security working group of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and which is not being discussed in the legislatures in Mexico, Canada, or the United States.

The normalisation of military force and the militarization of the police force have been accepted by the North American masses as a natural and unthreatening response to terror and the fear of the unknown. The problem with this is that the security culture is allowed to permeate through society and we only trust the police to keep us safe. We passively suspect everyone in our community of some sort of treachery by allowing video cameras

on every street corner. What percentage of your neighbours are you on a first name basis with?

Cops never break the laws themselves, right? The government works for us, right?

Well, just in case they did not teach the following in your stagnant high school civics classes, or you did not hear about the following through our corporate and “free market” controlled media, check out the incidences at Oka and Ipperwash in the 1990s, the kidnappings and freezing murders of First Nations in Saskatchewan, or the repeated attacks by police on the critical mass bike ride in Winnipeg.

Alternatively, do a quick search on the crackdown on protestors at the WTO talks in Quebec City in 2001; the arrest of 18 men in Toronto who were held for years in confinement and denied proper legal process. You could also look into the illegal deportation of at least five Canadian citizens who were shipped overseas and tortured as terrorists. Or you could investigate the case of Omar Khadar, a Canadian, a child soldier, and the only Western national still being held in torturous conditions by the American military at Guantanamo Bay. Finally, to bring this back to the SPP, look up the August 2007 SPP protests in Montebello, Quebec where over 3,000 police surrounded and attacked 1,500 protestors (unions, students, poverty and environmental activists, First Nations, and others) with rubber bullets, tasers, and chemical weapons. The crimes these concerned citizens had committed were arriving with a well-researched resistance to the anti-democratic tri-lateral agreement, and outing three agent provocateurs the police had sent undercover in to the crowds with masks and rocks, all in an effort to incite a riot. Perhaps if there was

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violence to broadcast, the media would not have to report on the actual issues?

These examples and countless more show that police forces are not to be blindly trusted; they need to have oversight and be held accountable for their actions. The deep integration of security policies being accomplished through the SPP will only serve to increase this sort of police state. This harmonization will fortify the power of the few over the many as police are granted amnesty for their actions which protect the greedy elite.

What is happening now in Canada is eerily similar to the tactics used against Americans in Seattle at WTO talks, or more recently at the last few RNC and DNC conferences near election time. The merger is occurring right under our noses.

To be once again seen as a just and fair society our security agencies have to take responsibility for their role in torture. Our federal leaders who are misrepresenting their constituents and Canadian sovereignty must withdrawal from the SPP and other privatization-based trade agreements. The corporatocracy who are choosing an anti-democratic profit model at the cost of human rights must be brought to justice.

Democracy is an active process; apathy and ignorance to binding agreements that work to undermine individual freedoms, such as the SPP, must be exposed and opposed. Next time you need your spirit lifted, think of the positive change that will occur in the world when the resistance to the hegemonic corporate oligarchy succeeds in the reorganization of equity and the redistribution of wealth. dkellar@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

9

letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Re: Never Trust a Mountie with a mustache How can a so-called “beer snob” have such a lack in the fundamentals of the IPA, the most complex style of beer?

Talking with most beer connoisseurs, you will find that more often than not their favourite style is the IPA, revered for its intense bitterness and flavour along with the complexity of its nose and body.

Among Mr. Keast’s incorrect facts is his claim that the beer contains no preservatives. While we often see this marketing scheme loudly labeled on cases, a true beer snob should know that hops itself is a preservative. This is the reason an IPA is so intensely hopped. In the 18th and 19th centuries, ship voyages from Britain to India could take months so they needed a beer that would withstand that journey without the need for refrigeration. The solution was to add extra hops and raise the alcohol content.

Lastly, I shudder whenever I hear someone refer to Alexander Keith’s as an India Pale Ale. Once again this is a great marketing scam that has fooled most of the population.

Alexander Keith’s contains 20 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) whereas a typical IPA should have at least 50 and the real good ones will push 70.

I wish Mr. Keast good luck in the future and hope he can expand his palate to enjoy a wider range of the world’s greatest beverage.

Rory Arnold Columnist “Better Know a Beer” Iron Warrior 12 things I hate about the DP I’m in a bad mood at the moment, so I have decided to take it out on you, the reader, and nitpick about things that annoy me whilst studying in the carrels of the Dana Porter Library.

1. Turn off your damn cellphone ringer. Set your cellphone to vibrate or, better yet, turn it off completely.

2. If you really have to talk on the phone, do so in a stairwell behind a closed door.

3. Eat your delicious pastry before coming to the carrels. The sound of opening those paper wrappers is jarring and the crumbs you leave behind are all over my chair.

4. Light conversation in a hushed tone is alright, just don’t begin heated arguments over your latest Calculus assignment. Why are Math people so loud?

5. Who bothers to write those silly messages on the wooden carrels? I am tired of seeing vulgar rantings about inanity, pictures of genitalia, and not-so-subtle reminders that “Jesus Loves You.” 6. Use headphones or earpieces to listen to music and keep the sound level to a minimum. Even when using an earpiece, the beat of loud music can still be heard several carrels away.

7. The wheels of the cart that the Librarians push around — loaded with books being returned to the shelves — are squeaky and need oil.

8. Used chewing gum belongs in a trash bin, not on the underside of my carrel (and, by extension, on my pants when I shift the position of my legs).

9. Have you ever been there in the late evening when the custodial staff mop the floors? I do not mean to knock the custodians themselves — they do a great job. My complaint is the noxious fumes put out by the chemical cleaner they spread on the floors.

10. The chair legs need felt tips so that they don’t make me have to grate my teeth whenever they scrape across the floor.

11. Why is this place so infested with noisy bugs? It’s hard enough to concentrate with all these distractions. It is made even harder when I am forced to pity the existential dilemma of a fly buzzing around the window in a forlorn, life-consuming attempt to free itself from this miserable building.

12. I spend far too much time in the Dana Porter Library.

There, I feel a bit better now. I hope that you feel the same way.

William Patch 1st-year Masters, Planning

Re: Media responsibility One blog post might not change the world, but it sure as hell might get the ball rolling. Truer words were never spoken, or in this case, written, last week by the Imprint’s Editor-in-Chief, Maggie Clark. In her article, “Managing Momentum”, Clark discusses the history of charging rape victims for their own rape kits in Wasilla, Alaska, the town which current Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin presided over as mayor from 1996 to 2000. Two important questions are posed by Clark. The first question is why, when the story first broke over the internet, did major the news networks not report it and the second is how, after initially failing to register on the center stage, did this tale eventually wind up on CNN? Her answer is momentum and I am in full agreement, momentum is how a blog became a headline.

However, lost in the banter of why the Wasilla rape-kit scandal was or was not covered by the mainstream media, is the real question: is this story true? According to political watchdog FactCheck.org, not really, at least not in the sense portrayed both online and by our Editor-in-Chief. Yes, the Wasilla police force and other local Alaskan police forces were in the practice of charging rape victims, or their insurance companies, for rape kits. This policy was however outlawed by the Alaskan government in 2000.

Yes, there was opposition to this law, especially in Wasilla, but it came from then Wasilla Chief of Police, Charlie Fannon, not from Palin.

Furthermore, the origin of this practice is currently unclear. Even the mayor of Wasilla previous to Palin, John Stein, could not say for certain that this practice did not occur during his administration as well, according to the very HuffingtonPost.com now famous for breaking this and similar stories. Clark’s claim that “the city [of Wasilla] introduced a policy of billing rape victims for their own rape kits” cannot be stated with any certainty at this time, nor can it necessarily be associated with Palin’s stint as mayor. I’m no Palin fan, frankly she disgusts me, but lies are lies, even if they’re directed at an enemy.

One blog post might not change the world, but it sure as hell might get the ball rolling. Yes, you can get the ball rolling, but which way should it roll? Far too often, that ball rolls right down a hill of deception. The internet contains a slew of unconfirmed information, much of which is repeated ad nauseam. Discussions of Sarah Palin provide a perfect example of what can happen when momentum pushes the wrong stories to the forefront. Between rumors of being involved with an Alaskan separatist party, to theories

that her third son, Trig, was actually the offspring of Palin’s daughter Bristol, she has faced her share of web-lies. That last one grew so large that it prompted the Republican campaign to reveal that Bristol was, at the time, five months pregnant and could not have birthed young Trig. Do we really want the mainstream media talking about every unfounded rumor that creeps up just because enough people yelled loud enough on the internet?

In the end, some stories don’t deserve to be covered. Sadly, news outlets often cover them anyway.

However, there is no excuse to encourage lies or half-truths simply because they have momentum. Journalism is, or at least should be, about the search for truth, regardless of that truth’s popularity. I, for one, would like to see more of it from all media institutions, from television, to the internet, to our own Imprint.

Craig Olmstead 3A Mathematical Physics

The editor responds: There is nothing untrue about the statement “While Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the city introduced a policy of billing rape victims for their own rape kits” — the policy itself has been corroborated by numerous sources, including Politifact.com, an extension of The St. Petersburg Times, a US paper jointly run with the Poynter Institute, North America’s leading, not-forprofit advocate for ethical journalism. (http://www.politifact.com/truth-ometer/article/2008/sep/22/palinrape-kit-controversy/).

Yes, the extent of Palin’s involvement can be deliberated upon (she personally installed the police chief who cut that budget line — not to mention signed off on budgets with the line removed; however, she was never on public record commenting about the policy during her time in office, so we cannot know if the intent was there, and there is speculation that insurance companies were ultimately intended to foot the bill until the perpetrator could be charged for the cost [although that policy would still treat rape as forensically distinct from other crimes, inasmuch as fingerprint kits for burglary investigations aren’t ultimately charged to those perpetrators]).

However, complex issues like this do get fact-checked as they rise through the ranks, and if there are grey areas, those especially deserve to be sifted through

in a public sphere until some sense (if any) can be made of them. Avoiding complex news stories, especially ones already building various spins among the general public, helps no one.

Maggie Clark Editor-in-Chief Re: Homelessness While the cover of this issue is pretty capturing, it has the added bonus of being ripped off of Adbusters Issue 79. Even the tagline “The Dead End of Western Civilization” is stolen in its entirety. Homage is one thing, but come on. What’s worse, is that searching around the Imprint website to see if somewhere it was acknowledged as borrowed material (which I did not find), I came across an article in the commentary section from your Sept 12, 2008 issue of Imprint talking about this very same Adbusters issue, so you knew at least one reader would be able to call you on it. This makes me question the integrity of your whole newspaper.

If you tried to submit something like this for an actual school assignment or academic credit around here, you would be kicked out for plagiarism.

Adam McRae Editor’s note: The nod to Adbuster’s Issue 79 was wholly intentional. The ed-board team felt most students would easily pick up the reference, and thus see the photo, with its twist on the original hipster theme, as adding to the cultural debate framed by that Adbuster’s cover.

4th Year Engineering Re: Universal declaration of human rights amendment Okay, this is directed to the religious zealots out there that should just calm down, you know? I believe that everybody should believe in the great, if you see an accident that someone shouldn’t be alive and it’s obvious that divine intervention or a miracle has happened you should be able to share the goodness that has come from your beliefs.

But for you to force your beliefs onto someone else or for you to intimidate others to believe what you believe, that is wrong from all perspectives. Inciting violence through your beliefs and your creators or your supreme being is wrong. If it incites violence in your own beliefs and to yourself, that is fine. But if it violates another persons personal freedoms and rights, and that is freedom from fear and freedom from violence and the right to feel confident in living and the right to look ahead to the future, if your beliefs violate any other persons right to look ahead to the future and their freedom from fear and if it violates their freedom from violence than that is wrong. But if your beliefs incite violence shall it not incite violence to those that do not believe in the violence. In other words, shall it only incite violence to those that believe in violence? So to those others who do not believe in the religion or beliefs that incites violence, the violence shall not affect them. To be protected by the state and country.

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10

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Loving thy ovaries

I

have to admit, I have a bit of a something up or taking on something a feminist action? It’s a hard question girl crush on Ingrid Bergman. else? I won’t lie, there are sacrifices to ask. First-wave feminism, featuring Isla’s eyes in Casablanca could nuns have to make to become who prohibition and the right for women make any man fall to his knees. Her they are. There is a story I like from an to be people, was motivated by the acting is amazing and she is a strik- essay by Hannah Ward, a Franciscan love of the family. Women wanted ingly beautiful woman. There is a sister, whose sister from the same to protect children from their drunk movie called The Bells of St. Mary’s convent is on a bus. In front of her, fathers, to vote for leaders who would (it’s in black and white and there isn’t a young girl is sitting with her mother. give them services to protect their any sex in it, but you should watch it The little girl is confused by the sister’s health and safety. The ‘60s saw the anyways), where she plays a Catholic appearance and her mother explains liberation of women from that role as nun running a small, run-down school. that “it” was a nun. The little girl, still mother and homemaker. They would There is a line in it that always strikes confused, asks the sister “excuse me, have probably approved of the nuns in this way — except for the whole me, where she tells a young girl “you do you have breasts?” shouldn’t run away to join a nunnery, There is a fantastic book Sex and celibacy thing.

I’m not going to preach either way you shouldn’t be sad to give it all up.” God (which is where I read the essay) Bergman tells her, joy in her eyes, that and although the cover looks like for or against celibacy. I think people if, with all conviction, you can say to Gimli giving birth, it has a few in- should be able to choose what they yourself “I want to be a nun,” then triguing perspectives on the feminine want to do with their lives. It’s hard to you should do it because that’s what identity while being a nun. It makes imagine the Sex and the City generation sense to be curious about this. It asks wanting to don a habit, but there’s you’ll be happiest doing.

I’m not going to lie, I was in love what it means to be a woman. I would something still very feminist and libwith the idea of being a nun for have some feminists tell me that the erating about it. So Ingrid Bergman awhile. I saw this documentary about idea of being a nun is a creation of never ended up with Bing Crosby (go Mahayana Buddhist nuns in Northern men trying to enslave us to our roles watch the movie, seriously), but she India. They were all bald and wearing and eliminating our right as sexual was satisfied — this was her dharma. old tattered robes, but I thought they beings. Well, let’s face it, nuns don’t Look at Mother Teresa — do you were the most beautiful women I had really get much casual sex (unless think she would have been able to ever seen. They were climbing this we’ve all watched Monty Python). The do the miraculous things she accommountain to build another nunnery, nunnery was a freeing institution for plished by becoming a soccer mom? then resting in this valley where they women in earlier days; it helped them Nuns choose their own way, this is a shared their food with children who escape the number one cause of death decision they’ve made for themselves. had even less than them. I remember (childbirth) and gave them a chance They’ve decided to run their own lives I turned to my friend beside me and to learn how to read. Really, it was the and help the less fortunate.

And really, isn’t that the most feminist thing to do. told him I wanted to be a nun.

So where does this leave nuns now? feminist thing you can do? So, I say Since I’m still in Waterloo and not in Northern India, you can tell I was Despite the fact I temporarily wanted to you, consider donning the habit to move to the Himalayas, obviously instead of burning the bra. talked out of it.

But it still brings up the question something kept me here (besides my - 10.3125 x 7.5 b&w 9/2/08 4:01 PM Page 1 of40Crk_10.3125x7.5_Imprint_fin:Imprint whether becoming a nun is giving whole degree).

Is joining a convent still nhutton@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Prepare yourself

J

ust over a week now, and it will aroused, if another thought that the be time to head to the polls to Jewish community was warned about determine the next government 9/11? Or if, on crime, one suggested of Canada. Most likely, you will that the different values of immigrants find yourself voting in UW’s riding made them more likely to commit of Kitchener-Waterloo, but you can crimes, suggesting we “talk to the still vote in your actual home riding if police. Look at who’s committing you register by October 7. Whichever these crimes, they’re not the kid that riding you are able to vote in, make grew up next door.” All of those were sure you learn about the candidates or still are candidates for one party or and the issues, and get involved. Just another in this election.

If the past does not matter, what remember to ignore every other riding about the future? I would think it a in the country.

Would you want to know who’s matter of grave importance to not running in Toronto Centre, or out only know how a leader plans to west in Crowfoot? No, that’s not im- guide the country, but how their party portant, that’s none of your business would as well. Local candidates may — at least as far as the Conservative be representing only one local riding, Party would appear to be concerned. but they still vote on every national issue, and regardless of their riding, Why they believe that is a mystery.

According to the CBC, a week that will affect me.

Some elected candidates get the ago reporters following Mr. Harper’s national tour wanted to speak with the chance to guide and represent this country as cabinet Conservative Party’s ministers. I would candidate in BC’s Local candidates like to know if our Surrey North ridEnvironment ing. That candidate may be representing next Minister will finally would be Dona Cadman, who months only one local riding, push through legislation to combat ago alleged that in 2005 the Conserva- but they still vote on climate change, or if they will continue to tive Party offered her cancer-stricken every national issue. blame inaction of the previous government and now deceased husband a million-dollar life insurance as their sole contribution. Sorry, Mr. policy to help vote down the Liberal gov- Baird; should you return, the “previous ernment, which is now at the centre of government” will have been yours, and a $2.5 million defamation suit launched your attacks will need an update.

Ever since Conservative Party

by Mr. Harper against the Liberals.

Is there anything we should know candidates doomed their chances of about this, Mr. Harper? Apparently being elected in 2004 by expressing not, as despite being told by laughing their views on social and governaides that they could talk to her, when mental issues — views which hurt they approached her, the aides had the the party nationwide — discussion RCMP step in. “Hold them back,” an of such topics has grown quiet. But aide allegedly instructed them. “Local unlike in the US, we are electing our candidates’ priority is campaigning representatives who will make up our in their local ridings, and not talking next government, and not merely the to the national media,” said Harper individual who will lead it. Message spokesman Kory Teneycke, insisting control and silenced views are no way that there was no need to interview to present candidates to their ridings and their country. It is time we start local candidates.

No need indeed, for what does asking more questions, because in it matter whether Mr. Harper tried choosing our country’s future, we all to bribe an MP to bring down the need far more answers than we have government? Do we really need to been given. know if a candidate stripped in front of 12-year-old girls while sexually adodds@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

W

11

Community Editorial

As we approached the election henever I talk with Canadians country and go vote. I told a white lie about my life experiences to my family, saying that I was going centre, we came across some more regarding the lack of security to Yasir’s to play PS2 (yes, we do play danger. We were only a few metres in Iraq, their instant reply to me is “we PS2 in Iraq), but instead we went to from the outside door of the centre when I heard something fly through are taking things here for granted.” The cast our ballots.

We started our journey on foot the air beside me. Yes, it was a bullet upcoming Canadian election made me think how different my voting experi- to the election centre in our neigh- that came out of nowhere to hit a metal ence was in Iraq, as compared to voting bourhood. Before approaching the post standing one metre from me.

Finally we entered the room to let in Canada. This is my story regarding first military checkpoint, we saw the Iraqi elections in the winter of 2005. an elder who was unable to walk, our voting voices be heard. To vote we The elections were a desperate effort by being carried by two of his sons so had to put our index fingers in blue ink; Iraqis to contribute to the democratic that he could reach the voting place. a measure to prevent voting twice. We had big smiles on process, regardless of the dangerous We saw an elder who was unable to walk, our faces because had made it. situation, in order to being carried by two of his sons so that he we However, I had help heal their injured could reach the voting place. doubts on how country. On the Ocand if the electober 14 of this year Canada will witness an election, and I That scene affected us so much; our tion day would ultimately finish.

I went back home showing my hope this story will motivate you to help eyes were full of tears seeing that build a greater Canada by exercising your old man’s determination. However, blue finger, the sign that I had voted. right to vote — something that should as we approached the second Iraqi That day I was very happy because I military checkpoint, our tears made knew that I had contributed to the not be taken for granted.

In the winter of 2005, Iraq faced the soldiers wary and they asked us process. Despite the difficulties that the first election since Saddam’s fall from a distance to pull up our shirts we faced in Iraq to reach the election in 2003. In spite of all these political to make sure that we were not hiding centre, people there were voting in a changes, the situation became worse anything underneath. Shortly after desperate attempt to bring peace to than before due to all types of vio- that incident, not too far from the their country. It is now your turn to lence — especially in Baghdad, where election centre, I noticed some dark exercise your right to vote. It likely will objects on the ground. Later on we not be a dangerous journey for you to I have spent most of my life.

On the day of the elections, car found out that these objects were the the election centre. Please don’t take traffic was banned to reduce the likeli- remains of a suicide bomber and an that for granted. Use your voice, and hood of suicidal car bombs. Rumours Iraqi soldier. The suicide bomber your right to make peaceful Canada were also rampant that people who had been approaching the crowd of more peaceful and beautiful, my advice were against the peaceful process voters when one brave Iraqi soldier to you is to leave your fingerprint in would target voters. These real dangers grabbed him and ran away from the shaping your young country—go vote prompted my family to ask me not to crowd, sacrificing his own life in order for a greater Canada. go to the election centre. However, to save many others. This incident my neighbour and best friend Yasir happened only about an hour before Aseel S. Kaiser and I had already planned to help our we got there.

Biology Grad Student

12

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Community editorial

I

am responding to the article titled “Homeless: The Dead End of Western Civilization.” I was upset with and extremely disappointed in the picture it painted of individuals currently living on the street. I first just want to say that two of the men I spoke with depicted in this article said that their pictures were taken without their consent. The photo entitled “homeless man walks through the civic centre towards City Hall” is completely false. The individual walking in that picture is a man named David. He is not homeless, nor has he ever been homeless. And if he had only been asked, the writer/photographer wouldn’t have had to make that assumption. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to have my picture taken, without consent, put in a university newspaper, and told that I was homeless when I wasn’t. This should not have happened.

Secondly, the way the people interviewed are portrayed in this article clearly shows an unfair bias.

The mayor of Kitchener and a few professors are quoted, all who may or may not have any experience with this issue. But when it comes to the interviewees who have first hand experience with homelessness, they are depicted as: aggressive/raucous, surreal characters, having woozy gazes, having gone to college as if this should surprise the reader, having only previous life experiences (ex-business owner, ex-cancer patients if there’s nothing that defines this person presently other than their homelessness) and there’s also a reference to demons at the bottom of a homeless man’s coffee. Demons? What exactly is the writer getting at here? Whatever it is, it is unprofessional. There’s never a questioning of the opinions of mayors and professors, but when Rick tells us he doesn’t remember where he lived before the motel, the writer wonders if he’s telling the truth. The descriptions of the interviews with people

labeled homeless seem to say that their opinions of the issue at hand are considered to be on a different level than the whitecollar professionals interviewed.

Furthermore, asking the question “how can homelessness be cured?” tells me that we are missing the point.

The proposition is raised that it is less expensive to prevent a future episode of homelessness than to support a current one. But the Health Studies professor’s suggestion that preventative measures such as putting money into bringing children out of bad situations early on can make a huge difference in keeping them on the right track is completely skirting the issue.

While I believe that homelessness can be prevented in many cases, it’s not by throwing money at agencies like FACS. The reality is there are people living on the street now, and the question that needs to be asked is: how are we responding to that reality? Creating steps to ensure that the homeless continue to be brought off the streets and rehabilitated is not answering that question. While it’s true that most people on the street want something else, and that more affordable housing is certainly necessary, there are also other issues in need of addressing.

And it is absolutely not true that just because someone is homeless, they are in need of habilitation. What is it they need to be rehabilitated from?

If rehabilitation here means a kind of restoration, then I would suggest that it’s not only people living on the street who are in need of restoration, but you and I and our cities as well.

I think most importantly in this article not once was someone presently affected by homelessness asked what it is they want to see happen, or what kind of support they really need.

We’re all interested in “how did you get here?” (perhaps so we can make sure not to get there ourselves). But that’s the wrong question to ask. If you actually want to cure homelessness, you

need to take a good look at the way our cities work and the way our society works. What kind of structures are in place, and whom do they favour?

Who do they work against? Those with the power to judge or say what’s best for people on the bottom are the ones who know the least about those people, and are never going to make the right decisions for them. We (this applies if you’re wealthy, white, male, able-bodied, heterosexual) need to figure out how to hand power over, how to stand back without condemnation and support those who have been trampled and kept down (by circumstances, by addictions, by lack of support, by discrimination, by a flawed system, the list goes on). The bottom line is that people need to be listened to, supported, and believed in most of all. And to be honest, some people do choose to live on the street; they aren’t forced there. I know a man who lives on the street and refuses to accept any kind of financial support, and that’s just the way he likes it. It’s what he wants and he’s not doing any harm by it, it’s just difficult to understand when we see his choice as a dead end. Perhaps if we start learning how to look past the clothes, past the occupation or lack of one, past the mirage, and actually see the person, we’ll find something worthwhile there.

Something we don’t need to cure, but stand alongside instead.

I truly believe that the writer and photographer tried to paint a fair picture of the people directly affected by homelessness, but in honesty, they fell very short of that, and someone needs to be held accountable for it. This article, whatever its intentions, was discriminatory, insulting and poorly informed. And at the very least, its writer and editors owe those people they depicted unfairly an apology.

Kristen Ciccarelli 3A Peace and Conflict Studies

55 465 PHILLIP STREET LOCATION ONLY LIMITED TIME OFFER

746-6893

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Community Editorial

his week, I write with none of the laughter and more of the thought that filled me last week. I had hoped to write a retraction of the highly controversial views I espoused last week by expressing the valid point that maybe the problem is not that our understanding of democracy ensures that the wrong people do vote but our lack of this understanding results in a situation where the right people don’t. I truly wanted to express confidence in democratic capitalism, a system of government that had brought the world the most prosperous and powerful governments and peoples. However, the events of last

that new Subaru you so much desire, your interest and insurance payments will likely jump and any papers you get with lots of numbers will likely not leave you smiling. It is definitely not looking good for anyone out there and while I hate to be such a harbinger of dreadful news — you should all walk face down and gloomy eyed if you knew what was happening — obviously you do not.

Outside your presently safe North American haven everyone is asking the same question: Is this the end of the free market as we know it? Will the second “Berlin wall” crumble? Were we wrong to subscribe to a flawed free market philosophy?

I believe that is time that government in general and the economy in particular abandon staunch ideological nuances and realise that the men who propose these ideologies were people who had nothing to do but think all day long week may have confirmed my worst fears — Karl Marx may be right, Adam Smith may be wrong.

As I watched thousands of dollars from my hard-earned virtual stocks portfolio (I can only imagine the pain for real investors) vanish into thin air minutes after the “bailout reject,” I could not help thinking that Stalin and Marx must be chuckling in their graves with glee, claiming vindication for their economic theories.

In North America, our presently comfortable circumstances make it seem like the global financial crisis is an overstated, alarmist, and far away concept. But believe me, right outside your doorsteps, the entire world is beginning to question the wisdom of these “unseen hands” and you may pretty soon very likely do so, too. By all estimates, you should enjoy every moment of your university education if you have been paying for it with loans as your free ride may likely be over. It is very likely that your student loans for the next semester may not be forthcoming, not to talk of financial support for your loans for next year. Also, you should likely give up those tall dreams of getting a wonderful well-paying job (on Wall Street?) after graduation since we may see these white collar jobs witness a substantial pay cut in the next few weeks, whether by act of legislation or by market forces. This is aside from the fact that many of you may soon find that those life-saving credit cards no longer work; it will be almost impossible to get the credit for

The grim answer to these questions is most probably, yes; more definitively if this “rescue” bill passes; most definitively if the bill fails. It’s a no-win situation for democratic capitalism. Either way, big government is today’s saviour or the lack of it — today’s sin.

As I reiterated earlier, today’s history making events provoke much thought (believe me, my brain and heart have been doing overtime). After much of this thought, I believe now is the time for us to re-evaluate what we consider to be a free and fair market place. It is time for us to know who exactly this seemingly wonderful but obviously biased, failing or idle “unseen hands” are. Most importantly, it is now time for us to reconsider whether the global economy’s future is safe in the hands of a single (for the past eight years, forceful, angry and inadequate) global hegemony— America. Now, for the Marxists out there, do not start to celebrate yet as you do not have an adherent in me. This is in no way, an endorsement of socialism or communism. However, I believe that is time that government in general and the economy in particular abandon staunch ideological nuances and realise that the men who propose these ideologies were people who had nothing to do but think all day long (I don’t qualify !). Clearly, these thoughts begin the good work of initiating approaches to solving problems, but we must learn to dump them as soon as they are no longer practicable.

See GOVERNMENT, page 13

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

GOVERNMENT: It’s yours

PUT

Time to make up your own mind Continued from page 12

Government has to be more pragmatic and less ideological. We have to think of life as less of a struggle of values and ideologies and more as a strengthening of common interests.

More importantly, governments must be flexible enough to identify and acknowledge society’s dynamics and respond to them accordingly. Now is not the right time to be stubbornly conservative (or liberal) — it is the time to be progressive and pragmatic. It is this myopic adherence to ideology that got us here in the first place.

When the Berlin wall crumbled and Karl Marx’s theories were effectively discredited, the entire world crowned American democratic capitalism as the

they paid a great price for their ideological stubbornness and blind folly — 3.3 trillion US dollars. Let’s put it in perspective (students only understand figures); that is $3,300,000,000,000 (USD) erased from the global market.

All because they failed to realise that ideology never wins— it only wanes.

The time when Washington was the world’s economic pope, its economics were infallible, and its government and people were admirably indefatigable seems like only moments ago — those times when the world greeted American economists and leaders like gods and its people as liberators; the dollar was our gold and the American way of life was our standard. Then, it was indeed the beacon of light. However, I am not sure the case remains the same today.

coloured shades that dictate to us that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong,� we remain “ideologically blind� to solutions to the world’s agelong problems of scarcity that may very well have existed under our noses. If there is any lesson history expects that we learn from today’s peculiar circumstances, it is that reality and ideology are as incompatible as oil and water — they simply cannot coexist (except in a thinker’s mind) There is no such thing as an absolute truth and the world is full of complexities: That there are concepts and questions that one word answers or three letter acronyms simply do not do justice to, and that no one person has all the answers, and no one ideology is an answer to all of life’s questions. History has proven to us that only a pragmatic approach

History has proven to us that only a pragmatic approach to life that includes “a little bit of this and a little bit of that� works well for all of us. winner of the ideological floor fight that had characterised the last century. For the next few decades after this “vindication of the free market,� America would successfully indoctrinate the entire world with its free market philosophy and convince us that it was the pope of economic growth and development.

They would cry out from mountain tops: “this system can do no wrong, it is infallible and it cannot fail.� The entire world was soon convinced and we adopted their market principles as our economic gospel. Every major economic analysis in these past two decades has presupposed the ideological supremacy of free markets as an inalienable truth of economic progress. The entire world bought into these free market principles. An international marketplace effectively subscribing to these Western principles grew exponentially in a short period of time, thus binding the world economy like never before so that coughs in Beijing could cause tremors in Bombay’s financial market.

People like my father built whole careers (and shitloads of money) telling people that free market was both fine market and fair market— “some unseen hands� made sure that nobody lost in the pursuit of their self interest. Monday, however,

From what I hear, today, no credible business man will touch the dollar with a six foot pole. They in fact speculate that if the present inaction continues, the dollar will join the “Deutsche Mark� in the hall of fame for all-time currency failures (get your cigarette stubs ready for some barter trade).

However, while one ideology may have outlived the other, its adherents’ survival may very well be a function of the measure of extremism it is willing to take on to prove it. The Bush administration made itself a willing guinea pig for the extremisms of a free market without any regulation just as Brezhnev’s regime made itself the hallmark of extremely repressive and unproductive communist leadership. In history’s example, the Russian empire soon disintegrated and the ideology was discredited. As this epic plays out, we can only hope that history does not repeat itself, though within my deepest guts, I fear it will. External factors such as the peculiarities of a potentially racially divisive election may very well confirm my worst fears — a United America may soon be gone, its ideology discredited.

Perhaps it is a good thing these ideological walls are coming down because until we can see clearly, not through rose

13

to life that includes “a little bit of this and a little bit of that� works well for all of us. So let us put aside our many ideological positions — positions that may seem infallible on paper but falter in the real world. Let us agree that the solutions to the world’s problems are not ideologies prepositioned by false assumptions but ideas propositioned as pragmatic responses to changing problems. Let us understand that the right answers to the same questions are never always the same and may very likely change with time. Most importantly, let us acknowledge that no one wins an ideological war because we literally lose at either extreme.

Ideas may rule the world, but they may also ruin it.

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Features Jeff Kelly

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Back across the border

reporter

A

young organization, Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) was formed in 2000 by a pair of UW Engineering students, Parker Mitchell and George Roter. They had the laudable goal of helping to address poverty in the developing world, and attempt to focus their aid on areas where a measurable impact could be made.

The UW chapter of EWB currently sends three temporary volunteers, called “Junior Fellows,” overseas each year to work with developmental aid agencies, and contributes financially toward long-term placements which can last anywhere from one to three years.

On September 30th, EWB hosted a “band night” at the Bomber, with visiting Perse (from Winnipeg) and local favourites Knock Knock Ginger. Money raised from the event will go to support the group’s overseas aid through the junior fellows. There will be more events from EWB to look forward to in the future, including an opportunity to “go bananas” for fair trade. Though plans aren’t yet final, the group hopes to bring a load of fair trade bananas to campus as part of an event to raise awareness of what fair trade really means, and how changing students’ shopping habits can make a difference in the world.

The following are UW student members of EWB who took on projects outside of Canada:

Sam van Berkel — Ghana

Recently returned from Ghana, Berkel van Berkel worked through a partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which he described as one of EWB’s best foreign partners.

Berkel’s direct involvement was with a rice co-operative, where he aimed to

assist them run their operations more efficiently and profitably. The co-op had a computer, but did not have the skills required to use it; one of Berkel’s tasks was to teach the local co-op members how to use the computer to their advantage. Berkel was also involved in trials for a new variety of rice that is being tested in Western Africa. If the trials are successful, greater yields (and greater profitability) will benefit the local farmers.

When asked if his placement was a success, Berkel admitted that he was disappointed with the lack of progress made by the co-op, but is adamant that the experience was still very worthwhile.

While in Ghana, Berkel lived with a local family, ate the local food, and became thoroughly immersed in the local culture and customs. The connection and empathy he now feels for this African country will be reflected in his push for greater international social awareness and justice.

While in Ghana, his experiences were shared with others back in Canada via blog, and now factor heavily in his view of world issues. As he described it, he has the rest of his life to repay the investment made in sending him to Ghana. If the commitment he displayed to this writer is any indication, it is one investment that will pay off in spades.

Olivia McGuire — Zambia

In Zambia, Mcguire was partnered with a U.K.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) called WaterAid. Operating in many developing nations, WaterAid itself partners with local governments and NGOs to deliver aid in a way tailored to local needs. Mcguire was placed in a community called Milenge, and worked with their district council to address three main issues: clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education.

According to Mcguire, the first two issues are often the easiest and receive

Courtesy Jeff Kelly

From left to right: EWB members Sam van Berkel, Olivia Mcguire, and Sylvie Spraakman. most of the focus of development organizations. It is often easy to enter a community and dig a well or a latrine, and then leave with mission accomplished.

But simply delivering technical goods to a developing nation does not necessarily benefit the recipients, if it is not accompanied by education on how and why to use it. As Mcguire pointed out, a well and a latrine are only valuable if the community understands the health benefits associated with clean water and good hygiene. Something as simple as hand washing with soap and water can have a tremendous impact on health, but

it can be difficult to convey this to locals as it involves changing a cultural norm, something that can take a generation or longer to accomplish.

Sylvie Spraakman — Malawi

Spraakman was placed in a small village in Malawi, where she worked with a field office of Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR). The local organization dealt primarily with issues of water and sanitation, and though it had been in existence for about 20 years, there wasn’t much success in learning from failures and challenges along the

way. Spraakman’s role was to evaluate the operational structure of the aid organization, and make recommendations on changes that could help it be more adaptable and responsive in future.

It was difficult for Spraakman to evaluate the success of her placement in Malawi, because her role was largely to evaluate, analyse, and report. The ultimate decision to act on her recommendations was left to the aid organization itself, after she returned to Canada.

The experiences she enjoyed in her host community, however, will remain with her for a lifetime.

A tiger without teeth

T

ony the Tiger: awesome. Hobbes: awesome. Tigger: awesome. I’m pretty sure that every famous tiger out there is just plain awesome.

Even bad ones — look at Shere Khan from The Jungle Book. So if you’re going to name your beer after the worlds sweetest animal, you’d better have a damn good beer, and Malaysia’s Asia Pacific Breweries thinks their “Tiger” is good enough to be bestowed such a title. Pshh, yeah, okay, “Malaysia,” if that is your real name. Tigers weren’t even invented in your country; they were invented in America, so what right do you think you have whoring out nature’s greatest gift to marketing? Let’s not beat around the bush — their right comes from a Da Vinci Code-esque secret society that has protected the clandestine beer’s recipe ever since its inception.

Based on a commercial I YouTubed, I believe this is how Tiger beer’s history began: It’s the year 1939, Malaysia is under prohibition. A secret society of 10 white-man brewers decide to create the Tiger beer in their secret Tiger lair.

CORRECTION

To make their product successful, they send their only Malaysian member (who wears the secret society’s Tiger tattoo on his wrist, of course) to London’s Bottled Beer competition. He returns home with the bronze medal, the start to their beer’s success. The end of the commercial has a bald Malaysian spy peeping on the Tiger club, leading you to assume that they were all arrested and tortured. I’m not making this up.

Seriously, YouTube it.

Here’s the real history: Fraser and Neave, a Malaysian soft drink manufacturer, happened to run into the Heineken people one day in 1930.

They started the Malaysian Brewery, and in 1932 Malaysia’s first beer, Tiger, was created. I definitely like the commercialized history more.

Tiger actually receives a lot of international praise, and they claim a lofty set of quality standards. Apparently, the barley is from Europe and Australia, the hops are specially produced in Germany, and the yeast is crafted in Holland specifically for Tiger. During brewing, 250

quality control checks are performed which, according to Asia Pacific, is 50 more than most breweries. With all this, the beer has received numerous awards over the years, most recently in 1998 with the Brewing Industry International Award for the “World’s Best Lager.”

I won’t lie; I played Malaysian superstar Karen Kong’s “Zhen Zhen Tiao” while drinking. Did this affect how I reviewed the Tiger? Probably; it wasn’t a very good song. The beer does have an unquestionably original and unique taste, with a sleek and sexy light amber colour and a very small, almost nonexistent head, perhaps to pay homage to its disenfranchised Asian creators.

The crisp hoppiness is light yet subtly flavourful, making it a great compliment to spicy dishes. It’s balanced out by a bitter sweetness that enhances the otherwise light-bodied, watery feel of the beer. It’s nothing special, but it should be a perfect match with Asian or Indian cuisine to calm the pallete.

World’s Best Lager: probably not.

World’s Best Beer Named after a tiger:

Yeah. I will give it that. It’s an interesting beer, if anything, with a unique flavour that some may find too light and watery.

I also learned a few things, like that Malaysian pop music kind of sucks, and that a Malaysian clan of beer lovers is constantly at odds with bald people. But alas, I never did learn why the beer has received so many awards over the years.

You know how Tony the Tiger, when referring to Frosted Flakes, exclaims: “Theyyyyyy’re Great.”? If Tiger beer wanted to pursue a similar slogan, they might want to go with “Iiiiiiiiit’s Mediocre.”

Price for 6: $10.40 Taste: Value: Wishing the beer’s commercialized history were true: Overall: mkeast@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Geoffrey Lee

In the September 26 issue of Imprint, the unidentifiable figure in the picture on the bottom left of page 14 was not homeless, as stated in the photo caption. Further, the photo was published without the individual’s consent, a practice Imprint does not endorse. Imprint apologizes for these errors.

Features

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

They want you....for their party Jeff Kelly Reporter

W

ith less than two weeks to go until the next federal election, all of the major political parties are scrambling to shore up support in the polls. Endless promises, allegations of scandals, and other political minutiae fill the newspaper headlines and evening news reports. But does any of it actually matter to students?

Young voters are a so-called “key demographic” by the political parties, but they probably say that to everybody.

Seniors are a “key demographic” too, as are women, immigrants, industrial workers. So when it comes to students, do the major parties put their money where their mouths are?

According to the campaign office for Peter Braid, the local Conservative candidate, about 50 per cent of their staff is made up of students. Moreover, the campaign manager is a recent UW grad in his late 20s, and the second-incommand is a 19 year-old student from Laurier. But while this demonstrates that Conservative students are keen to dedicate their time to a political cause, is there an equally strong reciprocal effort put forth by the party they have chosen to support?

The Conservatives are apparently hosting no student rallies or other youth-focused events, choosing instead to rely on Feds-sponsored events like Clubs Day, and the allcandidates debate on October 2.

For other on-campus publicity or student recruiting, the Conserva-

tive Party relies on the Conservative Students club.

The Liberals also have a large number of student volunteers, and the education and encouragement of young voters is something they profess to feel strongly about. In fact, according to Andrew Telegdi’s campaign office, student involvement in politics is something the local candidate has felt strongly about since he himself was a student at UW in the 1970s. Though their preference is, of course, that students vote for the Liberal Party, they insist that the number one priority is simply for students to vote, period, regardless of the party they support.

The local candidate relies on the university’s Liberal Students club for advice pertaining to current student affairs, but the Liberals aim to reach students not only during campus debates and clubs. They make videos for YouTube, target selected off-campus venues frequented by students, and try to maintain a ubiquitous presence in the community. By the sounds of it, take a close look around next time you’re at Phil’s and you might see someone handing out Liberal buttons.

The Green Party has enjoyed a tremendous growth in popular support in recent years — at least if you believe pollsters — and see potential for even more popularity, especially among students. According to Matthew Lucid, the media co-ordinator for the KW Green Party, students are “more progressive than the average Canadian,” and this fits in well with the Green Party’s progressive policies and plat-

Geoffery Lee

...student involvement in politics is something the local candidate has felt strongly about since he himself was a student at UW in the 1970s. forms. The Green party is canvassing student neighbourhoods, hosting free barbecues and student rallies, so there is plenty of opportunity for them to pitch their party to local students.

Last, but certainly not least, the New Democratic Party has also been sending volunteers through student

UW equestrian club Amna Iqbal Reporter

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he UW Equestrian Club was officially founded in 2005 with the aim to promote interest in horses, equine industry, and equestrian events. It also served as a way to arrange carpooling for horse enthusiasts who wanted lessons. Since then, it has grown and is now open to all students on campus (graduate and undergraduate) and students who are on co-op are also welcome to participate in the activities.

UW Equestrian competes on the Ontario University Equestrian Association, an organization developed to give Ontario university students an opportunity to participate in equestrian sport with their peers.

The inter-university show circuit includes Brock, McMaster, Queen’s, Trent, Guelph, U of T, UWO, Laurier, and York. Waterloo is hoping to compete in all of the shows planned for this year.

The club has taken many initiatives to promote its presence on campus. This is in keeping with its purpose to foster and encourage further education, knowledge, and experience with horses and in the horse industry. There are many activities and events each term. These include the riding lesson program and a show team for both advanced and beginner riders, trail rides, social events (dinners and movie nights), and trips to events like the Royal Winter Fair and the Rodeo. The UW Equestrian Club also plans clinics like polo and vaulting.

The fall term also happens to be the busiest term for the Equestrian Club. Events include a trail ride in October and lesson programs. They will also be competing in two horse

Photo courtesy of UW Equestrian Club

The proud riders of the Equestrian club stand bearing their ribbons after a long day’s competition. shows in October and are planning to host their own show in November.

Also in November, the club is planning a trip to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. Opportunities for volunteering are available at the OUEA, where volunteers are needed for jump crew, horse handling, warm up riders, food booth, in-gate, handing out ribbons and all other jobs.

Horse experience is not mandatory for students who wish to gain membership to the club. They run a lesson program out of the Twisted Pine Farm that can accommodate new riders and teach them basic horse care and riding skills. Twisted Pine Farm is a riding facility located 15 minutes from Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo and Brantford, near the picturesque town of Ayr, Ontario. They offer a great riding facility.

15

There are multiple benefits of becoming a part of the UW Equestrian team. Members can show on the Ontario University Equestrian Association as members of the UW Team and also interact with students who share a similar passion for the equine industry. The UW Equestrian club meets multiple times during the term to plan events, organize activities, take riding lessons and compete at horse shows. Everyone is encouraged to come out and participate in all activities.

Meetings are posted on the Facebook group (UW Equestrian Club) and emailed to club members. The group also includes information on any upcoming events. Students who are interested can get on the mailing list by dropping a line at waterlooequestrian@yahoo.com.

neighbourhoods around Waterloo, and working with a Laurier student group, Social Innovation Research Group, to help promote their party among students. They feel that the large number of students volunteering to help their local campaign shows that students do want to be involved

in politics when they feel their votes really matter.

The NDP also attend some off-campus events like “Music and Politics,” which gives students the opportunity to directly engage local candidates and ensure that their vote is an educated one.

Andrew Telegdi RE-ELECT

For Member of Parliament of Kitchener-Waterloo

Andrew was a two-term President of the University of Waterloo Federation of Students from 1973-1975. As President, he organized a tent city on university grounds to protest the state of student housing. He was a peer counsellor, secured student funding for WPIRG, was a maintenance manager for the Waterloo Co-op Residences, and helped save Clemmer Daycare.

Andrew has been the Member of Parliament for KitchenerWaterloo since 1993. Before that, Andrew was a member of the Waterloo City Council from 1985 to 1993, and was twice elected a member of Waterloo Regional Council (19881993).

Andrew is a leading voice in Waterloo for strong communityuniversity relationships and addressing student needs.

As a City Councillor, he fought to improve off-campus student housing conditions, including the implementation t of

ted as Presiden

elec s when he was mpaign poster ca ’s ew dr An from one of This drawing is ts ration of Studen de Fe W of U the

of a licensing system and inspection standards to ensure

student safety. As the MP for this area, he has been a strong supporter of the

high-tech sector, an area where many university and college graduates are now employed.

Andrew also served on the

Board of Governors of Wilfrid Laurier University and he co-founded the Liberal Party’s Post-Secondary Education Caucus in Parliament.

Learn More about Andrew at

www.Telegdi.org

or come visit the Campaign Headquarters

Andrew can be counte d on to oppose the hea vyhanded exercise of gov power. At a rally in Toront ernmental o in April of 2006, he den ounced deportation raid children in schools. The s targeting next day, Public Safety Min ister Stockwell Day said happen again. it wouldn’t

Campaign Headquarters: 3-105 University Ave. East, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 2W1 Telephone: 519-747-3731

Stéphane Dion and the Liberal Party have a $1.2 billion plan to assist post-secondary students, including:

• • • • •

Annual cash grants of $1,000 per student Lower interest on student loans 200,000 needs-based bursaries of $3,500 each 100,000 access grants of up to $4,000 per year A 60-percent increase in funds for university-based research

Andrew understands students. He’s been where you are right now. If you care about post-secondary education, the environment, or upholding the Charter rights of all citizens, go out and vote for Andrew.

Authorized by the Official Agent for Andrew Telegdi.

Week4_Telegdi_Camp08_Cord.indd 1

30/09/2008 10:37:25 AM

18

Photo Feature

STUDENT PARENTS

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Photo Feature

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

19

AT UWATERLOO

andrew abela

Courtesy ethan oblak

I’m often looked at only as a parent, not as a student with specific interests like yoga, music, reading, or my education.

Julie Sumerta 4A Religious Studies According to parents like Mandy Furney (pictured at left with daughter Abigail Furney), Julie Sumerta (above, at far left alongside her daughter Anjali) and Karolina Korsak (above at right), students with children at the University of Waterloo feel segregrated as different from other students, when in fact they are not. All they wish and hope for is to be regarded as the hard-working and dedicated students they are, just like the the rest of the student population here. According to Furney, it is difficult to be regarded as both a student and parent at UW, and to talk about things other than her child Abigail — such as her research interests. Returning from an eight month maternity leave this term, Furney is currently beginning her fourth year of her PhD studies with supervisors Dr. Lorne Dawson and Dr. Doug Cowan in the Department of Religious Studies.

Her research work focuses on the socialization of children in new religious movements such, as contemporary paganism.

Parents like these on campus often feel isolated, and since their evenings are usually devoted to caregiving, they are unable to participate in many services on campus that other students take for granted, such as dance lessons or frosh week activities.

Because of all these reasons, there is a strong impetus among this student population to form a group to meet and socialize with fellow student parents and their children, share their personal experiences with others, encourage a more supportive environment, and to provide some much needed and well-deserved accessibility to campus services. The group will be called UW Parents on Campus, and is currently awaiting approval for Feds funding to achieve these goals. andrew abela

ARE YOU A STUDENT PARENT, TOO?

E-mail uwparentsoncampus@gmail.com for more info.

Courtesy ethan oblak

20

Comics & Distractions

by Kevin Shahbazi

Can you enlighten Mr. Harper as to what else “ordinary people” don’t care about?

“Stephen Harper’s sweater vests.”

Jamie Van Ymeren 4A political science

“Healthcare!”

Manisha Dias

1A actuarial sciences

“What Stephen Harper thinks about arts funding.”

Rita Agyekum-Danquah 3A health sciences

“Education.”

Kristina Haller 4A arts

“Athletics, obviously.”

Julia Koebel 1A AHS

“Politics.”

Matin Esfahani

1A nanotechnology engineering

“Our loved ones.”

Melissa Leila King 2B SMF

“Having clean air.”

Rhyan Bailey 3A legal studies

Photos by Ethan Oblak

September 26 solutions editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Crossword Maggie Clark

Across 1. Economist Smith 5. PC “brain” 8. Quench 13. Stack 14. Porcellino’s one 15. Jeopardy 16. Sum, ___, fui 17.Agitate 18. Roasters 19.Wedding by force 22. Colored eye part 23. Downed a sub, say 24.That which attracts and repels?

27.Word on all U.S. coins 29. Bed support 33. Mirror ___ 34. John Wayne was one of these (state affiliation) 36. George Gershwin’s brother 37.Where stories are publicly broken 40. Bic filler 41. ___ a high note 42. Singer of “Missing You” 43. River of Hades 45. Lookout point 46. Fix 47. ___ Khan 49. Pugilist’s weapon 50. Having full powers, as with some diplomats 58. Fellow competitor 59.“Fudge!”

60. Poi party 61.“All kidding ___...”

62. Sturdy cart 63. Pertaining to urine 64.Anklebone 65. Our sun 66.Went under Down 1. Mimics 2. Potluck choice 3.“The Sun ___ Rises” 4.What businesspeople are always running to, or from 5. Nickels and dimes 6. Oil source 7.Another urine clue: highly soluble crystalline solid 8. Basketball, for one 9. Some taxes 10. Calculus calculation 11. Just by the ace 12.“If all ___ fails ...”

14. French for noise

39. Gym equipment 44.“In ______ did Kublai Khan / A stately pleasure dome decree” 46. Fool 48. Rupert of Buffy 49. Savage 50. British slang for “Ass” 51.Actress Kudrow 52.Axis of ___ 53. Bookie’s quote 54.Tropical tuber 55.Ambience 56. Game delayer 57. Ick!

20. Birthplace of democracy 21. Speeder’s bane 24. Skirts, of the really short variety 25.“Fund_____al Christian” 26.Awkward, sticking out 27.Attempt, 2 wds 28.“A Prayer for ___ Meany” 30.Authorized 31. Stop, en francais 32. Stun gun 34. Prefix with China 35. Most fresh 38. Like draft beer

Sudoku

Maggie Clark

Hey baby, last whenever I saw you at the wherever doing whatever with whoever... but you were gone before I had the chance to ask you to come on a magical mystery tour with me! Now I’m stuck here wondering if I’ll ever see you again. But maybe... you read the imprint, and like magical mystery tours--I know I do, so give me a shout ~amusingmuses@gmail.com

one of the busiest areas on campus for your convenience. Oh, and I find it extremely sexy when you smoke in my face. THANK YOU.

get more comfortable the more you hang out with us. Friends are a good thing to have (plus the free food don’t hurt one bit).

I had a lot of fun grabbing a coffee with you the other day, even though you aren’t doing caffeine this term. Here’s hoping you’ll want to grab a coffee with me again soon. Maybe de-caf?

-Voluntears

To all the people who smoke outside of RCH beside the GradHouse Green between classes, thank you for making the burden of rushing from class to class a “healthy” part of my day by fulfilling my daily intake of carcinogenic particles. It’s a great idea to smoke in

Coffee drinker, I’m glad you decided to come out and volunteer with me, although you didn’t seem to be having as much fun as I was.

You’re always welcome to come out and volunteer again, trust me, you’ll

Yo Mario, plz undrstnd that after reading dat msg u posted in da ppr i only realize how stupid u r. yo bitch, learn how to write. ure a moron, truly. dis sober message is from the heart! -Gina Missed a connection? Srsly, e-mail distractions@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Comics & Distractions

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

POSTSCRIPT

21

BY GRAHAM MOOGK-SOULIS

IMPRESSION, BY JIM & LAN

LOOSE SCREWS

BY KURTIS ELTON

BY GEOFFREY LEE & SONIA LEE

IN THE WEEDS

BY MATT FIG, BRANDON FORLER, AND KEEGAN TREMBLAY

RUNAWAY RINGTOSS

BY PETER N. TRINH

Campus Bulletin CHURCH SERVICE St. Bede’s Chapel at Renison College offers worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Come and walk the labyrinth the second Thursday of each month, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more info contact Megan at 519-884-4404, ext 28604 or www.renison.uwaterloo.ca/ministrycentre.

ANNOUNCEMENTS The Grand House Student Co-operative is a non-profit housing co-op comprised of architecture students from UW, community members and professionals. Workshops are being organized on environmental techniques, solar power, non-toxic materials and more. For info/registration visit the website at www.grandhouse. wacsa.org.

Your garbage can be very worthwhile!

UW Community Garden (behind Columbia Lake on north side, behind a row of tall hedges) needs any compost items that you might regularly throw away such as coffee grounds, egg shells, oatmeal, veg or fruit bits or garden waste such as dead leaves, etc. Meetings on Wednesdays, 5:50 p.m. and Sundays 4 p.m. For further info/questions, e-mail cwormsbe@ gmail.com.

VOLUNTEERING

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.

Best Buddies is a national charitable organization matching students with individuals with intellectual disabilities living in the community. Hours are very flexible - compatible with busy schedules. More information contact: bestbuddiesuw@gmail.com.

Resume builder! Volunteers needed to visit people with Alzheimer disease through Alzheimer Society Volunteer Companion Program. Two hours per week with training September 23/24 evening or October 27 day or November 30 day. Call Jill at 519-742-1422 or volunteer@alzheimerkw.com.

Drive.Deliver.Befriend – Community Support Connections needs volunteers to help drive seniors to appointments, deliver a lunch meal or befriend an isolated senior. Mileage is reimbursed.

Contact 519-772-8787 or info@communitysupportconnections.org.

City of Waterloo, 519-888-6488 or volunteer@city.waterloo.on.ca has many volunteer opportunities. Check out the website today.

Volunteer Action Centre, 519-7428610 or www.volunteerkw.ca, has many opportunities available – visit the website or call today!

Volunteers needed – Trick or Eat 2008

– think you’re too old to dress up in a costume and go door-to-door on Halloween?? Think again – join us for Trick or Eat this year in our battle against hunger. Help alleviate hunger in Waterloo and get candy while you are at it!

Sign up on www.trickoreat.ca to join the national battle against hunger on Friday, Octobrer 31, 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the SLC. Over 40 campuses across Canada are joining forces to fight hunger. Email us for more info at waterloo@mealexchange.com.

UPCOMING Friday, October 3, 2008 reThink Waterloo – a full day environmental event at the Waterloo Recreation Complex from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The day’s events are all free. For ticket info visit www.allourrelations.org.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 Join us for a tour of UW’s Gustav Bakos Observatory from 8 to 9:30 p.m., Physics 308. Please register at UWRC@ uwaterloo.ca. Free event.

Thursday, October 9, 2008 UW Recreation Committee presents Sandra Ace from UW Health Services who will show you how to use the nutrition facts table to choose products that fit a healthy diet, etc. MC 5158 at 12:05 p.m.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Neighborhood empowerment – join us with renowned community builder Jim Diers. Learn how to empower and inspire your community. Two sessions available, register www.engageus.ca.

Free for students, refreshments provided. Info call 519-575-4757, ext 5020.

Monday, October 20, 2008 “The Shadows of Consumption: Consequences for the Global Environment” presented by author Peter Dauvergne at Lecture EV1 132 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Reception and book signing at EV1 Courtyard.

Friday, October 24, 2008 Faust, Part1: presented in German and English by the Shadow Puppet Theatre of Kitchener-Waterloo and the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, www. wcgs.ca in conjunction with live scenes in German by the Laurier German Drama Group at 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 25 at 2 p.m., Humanities Studio Theatre, HH180, UW. Rummage sale, houseplants and Christmas treasures at First United Church, King and William Streets, Waterloo from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, October 25 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Friday, November 7, 2008 Lessingfest: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contact Prof John for more info at djohn@ uwaterloo.ca.

Get Involved!

Imprint Board of Directors Secretary needed The Secretary shall be ex-officio clerk of the Board ; attend all Board meetings and all meetings of members ; shall keep record of all facts and minutes of meetings ; give required meeting notice to members and directors ; be custodian of the corporate seal, books, papers, records, correspondence and documents belonging to the Corporation.

Interested?

Send your Letter of Intent by Oct. 6 to board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca.

CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS Monday, October 6, 2008 Exploring Your Personality Type, Part 1 – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1112. $10 material charge payable to Career Services prior to the first session. Second session October 20 from 2:30 to 4:20 p.m., TC 1112. Once you have registered you will be given information on how to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) online.

Networking 101 – 4:30 to 6 p.m., TC 1208.

Wedesday, October 8, 2008 Business Etiquette and Professionalism – 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Thursday, October 9, 2008 Work Search Strategies for International Students – 3 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Successfully Negotiating Job Offers – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Snapshot of Graduate Admissions – 7 to 8:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Success on the Job – 4:30 to 6 p.m., TC 1208.

Thursday, October 16, 2008 Career Exploration and Decision Making – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1112.

Law School Applications – 3 to 4 p.m., TC 2218.

Monday, October 20, 2008 Teaching Philosophy Statement – 12 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Registration: go to CTE website at www.cte.uwaterloo.ca/ events_registration/CUT_events.html.

Exploring Your Personality Type, Part II – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1112. First session: Monday, October 6, 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1112.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Applying to Teacher Education Programs – 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., TC 2218.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Professional School Interviews – 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Monday, October 27, 2008 Career Interest Assessment – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1112.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Interview Skills: Preparing for Questions – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1208 Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Are You Thinking about an International Experience? – 12 to 1:30 p.m, TC 1208.

Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Thursday, October 30, 2008 Work Search Strategies – 2:30 to 4 p.m., TC 1208.

Monday, November 3, 2008 Writing CV’s and Cover Letters – 12 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Registration go to the CTE website: www.cte.uwaterloo. ca/events_registration/CUT_events. html) Work Search Strategies for International Students – 4:30 to 6 pm., TC 1208.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 Exploring Your Personality Type, Part I – 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., TC 1112. $10 material charge payable to Career Services prior to the first session. Second session November 11, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.., TC 1112. Once you have registered you will be given information on how to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) online.

Are You Thinking About Dental School?

– 4:30to 6 p.m., TC 1208.

Thursday, November 6, 2008 Business Etiquette and Professionalism – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Monday November 10, 2008 Working Effectively in Another Culture – 3 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 Exploring Yur Prsonality Type, Part II – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., TC 1112.

Once you have registered you will be given information on how to com-

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

plete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) online. $10 material charge payable to Career Services prior to the first session.

Interview Skills: Preparing for Questions – 3:30 to 5 p.m., TC 1208.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 Successfully Negotiating Job Offers – 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., TC 1208.

developing countries.

October 23 – “Trembling before G-d” – 84 minutes. Dubowski’s film narrates multiple stories of Hasidic and Orthodox Jews who are faced with the task of reconciling their homosexuality with their faith.

October 30 – “Fire” – 104 minutes. Provoking riots at its screenings in Bombay and New Delhi, Fire portrays a dysfunctional Indian family and two women who develop an affinity for each other in the midst of familial chaos.

November 6 – “I am My Own Woman – 90 minutes. A true story of a transvestite who struggles through Nazi Germany and post-war Germany.

November 13 – “Iron Ladies” – 104 minutes. Hilarious comedy based on the true story of Thailand’s popular top-ranked volleyball team.

November 20 – “Shinjuku Boys” – 53 minutes. A docmentary, this film provides a glimpse into a transvestite bar in Tokyo.

ONGOING THURSDAYS “in conjunction with FINE 290’?”

– ECH 1220 at 6:30 p.m. Free - all is welcome!

October 9 – “Suddenly” – 90 minutes.

A lesbian/queer punk road movie set in Argentina and shot stylishly in black and white.

October 16 – “Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World” – 60 minutes. This documentary film shows the danger involved in coming out in

Classified HELP WANTED

LOST & FOUND

Pita Factory – healthy, fast food restaurant, is now hiring enthusiastic and hardworking part-time/full-time staff at it’s Waterloo location. Previous retail and/or food experience an asset.

Applicants can expect to be scheduled a minimum of one late night shift per week. Apply with resume after 2 p.m. at 170 University Avenue (University shops plaza beside UW). No calls.

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.

Weekend positions – permanent parttime staff needed for varied shifts.

Duties include set up and clean up meeting rooms, assisting caterers, cleaning and reception. Must be energetic, able to work independently and have good communication skills.

Drop off resume at The Club Willowells, 40 Blue Springs Drive (beside East Side Marios), Waterloo.

Whomever found lost credit card and turned it in September 19 please email proudy1717@yahoo.ca to receive “thanks.”

SERVICES

Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. 4, 8 and 12-month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Darlene or Joanne at 519-746-1411 for more details.

WANTED

Entrepreneurial partner wanted – Training included ; comp plan. Serious applicants only – 1-888-226-8151 or abstein@libertyleague.com.

Young athletes 15-30 years – hockey, soccer, speedskating, rowing for National Cycling Development Program.

Men and women welcome. Introductory camp in October. Contact Dina at info@ForestCityVelodrome.ca or www.

ForestCityVelodrome.ca.

PERSONALS

Are you pregnant – have you considered an open adoption? We are a loving family approved to adopt in Ontario. Please visit our website to learn more about us and the wonderful home we could offer your baby. www.hopingtoadopt.ca.

HOUSING

Professional Go-For Service – don’t have time? Need a second pair of hands?

Dog walking, picking up dry-cleaning, groceries, Senior Services, are just a few of the many helpful services that is offered. Call Sheila at 519-590-4103 or progo-forservice@hotmail.com.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS 200 University Ave., W., Student Life Centre 1116, University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 v 519.888.4048 ; f 519.884.7800 ; ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

DEADLINE: Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Name: Student I.D.# or Company Name: _________________________________________ _____________________________________ Street Address: City: _________________________________________ _____________________________________ Telephone Number: Fax Number: _________________________________________ _____________________________________

Please circle the date(s) you want your classified to publish:

2008

August September October November

2009

29 12, 19, 26 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 7, 14, 21, 28

January February March April May June July

9, 16, 23, 30 6, 13, 20, 27 6, 13, 20, 27 3 1, 15, 29 12, 26 10, 24

Please Check Classification:

Personals

Help Wanted

Course Info.

Ride Wanted

Travel

Lost

Wanted

Typing

Housing Available

Tutor

Services

Ride Available

Found For Sale Ad Copy: BOLD HEADING (3 words)

PREPAID RATES: Fee-paying Students Non-Students

Business: (student/non-student) Cash

Cheque #

30 words $5.00 $10.00 $15.00

additional word $0.15 $0.25 $0.25

+ 5% GST

$ ______________ $________ $___________ x ____=_______ Price

GST

Total

MC or VISA: _______________________________________________ EXPIRY: _________ Signature: __________________________________________________________________ POLICY:

IMPRINT reserves the right to approve all copy before publication and the right to refuse or cancel any advertisement at any time. IMPRINT’s Code of Ethics states, “any material containing a racist, sexist, or othewise prejudical substance or tone, will not be printed.” All advertising must meet Federal and Provincial Canadian laws. Advertisements or classifieds for companies that offer plagiarism services, which include, but are not limited to, essay writing services, shall not be permitted to publish.

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Music lives here

Laurier graduate and local entrepreneur looks to provide a new home for aspiring Alicia Boers staff reporter

F

or many people, music is so much more than a pasttime or just something to do; music is a passion. For Paul Maxwell, music is much more than passion — music has become his livelihood. Maxwell is the founder and owner of Maxwell’s Music House, which is a full service music facility offering a range of music lessons, workshops, jam space for bands, and live performances throughout the week. The facility alone is a pretty exciting place to be; it is a small, intimate venue where bands play, with music rooms and jam rooms upstairs.

There are so many elements that make Maxwell’s a cool place, and Maxwell himself is one of these elements. Maxwell just turned 24 years old and has been working toward creating this music house since his years as an undergraduate.

A graduate from Laurier, Maxwell has a BBA with a minor in music and a specialization in entrepreneurship. Through competitions such as Launch Pad 50K — where Maxwell made it to the “money round”— and programs such as “start a business workshop” and “start a business incubator,” Maxwell was able to turn two of his greatest passions, music and business, into a successful business venture.

The Music House was created because Maxwell was part of an alternative rock band and he noticed there was a lack of decent jam space in KW. This sprung the idea for a building where bands could come to practice and hang out. But, of course with rent being so high in Waterloo, just the one service wouldn’t pay the bills. So Maxwell turned his Music House into a “one–stop–shop” for musical; it encompasses everything he loves about music: lessons, workshops, jamming, and performance.

Maxwell’s is becoming a big part of the arts community in KW; it is a stepping stone venue for musicians and artists, and an outlet for the independent artist. There is a place for the beginner musician, the veteran musician, bands and talented performers to put on an awesome show. Maxwell says that the Music House isn’t only about music, “it’s about the arts.” There is always original art showcased at Maxwell’s. Young artists are able to showcase their artwork on the walls — it is for sale and the majority of the sale money goes back to the artist; “this place used to be an art gallery so the lighting is perfect,” Maxwell laughed.

This is a stepping stone for young artists, and because the art is circulated every other

Courtesy Michelle Bellefontaine

Above: Maxwell’s Music House, located in the Phil’s plaza next to Raintree Cafe on King and University, is a welcome addition to the arts scene in Waterloo. Below: Paul Maxwell on stage at Waterloo’s newest concert venue. month, there is always something new to see at Maxwell’s Music House: “Something new and usually something awesome!”

In addition to Maxwell’s core services, there are other specialized services offered, including: coaching for bands, web development, merchandising, album recording, band management, and a special needs program. When speaking about the special needs program Maxwell gets visibly excited. “Music should be available to everyone”, he said with a smile on his face. To this end, on Sundays music lessons are provided to those with developmental disabilities.

One of the favourite features of the music house for Maxwell is the live performances that happen every Wednesday to Saturday from 8 to 2 a.m. “My favourite artists call me now for booking.” There have been some amazing shows at Maxwell’s since their grand opening in May 2008. Bands that have been featured on Grey’s Anatomy and The Hills have played on the stage at Maxwell’s. The Ataris, a band that have sold over 800,000 albums worldwide played at Maxwell’s and with a capacity of 80 people, the intimate setting made it feel like “they were playing just for me,” Maxwell said.

See MAXWELL’S, page 24 Courtesy Michelle Bellefontaine

Indie darlings play starlight Montreal’s The Dears launch fall tour at Waterloo location with Gentleman Reg Paul Parkman staff reporter

M

ontreal-based romantique-pop band The Dears kick-started their fall tour in support of their upcoming album Missiles (Dangerbird Records, October 21) by playing the Starlight Social Club this past Tuesday. Those who have seen The Dears live before might have noticed a change in the line-up at the show. In fact, only two of the core members of what most people considered The Dears are left after inner turmoil and creative tension surrounded the recording of their new record this past spring. By the time the album was completed, only Murray Lightburn (vocals, guitar) and Natalia Yanchak (keyboards, vocals) were left from the old incarnation of the band. Not wanting to dissolve The Dears completely, Lightburn and Yanchak assembled a septet to tour with this fall, and

Lightburn charmingly reassured the crowd that packed the Starlight Tuesday night that “The Dears will live forever!”

The Dears’ opener, Gentleman Reg, a Toronto-based band that has a new album entitled Little Buildings (Arts & Crafts, Nov. 11), kept things pretty mellow throughout their 45-minute set with Reg Vermue (the

who kept the songs interesting and varied, providing a texture to Gentleman Reg’s sound that otherwise might have been lacking.

By the time The Dears took the stage, there was a noticeable buzz in the club (as well as an overly-enthused fan, who appeared to be vocalizing his own personal buzz), and as Lightburn and company took the stage,

Lightburn charmingly reassured the crowd that packed the Starlight Tuesday night that “The Dears will live forever!” brain-child behind Gentleman Reg), letting his soft, airy vocals carry most of the songs out of their muddy mix of guitars. Highlights of their set often came from drummer Greg Millson, who has played with the likes of Great Lake Swimmers and Julie Doiron, and

the crowd was hit with a wall of guitars and synths that, throughout the night, intertwined hooks and reverb-laden leads.

In the past, The Dears have often toured as a six-piece, but with this new line-up as a septet, they managed to create a strong,

sometimes dense, sometimes magnificently overloaded sound, taking full advantage of their numbers in developing some very dark and rich harmonies.

It quickly became clear that although the band was different and new, the sound that The Dears had spent the last decade carving out was still very much intact–maybe even improved–as Lightburn proclaimed “The Dears were like the phoenix, rising from the ashes”.

Crowd favourites like “Lost in the Plot” and “Whites Only Party” sounded as good as ever, and proved the new line-up worthy of The (old) Dears’ calibre of musical accuracy and live energy. The set also included new songs from their upcoming record, such as the slow-burner “Meltdown in A Major,” which launched into a fantastical jam before capping off the evening with a sole keyboard left to drone as the band left the stage.

See DEARS, page 28

Arts & Entertainment

24

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Album Reviews singer Tunde Adebimpe abandoning the mournful howls that made anthems like “Staring at the Sun” and Cookie Mountain’s “Province” powerful. Adebimpe rarely raises his voice on Dear Science. Not once does he lose his cool.

Even a relatively manic song like “Dancing Choose,” which features Adebimpe breathlessly racing through a stream-of-consciousness narrative about the sensory overload of another day in the life, comes off as composed and calculated. Adebimpe’s flow on this song has more in common with Eminem’s coolly dissected rants than Lil’ Wayne’s ADD freakouts.

As a result of this newfound restraint, Dear Science becomes an extremely sleek, sophisticated album. The band plays more with rhythm structure, and has mostly abandoned the simple songwriting they blew up with. On a whole, the album is more experimental. Much of this experimentation, though, sounds more like musical dabbling than genuine interest in expanding their sound. Various points in the album are tinged with dubstep, Afropop, and Caribbean influences.

But none of these instances are sustained, and it feels like they’re playing around because they have nothing left to prove.

Dear Science TV On The Radio BMG-Interscope

T

V On The Radio’s new album is called Dear Science. What does this mean? If it were up to me to decide, I’d say they were shouting out their very, well, scientific formula of writing sublime pop music. This is a new thing for the band. While 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain, their first with industry giant Interscope Records, displayed some major-label polish, it still carried some of the raw intensity of the band’s first couple releases.

After two years of honing their craft as a major-label darling, TV On The Radio has completely shed their Young Liars-era rough skin with the release of Dear Science.

Much of this evolution into a pop band has come through lead

Dear Science has many of the stylistic elements of TV On The Radio’s earlier, more raw work.

Superficially, it sounds very much like a TV On The Radio album.

But with all its major-label sheen, it loses its punch. While it might be incredibly well made, this, unfortunately, does not mean it’s a great album to listen to.

- Andrew Kai-Yin MacKenzie

Lost in the Sound of Separation Underoath Solid State / Tooth and Nail

U

nderoath has been at risk of losing some of its fan base due to the continuous taming and toning down of their music. While this might be a wise move for some loud-with-no-good-reason bands out there, loud happens to be Underoath’s unique selling point, and a good one

Maxwell’s: More than a concert space

at that. Their new album, Lost In the Sound of Separation (referred to here as LITSOS), is their answer to all the bad press.

It’s worth taking the time to watch the DVD included with most versions of the CD, which contains very insightful footage into the making of LITSOS. It’s interesting to observe the work and decision-making involved in making a record for a band like Underoath. Matt Goldman and Adam D. formed a perfect duo to produce and engineer the 11 songs on the album.

The attitude towards the production has “raw” and “perfectionist” written all over it. The band was dedicated to formulating a record that is closest to live shows in its authenticity.

The album doesn’t have a story line when it comes to the sound of the tracks, a fact that would make the order that you listen to the album unimportant if it wasn’t for the song names and perhaps the lyrics. The album starts with “Breathing In a New Mentality,” arrives at “Emergency Broadcast : The End is Near” around the middle, and makes a finale of “Desolate Earth: The End is Here.”

LITSOS will be a great listen even if you’re not a big fan of metalcore; if you are, however, this could be your favourite record of the year.

- Sherif Soliman

On Tuesday, October 14, vote.

A federal general election is taking place on October 14, 2008.

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Keep the voter information card you received by mail from Elections Canada. It tells you where and when to vote. You’ll get through the voting process more quickly if you have it with you.

If you haven’t received it, or if you found an error in your name or address, please phone your local Elections Canada office.

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Locations of advance polling stations appear on the back of the voter information card.

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To download the registration form, go to www.elections.ca and click on “I’m Mailing My Vote!”, or call Elections Canada to obtain the form and information.

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When you vote, you must prove your identity and address.

For the list of acceptable pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, please see the pamphlet you received by mail from Elections Canada or visit www.elections.ca and click on “Voter Identification at the Polls”.

To vote, you must: • be a Canadian citizen • be at least 18 years old on election day • prove your identity and address

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Continued from page 23

The combination of the intimate setting, original and exciting bands, and a liquor licence make the performance aspect of Maxwell’s Music House “the icing on the cake.” Maxwell receives 40 - 50 applicants each week to play; so he is able to pick the best bands to play each night. Typical concerts cost $5 for entrance — first come first serve. For more popular bands the fee increases and 100 per cent of the entrance money goes directly to the bands.

Maxwell not only created a business that revolves around his passions, music and business– he created something that, according to him, “doesn’t feel like work.” He explained that his passions coincide with his goals and therefore “it’s not work, it’s fun.” This fun is not only for Maxwell, but for everyone who comes into his Music House. It is such an intimate and relaxed environment that you want to be there. With such a great location–on King and University, in the same plaza as Phil’s–students have access to a very cool, unique venue.

Maxwell encourages people to come by; look around, check out the jam rooms, study if you’d like, and stick around for a great show.

For the future, Maxwell is looking forward to making his Music House as successful as possible, to keep growing, continuing to provide amazing live entertainment, and to become the “hot spot” or “destination for music” in KW. For more information, check out www.maxwellsmusichouse.ca. There is a ton of info on all the programs that Maxwell’s offers and contact information. The website also includes an interactive calendar of performances coming up at Maxwell’s. This feature allows you to check out who’s playing in the near future and also check out samples of music to decide which shows you’d enjoy and like to attend.

Maxwell’s also has a Facebook group which will send you weekly listings of upcoming concerts.

Be sure to check out Maxwell’s Music House, the new full service music facility located at 220 King Street North. Check it out to join a music program, to see an awesome show, see the original art showcased by local artists, or just drop by to check out a new place that is sure to be a major player in the KW art scene in the near future. aboers@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

25

Music Documentary Musings

T

hroughout the years the from a small coffeehouse folk singer documentary focuses on both the movie business has had a to main stage rock star. The docu- goings-on in the train and on the deep love for documentary mentary really looks at the rough performances at the venues. The films, and no love is deeper than the patch Dylan experienced when he focus is mainly on The Greatful love for a music documentary. Some shifted from playing acoustic to Dead, Janis Joplin, and the man of the most influential musicians electric guitar. Many people are who organized the tour. This film have been captured on screen and interviewed in the film and the is much more nostalgic than the some of the most influential mo- footage shows the deep anger that others. The interviews all focus ments in music history have been early Dylan fans had when he made on the crazy events that occurred recorded through these documen- the change. In one scene, a young on the train and they all basically taries. I’m going to discuss three of man from England explains to the discuss that it was just one giant the major documentaries that have camera that he has lost respect for party. They discuss the feelings of Dylan simply because Dylan’s musi- the times, from the way the artists come out over the past 60 years. behaved to the way the concertIn 1976, The Band decided to cal style changed.

The documentary also focuses goers refused to pay to see their have one last concert after touring for over 16 years. The concert began on the protest aspect of many of favourite performers. It truly gives a as a rather small event, with the band Dylan’s early songs and concerts. good look at what went into creatinviting some of their friends to Throughout the film, footage from ing a concert tour and what Joplin and Garcia were like play alongside them, but quickly turned into You also get a pretty good look at off–stage.

These documena moment in history with some of the most what an ass [Bob Dylan] can be when taries create a type of cinema that has a famous musicians of a generation coming asked stupid questions by reporters. huge impact on the people who see them. together to play a The entire world has show. Martin Scorsese directed the film, entitled The Last press interviews is used and report- some type of musical preference; Waltz, and interviewed members of ers condemn Dylan as another they love the songs of their favourite The Band before, during, and after musician following the trend of musicians and want to see them perthe concert to get their take on the speaking out against the actions of form. Many times the possibility of events and some insight into their the government and other impor- seeing legendary rock stars perform band’s history. What really makes tant figures and groups. Watching has passed. This could be due to the this documentary special, though, this movie now really opens one’s fact that tickets now cost too much are the performances. Joni Mitchell, eyes to the way Dylan was viewed for a good concert-going experience Neil Young, Van Morrison, and early on in his career–you also get a or the musicians are simply no longer Bob Dylan all take the stage in the pretty good look at what an ass he alive. Music documentaries enable movie, often performing together. can be when asked stupid questions cinema-goers to see something that It’s amazing to see such legendary by reporters. Most interesting of they may have missed or takes them musicians coming together to send all is that the film focuses on those back to their youth. They have the The Band out in style. And it’s pretty early years and not on his future; ability to truly bring the feelings of interesting to see Van Morrison in all interviews focus on the ‘60s and viewers into the theatre; they are don’t go into his future career or watching the lives of others and the a purple unitard. stories of others, but are given the Another Scorsese documentary discuss his future recordings.

The last documentary that I am information to pull them in and to that is important to the history of music is No Direction Home. This going to discuss is Festival Express, make them feel as though they are documentary follows the early ca- a film based on a Canadian concert part of the film world. reer of Bob Dylan and the ups and series. The performers traveled by downs he faced when transitioning train throughout Canada, and the etarswell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

A matter of acceptance

Movie Review

Part 2: McCloud

W

hen it comes to categorizing, there is a debate on what makes comics important: are they more a form of art or literature? Early on in Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud argues comics to be a medium fused with many artistic and literary themes, or “a vessel which can hold any number of ideas and images”. Much of the public fail to see such truth however, considering comics to be either silly superhero tales or nonsensical strips that belong in the Sunday — or in Imprint’s case, weekly — paper.

Bear with me for a sec; I’ll use my comics as an example. While I admit that my weekly strip Impression, by Jim & Lan is what I like to call “lightheartedly vulgar,” I find a lot of detail in my comics. Plot has only begun to develop, but the most important part about my comics that I’ve attempted to keep consistent is the characters.

They’re geeks, university students, and highly knowledgeable in certain aspects of pop culture, like most of my friends.

Right there, I’m following an ageold motto of writing literature: “Write what you know.” Since I’m a man who appreciates many forms of geeky wit, I try to write geeky wit. In terms of artwork, most of my detail is dedicated to the lineart of the characters.

Take a gander at my background artwork in my comics, and you’ll see that for the most part I use no lines or deep details in the characters’ settings but only change in tones.

I’m not the only one who takes this approach in artwork. Many comic artists tend to do the same thing, although not as frequently as me—a two-toned background to either add emphasis to the characters or, as a more honest answer, to save time from drawing a whole lot. From

Girls with Slingshots (Corsetto, www. gwscomic.com) to Zot!, it can be used to give the limelight to the writing of the comic, as the art decides to step back for a short moment.

I’ve argued once before that XKCD (Munroe, www.xkcd.com), while it excels on its writing, also has an important art aspect to it. It’s true, despite its stick-figure structure. In fact, if you take a look, the art isn’t only stick figures; everything else is drawn and fleshed out. In comics like XKCD, characters don’t have to be heavily different in appearance to express items described in the field of humanities: emotion, intelligence, temperance, and belief. That itself is left in Munroe’s skill in literature.

Take a look at McCloud’s “Big Triangle” theory (http://www.scottmccloud.com/inventions.html), which can be found in more detail in Understanding Comics. While used to relate three differentiating directions in comic artwork (labeled “reality,” “iconic abstract,” and “pure abstract”) to literature, you can see that the triangle can also describe the relationship between visual art and language. I recommend that you ponder upon the importance that comics can have as a medium.

As Sam Logan of Sam and Fuzzy (www.samandfuzzy.com) recently said on his news-post under his comic page “Showdown, Pt. 19,” I too appreciate how the current publicity of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen has recently started a boom of orders at bookstores for the original graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore. It means that people have begun to accept comics as an important medium of both entertainment and knowledge. ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Choke Clark Gregg Fox Searchlight Pictures

N

ine years after the cult-hit Fight Club debuted at cinemas in 1999, another of Chuck Palahniuk’s infamous novels has finally been committed to the silver screen. While Fight Club was known for its brutal, confrontational nature, Choke has certainly been framed in a completely different light. The movie adopts the skin of an indie comedy as opposed to brutal satire.

dark — and sometimes downright depraved — situations. Oftentimes, the effect and poignancy of these metaphors rely on the explicit details of the imagery being invoked. Unfortunately, these metaphors don’t really translate well onto film. A lot of the meaning is lost between the book and the movie. This is especially true toward the end of the film.

That being said, the dialogue is excellent. The actors do a brilliant job with their individual characters and their relationships with one another. The relationship between Denny, played by Brad William Henke, and Vincent is especially well done. Moreover, there are a lot of funny moments throughout the film and the actors handle these scenes well.

Choke is unconventional, twisted, and pretty hilarious. I certainly enjoyed watching the movie. However, I’m not entirely sure that you will like it. If you are a fan of the book, chances are you will be a fan of this movie. If you haven’t read the book, the plot may be difficult to follow. It is certainly no masterpiece, but it’s well worth a watch if you’re up for a depraved, though light-hearted, comedy.

— Jamie Damaskinos

Art attacked

I

n the spirit of the upcoming elections, both above and below the 49th parallel, let’s toss around a recent proverbial ‘political football.’

What is not always an explicit issue — that of the place of the arts in political discussion, and therefore public funding — has become an abnormally contentious one, this political cycle.

In early summer, Stephen Harper, speaking on behalf of the governing Conservative party, announced approximately $45 million — the numbers vary according to the source — in cuts to certain arts programs that he claimed “people actually don’t want.”

This statement, regardless of any stance on the issue, betrays an implicit, and frankly absurd, dichotomy. Harper does not explicitly define the binary that is implied in his statement, but it is a division that runs deep and has many

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The movie centers on Victor Mancini, played by Sam Rockwell, a depressed sex-addict who pays for his mother’s hospital bills by conning people into giving him money by pretending to choke on food in restaurants. Victor’s primary motivation is trying to piece together the remnants of his murky past through the dialogues he carries out with his mentally ill mother. His is a journey of self-determination.

The movie contains good dialogue and all of the characters remain true to the characters in the original text.

In fact, one of director/screen-writer Clark Gregg’s greatest triumphs was how closely he followed the book.

Unfortunately, this also proves to be something of a downfall.

Both Fight Club and Choke were written in an extremely convoluted way. Much of Palahniuk’s genius rests on the balance between complex narrative structure and his penchant for lean, tough prose. While this is conveyed brilliantly in Fight Club, it is somewhat confusing in Choke. The movement of the plot comes off as clunky and disjointed, rather than being artfully rendered or particularly thought provoking.

Further, the power of the novel rests on Palahniuk’s ability to draw elegant metaphors in the midst of

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names; call it a division between left and right, or conservatives and liberals, or Democrats and Republicans, or the intellectual elite and the rural proletariat, it is a division that is almost without exception used by political parties to galvanize their respective bases. The unfortunate aspect of the issue is that there are no parties who are free of guilt in this regard.

With the election coming up quickly, what was an issue flying ‘under the radar’ so to speak, has becoming a hot button issue that does nothing but promote this imaginary dichotomy. The Conservative party will try to tell you that the Liberals or NDP, in funding the arts, are not fiscally responsible. Meanwhile, the Liberal party will attempt to assert that the Conservative are inclined towards a rape of the arts and cultural variety in the process.

It is no great insight to recognize that voters in contemporary political systems find it difficult to stray from assigned partisan ideals. But to embrace this false dichotomy is irresponsible at best, and negligent at worst.

As Chris Rock has stated rather succinctly, “No normal decent person is one thing. OK!?! I got some shit I’m conservative about, I got some shit I’m liberal about. Crime — I’m conservative. Prostitution — I’m liberal.”

It is a point of contention as to what extent tax payer money should be invested into the arts. But let’s remember that the artistic community is a special interest group much like Albertan farmers or East Coast fishermen; none want to see their jobs disappear, and they are willing to fight for their piece of the federal pie.

Harper claims fiscal responsibility in his act, but is it really responsible fiscally? As observers have noted, he does not take into account the fact that the arts and culture industry accounts for some 7 per cent of the Canadian

GDP. What advantage is an extra $45 million in the coffers if you lose that money through losses in employment and productivity? Further clouding the issue, is Harper’s citation of the recently Polaris prize shortlisted Holy F**K as being potentially morally offensive, implying that mistakes were made in the oversight of arts grants. Holy F**K garnered $3000 from the government, a full 0.0067 per cent of the proposed cuts. Still, does Holy F**K deserve even what little piece of the pie they were given by Canadian taxpayers?

The fact of the matter is that Harper claims this is a fiscal issue, when it is clearly not so simple. This is political football, the problematic aspects of which are only compounded by the knee-jerk reaction on behalf of the left wing parties who attempt to demonize Harper and his cuts. The knee-jerk, token response does nothing to improve the situation and merely reinforces the false dichotomy that often defines party lines. It is too easy.

Politicians will always be politicians.

As responsible citizens of Canada, we cannot allow ourselves to be compartmentalized into either half of the absurd dichotomy by buying into the soundbytes fed to us by the political powers-that-be. Let’s have an honest debate and decide as mature adults whether or not the likes of Holy F**K deserve our money any more than any other special interest group.

As our friend Chris Rock observes, “anyone who makes up their mind before they hear the issue is a fucking fool.

Everybody, nah, nah, nah, everybody is so busy wanting to be down with a gang! I’m a conservative! I’m a liberal!

I’m a conservative! It’s bullshit!”

“Be a fucking person. Listen. Let it swirl around your head. Then form your opinion.”

And the man is right. arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

27

Secondhand Songs O

n a lethargic Sunday, I found myself nursing a hangover after a protracted night of consuming gin and tonics while appreciating the sights and sounds of snubbed Polaris Prize winners Plants and Animals in the armpit of Ontario (Hamilton). With a severe headache, I sprawled out on my bed the next morning surfing YouTube for videos of Joy Division, when all of a sudden a video of a lowbrow cover song put me in cardiac arrest faster than a Heath Ledger overdose. I sat there in sheer revulsion, disgusted by the tasteless display of vicious butchery put forth by one of the lousiest faux punk bands of our time.

The culprit of this sinister crime…Fallout Boy, the track of musical genocide… Joy Division’s ephemeral classic “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”

While the concept of a cover song may appear to be a newfound idea – remember Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal?” – factually it has been a pillar in pop music that can be formally traced back to the early 1900s during the Tin Pan Alley traditions in the late 19th and early 20th century. Throughout ‘40s and ‘50s, white artists on major record labels would cover black artists on local independent, financially restricted record labels. Thus allowing major record labels to penetrate larger market areas and in doing so, make more profits.

Today, a cover song can generally be defined as the reworking, updating or interpretation of an existing song as a ‘tribute’ to the original artist or group. From the dollar sign eyes of a dull and primitive record executive, why discommode yourself to being creative when you can recycle another artist’s hit and

still reap financial reward? You can thicken up the chorus by triple-tracking the vocals; make it acoustic for that sentimental vibe, or my favourite, change the lyrics entirely.

Over the years there have been several examples of consummate cover songs, which have either a) completely changed the way we could ever imagine a song to be heard i.e. Jimi Hendrix’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watch Tower” or b) have made a cover that is so good, that it is superior to the original i.e. The Black Crows ft. Jimmy Page covering Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” However, covers don’t always work out as planned, particularly if the artist forgets what made the original song popular in the first place.

Although there have been a myriad of musical crimes committed over the last century, this article will focus on the five worst cover songs made by artists of our generation. In all fairness, it should be noted that we are not shitting on the entire career of the prospective artists, but rather their poor efforts in which they should have been castrated while being impaled in the heart by a large string ray for butchering classic songs.

5) Celine Dion – “You Shook Me All Night Long” originally by AC/DC The music of AC/DC can be summed up with the phrase “To Rock Out With Your Cock Out!” while Celine Dion’s cover is the failing attempt to “Jam Out with Your Clam Out.” Seriously, I am pretty sure that Celine Dion’s version is the reason why no one likes anyone from Quebec. Even people in Quebec hate themselves because of her existence. What is

It should be noted that I am not shitting on the entire career of the prospective [cover] artists, but rather their poor efforts even more appalling is that night, after night people are actually paying, and showing up to watch her show. In this writer’s opinion, if Celine happened to drown in the bottom of ocean, “my heart would go on.”

4) Michael Bolton – “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” originally by Otis Redding Since Otis Redding’s tragic and unfortunate death, there hasn’t been a song that been covered more than this gem of a hit. To be completely honest, no one will ever be able to capture the heart, soul, and emotion of Otis Redding.

However, I know somewhere that Otis Redding is rolling over in his grave because no-talent ass-clowns like Michael Bolton are raping and slaughtering his music. In 1988, Michael Bolton’s cover reached #11 on the Billboard chart. Shame on you Michael Bolton for brutally destroying the the honest and genuine principals of soul music. I hope your revolting, greasy hair is sheared and you catch a venereal disease that is incurable.

3) Sheryl Crow – “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” originally by Guns N Roses If it weren’t for the 35 to 55 uber-Christian demographic that appreciate easy listening, Sheryl Crow would be out of job faster than Dog the Bounty Hunter after his racial tirade, and would most likely end up as an under achieving

stripper. Unlike Celine “I am Senior Citizen” Dion, Sheryl is trying to soften a powerful, well written rock song by making it acoustic, and over emotional. In doing so, she has failed to recognize what the song is truly about, while highlighting her inability to write, re-arrange, or interpret a song. Sheryl…please take my advice: stop making songs, covers, or records, and ask Michael Jackson if you can go back to being his back up singer.

2) Limp Bizkit – “Behind Blue Eyes” originally by The Who Jesus Christ…whatever record executive thought it would be a great idea to get a shitty rap-rock band with a combined I.Q of 13 to cover a ballad by The Who should walk into oncoming traffic after being pushed down an escalator. More so, this cover is so awful in comparison to the original, that it is the equivalent of losing a paralyzation contest to Stephen Hawking. Yet, Limp Bizkit manages to pull that off here.

1) William Shatner – “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds” originally by The Beatles You Fucking Suck Bill…Over and out. hcolosimo@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

28

A&E

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Dears: Broken up, but not down far as ‘99. “Once these episodes are released,” noted Lightburn, “hopefully I won’t have to Another new song, which Lightburn noted do interviews again – people will just be able as one of his favourites off of the new record, to refer to the episodes for all their answers.” held true to the claims that he had made on As far as the reincarnation of The Dears, The Dears’ Myspace page recently about the Lightburn says he felt it was “really exciting,” new album being a blues album (although, and despite everything that went down, he’s feeling “youthful and after the show, Lightrejuvenated.” burn confessed to me “Once these episodes As for the new record, that all Dears’ albums Lightburn commented, are essentially blues are released,” noted “It’s a blues record… albums).

With a lot of Lightburn, “hopefully maybe not blues on the surface; there’s too moody, sonic shifts I won’t have to do much shit on the surand a soaring ‘60s face now, but it’s blues London-Blues guiinterviews again – in the sense of where tar solo, it was clear that The Dears were people will just be able it comes from.” When asked if the record would evolving their sound further than their last to refer to the episodes be the last document of the former Dears, release, Gang of Losers, for all their answers.” Lightburn talked about in 2006. the recording process as After the show, being a “mish-mash” of Lightburn was hesitant to shed any light on the break-up of the people — some really old Dears members, band during recording, but mentioned an and some new – giving the record a strong ongoing project of web-released documen- collaborative element that would set it apart taries that would showcase the evolution of from previous records. the band, including its demise, and eventual rebirth, with footage and tapes dating back as pparkman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Continued from page 23

Murray Lightburn of The Dears performs at Starlight last Tuesday.

©2008 ERNST & YOUNG LLP. Ernst & Young refers to a global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm located in the Canada.

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Science & Technology

This time it’s chromatic Rebecca Burton reporter

J

ust when I thought I had conquered the quest to have the latest iPod Nano, Apple releases yet another one — but this time it’s chromatic. It first came to my attention that Apple had released a new iPod as I waited through the mass amount of commercials during the Monday night Hills episode. When the brightly coloured commercial came on air with their latest indie song discovery “Bruises” by the band Chairlift, I immediately thought it was just the newest advertisement for the third generation iPod Nano. However, I soon discovered and would later be reprimanded by some friends that had eagerly been awaiting the release that this commercial was for the latest iPod Nano Chromatic.

Released on September 9, 2008, the Nano Chromatic looks like the first generation iPod Nano at first glance. Yet as I started the investigation on their website as well as a few tour videos on YouTube I discovered the new and improved features. The iPod website highlights four main new features available on the Nano Chromatic including the Genius Feature. This feature is said to find songs that go well together and create a personalized playlist for you. It also recommends songs that you might like based on the created playlist. All of these songs are available on iTunes of course, a great marketing strategy for Apple, which is exactly what they do best.

The second feature is the shake to shuffle. Instead of simply clicking the next button on your iPod, now you have the opportunity to shake the iPod (quite hard) to get to the next track. I guess it could become the next line of stress relievers: “Feeling frustrated by your latest midterm mark? Use the new Shuffle option on your iPod!” The third new feature is the ability to flip your screen just like the iPod touch. This gives you the opportunity to see your pictures in portrait or landscape as well as your movies. However, no matter

what way you turn your iPod, it is still a very small screen. The final feature is its new shape, design and range of colours. It is the thinnest model so far created and has a curved front to improve viewing.

Plus it comes in nine different vibrant chromatic shades.

As much as I was impressed with all these features, it made me think. What is the main purpose of the iPod? Was I under the wrong impression that the iPod was meant to be for listening to music? It seems to me that the iPod has become a distraction.

Something to do and fiddle around on when you are procrastinating the day before an assignment is due. As much as I would like to be able to purchase a new iPod every time Apple decides to get rid of the older version, a student budget isn’t able to afford it.

And what does this mean for my current third generation Nano? With an iPod that is constantly freezing, I foresee in the near future a life without an iPod. A transition that will be hard as I have become quite accustomed to having it around on my bus rides to and from school.

When I asked a few students about their views on the new iPod I got many comments but one main common theme — money. A fourth year biomedical student from Waterloo said, “I think Apple is a very elite company. Although many of us have iPods there are only a few that can afford to get a new one each time one is released.” From another perspective, a second year health science student said, “If I had the money I would definitely go out and buy one, I really like all the neat colours.” I also received a comment from a high school student in Toronto saying, “I would definitely buy one because I am so fed up with having to fix my current [third generation] iPod.” However, the promise that the new iPod will produce better results is one that I find to be very unlikely.

For now, I think I will avoid having to pull out a new chromatic lime green iPod on the iXpress to shake it when I want to get to the next song — waving my hand in front of the door to get off is frustrating enough.

Jasy Choi

Wael Elweiski

Rosy scents lead to pleasant dreams

staff reporter

A recent study has concluded that the odour you smell when sleeping can directly influence the emotional experience associated with your dream. Although interesting, this influence isn’t all too surprising since the brain’s smell-sensing centre is known to be closely associated with the limbic system, which controls emotion and behaviour.

The study involved 15 women in their 20s and was led by Boris Stuck of the University Hospital of Mannheim in Germany; young women are known for their sharper sense of smell. Those exposed to rosy scents, while sleeping, reported dreams associated with emotionally positive experiences, whereas those exposed to scents of rotten-eggs reported dreams associated with emotionally negative experiences.

This apparent link between odour and a dream’s emotional outcome not only offers scientists better clues into dream formation, but may also, one day, help treat those people who experience nightmares and unpleasant thoughts on a recurrent basis.

Big baby girls at “risk for breast cancer”

A recent study analyzing 32 studies involving more than 600,000 women has found a link between a baby girl’s size at birth and her potential to develop breast cancer later in life. In fact, size alone may account for five per cent of all cases of breast cancer.

Although little can be done to control size at birth, a female can still significantly reduce her risks of developing breast cancer by maintaining a balanced, healthy diet and by limiting her consumption of alcohol, both of which are established risk factors.

One theory that explains these results is that bigger babies get exposed to higher levels of estrogen and other hormones during the prenatal portion of their lives. Nonetheless, scientists stress that very little is known about the prenatal environment and its effects on breast cancer. “Therefore, it is vital that all women remain aware of breast cancer risks throughout their lives and accept regular invitations to routine screening,” said a spokeswoman for Breast Cancer Care.

Antidepressants may impair male fertility

Men on antidepressants may be at risk of impairing their fertility as the drugs seem to increase the fraction of DNA-damaged sperm. As part of a trial study, 35 healthy men were given the antidepressant paroxetine, sold as Seroxat or Paxil, for five weeks.

By analyzing sperm samples taken before treatment and four weeks into it, the fraction of DNA-damaged sperm rose from 13.8 per cent to 30.3 per cent, which is high enough to interfere with proper embryo formation and development.

Despite these findings, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline, the company that sells paroxetine, said: “This study was not conducted

by GSK...we are currently reviewing the investigators’ findings. We take seriously our responsibility to ensure our medicines are used safely.” In the meantime, those men who are on antidepressants yet are trying to conceive should consult their mental health provider before taking any action.

Osteoarthritis medication as good as placebos

Two common supplements given to osteoarthritis patients appear to be as effective as placebos when it comes to slowing down the loss of cartilage in knees. As surprising as it may seem, previous studies have even suggested that placebos had a “clinically important reduction” in cartilage loss in knees. Bottom line, the two supplements tested, glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate, are medically ineffective; any improvement after their use can be attributed to the power of the mind.

“Osteoarthritis...appears to be the result of an array of factors including age, gender, genetics, obesity, and joint injuries,” said Stephen Katz of the National Institutes of Health. This intricacy of factors is what makes arthritis, in general, difficult to treat.

— With files from BBC News, Newscientist.com, and National Geographic News welsweisi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Green living

T

he great thing about residence is almost everything is set up and provided for you. Internet, beds, cabinets, lighting, and everything else you need in a house is already ready to go as soon as you move in. It’s tempting to just dump your stuff on the floor and use up as many of those all-inclusive features as you can. Hell, that’s what I did (at first) during my first year at REV. When it comes to living in residence, there’s not a whole lot you can do in terms of completely renovating the home into an efficient one. Still, there are a few things you can do.

Temperature is a big thing for everyone. You want to be comfortable to be able to do work, sleep, or do anything efficiently and joyfully. However, temperature isn’t always something you can control in residence — at least not with a thermostat. In CLV (Columbia Lake Village), where you can control the heating system in the house, don’t keep it on if you don’t need it. In the winter, keep windows closed, and keep the blinds wide open when the sun is coming in your window. 40 per cent of heat comes in through your windows, so don’t waste it.

When you’re not home, keep the heating off. It doesn’t take long for it to heat back up and you can wear a sweater while you wait.

For the warmer months, keep your windows open at night, but shut them again in the morning. Close the blinds too (this is more necessary if you have a window facing the sun) to help keep UV rays from getting in. You can even get blinds that are transparent but stop 95 per cent of the sun’s heat from getting in, so you can keep your lights off and take in all that natural light. You can also use the good ol’ classic: the fan. They use 90 per cent less electricity than air conditioners and cost even less. While you’re looking, try and grab an Energy Star fan, which can move air up to 20 per cent more efficiently, working even better and saving even more energy.

Other things you can do in residence are the basics: don’t have lights — or any electronic items — on when not using them. For example, I’m writing this with my desk light on to see notes and the keyboard, but I turned off the room light as it isn’t necessary for anything at the moment.

Also, if it’s not a complete hassle, unplug electronics when they’re not in use (even cell phone chargers). I’ve also seen many people in my time in residence turn on the sink, leave to use the washroom or do something else, then continue to leave it on while they brush their teeth and do everything else. Please, just stop. If you’re cautious about germs on the handles, use a paper towel to turn the sink on and off, or wash your hands after doing all your bathroom duties. Keeping the tap on for that long uses so much water that we just can’t afford wasting. Of course, all of these things apply to off-campus students as well.

Not only that, but you can do so much more with your own house — even if you’re renting. If it’s your own house, you can think about everything from flooring to wallpaper. If you’re doing a large renovation such as your floor, think about cork — which actually helps many forests and their inhabitants survive, since cork regenerates so fast and doesn’t hurt the tree when stripped — or the ever more popular bamboo. Bamboo, which is a member of the Poaceae grass family, is the fastest growing woody plant in the world. While its speedy growth patterns have classified it as a weed, bamboo is actually a grass. There’s even a type of bamboo offered by Silkroad Flooring, Blue Star Living, and Green Living Flooring that isn’t the type of bamboo that endangered pandas eat. If you’re looking for a carpet floor, keep in mind that the carpet industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world – due to all the chemicals used for dyes, processing, and creating the carpets that are poured into local water systems and the air – although they are working on changing that image.

Most of you will be thinking of repainting those cracked, yellowing walls. The big thing to keep in mind is to stay away from paints containing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Benjamin Moore, Color Your World, and General Paint all sell low-VOC and no-VOC paints. For cooling and heating, you can use the same methods as I suggested for on-campus students (there are many other ways that can easily be researched, but I doubt any of you are thinking of completely rebuilding your thermal system anytime soon).

So now you’ve got your house all greened up, feeling good about yourself as you drive your car to campus. Wait, there was a problem in that sentence. If you live far away, I’m not going to say don’t drive, but if you have a group of friends in the same area and house, don’t all drive to school. Carpool, take the bus using your Watcard, or even better: bike. If you live in CLV or in the general area of the campus, just try walking. Leave that extra bit earlier and help keep yourself in shape, get some fresh air, and enjoy not producing any emissions.

If you walk to school every day through fall and into winter, your body will even adapt to the cold as the temperature slowly changes, so winter won’t be so horrid. You may even grow to enjoy the cold, crisp air. You’d be surprised as to just how wide a spectrum of temperatures the body can adapt to. We’re all just too used to being conditioned to try. Another way to get used to the cold and save energy is to take a cold shower. It’ll wake you up, save heat and energy, and conserve water since you probably won’t stay in as long. It feels even better after a good workout. thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

30

Science & Technology

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Control your pill S

oon after I arrived at the University of Waterloo in my first year, I went directly to Health Services and talked to an informative health professional about going on the birth control pill. At that time, I was persuaded to do so, in part by my family doctor to take care of a possible hormonal imbalance, and in part by my imagination of the university social scene as being explicitly sexual.

I must admit, I imagined university somewhat like a highly populated free-range safari, where students, freed from the chains of parental

supervision, went at it five times a day in every public place imaginable. Mind you, I was 17 years old at the time.

In some ways, the birth control pill is like a reverse soccer mom working the double shift; it is always mult-itasking a myriad of responsibilities to keep a woman’s body from producing children, but that’s only the first work shift.

How does she do it? Essentially, birth control pills work as a contraceptive by altering your body’s natural processes in three ways, using estrogen and progestin. Firstly, the

estrogen portion of the pill is what prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg during each monthly menstrual cycle. Generally, estrogen is a hormone that is used to control and stabilize ovulation, but higher levels can prevent ovulation. Progestin, a synthetic pseudo-progesterone with similar biological activity, increases viscosity in the oviducts (also known as fallopian tubes), and in the cervix.

Since thicker mucus is more difficult for sperm to navigate, it works to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. Lastly, the pill makes the lining of the uterus thinner, which in turn

makes it difficult for a fertilized egg to attach and cause pregnancy.

But, like a supermom, the pill somehow manages to have time for things besides housekeeping. While treatment for hormonal imbalances, acne and endometriosis are not often associated with birth control pill use, they are certainly on the list.

However, a cautionary word must be mentioned about the pill.

The fact is, some items on the counter-medication list for the birth control pill are common. A British Columbian governmental health publication states that some

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Provide two original pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.

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— Credit Card Statement — Bank Statement — Utility Bill (residential telephone, cable TV, public utilities commission, hydro, gas or water) — Attestation of Residence issued by the responsible authority of an Indian band or reserve — Local Property Tax Assessment — School, College or University Report Card or Transcript — Residential Lease, Residential Mortgage Statement or Agreement — Canada Child Tax Benefit Statement — Income Tax Assessment Notice — Insurance Policy — Government Cheque or Government Cheque Stub with elector name — Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid (T4E) — Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions/Quebec Pension Plan Statement of Participation — Statement of Old Age Security (T4A) or Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits (T4AP) — Statement of Benefits from provincial workplace safety or insurance board — Statement of Direct Deposit for provincial works or provincial disability support program — Vehicle Ownership — Vehicle Insurance — Attestation of Residence issued by the responsible authorities (shelters, soup kitchens, student/senior residences, long-term care facilities) — Letter from public curator

antibiotics, antifungal agents, anticonvulsants, anti-retrovirals, and herbal medications can affect or halt the effectiveness of the birth control pill. In other words, getting treatment for strep throat or a candida infection, taking anti-convunsion drugs, getting treatment for HIV, or taking herbal supplements such as St. John’s Wort, which is to treat depression, could, unknowingly, increase the chances of pregnancy.

All of this could be bad news to pill users who use only one method of contraception, despite governmental campaigns to discourage this choice of action. To be safe, seek advice from a health professional whenever introducing a new drug to your body on whether it would conflict with birth control use.

The birth control pill has been a symbol of female empowerment since the 1960s, when its use first emerged. It allows highly effective birth control to be used by women without the co-operation of their partner, and statistically reduces risks of endometrial and ovarian cancers.

Why, then, does it remain the axis of medical and social speculation?

When I had my first appointment at Health Services to get a prescription for birth control, I asked the health professional that had been assigned to help me: “I don’t mean to offend, but... isn’t birth control kind of like trading babies for cancer?”

The short answer to that, is, of course, no. Just like my image of university as an orgy jungle with peripheral academic involvement, I was not in a position to make a correct judgement about the pill, mostly because I was too impressionable.

Even later, when I took the time to do research, it became obvious that the views about birth control pill depend solely on personal values.

Personal values set aside, even with scientific research underway, all conclusions about the birth control pill are, in a way, temporary and tentative. They rest upon variables that have been solidified by the latest research and may become a variable one again in the close future.

See PILL, next page

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Science & Technology

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

31

The pill: red or blue?

Continued from page 30

Commonly known side-effects of birth control pills are nausea, headaches, depression, increased risk of blood clots and increased chance of heart attack or stroke for smokers aged over 35. But among those side-effects is decreased libido, a side-effect that is listed among the other side-effects, yet hardly taken seriously. Few people know it could be a potential indicator that an individual is at risk of sexual dysfunction.

In 2006, the Journal of Sexual Medicine published an article documenting the long-term testosterone effects that birth control users are at risk of. At a glance, the results of this article could be dismissed as outdated, and wrongfully so, as the results gathered from this research are “the culmination of seven years of observational research,” where they observed “many women with sexual dysfunction who had used the oral contraceptive but whose sexual and hormonal problems persisted despite stopping the birth control pill,” said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, a urologist and the senior author of the research project.

The article published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine was titled “Impact of Oral Contraceptives on Sex Hormone Binding Globulin and Androgen Levels: A Retrospective Study in Women with Sexual Dysfunction.” It measured levels of sex hormone binding globulin, the protein that builds testosterone, before and after discontinuation of birth control pill use.

The study involved 124 premenopausal women, broken down into three categories: “Oral Contraceptive Continued-Users” who had been taking oral contraceptives for at least six months, “Oral Contraceptive DiscontinuedUsers” who had been on oral contraceptives for over six months but discontinued, and “Never-Users of Oral Contraceptives” who had never taken oral contraceptives.

Shockingly, the results gathered from the study showed that SHGB values in “Oral Contraceptive Continued-Users” were four

times as high as those in the “Never-Users of Oral Contraceptives” group.

Even more discouragingly, the elevated levels of SHGB in “Oral Contraceptive Continued-Users” did not decrease to the level of those who had never used the contraceptive, thus indicating the possibility for long-term health problems such as sexual dysfunction, the symptoms of which include “decreased desire, arousal, decreased lubrication, and increased sexual pain,” according to Dr. Claudia Panzer, an endocrinologist and head author of the study. She also stresses the importance of early detection, urging physicians to analyze the patient’s situation and “recognize the link between sexual dysfunction and the oral contraceptive and not to attribute these complaints solely to psychological causes.”

Another indication that hormonal contraceptives have room for improvement is the Evra patch incident, the use of which has caused 16 cases of blood clots and one heart attack since it was introduced in 2004, according to CBC Canada.

However, Dr. Melissa Mirosh, former member of the contraception advice, research and education fellowship program at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont, does not share the public concern for Evra. “There so far has been absolutely no medical proof worldwide that Evra causes clots above and beyond any of the other products on the market,” she says.

Disappointingly, my taking of the birth control pill for contraceptive purposes came in embarrassingly little use in the six months I was on it. I made the decision to go off because I was unsure of how much modification my body could take while maintaining all the necessary processes to be healthy. Like I mentioned previously, the facts of today’s science rest upon pillars that were variable not so long ago, and could be re-prioritized in the near future as science progresses. alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Taylor Helferty

Attempt to bring back extinct tortoise

staff reporter

An international group of scientists, including a geneticist from British Columbia. are out to bring back the extinct giant tortoise species Geochelone elephantopus. This species was wiped out by overharvesting more than a century ago. By matching the genetic material of the extinct species to that of a tortoise from the island Isabela in the Galapagos (where the species used to live), these scientists hope to breed a new species that is a hybrid of the two. In December, the team will go to the island to extract genetic material from the tortoises. They will then choose extractions that share more genetic material with the extinct species than the others, and start a captive-breeding program in hopes of eventually breeding near-purebred G. elephantopus. This research could really spell a lot for future lost species.

DRM not just bad for us

DRM, or digital rights management, has been the bane of all digital music lovers for a while now.

DRM basically limits usage of digital media and is used by big companies like Apple, Sony, and Microsoft (Vista was filled to the brim with it).

Not only is DRM bad for the user, it is also bad for the environment. First of all, devices using DRM use 25 per cent more power than other devices. They also hinder the discontinuation of physical media (such as CDs), which is a big environmental step forward. Everyone may love the feeling of “ownership” that comes with a CD of their favourite album, but there are so many more resources used than having the track digitally downloaded. I’m not promoting the pirating of music, but rather deterring the advancement of DRM, as it both makes it harder for even honest downloading of music, and holds back a great motion in terms of reduced resource use.

Bamboo bike frames grown by maker

Craig Calfee of Santa Cruz, California has been making bamboo bikes for a long time, but they’re getting more popular (even with a $2700 USD price for the frames). So instead of building them into the frame shape, he’s going to start growing them into that shape. He forces the normally straight bamboo to grow through barriers he created. This way, the fast-growing bike frames can be grown in larger supply, cut down on the time it takes to build the bikes, and increase production. Not only is this a good sign for any green enthusiasts, but it’s also great for normal bikers. Bamboo is lighter and stronger than most metals normally found in bikes, and it absorbs impact and road vibrations incredibly well. It also has a much more minimal impact on the environment, since bamboo grows back so quickly.

Jet packs at a Christmas tree near you

Last week Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy successfully flew across the English Channel with his own jet-propelled set of wings. He jumped out of a plane 8,800 feet above ground, turned on the jet pack, and flew the 22 miles in less than 15 minutes.

He got back down by parachute. To make it even more admirable, he steered with his head and upper body. To turn, he twisted his head and shoulders in according direction, bending over to go down, and looking up to go up. The wings themselves are 121 pounds when loaded with fuel and carry four kerosene-burning jet turbines. As well as the wind and high altitudes, a heat-resistant suit keept Rossy from getting too hot from the turbines.

When I heard about this, I definitely thought to myself: “I want one of those.” thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

—With files from Digg, CNN News, Sympatico News, and EgoGeek

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Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Fighting Spirit

Flock of Hawks take down Warriors

Waterloo lost to Laurier 38 – 23 but fought valiantly, put up a great defense, and played their best performance since the game against McMaster.

Matt Hayes Reporter

H

omecoming is an action-packed weekend designed to welcome back Waterloo’s alumni from years past. This year’s Homecoming hosted a number of events for guests to see and participate in. The AHS Fun Run took place on Saturday morning.

Though the weather seemed grim, this was not reflected on the faces of the participants who took to Ring Road for a jog, walk, or skate in the drizzle. We Are Warriors organized a Homecoming celebration that included a pancake breakfast, DJ Soundbwoy, and a beach volleyball tournament — all culminating with a terrific march over to the football game led by the always enthusiastic Warrior Band.

The Waterloo versus Wilfrid Laurier Battle of Waterloo football game acted as the main attraction on Saturday for all those attending the Homecoming celebration and provided a very entertaining spectacle for those in attendance. Saturday afternoon brought The Trews to Homecoming who proceeded to rock the Columbia Ice Fields in a free outdoor concert that certainly thrilled all those who made it out into the dampness.

On Saturday, September 27, 2008 the highly anticipated Battle of Waterloo finally took place on friendly soil when the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (3-2) travelled to the newly established Warrior Field to battle the Waterloo Warriors (1-4). This is the first time the two teams have done battle with Waterloo acting as the home team. There was certainly a different feel in the air as, with nearly 3,000 fans looking on, the two fierce rivals took to the field.

The game began with a defensive battle until the home team in black managed a safety at 6:13 in the first quarter. The quarter ended with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Wilfrid Laurier’s Luke Thompson to put the Hawks up 7-2 going into the second quarter.

Thompson continued his strong play in the second quarter with another deep touchdown pass and a one-yard run for 14 more points for the visitors. Waterloo picked up another two points on a safety and, with 15 seconds left in the half, UW quarterback Evan Martin found Sean Cowie for a 19-yard touchdown pass to send both teams to the locker rooms with Wilfrid Laurier leading 21-11.

The second half began with the first field goal of the game

by Wilfrid Laurier’s Chris Mamo from 38 yards out to push

_ ethan oblack

the lead to 13. However, the Warriors were not ready to give up on the Battle of Waterloo quite yet. With a sea of energetic Black and Gold clad fans on their side, they ended the quarter on a 12-0 run to cut the lead to only one point.

The fourth quarter is where things seemed to unravel for the Warriors. They were unable to post any points to complete the rally. Meanwhile, Wilfrid Laurier quarterback Thompson was able to connect on two more long touchdown receptions to post a final score of 38-23 for the visitors in purple.

The end decision, although obviously not favouring the Warriors, can be looked at in a number of optimistic ways. The coaches did an excellent job of preparing the black and gold team for such a hyped-up event and, were it not for a handful of clutch plays by Wilfrid Laurier’s go-to athletes, the game could have been much different. The Warriors’ offence, who have found some struggles as of late, rebounded against a tenacious Wilfrid Laurier defense and played their best game since the Black and Gold Day against McMaster. The Warriors now look forward to their next game on October 4 against the Guelph Gryphons at Warrior Field.

Courtesy ethan oblack

Courtesy ethan oblack

Courtesy wen zhang Courtesy wen zhang

Courtesy ethan oblack

Join the Imprint team for a week, a term, an undergraduate career. Our next general staff meeting runs on October 6, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. in the Imprint Office (SLC 1116), where we tear the last issue apart and prepare for issues still to come.

Drop in to see if student journalism is right for you!

34

Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Warrior Wrap-up Upcoming Games

Baseball

Game Recaps Men’s Hockey

Men’s Soccer

Men’s Soccer

Saturday, October 4 vs. Brock, 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 4 At Windsor, 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 5 At Michigan, 5:05 p.m.

Saturday, September 27 Waterloo 2 Brock 1

Cross Country

Sunday, October 5 At Western, 1:00 p.m.

Women’s Hockey

Sunday, September 28 McMaster 6 Waterloo 0

Saturday, October 4 vs. Laurier, 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

Saturday, October 4 Queen’s Open

Men’s Rugby

Saturday, October 4 vs. Windsor, 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Rugby Saturday, October 4 At Western, 1:00 p.m.

Football Saturday, October 4 vs. Guelph, 1:00 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Saturday, October 4 At Windsor, 3:15 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

Sunday, October 5 At Western, 3:15 p.m.

Saturday, October 4 At York, 11:30 a.m.

Women’s Field Hockey Saturday, October 4 At Carleton, 2:15 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Saturday, October 4 At York, 9:00 a.m.

Sunday, October 5 vs. Toronto at Carleton, 8:30 a.m. vs. Guelph at Carleton, 1:00 p.m.

Baseball Sunday, September 28 McMaster 3 Waterloo 2 McMaster 9 Waterloo 3

Golf Monday, September 22 Queen’s Invitational Men 2nd

Saturday, September 27 Brock 2 Waterloo 0 Sunday, September 28 McMaster 2 Waterloo 1

Football

Thursday, September 25 Queen’s Invitational Men 1st Women 3rd

Men’s Hockey (Exhibition)

Saturday, September 27 Waterloo 35 RMC 11

Women’s Tennis

Saturday, September 27 Brock 22 Waterloo 0

Women’s Soccer OUA Standings

Men’s Soccer OUA Standings

Saturday, September 27 Laurier 38 Waterloo 23

Men’s Rugby

Friday, September 26 Waterloo 6 Ottawa 5

Badminton

Saturday, October 4 At York, 10:00 a.m.

Women’s Rugby

Saturday, September 27 McGill 7 Waterloo 0

Men’s Basketball Saturday, October 4 vs. Guelph at Fergus, 3:00 p.m.

Swimming Saturday, October 4 At Laurier, 1:00 p.m.

East Division GP W L 8 7 1 Toronto 9 6 2 Ottawa 8 5 3 Queen’s 9 4 3 Carleton Laurentian 8 4 4 7 3 3 Ryerson 8 3 4 Nipissing 9 2 7 RMC 8 0 7 Trent

Sunday, October 5 vs. Toronto/Guelph, 11:30 a.m.

Golf Saturday, October 4 - Sunday, October 5 Waterloo Invitational, 1:30 p.m.

Monday, October 6 Guelph Invitational, 10:00 a.m.

Imprint Office Hours: Monday and Friday 8:30a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

University of Waterloo Campus

email:

sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

T PTS 0 21 1 19 0 15 2 14 0 12 1 10 1 10 6 0 1 1

West Division GP W L T PTS McMaster 8 5 0 3 18 York 8 5 1 2 17 Brock 8 5 1 2 17 8 4 0 4 16 Laurier 9 3 3 3 12 Western 4 Waterloo 8 1 6 1 3 Windsor 9 0 6 3 3 Guelph 8 1 7 0

Football OUA Standings GP 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Queen’s Western Ottawa Windsor Laurier Guelph McMaster Toronto Waterloo York

W 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 0

L 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5

T OTL PTS 10 0 0 8 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0

Men’s Rugby OUA Standings

East Division GP W Carleton 10 9 Toronto 8 6 Laurentian 8 4 Ryerson 8 3 Queen’s 8 2 Trent 8 2 Nipissing 8 1 RMC 10 0

GP 3 3 4 4 4

W 2 2 1 1 0

L 0 1 3 3 4

T 1 0 0 0 0

PTS 11 9 5 4 0

York Western Laurier Windsor McMaster Waterloo Brock Guelph

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Guelph Western Waterloo Laurier Windsor McMaster

W 4 2 2 2 1 0

L 0 1 2 2 3 0

GP 8 9 8 9 8 8 8 8

W 7 4 4 2 2 2 2 2

L 0 2 1 3 4 4 5 6

T PTS 1 22 3 15 3 15 4 10 2 8 2 8 1 7 0 6

Baseball OUA Standings GP W L PTS Team 14 11 3 22 Brock 13 9 4 18 Western McMaster 13 8 5 16 Waterloo 13 6 7 12 16 6 10 12 Toronto 14 5 9 10 Laurier 15 4 11 8 Guelph

Women’s Rugby OUA Standings Russell Division Guelph Queen’s Trent Toronto York

GP 4 4 4 4 4

W 4 2 2 1 0

L 0 2 2 3 4

T 0 0 0 0 0

PTS 8 4 4 2 0

Shiels Division

West Division GP 4 4 4 4 4 0

T PTS 0 27 1 19 1 13 2 11 2 8 2 8 4 7 2 2

West Division

East Division Queen’s Brock RMC Toronto Trent

L 1 1 3 3 4 4 3 8

T 0 1 0 0 0 0

PTS 18 12 10 10 5 2

Western McMaster Brock Laurier Waterloo

GP 4 4 4 4 4

W 4 2 2 1 1

L 0 1 1 3 3

T 0 1 1 0 0

PTS 8 5 5 2 2

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10/1/08

11:02 AM

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October 4 WLU Golden Hawks 7:30 PM CIF Arena

warrior warrior [M][W]golf baseball

warrior warrior [M] rugby swimming

October 4 - 5

October 4

October 4

October 5

Warrior Invitational

vs Brock Badgers

vs Windsor Lancers

vs Toronto & Guelph

Whistle Bear GC, Cambridge

1:00 and 3:00 PM Jack Couch Park, Kitchener

3:00 PM CIF Field #1

11:30 AM PAC Pool

®

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Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Waterloo wins!

Photos submitted by Dave Hollinger

36

UW Golf Team from left to right: Matt Sim, Bowie Abbis-Mills, Jimmy Latta, Arjun Walia, (coaches) Dave Hollinger, and Jack Pearse. In photo: Arjun Walia.

Golf Gold Tina Ironstone sports and living assistant editor

T

he Warriors golf team have competed in and won four out of five tournaments over the past five weeks. They won gold in Ottawa at the 36-hole event with a score of 592. At the St. Lawrence Invitation in Canton, New York, the Warriors won with 591. Garret Rank and Bowie Abbis-Mills both shared the individual silver medal. Similar results were repeated at the St. Lawrence Invitational in Canton, New York.

In this 14 team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 3 event, the Warriors posted a 36 hole score of 591, which was good for a 12 shot victory. Garrett Rank and Bowie Abbis- Mills shared the silver individual medal with three over par scores. The hot streak continued when the team traveled to the Windsor Invitational where they won with a total of 294.

UW actually had two teams playing in the tournament, which unfortunately meant that Arjun Walia could not become a medallist because he was on

the second team. Due to regulations set forth by Ontario University Athletics, only one team per school is allowed to place. More unfortunate news followed at the Queen’s invitational as University of Toronto won by three strokes.

Luckily, good news was soon to follow from an unlikely tournament. In previous years, the Warriors struggled and lost at the Western Invitational in St. Thomas Golf Club, but this year the team pulled together and brought home the gold medal with a low score of 299. The top score of the tournament was the young Bowie Abbis-Miss who delivered an even par score of 72. A few other great scorers delivered scores in the 70s: Captain Jimmy Latta and Matt Sim had scores of 75, and Arjun Walia scored 77s.

The Warriors will be hosting their own 36-hole tournament to be held this weekend on Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th.

Stop by and show some support for your Warriors this weekend. Go Warriors.

UW hockey nets two victories Matt Hayes Reporter

T

his past weekend marked the beginning of the Waterloo men’s hockey pre-season schedule with a pair of games at the Columbia Ice Fields.

Friday night, the Ottawa Gee Gees made the trip from the nation’s capital to battle a strong Warrior team in what turned out to be a thrilling spectacle for all those in attendance.

The Warriors engaged the visiting Gee Gees in a highly physical affair sparked by a series of devastating body checks from Thomas Cardiff.

Tied at three going into the third period, the Warriors fell behind after two goals from the Gee Gees.

With only six minutes remaining, the home team rallied to tie the game once more and force overtime.

After a scoreless overtime period, the game was decided in a shootout on the back of some key saves by goaltender Josh Hartigan and a top-shelf forehand from Jordan Brenner.

The Warriors, upon securing their first win of the season, looked forward to the following day and their face-off against McGill.

Saturday was another exciting battle when the defending OUA Champions McGill Redmen faced off with a highly energized Warriors team. The game was a close affair heading into the third period with the Warriors holding a 3-1 advantage led by the strong play of Doug Spooner, Chris Ray, and Kyle Schwende, as well as a high-energy performance from Cory Fraser.

Three goals in the first 10 minutes of the third blew the game wide open, putting the men in black and gold up 6-1. The game ended in a decisive 6-2 Warrior victory over the defending champs. It put the Warriors at two wins and zero losses on the year, setting the stage for what is looking to be a very promising hockey season.

The Warriors’ next action comes when they travel south to battle the Michigan Wolverines on October 5.

If you want to keep up-to-date on upcoming sports games, visit the university athletics website at http://www.athletics.uwaterloo.ca/varsity/2007_08_scoreboard/scoreboard.html. On the site you can find scores, upcoming games, tickets, and webcasts.

cironstone@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

October 4

vs Guelph Gryphons

Athletes of the Week

1:00 PM Warrior Field Warrior [M] Rugby October 4

Warrior [W] Hockey

Kelly-Lynne Spettigue

October 4

Cross Country

vs Windsor Lancers

vs WLU Golden Hawks

3:00 PM, CIF Field #1

7:30 PM, CIF Arena

Warrior Baseball October 4

vs Brock Badgers 1:00 & 3:30 PM Jack Couch Park, Kitchener

Warrior Swimming October 5

vs Toronto & Guelph 11:30 AM, PAC Pool

Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005

IMPRINT | OCTOBER 3

3rd year, Engineering Waterloo, ON

Bowie Abbis-Mills Golf 2nd year, Economics Carleton Place, ON

Imprint, Friday, October 3, 2008

Love, life, buddha

Features

17

Buddhism 101 Maggie Gasparetto Reporter

I

struggle to try to think what misconceptions people have about Buddhism.

I don’t really remember what I used to think before I got into it, but I think it probably involved monks with shaved heads and people sitting crossed-legged and saying “om” a lot. Now, these things are definitely a part of Buddhism, but there’s a lot more to it than that. I think my worst misconception was that being Buddhist required you to be a saint — holy and perfect. Now that I’m practicing it and I know a lot more about it, I realize that this isn’t true. All Buddhists, including laypeople, monks and nuns, are always striving to improve themselves in order to attain enlightenment.

There are two major sects of Buddhism, Mahayana and Theravada, and each contain subdivisions. They each differ in their practices, beliefs, and deities. However, both are connected by the common threads of the “three refuges” known as the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The Buddha refers to the belief in Buddha himself (which some sects believe in as a living deity and others simply view as a historical personage). The Dharma are the teachings of the Buddha that help guide you on the road to enlightenment. The Sangha is the vehicle for these teachings; the support of the Buddhist community (laypersons) and the mentorship and wisdom gained from Buddhist monks and nuns.

Mahayana is by far the most popular sect (it’s also referred to as the “greater vehicle” for its ability to reach more people). Mahayana is part of a very rich cultural tradition that includes many rituals. This sect of Buddhism varies according to the locale. It is practiced

widely in China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Tibet, and Vietnam.

I consider myself part of the Theravada sect which has fewer practitioners. This sect has most of its followers in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, and some southern areas of China. The main difference between Theravada and Mahayana is that Theravada solely teaches the words of the Guatama, or historical Buddha, and the Buddhas of the past, while Mahayana practitioners believe in both the Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas left out of the Theravada practice. Though when it comes to actually applying Buddhism to dealing with day-to-day issues, the differences in beliefs between the sects are trivial matters.

All Buddhists are practising in order to reach the same ultimate goals of compassion and enlightenment.

Depending on your practice, Buddhism can be viewed as either a religion or a non-religious philosophy. But, however you choose to define it, Buddhism is quintessentially a daily practice.

What really counts is how you conduct your life and how you see the world. There is no god that you are required to pray to, and no beliefs that you are required to hold. I use the word “required” because nothing in Buddhism is meant to be read and believed unthinkingly. It is not insisted that you necessarily agree with everything put forth to you (for example if you do not believe in reincarnation in a literal sense). Rather, you

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must only accept that the beliefs of others are as much possible as anything else is, for there is no way of truly knowing. To blindly believe would be pointless in helping you become enlightened.

It is only through contemplation, meditation, and thinking for ourselves, that we can really learn to be enlightened.

I know that I’m throwing this word enlightenment around a lot, so I should probably clarify what that means in the context of Buddhism. Each person is believed to be on a path to becoming fully enlightened, and they travel toward this goal by moving through various lives (reincarnation) until they have reached “bodhi” which is a Sanskrit word meaning awakening. Whether you believe in the process literally or not, bodhi is still something to strive for. The path to enlightment can colour your Sonia Lee world. When you begin to practise Buddhism, you will begin to start seeing things differently, and these changes can be either subtle or very dramatic. The nature of Buddhists is that we all contain a “Buddha nature” and that we are all quite capable of becoming enlightened, we may just not have realized this potential yet.

There are five basic rules (called the Five Precepts) in Buddhism that the layperson is supposed to follow, or attempt to follow to the best of their ability. The first is to not kill or physically hurt others, and to be aware of the impact that killing and violence have on the other inhabitants of the earth.

The second precept is often translated as “do not steal” but actually is better described as “do not take which does not belong to you.” Basically, this entails respecting others and their property and not forcing another person to do something. To do this would be taking their free will from them, in other words, being manipulative. The third precept is to be aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct such as sleeping around without caring about your partner. The fourth precept is to be aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech. Lying, gossiping, and hurtful speech can be a serious detriment to other people’s mental well-being. The fifth and final precept is to not ingest intoxicants, including alcohol. The reason for this is that when we drink we are not of a clear mind and it is therefore more likely that we will not follow the other precepts. For example, cheating, gossiping, and starting fights are all much more likely to occur when everyone is hammered.

Keep in mind, these precepts are meant to make the path to enlightenment possible. Put in more universal terms, they are meant to help you be the best person possible. The great thing about Buddhism is that there is virtually no exclusivity. It doesn’t matter if you already practice an organized religion or if you consider yourself atheistic or agnostic. One of Buddhism’s central teachings is that having faith in one religion does not exclude you from learning from another. For example, if you are a Catholic you may gain wisdom from the teachings of Christ and also from the teachings of Buddha. You can think of enlightenment as the beacon at the top of a pyramid. You can reach this beacon by crawling up the pyramid from any side; all that really matters is that you start your journey and keep climbing. As this is true, it is also true that it is not what you believe that matters, but only how you treat others and conduct yourself in the time you have on this earth.

On Oct. 14, vote

Cindy Jacobsen on Jack Layton’s team in

KitchenerWaterloo 9 Close the widening income gap 9 Set tough environmental targets 9 Invest in sustainable solutions 9 Protect public healthcare 9 Provide a real alternative to Stephen Harper

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