Imprint_2008-10-31_v31_i16

Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper

Friday, October 31, 2008

imprint . uwaterloo . ca

vol 31, no 16

Halloween haunting — Can you best this ghostly tale?

See page 11 for details

“There will be controversies” Maggie Clark Editor-in-chief

Though Feds President Justin Williams called it the “most open” discussion the UW administration has held on the satellite campus set to open in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next fall, student representatives came away from a board of governors meeting on Tuesday, October 28 with now-familiar frustration over administrative responses to student questions.

“I am not confident that our concerns will be addressed by September, if at all,” said Science Councillor Sam Andrey. “Because I have yet to hear from administration that any of our concerns are even on their radar. All members of the campus, including students, have a right, as stakeholders of the institution, to question this initiative.”

The initiative Andrey refers to is a Canadian first: an overseas satellite campus in Dubai, following the “2+2” model that has students spending two years in the United Arab Emirates, then transferring to UW’s main campus for their final two. The faculty of engineering will be implementing two programs in Fall 2009, chemical and civil engineering, while the faculty of math aims to start financial analysis and risk management, as well as information technology management, in 2010. According to Acting Dean of Engineering Leo Rothenburg, UW anticipates an admission rate of about 50 to 60 students per program.

The prominence of co-op makes this program, developed in partnership with the Higher College of Technology in Dubai, distinct from other North American satellite campuses in the region. The campus will create around 40 new faculty positions, expand UW international reach to a “strategic area of the globe,” and bring in $22 million in new funding. When classes commence in September 2009, Dubai will join the existing Cambridge and Kitchener satellite campuses, as well as developing ones in Stratford and Nanjing, China.

“Each one of these satellite campuses has its own list of challenges,” said UW Provost Amit Chakma on Tuesday, later adding: “Clearly this is the most risky [sic] decision [the university has made], and yet potentially the most rewarding of all.”

UW President David Johnston spoke similarly, stating that “Our students will be exposed to the entire globe

Students seek straight talk from UW administration on the UAE satellite campus — but can we handle the answers? tifa han

in terms of their thinking.” When asked about possible conflicts in relation to individual freedoms, he noted that “there will be controversies.” It is this set of controversies — their breadth and depth, as well as UW’s plans to deal with any fallout from them — that presently dominate student inquiry, and have thus far only widened the understanding gap between student representatives and UW administration in public meetings.

Dialogue disconnect Most of the discussion leading up to present student concerns surrounds a satellite campus in Abu Dhabi, as that was the original location where UW aimed to develop this program (and where there is talk of expanding still). In a meeting of the UW senate October 17, 2007, Chakma presented the framework of UW programming in the UAE, and noted among possible risk factors “political instability or ‘falling out of favour,” according to the minutes. In response to questions, it was stated that the UAE is “highly westernized and friendly to women.”

At this time Chakma also agreed to investigate possible required religion courses. The question of homosexuality in the UAE, meanwhile, first arose in the minutes for April, 2008: “While

homosexuality is illegal in the UAE, the Emirati philosophy of ‘live and let live’ prevails and a good deal is ‘overlooked’.” In their June board meeting, Chakma stated that UW “has an exit strategy,” cited the Canadian Embassy in the UAE’s strong endorsement for this campus, and noted that UW is “preparing a briefing handbook” pertaining to “cultural, statutory and judicial practices [and] standards.”

At this time the minutes also note that “participation on site ... will be voluntary and it will be incumbent on individuals to assess their own level of comfort regarding risk, and with respect to human rights.”

At this past Tuesday’s board meeting, Chakma went further, outlining the three requisite policies for a satellite campus to go forward: One, senate has to retain the right to decide who is admitted; two, UW decides what will be taught; and three, UW determines who gets to teach the courses. To date, UW has successfully negotiated the removal of a possible mandatory Islamic culture class, as well as the integration of men’s and women’s classes.

In the face of all this accumulated knowledge one might question where the disconnect arises; to understand where the information gap persists into the present, some background into UAE

kitchener | waterloo

A word about the workers Acting Dean of Engineering Leo Rothenburg himself laid out the case for UAE’s most contentious human rights issue: the problem of migrant labour rights. 95 per cent of the UAE’s labour force is made up of foreigners, and while UAE labours laws are very stringent, especially with regard to citizens, Rothenburg himself notes that “the enforcement of existing labour laws proved to be a challenge even with respect to minimum wages.”

Some three million foreign workers are caught up in this issue, which on an international stage has led to extensive reports about working conditions, living conditions, the non-existence of unions (and dispersal of attempts to unionize), as well as the presence of something similar to indentured servitude, made possible by exorbitant recruitment fees workers cannot easily pay back.

(Britain’s The Guardian, the Human Rights Watch publication “Building Towers, Cheating Workers,” and the Times Online are among good starting points for independent research.)

When these issues were raised at the Tuesday board meeting, in relation the circumstances under which UW build-

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ings have been, and will continue to be, constructed in the UAE, student representatives were met with the response that infrastructure, being developed by the university’s Dubai partners, is out of UW’s hands. Answers like these leave student groups like WPIRG, which is concerned because migrant workers are “brought into the UAE under contracts laden with false promises and exploitative terms,” according to co-ordinator Evan Coole, uncertain about their representation in UW decisions, and somewhat helpless in terms of next steps.

However, as Rothenburg notes, the situation is not so cut-and-dry: “Responding to labour unrests in 2006 and 2007, the UAE introduced an extensive set of measures to improve living and working conditions.” The UAE’s mainstream newspaper, The National, supports such claims with articles like an October 30 piece about three new hospitals opening in Abu Dhabi specifically for labourers. Rothenburg also makes note of Ontario’s own migrant worker issues—human rights matters in their own right, as participants in the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (CSAWP) are denied the right to join a union and bargain collectively.

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Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008 news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

A LOOK BACK AT U-PASS

Ethan oblak

According to a memorandum produced by the Region of Waterloo, since the implementation of the non-refundable Feds U-PASS fee in Fall 2007, GRT ridership rates have risen seven per cent with 60 per cent of that attributed to U-PASS usage at both UW and WLU. In the Fall 2007 term, UW students rode the GRT using the U-PASS 785,535 times, with 18,717 full-time students enrolled as of September 2007 it works out to about 42 rides per student for Fall 2007. UW students paid $768,894.36 in total fees for the U-PASS that term, meaning each ride on the GRT cost approximately 98 cents.

Trick or Fair Trade campus events Yang Liu news editor

T

he UW Engineers Without Borders (UWEWB) will be handing out treats on Halloween night, but they will be the ones going door-to-door. As part of their Fair Trade campaign, the UWEWB will be venturing out to the local Kitchener-Waterloo neighbourhoods in “Fair-Trade themed” costumes to hand-out Fair Trade certified chocolates and discuss Fair Trade issues with members of the local community.

The UWEWB is an international organization with chapters in Europe and North America that seeks to aid people in developing countries through engineering solutions. The Canadian chapter was founded by two UW engineering graduates George Roter and Parker Mitchell in 2000 and is a registered Canadian charity. Since then, membership has blossomed to over 22,000 nationwide and 1,800 in Kitchener-Waterloo, alone.

Social justice causes and the development of poorer nations is part of the UWEWB agenda with advocacy of Fair Trade being one of its main programs. VP Internal of UWEWB Oliva McGuire (2B environmental engineering) thinks “[Fair Trade] is one way Canadians can see a direct connection with people in developing countries.

When you buy Fair Trade grown/ made products, you know they were made in fair working conditions. You know the workers were being paid a fair wage.”

The definition of Fair Trade according to FINE, an informal association of four international Fair Trade organizations is: “a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers — especially in the south.”

The key principles of Fair Trade include market access for marginalized producers, sustainable and trading relationships, capacity building and empowerment, and consumer awareness raising and advocacy. According to Fair Trade umbrella organizations such as FLO international, “Fair Trade is, fundamentally, a response to the failure of conventional trade to deliver sustainable livelihoods and development opportunities to people in the poorest countries of the world.”

Many Fair Trade advocates push for a livable wage for workers in developing countries, and recommend a price floor on currently certified Fair Trade commodities such as coffee, tea, cocoa, frush fruits, flowers, honey, and rice.

However, Fair Trade has many detractors and skeptics such as those from the Economist who argue that Fair Trade sets a price floor which encourages existing producers to produce more, and new producers to enter — causing an excess in market supply. Due to the laws of supply and demand, prices in the non-Fair Trade markets will fall, causing those pro-

ducers to become poorer. The Cato Institute has also criticized Fair Trade calling it, “a well intentioned, interventionist scheme... doomed to end in failure. Fair Trade, is a misguided attempt to make up for market failures in which one flawed pricing structure is replaced with another.”

Market economics debate aside, students such as Niro Nalliah (4A environmental engineering), simply see their event as another way of raising the issue of poverty in developing countries. “It’s about reducing poverty, and giving small local farmers a voice,” said Nalliah.

Beyond “trick or Fair Trade,” UWEWB is pushing for more local retailers to carry Fair Trade products.

“There is a misconception that fairtrade products are more expensive, sometimes they are, but sometimes they are the same price [as non-Fair Trade products],” McGuire explains.

“Fair Trade isn’t readily available for many things, such as fresh produce.

Large grocery stores don’t see demand for it yet, but Fair Trade bananas and chocolates have been sold in small organic food stores. However, big chains such as Sobeys and Zehrs are starting to test demand for it.” Indeed, demand for Fair Trade products have been growing. In 2007, sales of Fair Trade goods totaled $3.62 billion USD worldwide, representing an increase of 47 per cent from the year before.

“If the KW community shows they want Fair Trade products they can get it,” said McGuire. yliu@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Trick or Eat Friday, October 31, 5 — 7:30 p.m. @ SLC Get dressed in your scariest Halloween costume and trick or treat to help alleviate hunger in KW. Compete in teams to collect the most non-perishable goods and win a pizza party. Registration begins at 4:30, lower level SLC. Ralph Nader Thursday, November 13, 7 p.m. @ Humanities theatre Consumer rights advocate and US presidential candidate Ralph Nader gives the keynote address for 35th anniversary of Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG).

Admission is free of charge for the general public.

Flu shot clinic Nov. 11, 12, 13, 14, 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. @ SLC multipurpose room.

Get your annual flu-shot free of charge. Students, staff, faculty, community members, etc are all welcome. Wear loose fitting short sleeve shirt.

Fall open house 2008 Saturday, November 1, 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. @ UW campus Bring your family and friends etc that are prospective UW students to tour the campus and learn about education at Waterloo.

There will be opportunity to meet professors, staff, students, and tour residences. Visit www.findoutmore. uwaterloo.ca/visitus/fallopenhouse.php for details.

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News

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

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Congo cease-fire, Soacha slum murders, and Sri Lanka air raids Nokyoung Xayasane assistant news editor

Congo rebels declare cease-fire GOMA, Congo Thousands of civilians rushed to Goma as an upsurge of fighting broke out in northern Congo, forcing Congolese rebels to declare a cease-fire. This announcement was made on October 29 in order to prevent panic as the army retreats and residents flee.

UN officials and residents said that Congolese government soldiers were in a panic and out of control — firing randomly into the air.

The multitude of escaping civilians and government soldiers poured into Goma from the north, where fighting has erupted between the army and rebel Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP. “We are not far from Goma but because there is a state of destabilization in the town we decided in our movement to cease fire and unilaterally to proclaim a cease-fire,� said Nkunda. He said that the goal of his forces was to protect his Tutsi community from attack from the Rwandan Hutu rebels.

Emile Bongeli, the Congolese deputy prime minister in charge of reconstruction, told Congolese TV that the UN was ignoring Rwanda’s participation in the conflict.

However, the Rwandan government denies any role in the dispute.“They have been accusing us, but wrongly,� said Joseph Mutaboba, the Rwandan president’s special envoy, told

BBC’s Network Africa program. The peace deal was signed in Goma by the government and the rebel groups in January. Nkunda signed the deal, but refused to disarm while Hutu rebels occupy Goma.

The UN’s biggest peacekeeping mission — 17,000 strong — has been stretched to its limit, and the call for more troops has been issued. At the present time, troops from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uruguay, and South Africa make up the majority of the existing force.

Since the collapse of the January peace deal, 250,000 civilians have fleed their homes in North Kivu. According to the UN, almost 85,000 people have been dispaced in the past two years. Congo’s 1998—2003 war and its resulting humanitarian crisis haved killed 5.4 million people. — With files from BBC, CNN, and Reuters Columbian soldiers fired after probe into killings SOACHA, Columbia The Colombian military fired 27 soldiers after a probe into the killings of at least 11 men who vanished from an impoverished Bogota suburb.

Julian Oviedo, a 19-year-old construction worker, left his home on March 2 to inquire about a job. A day later, Oviedo was shot to death by army troops — classified as a subversive and registered as a combat kill.

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President à lvaro Uribe’s government fired the officiers and soldiers, including generals and colonels, who were connected with the death of Oviedo and ten other young men from the Soacha slum. Their bodies were discovered in unmarked graves in the combat zone.

Uribe told a news conference on Wednesday that an internal military investigation uncovered “crimes that in some regions had the goal of killing innocents, to make it seem as if criminals were being confronted.�

Human Rights groups have previously accused the military of killing civilians and presenting them as dead rebel fighters. This practice is termed “false positives� by the rights groups, and “extrajudicial killings� by international organizations.

According to prosecutors and researchers, soldiers were reportedly under intense pressure to register combat kills in order to earn promotions and benefits, such as time-off and extra pay. This strain has resulted in the climbing number of civilian killings — a brutal aspect of Columbia’s long internal war. “Throughout the year there was a significant increase in reports of crimes of this kind attributed to members of the security forces, especially members of the army and the police,� said the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

A UN source said that it receives between 200 to 300 allegations per year about the forced disappearances and executions committed by the police or army. — With files from the New York Times and CNN

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Tamil Tigers bomb army base COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels bombed a power station outside Colombo on October 28. The aircraft attack came an hour after rebels bombed a major army base in the district of Mannar, 250 km north of Colombo, which caused minor damages and injured one soldier.

Radar identified an aircraft heading south over the Indian Ocean towards Colombo. As a precaution, power was switched off and the city was draped in darkness; jets and air defences were activated. The sound of antiaircraft guns reverberated shortly after.

The group has asserted air strike capabilities since their first mission in March 2007.

The bombing runs were the eighth and ninth attacks by the rebel airforce. The Tigers have not claimed responsibility for the attacks.

BBC’s Sri Lanka correspondent, Roland Buerk, said that these air raids come after the Tigers saw setbacks on the ground. They have been driven from many northwesern coastal towns and villages. Also, their stronghold of Killinochchi is under attack from the northern army.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland for the last quarter century, and 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict. — With files from BBC, CNN, and Reuters nxayasan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

UAE: A tangled web of student issues Continued from cover

However, as Rothenburg notes, the situation is not so cut-and-dry: “Responding to labour unrests in 2006 and 2007, the UAE introduced an extensive set of measures to improve living and working conditions.” The UAE’s mainstream newspaper, The National, supports such claims with articles like an October 30 piece about three new hospitals opening in Abu Dhabi specifically for labourers. Rothenburg also makes note of Ontario’s own migrant worker issues—human rights matters in their own right, as participants in the canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (CSAWP) are denied the right to join a union and bargain collectively.

According to Rothenburg, “court challenges under the Charter of Rights will soon close this unfortunate chapter of our history,” but the juxtaposition nevertheless challenges students to acknowledge where progress is being made. In response to concerns about the possible risk (to our reputation) of a co-op faculty at a prominently co-op university developing in a country with such overwhelming human rights labour issues, Rothenburg expressed confidence that the positive changes being observed in the UAE are the result of “education, engagement, and recognition of universal human values,” and that “our engagement in the UAE will serve to accelerate these processes.”

“High risk behaviours” The National reported a few cases in 2008 about the consequences of public indecency in Dubai. In May, 2008, two foreign women were convicted of public indecency — cuddling

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and kissing on a public beach — and spent a month in jail before deportation to their countries of origin. In mid-October, two British nationals, a man and a woman, were convicted for sex on a beach (while intoxicated) and sentenced to three months before deportation. The National also noted a case earlier in 2008 involving locals — a man who kissed his wife in their car — who got off with a warning not to kiss in public again.

“Please be aware of the customs and laws [of the UAE] before you go,” Johnston told students at the board of governors meeting. “If there’s something you need to be cautious of, be cautious of it.” In reading up on UAE morality laws, student representatives of Feds, senate, and GLOW – The Queer and Questioning Community, expressed concerns about how the UW satellite campus would protect faculty and students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, considering the often severe treatment of homosexuals under Dubai law. The United Arab Emirates operates federally under Sharia law (in conjunction with the Federal Penal Code), which sets death by stoning as the punishment for rape and sodomy (Article 354). Dubai’s own penal code, which students would instead encounter if placed under arrest, sets a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment for consensual sodomy (Article 80).

40 “cross-dressing tourists” were arrested in July 2008, as part of a campaign against transvestites launched in May, for “behaving like the opposite gender in public,” Dubai Police Chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim told Emirates Today. Tamim also went on record stating that he feels “studying in a mixed environment is the reason behind the increase in this problem.” Furthermore, in 2005, 26 men were arrested in a Dubai hotel for participation in a gay wedding cer-

emony: according to the CBC, 12 were sentenced to five years in prison for homosexuality, and one more apiece for obscenity. On October 10, 2008, CBC also reported that a Novia Scotia resident was waiting in the UAE for a security officer to accept her apology for being disrespectful and drunk: as noted in Soliman’s comments about discretionary powers, this officer alone had the power to drop the charges and send her home before the case reached court.

“If there’s something you need to be cautious of, be cautious of it.”

—David Johnston, UW President According to the Department of Justice, Canada has no extradition treaty with the UAE. However, in their report on the lesbian couple jailed for public indecency, The National notes an existing UAE law not brought up

by UW administration in response to student concerns: specifically, a policy of deportation “in cases of public morality ... when a charge of committing a scandalous public act has been proved against any foreign national.” Despite this, as noted above, jail time served in the UAE often precedes this policy’s implementation in practice.

Problems with perception Since the litany of queer and labour-related concerns — by students on the aforementioned Facebook group, panelists at an Imprint forum, and student representatives at administrative meetings — directly addresses UAE law, regional news stories, and on-the-ground scenario questions, it is not surprising that some students feel these concerns represent a direct conflict between UW student interest

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groups and the UAE. These counter-concerns manifest in diverse ways: Everything from accusations of intolerance for (and ignorance toward) non-Western countries, to arrogance at the perceived desire to impose Western values as superior, to arguments against the viability of any approach other than full co-operation with a country UW eventually wants to influence.

International students speaking at the Imprint October 9 campus

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forum especially marked upon statements by Coole (WPIRG) and Tommy Blanchard (Atheists, Agnostics, and Freethinkers of Kitchener-Waterloo), who both suggested that by using the satellite campus to spread our country’s social justice values, UW could better justify its presence in the region.

Two UAE exchange students commented on the presumption of such an aim, urging students to view the opportunity as a chance to learn, not preach. The board on Tuesday offered similar rejoinders: “Once you go you have to abide by the rules of the country,” said Chakma.

“It’s good to recognize that people think differently.”

On the whole, however, these counter-concerns can be misleading: student representatives have promoted their questions and concerns almost entirely in relation to UW administration. One clear example of this arises from GLOW co-ordinator Paul Cyr, who writes in with a Community Editorial on page eight, in short expressing extreme disapproval for UW’s perceived lack of answers about human rights and the effect this satellite campus could have on university discrimination policies.

These policies bear mention: Policy 33, on ethical behaviour, states that “as required by the Ontario Human Rights Code, the university has a responsibility to provide an environment free from harassment and discrimination” and requires that “services, benefits, opportunities, and facilities offered by the University be compatible with its purposes and be provided to all persons in the university with the relevant qualifications.

Thus, such provisions shall not be denied wholly or partly on irrelevant or prohibited grounds.” (Full text available at www.secretariat.uwaterloo.ca, under “Policies”) Arguments by Cyr, Andrey, and Williams question whether faculty or students are safe to manifest all aspects of their identity, including sexual orientation, in the UAE — both on campus and off — and if not, why UW is pursuing a campus in a region where equal opportunities for advancement (through placement in the UAE) and freedom from harassment and discrimination may not be available to all. There is a great deal of nuance to this argument, as the matter of individual choice emerges frequently in board and student responses alike. “It’s an opportunity as well as a risk,” said Fil Krynicku, 2A computer science. “Students should be aware of that and make their own decisions.” Yet Andrey notes whole communities could feel more pressure to self-discriminate, stating that “I don’t think all members of our campus, particularly our queer

community, would feel completely comfortable, and our administration is on record stating that not everyone would be comfortable participating.

Obviously that leads me to question the choice of location, since that was a given conclusion going into the project.”

And yet a more precise description of the present situation might be found later on in the policy, though: According to Policy 33, a “poisoned environment” — namely, one that is “intimidating, hostile, or offensive” — can be created “based on any of the prohibited grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code, and can be described as comment or conduct that is contrary to the aims of maintaining a supportive, respectful, and tolerant environment.”

The extent to which questions about possible discrimination were raised by students in attendance on Tuesday led one board member, community-at-large representative Paul Koenderman, to ask if the policy itself should be changed. When an Imprint reporter asked for clarification on that statement, Johnston stepped in to say that modifying Policy 33 was not an option being pursued. But part of “maintaining a supportive, respectful, and tolerant environment” lies in open communication and a willingness to discuss, not push aside, contentious matters; in keeping with the frustration student representatives express in relation to administrative discussions about Dubai, an argument could be made for a “poisoned environment” existing here at Waterloo so long as questions about identity rights, as well as UW contingency plans, are not answered in full — regardless of whether or not students find they like the answers they receive.

Risk management Asked what would be done if activities in Dubai had to wind down, the board on Tuesday shared an action plan involving the removal of these satellite campus students to Waterloo, as well as the repatriation of faculty.

“We have no physical assets,” said Johnston. “What we would lose would be our human effort and prestige.”

In his capacity as Feds president, Williams visited the UAE in September. Upon his return he shared his surprise at the kinds of critical statements he saw students permitted to make: Poster campaigns supporting women in the work place and calling into question the treatment of migrant workers were made available to him by the students he met with during his visit. “When I was in the UAE, I had the opportunity to talk to representatives from the Higher College of Technology in Dubai,” said Williams. “The conversations that I had with representatives from HCT made me feel more confident about our partnership with them.”

Williams said he was glad of the opportunity to see for himself what the UAE is like, just as some faculty have been able to do in the course of this satellite campus’ development.

However, not all UW students will have this opportunity; and many feel a choice to participate themselves would require a sacrifice in personal values or perceptions of personal safety. The question then arises: How can we bridge this divide, and offer clear answers for students? Chakma was unavailable for comment, but students invariably will arise to fill in the void. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Opinion Friday, October 31, 2008 Vol. 31, No. 16 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 Interns, Matthew Lee, Brandon Rampelt, Holly Sage, Danielle Whittemore Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, vacant president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Sherif Soliman ssoliman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Lu Jiang treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, Vanessa Pinelli secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Peter Trinh liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Dinh Nguyen Head Reporter, Vacant 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 Assistant Sports & Living, Tina Ironstone Photo Editor, Mackenzie Keast Photo Editor Assistant, Ethan Oblak Graphics Editor, Tifa Han Graphics Assistant, Jacqueline To Web Administrator, Sonia Lee Systems Administrator, vacant Production Staff Ange Gaetano, Tom Levesque, Susie Roma, Rajul Saleh, , Danielle Whittemore, Sarah Schlorff, Alicia Boers, Tejas Koshy, Graphics Team Tifa Han, Geoffery Lee, Armel Chesnais 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.

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Digging a political grave

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egative publicity, but not bias per se: This is what the Pew Research Centre’s Project for Excellence in Journalism found lying at the root of U.S. election coverage, after releasing an analysis of the media reports over the last two years, with intensive scrutiny on smaller, more pertinent time frames within. “Winning the Media Campaign: How the Press Reported on the 2008 General Election” documents how much of each kind of coverage (positive, negative, or neutral) each of the four central figures in American politics received, distinguishes topics covered by the press, addresses the amount of “horse race” coverage seen in this election, and analyses tone in individual candidate profiles.

The results of this research show that the media has “not so much cast Barack Obama in a favourable light as it has portrayed McCain in a substantially negative one.” Moreover, it found that “much of the increased attention for McCain derived from actions by the senator himself,” and attributed negative coverage more to the echo effect of horse race reporting (with media reacting to daily polls, which were themselves responding to events and gaffes on the campaign trail) than to agenda-setting pieces. In fact, the study went so far

as to note that this election saw very few agenda-setting pieces — that is, articles developing character themes outside of the immediate narrative.

The research generally indicates that the media’s tone changed as the polls changed, such that news outlets were mostly reactionary, and not proactive, in their political reports.

This kind of study fascinates me, dealing as I do with the term “liberal media” on a fairly regular basis. The media is regularly blamed for the prominence or ignominy of political figures, and during election time receives constant blame for “disrupting the democratic process” and exhibiting heavy biases to one side or the other.

Yes, the editorial board of any paper generally endorses one candidate over another during election season, in the form of a measured editorial in the Opinion section, but this practice isn’t really what people refer to when they make these accusations: they’re referring instead to the lack of “balance” in media coverage as a whole.

If an article is critical towards one candidate, it’s biased. If there are more critical articles for one candidate than another in any organization’s canon, then the paper is biased. And this is so marvellously wrong-headed a

complaint I’m almost at a loss in trying to address it.

Here’s why: a complaint, by its very nature, suggests that how things are is not how things should be, so in the case of condemning the media for “lacking balance,” this suggests the critics want every negative story to be paired with a positive on the same issue; or paired with an equally negative story about the opponent. And yes, there are some instances wherein such balance is warranted: Specifically, when and where that perfect balance exists in the real world. But where there is dissonance — where public polls and the number of incidents pertaining to one individual over another are unequal — to write a “balanced” piece, or maintain a “balanced” newspaper, journalists would have to ignore reality. In so doing, they would still be “imposing” a certain view on their readership: a view at odds with both public opinion and record.

Is there bias in the media? Absolutely.

It comes as no surprise to me that while North American journalists were found by a Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) study in 1998 to be “mostly centrist in their political orientation” we rank considerably more liberal in relation to social issues. And why not?

Literacy, freedom of information, and

freedom of speech are themselves immensely liberal values — always have been! — and they are central tenets to those in our profession. However, this bias manifests quite differently than in terms of “balanced” news stories, or in relation to how much critical or positive commentary there is about any one public figure. It comes down to that same need to reflect reality as immediately and fairly as possible. The real questions are thus not “How much coverage does one viewpoint receive?” or even “What kind of coverage does it receive?” but “How responsive is this coverage to what’s happening in the real world?”; “How quickly are these oppositional events or viewpoints getting covered, in relation to their occurrence in the real world?”; and “Were follow-up articles printed to deal with unanswered questions?”

These are harder, more nuanced issues to address — but just as we seek to document the discourse surrounding any issue or event as effectively and consistently as possible, so too must we constantly ask ourselves, and media organizations as a whole, if anything has been left out of the public record — and if so, why?

survive. We’re legally adults now; our community is our responsibility, not the Feds. This will also kill freeloading clubs and services that don’t actually do anything that the students give a hoot about (CKMS anyone? Oh yeah, the majority of us didn’t) as well as provide healthy competition that will strengthen the quality of the clubs, thereby our community. If you do it right, it should be revenue neutral. Lastly, so long as this fluffy budget is here to stay, Mr. Pereira should definitely ban clubs from collecting extra fees. As if there wasn’t enough funding before (which I believe there was more than plenty), there is no doubt that there is now. I’ve seen clubs that charge $2 for memberships and Ethnic Student Associations that charge up to $15 to go to a dance. It’s ridiculous. What do they spend all our funding on? I am all for community and I think it’s an important part of the university experience. But I also think part of the university experience is learning how to take responsibility for your community; how to prioritize; how to be efficient and sustainable. Del Pereira has done a great job at finding where to trim the fat, but he didn’t trim it. More can be done.

more scholarships than UW. Despite this, you probably know one or two people who have received a scholarship. One of my friends, who is now working on a PhD in Anthropology, was only able to attend UW because of the assistance her scholarship provided. Another friend was so grateful he received a scholarship in his third year that he threw an enormous party, inviting everyone he knew. It was BYOB, of course — he had to pay for grad school.

They were lucky. Three years ago, UW was able to give away just half of the scholarships that are given out now.

The number of print titles in the library has increased by 300,000, and the number of square feet available for students expanded to more than 6.5 million.

This has all been possible because of the generosity of UW donors, who, even though you will never meet them, earnestly want to help you out.

Did you know that one in every three staff members at UW has donated to the school? Or that there is a 50/50 chance that your professor has donated to support your program? Or that, if you filled all but the very top tiers of the Rogers Centre, and took a good look around, you would have a pretty good idea of how many UW grads have supported the university during its most recent fundraising campaign?

I think students should realize that the people who donate to UW aren’t crazy. Among all the other reasons, professors and UW staff give because they like students, and they know that sometimes we need a bit of help.

Alumni give because they know what it’s like to go to school, and what it takes for a student to be successful. Up until now, there haven’t been a whole lot of students saying thanks. But now, we have a chance to do something about it.

On Saturday, November 8, 100 student volunteers will converge on campus

to say thank you. Over the course of the afternoon we’ll be making calls, writing thank-you notes, painting banners, and doing anything else we can to tell UW’s donors that the students here at UW are grateful for their support. It’s going to be fun too. We’ve been lucky to get some sponsorship from the faculties and the co-op department, and so we will be able to provide lunch, and are giving away a whole bunch of prizes.

It feels good to say thank you.

If you have the time, we could certainly use your help. Email Nicole at uwthankyou@gmail.com to introduce yourself, and she will get back to you with information on how you can help out on November 8.

editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Re: Executives in Review I’m happy to hear that Del Pereira increased the efficiency of the budget such that it left Feds with new money to play with. But I think it’s fiscally irresponsible to turn around and dish it out, in my opinion, needlessly, to all the Feds clubs. Personally, I think there are higher priorities for everyday students.

This is reinforced by the fact that most of us don’t participate in most of these clubs, if any. A number of scenarios would have shown more progressive fiscal responsibility. First, you could invest it in something else. If you look at the majority of the clubs, they focus on leisure activities that should never have high operational costs to begin with. Does the Euchre Club need that raise from $50 to $75? Can you honestly say that we will see the difference? More pizza? Why not give that pizza to the student food bank, for the real hungry students? If you multiply all the little raises as well as some of these larger spending sprees, you can see how it adds up. It’s a lot of money, I’m assuming — otherwise Mr. Pereira wouldn’t have bothered. How about investing it in lowering the price of the U-Pass?

Or better yet, lowering our Feds Fee? Second, I’m not down with this funding formula either. I really don’t need Dave McDougall and Feds to tell me to join a club from their hand-picked selections, which they think will make my university experience “memorable.” Why should they pick who gets the funds? They’re not even the ones using the clubs. I think you could trim a lot of fat and give students more power over which clubs will form a part of their community by adopting a different funding system. The money for clubs should be cut entirely from the Feds fee and clubs should have full membership costs. (It’s not like they charge extra costs already; more on this later.) That way, only the clubs and services that students actually want will

Eduardo Gomez 2B Mechanical Engineering Thanking alumni donors Did you know that half of all MIT students receive a scholarship? And that, if you include other forms of assistance, including government grants and student awards, about three quarters of the student population has received some sort of assistance?

Here at Waterloo, the “MIT of the north,” things are a little different.

We’re a younger university, having just celebrated our 50th anniversary last year. MIT is almost three times as old as Waterloo; it started in 1861. As a result, MIT is able to give out many

Jasmine Choi Liberal Arts Studies Re: Wuthering Heights ... With vampires I have to respond to the article in this past week’s Imprint, entitled, “Wuthering Heights...With Vampires.” I just want to let the author know that Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice are not the same book. The characters of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy appear no where in Wuthering Heights because they are the main characters in Pride and Prejudice, a novel by Jane Austen.

There was also never a movie version of Wuthering Heights with Colin Firth, that was also Pride and Prejudice. I didn’t even like either of those books yet I can still separate them in my mind, and would never write a published article confusing the two. I have never read the Twilight series so I can’t comment on the rest of the article, but I have a hard time believing that the author has read any of the books she writes about.

Lauren Mitchell 4A Political Science / English Lit

Opinion

8

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

community editorial

Dubai campus: Human rights nightmare

D

id you hear that the University of Waterloo is expanding? No, I’m not talking another campus in Waterloo Region; I’m talking about a new campus overseas. We are building our first International campus in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We are going to send our faculty, residents of Canada, to a country which has not signed most International human rights treaties. We are going to send our faculty, to a campus which might very well be built in part by indentured servants. But also, we

are not going to send some of our faculty to this University of Waterloo campus, because of parts of their identity, which just happen to be protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — unless of course they wish to leave their families in Canada and conceal parts of who they are. Yet despite all this, the University of Waterloo Board of Governors has apparently not felt that these issues are important enough to talk about.

First though, I would like to state that this commentary is not a

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discussion on the values and laws of Dubai and the UAE, but a discussion on this public Canadian university’s decision to do business in a country which violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and our values. Quite simply, the problems with the UAE should never have permitted a UW campus to be built in Dubai.

According to various news agencies and organizations such as the Human Rights Watch, the conditions in Dubai for the migrant workers who build much of the city violate what we would consider minimum standards for workers. Reports continue to surface where migrant workers have had their passports seized and paycheques withheld until their work contracts are met, all while living in substandard and unsanitary conditions. Workers who strike in protest have been jailed; in 2007 over 4,000 Asian workers were jailed after striking. While there are labour laws in Dubai, the laws do not protect migrant workers. Even for those who are protected, the government has been repeatedly criticized for lack of enforcement.

Additionally, UN agencies report that there are up to 300,000 illegal workers in the UAE who would face even less protection.

For numerous women in Dubai, issues go beyond labour violations. A Human Rights Watch report focusing on female Sri Lankan migrant workers in Dubai found that, in addition to labour violations, numerous women face physical, psychological, and sexual abuse.

Women reported beatings, intimidation, and confinement by their employers.

Queer individuals in Dubai are not protected against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and in fact the Penal Code of Dubai carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years for

55

consensual sodomy. In November 2005, 26 men were arrested after a police raid on a gay wedding. An Interior Ministry official stated that they could be lashed, forced to undergo hormone treatments, and jailed for five years. Although the hormone treatment statement was later retracted, of those 26 men, 12 were subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.

I bring these issues up in order to point out problems facing students and faculty at UW. The university has not conducted itself appropriately or ethically with respect to addressing these issues, and one only needs to read the UW Board of Governors meeting minutes to understand what I mean. The first mention of human rights issues with this campus was in the February 5, 2008 meeting minutes: “The Provost commented that risks associated with this initiative are greater than those of any project previously contemplated by UW but, on balance, benefits appear to outweigh risks: this project is expected to generate $22 million annually.” In subsequent meetings, the human rights issues

may say that faculty should hide these parts of their identity so they can go.

However, the Ontario Human Rights Code does not play that game — no employee can be asked to conceal any part of their identity which is protected under the Code. How does the Board of Governors plan to rectify this?

In terms of the campus itself, given the previously mentioned labour conditions in Dubai, will UW guarantee that all individuals building the campus, and subsequent individuals who staff and maintain it, are treated fairly, and subject to conditions that meet or exceed the standards set out by the UN International Labour Organization?

Additionally, will UW guarantee that a two-way student exchange will never happen? For me to be a UW student, and not be able to transfer to another UW campus without hiding my sexual orientation, is absolutely unacceptable. If UW chooses to build another campus, they must ensure the campus is in a location where all UW students who attend will not face prosecution on grounds protected by the Charter. Otherwise, no UW student can be allowed to be transferred to that location.

Some people may feel that we are doing something good by opening a campus in Dubai — but UW is a public university, not Amnesty International. were minimized further. According to minutes for a June 3, 2008 board of governors meeting, UW’s position is that it will be “incumbent on individuals to assess their own level of comfort.”

Well, you might say, shouldn’t we be happy that we are opening a campus in a place where we can open minds to our values? What issues are there that need to be addressed?

What are the implications?

The implications are serious, and can not be disregarded as they continue to be.

Since certain faculty members could be imprisoned in the Dubai for parts of their identity, and since employers may not inquire about certain parts of an employee’s identity (such as sexual orientation), will UW immediately pass a policy guaranteeing never to intimidate, fire, suspend, or otherwise punish a faculty member, or threaten any of these actions, because they decline to transfer to the Dubai campus? And does UW plan to address the inherent discrimination created by providing both formal compensation (e.g. bonuses) and informal compensation (e.g. prestige, experience) to faculty who can go to Dubai, while other faculty cannot go?

As UW is an employer subject to the Charter and the Ontario Human Rights Code, how does electing to make an explicitly for-profit business decision, which creates discrimination for the employees, not violate the Charter and Code, literally or in spirit? Some

As a member of the UW LGBTQQ Advisory Committee, I have discussed with UW administrators issues pertaining to queer students and faculty. It was conveyed to me (unofficially) that these concerns would be examined, but the university needs to get the campus off the ground first, before these issues are looked at. It may sound like they are concerned about these issues and just need to deal with them at the appropriate time; however given the Board of Governors actions thus far, what I was told sounded like less than genuine concern, and more like: “We don’t want to discuss these issues now when it could affect establishing this campus, so we’ll wait until it’s past the point of real and effective discussion.”

Finally, some people may feel that we are doing something good by opening a campus in Dubai; that this campus is an excellent way to spread our values of equality and acceptance. Although those are noble notions, UW is a public university, not Amnesty International, and its employees are faculty, not human rights workers. I support making the world a more accepting place, but discriminating against our faculty is not a justifiable means, and UW has made it clear that spreading values of equality and acceptance is not what this is about.

From all this their message is clear: At the University of Waterloo, our ethics are worth $22 million a year.

— Paul Cyr GLOW Community Centre Director

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Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

political FORUM

Border crossings Calling the election the Canadian way

T

his is the easiest weekly feature I will ever have to write.

There’s a certain luxury in writing about the American election for a small student paper in Canada.

I am afforded a certain freedom that many of my American journalistic peers won’t have.

I can “call” the election already.

In fact, let’s do it right now. Based on the reports we’ve been hearing so far here in Imprint’s election headquarters, the winner is: Barack Obama.

Stars and stripes. Fourth of July fireworks. The brass band strikes up “God Bless America.” There’s a huge party in Chicago’s downtown Millennium Park, as there is in town squares across the country. Celebrations sweep across Western Europe and much of the Commonwealth as well. Some fool has already started shouting “four more years, Barack,” drunk on celebratory champagne.

Once we get past the party, we find that the outcome of November 4 isn’t much of a secret. Polls have called for the Republicans’ demise for months now. Pundits no longer debate who will be the victor, but rather the specific number of electoral votes that Obama will win by. Rumours circulate about a call to McCain from within the Republican party: “Give up the election, John, but for God’s sake save the Senate.”

As I said, there’s a certain freedom that allows me to make such bold statements so early. Namely, it’s freedom from guilt. Americans living in Canada will have voted weeks ago.

Very few people living in the U.S. read Imprint. My words will not have much of an impact, so very close to November 4.

South of the border, my journalistic peers aren’t afforded the same luxury. Some understand full well the impact that election coverage before or during an election can have on the event itself. Others hearken back to 2000 and the razor-sharp victory that involved a Floridian recount and a Supreme Court decision. Still others remember how optimistic many were, believing that the get-Bush-out movement would overwhelm the feeling of really-you-want-us-tovote-for-Kerry?

So now that Imprint’s savvy readers officially know who the victor will be, let’s get out there and celebrate together. UW’s political science students’ association (PSSA) will be hosting the night at McGinnis FrontRow. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

What people don’t want to think about, though, is what happens on November 5. Obama is elected.

Countdown to his taking office on January 20, 2009. Nationwide plans will be hatched to attend his inau-

gural address, with the words “John F. Kennedy” being applied liberally.

Millions of Americans will wait to cash the “hope for change” cheque that Obama has written to them over the last year and a half. But change won’t happen, at least not quickly.

Election outcomes aside, the economy is in the middle of a heavy downturn. Experts aren’t saying “the worst is over.” Rather, they’re saying “the worst is yet to come.” The worst will continue right on through November, and once retailers find how bad Christmas sales will be this year, right on through February as well.

Barack Obama, for all his goodwill, talent and promises, will have to spend at least his first year in office dealing with the economy. The Iraq War will continue. Health care for all will remain a thing of fiction, for the time being at least. How these problems are dealt with will not just define the legacy of the nation’s first African-American president. It will irrevocably shape the future of one of the most powerful nations in history.

The winner of the presidential election will be an easy call. The real outcome of the election will be much more difficult to predict.

Stay tuned.

— Andrew Dilts adilts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Love it? Hate it? Send us your letters.

letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Dan Kellar will be returning next week. In the meantime, he urges you to look into the November 3rd day of action against the SPP.

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9

Harper’s future

T

here is no rest for the weary, and while two weeks have yet to pass since Stephen Harper stopped having to think about whether he might need to pack his things at 24 Sussex, the time is very much at hand for action to be taken. Not necessarily on his promises though, but on the greater issue of dealing with a slowing economy; rural broadband may have to wait a little longer for a cheque in the mail.

There was a time when the routine saying was that “when the U.S. sneezes, Canada gets a cold.”

Then we moved on to the period where the Conservatives and some economists suggested that our situation was safe from being brought down by the American issues. Today though, Ontario tabled a $500 million deficit for the coming year in order to avoid having to raise taxes or cut services. In less than a year, the TSX has fallen from around 14,000 to just over 9,000 and the Canadian dollar from $1.10 to below $0.80, both losing roughly a third of their value over that time.

This is not the time for irresponsible spending, but for taking on the expenses to help stem the economic slowdown, and make it easier for strong winds to once again fill Canadian sails. Lost during the campaign was a rather wise open letter from many Canadian economists, advising government to spend.

Spend during an economic downturn — it sounds rather bizarre, and yet it makes a great deal of sense.

Now is when Canadians, Americans, and countless other economies around the world are feeling the pinch of a slowdown. This is when people start to worry, start to tighten their belts, and wind up hurting the recovery in the process.

Two moves have been made by the U.S. government to tackle the problem.

First, they tried allocating billions of dollars to give money to Americans, in the hope that they would spend it, and drive economic growth and demand. Instead, months later, they found it went to try to pay down debt, or was squirreled away in savings accounts — not at all the “stimulus” that was planned. The next move they made was to purchase risky loans from their banks, in the hope that they would be less reluctant to grant further loans, and that points the way towards a real solution.

The biggest concern in slowdowns is that it strikes fear into the hearts of individuals: as the economy slows, people tend not to take risks, and it takes longer for the risky moves to come about and generate growth again.

This is why cutting social spending in certain areas — health care, unemployment insurance, and other safety nets — is negative, as it only makes it more frightening to walk the tightrope over to economic growth.

See ECONOMY, page 10

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10

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

ECONOMY:

Faith

and fear

S

o a few weeks ago for class we when I mean everyone, I mean The younger priest, the doubtful had to watch the classic horror virtually everyone. I even started one who’s just amazing, has his faith movie The Exorcist, which I was asking people after awhile: “Did The confirmed as he’s battling the Devil petrified for. I had been sick with a Exorcist freak you out?” and if they to save a young girl’s life. There’s a stomach flu all day, with various visi- said yes, I responded with, “Are you line I love in the movie when the tors all warning me it was the scariest Catholic?” and the vast majority of younger priest, Karras, asks why movie they’d ever seen — one friend them replied with “When I was a this demon picked her? The older telling me she hadn’t slept for three kid.” Even my roommate watching priest responds gently “I think the days after seeing it. So naturally, I was it on her laptop was swearing in Ital- point is to make us despair. To see a bit paranoid and made my friend, ian and repeating (I translate) “Oh ourselves as... animal and ugly. To Madonna.” I offered to give her my make us reject the possibility that let’s call him Chuck, watch it.

And it was odd, because although portrait of the Virgin Mary to hug God could love us.”

It’s kinda odd what confirms our I was a bit creeped out, I wasn’t and she was not so thrilled. scared. I was told by a few people So why wasn’t I freaked out? I faith. In fear, our faith comes out that those of our generation don’t was raised Lutheran/United and of its closet, if that’s where we’re get scared by the movie because we’re then became Buddhist by philoso- keeping it. It’s interesting that when used to slam bang loud slasher mov- phy. There’s not much room for we are scared, our beliefs, rooted in ies and The Exorcist doesn’t have an the Devil in my world view; we whatever tradition we were raised in, effect on us anymore. So I shrugged had Luther to throw inkwells at come out. Chuck found it comfortit off and Chuck Norris and I went him. Which is interesting, because ing to do the same action he was home. I was a bit unnerved, but for a moment when watching the taught as a child — making the sign slept quite peacefully throughout the movie, I was moved enough to start of the Saviour who gave up His night. Chuck, on the other hand, slept thinking that I should start going life to protect him. I’m not saying on our couch while making a friend back to church. For a minute, I The Exorcist will renew your faith keep guard from the Devil, who wanted a priest to protect me. So, if you’re Catholic: in truth, I highly someone on Yahoo! Answers called for a minute I forgot that I didn’t recommend not watching it if you “the boogie man for grown ups.” believe in the Devil. This film, when have roots in this, but it is intriguing So how do the two of us differ? it’s effective, brings people back to the power of an image triggering off This question kept crossing my their childhood fears. This movie this instinct. Maybe it’s conditioned mind that night, particularly dur- manages to drag the Devil out of response, I don’t know, but it does ing the movie when I saw Chuck that closet all former Catholics put make you wonder what you think cross himself. I was intrigued. I had him in and brings him right into the you believe and what you actually never seen him do that. The most spotlight. A young girl possessed do. So this Hallowe’en, after you’ve incredible thing was he didn’t even by the very demon that all good snuck all the candy you can, pick up notice. At all. He actually denied it Catholic children are warned that a copy of The Exorcist. Don’t worry, afterwards. See, Chuck was raised Jesus stands to protect them against. there’s All Saint’s Day tomorrow to Catholic. And it occurred to me that There’s no coincidence the most protect you. everyone who warned me about famous line is the priest’s shout: 40Crk_10.3125x7.5_Imprint_fin:Imprint - 10.3125 x 7.5 b&w 9/2/08 4:01 PM Page 1 the movie was raised Catholic. And “The power of Christ compels you.” nhutton@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Harper’s liberal plan for the Conservatives Continued from page 9

This is why the government needs to work hard: to draw back in the growth. Safety nets must be kept and strengthened, so that the fear that spirals slowdowns out of control recedes.

Tax cuts, as with handouts, will only go straight into worried pockets. Putting the money towards those who would create jobs in the country, or strengthen our workforce, helps to make it easier to get out of this small mess and fix it before anything grinds to a serious halt.

It appears to be exactly opposite in nature to what you’d expect from “conservatives”, but deficits now, spending on social, innovation, and job creation programs now, that is what can lead us back to surpluses and growth much faster. That will help us to be the first to get back on track, helping us to ride the wave as global markets right themselves in our wake. We’d all love for the next great invention or economy to emerge from Canada, but in order for a beautiful rose to grow out of the dirt in the ground, it needs to be watered and fertilized, helping our economy to rise up again and bloom.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR TAKE. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT UW’S SATELLITE CAMPUS OPENING IN DUBAI? THE QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR GAY AND FEMALE FACULTY? AGREE WITH THE ADMIN? AGREE WITH PROTESTERS? SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? SEND US YOUR LETTERS AND COMMUNITY EDITORIALS

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The restless dead Dinh Nguyen

assistant editor-in-chief

I

n the fall of 1992 in 356 Hoffman St, apt 206, Kitchener, an intoxicated Asian man came home to his pregnant wife, fueling an argument that would haunt an entire Vietnamese community.

Partway through their screaming the man broke out into violence, beat his wife and dragged her by the hair into the washroom — where he proceeded to attempt to drown her in the bathtub. Water seeping down to the apartment below alarmed the neighbours, while the struggling wife, using her nails, inflicted wounds on the attacker. The drowning was unsuccessful, however, this was not enough to avert the wife’s fate. The husband turned to kitchen knives. By the time the police arrived it was too late; stabs wounds to the stomach had claimed the lives of the mother and her eight-month-old, unborn child.

The deceased was a close friend of my family. My stepmother, my babysitter (who is also deceased) and the woman had formed an impenetrable sisterhood. I was six at the time, and the dead women would dominate my nightmares, every empty apartment hallway I would see, and the area underneath my bed for my entire adolescenct years.

Months before the pregnant lady was murdered, she reported to our Vietnamese community that the spirit of my babysitter was visiting her. Her husband attested to this, telling tales of how he would wake up at night to a bone chilling room, with his wife talking to herself like she would to another person. This all began after my babysitter committed suicide. She too had an abusive alcoholic husband, and many speculated she was driven to committing suicide from depression. The ghostly events continued harmlessly for months. One night the babysitter appeared to the pregnant lady and asked her to “come down and join me.” In our culture — where the veil between the living and dead is very thin — this means that the spirit wants the person to die and cross (‘come down’) over to the spirit world to “join her.” A couple days later the murderous event occurred.

After her death, the pregnant lady’s husband was arrested, and all their belongings were auctioned off.

Within two weeks of the auction, all the items were sent to my stepmother from the bid winners. People called from all over town begging my mother to accept items belonging to the deceased. They claimed that the pregnant lady was appearing to them in dreams and in spirit, threatening them with curses — telling them that only my step-mother, her surviving best friend, can have her belongings. This was also when my father started waking up to my step-mother talking to herself.

My step-mother, who was pregnant at the time, was experiencing the same things her friend had before her death — only now she was visited by both the pregnant lady and my babysitter. The Vietnamese community was very wary of this and hired monks to do rituals to shield their homes from the dead. My family, however, had a strong sense of loyalty and regarded the spirits as friends, did not take part in the rituals. This decision not to protect our home resulted in malicious consequences.

One night, coming home from grocery shopping and hearing agonized cries coming from my stepmother in their bedroom, my father charged in to find my step-mother on the floor begging for her life and for the life of her unborn child. History was repeating itself, my mother was asked to “come down” and join the pregnant lady. My father got furious, ran out to her grave and screamed at her. Over the next two weeks, everything (except for the phone) that we’d inherited from the woman’s family broke. We began receiving eerie phone calls every night around midnight (when the gates to the spirit world opened) and 3 a.m. (when spirits are the strongest). Sometimes there was no one there, other times there was a lady or a baby crying. My parents often came home to unlocked doors and open cupboards and windows.

I was not aware of these events at the time; I was experiencing the haunting on a personal level. I began to sleep walk at night, leaving my bed to lock all doors and turn on all the lights in the apartment. I began to see glimpses of the pregnant lady everywhere. Sometimes, while in bed, I would see purple, black-blue floating (the ones you see you when you’re dizzy or when you close you eyes really hard) frightening images of things like decapitated heads. One night I saw skeletons taking off their heads, and for some reason, I ran into my father’s room and begged him to beat me up. For some reason, I thought that unless he beat me up and made me cry, I couldn’t sleep.

The events began to escalate to the point where my father, the macho traditional strict Asian man of the family, got scared. Apparently many people who chose not to do the shielding ritual were experiencing the same thing as well. The Vietnamese community once again gathered to solve the issue. They decided to buy the pregnant woman a spot in a Buddhist temple, to which her spirit and body would be forced to reside, listening to Buddhist chants and prayers night and day — a practice that they believe would calm the spirit and keep her away from the mortal realm. I didn’t know about the event back then. However, after the ritual our house felt a lot warmer, and I no longer sleepwalked, and was able to sleep peacefully.

Though the fear of her ghost stayed with me for much of my elementary school years (as I remember running and jumping into bed to avoid the area underneath where I thought she dwelled, and drawing pictures of her when teachers made me draw pictures of what I’m afraid of), I eventually moved on, believing that it was all some silly childhood fear. But little did I know, the event would be something that changed my views of the paranormal.

Two and a half years ago, I began university. Like most people here, my education began to make me believe that there is a rational and scientific reason behind everything, leading me to dismiss all my supernatural beliefs. Six months into school my family held a reunion inviting many Vietnamese people who used to live in the area, but had moved away — people who were around from the haunting. At the reunion, many people spoke about the events which occurred after the pregnant lady’s death. Many of them experienced the same sort of haunting my family did. What really grabbed me was that many of their children had experienced the same thing I did. Hearing all this, goose bumps prickled my neck and arms, ascending from underneath my skin, they were rising like memories from beyond the graves. That night I ran and jumped into my bed. I couldn’t sleep. I used to believe the supernatural didn’t exist. That night, I became unsure. dnguyen@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

12

Features

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Standing Sentinel

Jeff Kelly staff reporter

T

he Nazi death camps at Auschwitz. The ethnically motivated organized killings in Rwanda. The mass graves of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.

These words describe some of the worst atrocities that humankind has ever been known to inflict upon itself, and continue to horrify the world community years or decades after their commission. It is not the exclusive domain of any religious or political group, and as attested by the ongoing crisis in Darfur, it is something which humanity has not yet outgrown. But as the members of a newly formed genocide prevention group can attest, it may be time to end this sordid chapter of our history.

The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention is a new organization with a stated mandate to “prevent the crime of genocide worldwide through effective early warning and co-operation with victimized peoples to carry out non-violent prevention initiatives.”

Founded earlier this year by recent UW grads Christopher Tuckwood, Taneem Talukdar, and Kristin Biefer, the Sentinel Project registered as a nonprofit organization in August and has ambitiously not wasted any time before getting to work.

Of course, this is not the first stand that these UW students have taken against genocide. Both Biefer and Tuckwood are past presidents of the University of Waterloo Genocide Action Group (UWGAG), a student club working to prevent genocide.

In 2005, before UWGAG was even formed, Tuckwood created what would later become an annual event: Footsteps of Death. In this event, students are invited to do laps around Ring Road, with each step taken representing five deaths in Darfur. Last year, a complete circuit required walking 23 km.

Under Tuckwood and Biefer, UWGAG has also hosted day-long conferences on campus, with guest speakers offering students a chance to hear stories from people affected by or with experience of various aspects of genocide. Tuckwood also served on the first Student Board on Genocide Prevention for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and was the UW representative for Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND). The group places much of its emphasis on working directly with peoples at risk, meaning those facing hostility in their resident country or community, and those vulnerable to attack and persecution. Through networking with the potential targets of genocide, the Project aims to act as an early warning system as well as serving in a preventative capacity. Its position is that there are always signs that genocide is soon to take place, but the world community is rarely paying attention. Additionally, when indications of a looming genocide are detected, the Sentinel Project will work with the target populations to develop strategies to “avert their own exterminations.”

The unique approach of working with at-risk populations means that Sentinel Project’s overseas network of informants is of paramount importance. According to Christopher

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Tuckwood, executive director of the Project, the group has already found contacts in about 10 countries, and is looking to broaden that in the future.

Growing their international network will allow them to directly learn about the situation of at-risk populations. Despite being newly formed, the Sentinel Project has already launched itself at the first of its situations of concern.

Citing the plight of the Bahá’í as the most urgent and under-reported of situations that could potentially turn genocidal, the Project has already begun partnering with other organizations representing the Bahá’í to get the word out before it’s too late. The Bahá’í faith is a religion that focuses on the unity of major world religions, emphasizing their similarities and urging followers to embrace peace and justice.

Unfortunately, while these are noble sentiments, followers of the Bahá’í faith are often persecuted for their beliefs, especially in Iran. Citing the organization of the Bahá’í as a factor that makes communication and reporting of their situation a little bit easier, Christopher Tuckwood indicated that it was an ideal place for the Sentinel Project to begin, and is a learning experience for everyone involved.

There is still a great deal more to do, however; recently formed, the group struggles to find sources of funding, without which many of its ambitions may never be realized. Their needs are relatively modest: one or two computers, services from Reuters, BBC World Service, Google Earth, etc. Though the group does one day hope to run fundraisers, they have not as yet made any concrete plans, instead attempting to secure financing from individual donors and other supportive or sympathetic organizations. One organization that has already supported to the Project is the Waterloo Region Holocaust Education Committee, and the group has made an effort to reach out to “survivor” communities; for example the Jewish, Armenian and Rwandan communities that have all faced genocide in the past.

While noting that most students will not have the financial resources to donate heavily to any organization, however noble the cause, Tuckwood was quick to point out that students can contribute in other ways. As a diverse and multi-cultural campus, students at UW are increasingly likely to have contacts in countries around the world.

Putting these contacts to work for the Sentinel Project is a valuable contribution toward the fight against genocide, and one that costs nothing. jkelly@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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Liberty, happiness, And Beer

S

nobs, I think the U.S. needs a nod this week, a beer-laden nod. On November 4th, Americans will elect their next president, and no matter who is elected, it will be the first time in almost 20 years that we have not had a Clinton or a Bush as president.

That’s pretty epic I think. But wait, there’s more. If Obama is elected, he will be the first African-American president and Joe Biden will be the first Catholic VP. If McCain is elected, he will be the oldest firstterm president and Sarah Palin will be the first woman VP. Epic. That’s... well, that’s Lord of the Rings epic.

Go to Mount Washington, Obamo Baggins. Throw the wretched grasp of Bush’s presidency into the fires of our economic crisis. American epicness on that scale deserves an epic beer, and I went with Anchor Brewing’s Liberty Ale (brewed by the producers of Anchor Steam, a beer that I briefly mentioned a few weeks ago).

Based in San Francisco, it’s only natural that Anchor Brewing Co. would introduce their Liberty Ale on the same day Paul Revere, a Bostonite born 4300 km away from San Fran, rode through the Beantown proclaiming England’s invasion in 1775. For Anchor, San Francisco was on obvious choice to brew Liberty Ale; what says “liberty” more than the city that boasted America’s most secure prison? The brewery adheres to the craft brewing tradition, with a handmade copper brewhouse echoing the traditional breweries of America’s past. When I think liberty, I think a steaming pile of hot, handmade malt in shining copper tubs, too.

I like to imagine that if Paul Revere was still alive today, he would be the spokesman for Liberty Ale. In the commercial, he would be on his horse, riding into Boston declaring, “the buck’a beers are coming, the buck’a beers are coming.” Everyone would panic, shut their windows, and then Paul would be shown hanging out in an indoor hot-tub with two corset-sporting milkmaids, all drinking bottles of Liberty. The coolest part about this fantasy is that if you google a picture of Paul Revere, he looks exactly like Jack Black. Coincidence? No, Revere has been reincarnated as Black so that he may set forth to warn the Americans of an impending beer crisis, and an indoor hot-tub full of hot milkmaids. The more coolest part about this fantasy is that I just trivialized American patriotism and Hindu belief in one sentence.

Go me.

In the glass, the beer has a hazy, unfiltered appearance. That’s just the beers way of saying ‘Hey, I’m just a badass patriot, and I love liberty.’ It’s

a bright, copper-orange colour — like the colour of Loyalist soldier’s blood mixing with the salty sea water of freedom. “THEY A’INT TAKIN MY BARETTA.” The glass fills with bubbles after pouring, carbonated almost like a soft drink — thanks to bunging. You will get a wiff of smoky floral hops if you’re snobby enough to whirl the beer in your glass and take a sniff. Not that I am opposed to smelling beer — just remember that you’re going to look like a total ass when you do this. The taste is a powerful fruity-hop flavour, a bitter apricot flavour full of sweetness. It has a great strong finish, with a lingering caramel flavour. The only thing that will bug you while drinking is how damn bubbly it feels in the mouth - “Hey man, don’t dis those bubbles.

Those are the bubbles of hope and opportunity.”

I appreciate Anchor Brewing’s gimmicky adherence to traditional craft brewing methods, but come on, when I drink beer I don’t want it to feel like I’m drinking beer-flavoured Coke. Go easy on the bungin’, guys.

That being said, there is still a great taste to be had with Anchor’s Liberty Ale. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll be up all night next Tuesday, drinking Libertys and hanging out in your indoor hot tub with Jack Black watching the election results come in .

Liberty Ale:

Price for 1: $3.75 (you can only buy them in huge 650ml pirate bottles at the LCBO) Taste: Value: Voting with your beer belly: Overall: mkeast@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Features

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

13

Letters to the dance floor Melody Jahanzadeh reporter

T

o all the UW men out there, picture this familiar scenario: it’s a Friday night and you’ve just survived hell week consisting of midterms and assignments galore.

Time to head out and celebrate with your buddies and, with any luck, a lady friend (or two) by the end of the night.

But far too often, many dashing male specimens end up going home alone, unable to impart with the female species their many fine gifts (or as the case may be, just the one fine gift). This is a travesty and gross miscarriage of justice. With all the fine, dateable men at our university, the only explanation for this is their lack of “game” and perhaps having a misguided strategy. “Picking up” is truly an art — one that must be mastered and honed in order to reap the benefits. To ensure future late-night rendezvous, there are a few simple fundamentals to keep in mind: 1. Wardrobe: this is key; clothes make the man, after all. Sure, being nice and respectful can help, but when it comes right down to it, women just want a man in a generic white striped, button-down collared shirt — preferably with a popped collar, just so there’s no confusion as to who’s the big man on campus. For good measure, throw on a pair of aviators.

Some may crack a few jokes and you may hear yourself being referred to as

Tifa Han

the “idiot wearing sunglasses inside,” but don’t let the haters get you down — they’re just jealous. For a little icing on this already good-looking cake, remember that hair gel is your best friend and that there is no such thing as too much of it.

2. Dance moves: it’s normal to feel a little shy about busting out the moves, but never fear. A tried and true strategy is to simply do what OneRepublic recommended and “Stop and Stare.” Feeling a little sluggish from all those beverages consumed at the bar? Too lazy to wade through the sea of dancing girls in the hopes of finding one willing to dance with you?

Really, why waste all that energy you’ll undoubtedly need for later on in the night? In fact, women really prefer

the strong, silent type who casually lean against the wall and gaze at them sultrily. At Caesar Martini’s, what has affectionately become known as the “creeper wall” has in fact turned into a breeding ground for everlasting love. Stick close to there and it’ll be like bees to honey. However, if you simply cannot resist the urge to walk onto that dance floor, do not forget the power your masculine hands have. Use them at any opportunity; grabbing, groping and caressing are all not only welcomed but desired. If possible, try getting your friends to circle around girls you find attractive; the fact that they have no way out will act as a major aphrodisiac and not annoy them in the least.

3. As a certain playwright famously asked, “What’s in a name?” As it turns out, not much. Really, what does it matter if the object of your desire for the night is named Lisa or Shannon? Similarly, does it truly matter if she goes to Waterloo or Laurier?

These questions are unnecessary and simply get in the way of the physical attraction you two no doubt have.

Women around the world are often put off when a guy tries to “get to know them.” We instead prefer a guy go straight for the kill and ask more pertinent questions such as “Your place or mine?” Conversation is one of those silly, overrated things that frankly kill the mood. A girl is much more inclined to go home with you if you don’t show any interest in her beyond her physical assets.

4. And finally, the most important tip you will likely ever receive throughout your life: don’t give up.

The true mark of a ladies man is when they do not give up in the face of rejection, but instead move on to the next scantily clad female. It also really helps when the sloppy seconds you have chosen is friends

with the first girl who turned you down. Contrary to what others may tell you, you don’t look desperate; you simply look social and seem to have a vested interest in becoming friends with that particular group of girls. Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try again…and again...

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14

Special Feature

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Special Feature

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

15

Transportation Developments in Our region RAPID Transit for the Region Moves Forward Cait Davidson Staff Reporter

T

Courtesy of Wikipedia

he Region of Waterloo is aiming to provide quick and convenient rapid transit service between Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge by 2011. The Rapid Transit Initiative will be recommending to Regional Council later this year the preferred route and vehicle intended to replace the current iXpress bus system, which connects the three cities.

Approved in July 2005, progress is slow. Phase one, step one, which began in January 2006 is the environmental assessment of the Rapid Transit Initiative and study alternative rapid transit systems. Phase one, step two is the public consultation of this phase. Phase two, which began in July 2006, was looking at alternative technologies and route designs, identification of a preferred transit system. Step two was the public consultation of this phase, which began in January 2008. Approved for funding on July 24, 2008 by the Region of Waterloo, the initiative is now working on transit routes, stations and review of the short-listed technologies. (from Transit EA)

A Light Rail vehicle like this one in France might be the form of rapid transit the Region will implement as early as 2011.

Advertising Appears on WATERLOO Bike Trails

T

en private adver tisements appeared across three public bike trails in the City of Wa terloo this past summer, thanks to pilot project approved by Waterloo City Council and suppor ted by Mayor Brenda Halloran. In M ay, the City was paid $2,500 for ten ads by the Canadian Eg g Marketing Ag ency on the trails.

T he money was tag g ed by councillors to be put back into trail improvement in this city. Over the three months they appeared the ads received mixed reactions from trail users, and the paint has since washed off. (from T he Record) Ethan Oblak

A public trail crossing University Avenue near UW. Whether trial advertisements on trails had a detrimental effect on the number of trail users is yet to be seen.

Possible GO Train Extension to Kitchener

New Greyhound Terminal at Sportsworld

G

reyhound is building a terminal at Sportsworld Drive, hoping to attract more commuters with a closer access to the 401 and free parking. Grand River Transit and Greyhound have been trying to prevent any issues from arising from this, and entered a one-year, renewable contract for intercity buses to continue stopping at the old location on Charles Street. Tickets will still be sold downtown after July 21, on the platform rather than in the terminal.

Currently, cash is not accepted as a form of payment, only debit and credit. Internet ticketing for Kitchener was launched July 21.

Departures have been advanced 10 minutes to maintain Toronto arrivals. Two express trips have been added from Kitchener and Cambridge. Without a permanent Greyhound terminal at Sportsworld yet, buses are currently stopping near the entrance to the Sportsworld arena.

A

p r o p o s e d e x p a n s i o n o f t h e G O Tr a i n system could have Kitchener connected to it early in the next decade. De pending on finances, planning for a new GO station in Kitchener may begin as early as 2009. According to The Record , the entire project will cost from $40 million to $50 million, and constr uction is predicted to begin in 2010 if funds come through.

By 2011, the trains and stations should be functional. It’s not a definite decisions as of yet as GO has yet to confir m the approved project..

T he City of Cambridg e is also lobbying for an extension of the Milton GO line to its com munity, but GO officials say it is not clear how soon that could occur, due to the need for up g rades on the cur rent line to meet demand.

Caitlin McIntyre Courtesy of Wikipedia

A GO Train like this one could be linking Kitchener directly to Toronto as early as 2011.

Greyhounds departing from the new Sportsworld location are forced to use a temporary terminal near the Sportsworld arena until a permanent structure is built.

Graphics by Mackenzie Keast

cdavison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

— With files from The Waterloo Region Record

16

Features

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Through foreign eyes

The French connection Emily Corner reporter

E

urope in all of its glamour was where I wanted to be. I wanted to experience the culture, eat the food, and learn a new language. What better opportunity than than by applying to an exchange? During my senior years in high school I applied to participate in an student exchange program called ISE (International Student Exchange). My exchange student, Charlene, and I were matched in the early summer months. We corresponded briefly by email, but still I wasn’t sure what to expect upon her arrival in mid-August.

Luckily Charlene and I were a perfect match. Both of us had very similar personalities and got along extremely well together.

The three months she spent with my family flew by, and it seemed so did the time until I would leave to begin my three-month stay in France.

I left mid-February, saying a tearful goodbye to my friends and family. When I stepped off of the plane to meet Charlene and her family I realized that all of the French classes I had taken over the years had been quickly forgotten. Suddenly it was hard for me to pick out even simple words, or to even have the courage to form a sentence.

Charlene offered to speak, for the first little while at least, in English, but I refused. I was determined that if nothing else, I would improve my French language skills.

The first two weeks went by slowly. I had trouble adjusting to the food, the language, and I missed my family. My first week with Charlene’s family we had a salad for dinner.

I expected that the dark lumps in the salad were chicken from the night before, but I was

Courtesy emily corner

definitely very wrong. I put one of the suspicious dark lumps into my mouth to discover I was actually eating chicken liver. I at least had the chicken part right. I had more than one fiasco with food during my stay in France.

My family tricked me into eating horse, which, if they had told me what I was actually eating, I probably wouldn’t have tried it. I was also exposed to frog legs, rabbit, kidneys and a few other slightly more adventurous foods

©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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that, had I not been on exchange, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try.

After the first few weeks my homesickness started to subside. I started attending high school with my exchange student, and with six to seven classes a day I barely had time to think about home. My family kept me busy with day trips on the weekends, and occasional outings during the week as well.

After the first month I became really close

with my host family — so much that I began to feel like I was home.

The weekends were the best parts of my trip mainly because that was when I was exposed to the different aspects of French culture outside of the home life and school life. I visited Grenoble, where I had the opportunity to see the French Alps and some amazing architecture as well. We also took a trip to Le Lavandou for the Corso Fleuri parade. This parade is celebrated once a year in Le Lavandou, a small town in southern France.

All of the floats are decorated entirely with real flowers. Each year it is themed, and that year the theme was American rock and roll, so there was a Grease float, an Elvis float, and everything else you could associate with rock and roll.

I also had the opportunity near the end of my stay to vacation for a week and a half in Monaco and Italy. Charlene, her sister Gaelle, Charlene’s brother Jeff, his girlfriend Cecile, and I all piled into the tiny family car to start our road trip to Monaco, and then to Italy. If anything I was spoiled throughout my exchange.

Some people unfortunately do not get the same positive experience as I was luckily to have.

On our trip to Italy we brought Jeff and Cecile’s hedgehog hand puppet named Jules and escorted him around Rome, Pisa, Florence and Venice. I have a whole photo album of pictures with myself and Jules exploring the ancient cities of Italy and discovering new cuisines together.

We were given some strange looks, but it made our trip that much more interesting.

When I returned to Canada I came back with the ability to confidently speak in French (and in English), and with an overall greater understanding of the language. I was more outgoing after my exchange experience, and had been exposed to a wonderful culture and family that I still miss today.

Arts & Entertainment Portrait of an artist

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Grand River Gallery part 1 of 2: local artist Eldon Leis

Maria Karpenko reporter

I

f you have ever painted, and I am sure you have at least with your fingers back in your kindergarten days, you are familiar with the creative process — its challenges and its joys. Whether a born artist or artistically challenged, you have likely wondered how great artists do it, and by “it” I refer to any piece of visual art that ends up looking amazing. Last week, I had the pleasure to interview Eldon Leis, best-selling artist at the Gallery On The Grand.

“I was about six years old when my parents took me to visit the Homer Watson Gallery; we lived across the road, and that’s when I decided what I wanted to do,” said 74-year-old Leis. He is

Ste. Marie area. There he started to paint Northern Ontario — especially Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Later, he moved out to the KW area and has lived in the same house for 45 years. “I’ve grown roots. My backyard is like a park. I grow Japanese bonsai,” said Leis. Aside from gardening, Leis is also learning to play the piano.

Painting is Leis’ profession but it is also “pretty much [his] life.”

He has been doing it full-time since 1965. He can go about four to five weeks without painting and then he has to “get back to it.”

“I used to get up in the morning, have breakfast, and paint all day.

My work has always sold quite well, so I had enough to make a good living of it. I treat it like a day’s work. Some days you don’t

Maria Karpenko

and they all have about the same hurt. They’re never completely satisfied with any of their paintings.”

Leis is a master of colour. A lot of people have trouble with green, not knowing how to make greens look more natural. When I asked Leis what the secret to his amazing greens is, he laughed, “I think doing it over and over and over.” Then he explained in more detail: “It’s actually the way I handle the colours. I use soft, hazy colors in the background. I actually use a little bit of

“Now that I’m older, if I don’t feel like painting, I don’t,” he chuckled. “I don’t have to anymore. I’ve always painted because that’s what I love to do. Now I paint quite regular hours just because I like it. Some mornings I can hardly wait to get at it.” the second-oldest of eight — three brothers and four sisters. He believes that in addition to everything else, growing up in a big family has facilitated his creativity. “My first painting classes were with Phoebe Watson, Homer Watson’s sister.”

Leis used Homer Watson’s paints for his first paintings. “It’s a lot more special now than it was then,” he chuckled. “When I was a kid I didn’t really understand the importance of it all.” The lessons were very informal. Later he enrolled in painting classes and some private lessons, but is mainly self-taught.

“I learn a lot from looking at other paintings,” said Leis. “One of my favourites is Claude Monet. In fact, I use some of his techniques.” Over many years, Leis has developed his own style that is a blend of many techniques but predominantly draws from realism and impressionisms. Colour plays a great importance in his work.

He likes to use bright autumn colors – reds and oranges. Leis has worked in other mediums and he does occasionally do an acrylic painting. “Oil is still my favorite,” said Leis. “Because of its texture and crispness, the clear clean colours.”

Leis is indigenous to Ontario; a true local artist. He was born in Wellesley, Ontario, and when he was 14, moved to the Sault

feel like painting but sometimes you don’t feel like work, but you do it anyway and it isn’t long until you get into the mood. Now that I’m older, if I don’t feel like painting, I don’t,” he chuckled.

“I don’t have to anymore. I’ve always painted because that’s what I love to do. Now I paint quite regular hours just because I like it. Some mornings I can hardly wait to get at it.”

In addition to an incredible sense of composition and colour, and a masterful command of technique, Leis has a unique ability to transform ordinary natural surroundings into idyllic snapshots. “One of my latest paintings, called ‘The Lonely One’ is a pasture scene. There’s a bit of a bank down by a creek and one calf wandered away from the herd and there’s one big old half-dead tree. So they’re both lonely,” he chuckled. “I painted the calf so that no matter where you go in the room you keep looking at it.” This attention to detail is the key component that makes Leis’ work captivating.

The ability to criticize your work moves it forward. “I’ve never yet done a painting that I’m 100 per cent happy with. It’s finished, but I’ve never done a perfect painting,” said Leis. “I always try to do a little better on the next. I know a lot of fellows who paint

purple in the greens in the background and then as I go forward I use warmer colours or even add red to the green or paint red underneath sometimes. It gives it a 3D look. I also use a lot of blues in the background.” As I thought to myself that I would try to implement these techniques the next time I pick up my brushes, he concluded, “It’s actually a lot more than that. It’s hard to explain, hard to describe.” Maybe the craft of painting will remain a mystery to most of us after all.

Leis’ style has evolved over the past 15 years. He used to work with the pallet knife a lot, putting the paint on very thickly.

Back in the ‘70s, Leis exhibited a lot. He would regularly take four or five abstracts to Detroit.

“I haven’t done an abstract in 15 years,” said Leis. “One of these days I’ll scrape my old palette and turn it into an abstract, “ he laughed.

Now he only works with brushes. “I use the old bristle brushes, the pig hair brushes, and of course some small fine branches for branches and twigs. I always finish my paintings off with some fine detail, and people look at it and see detail throughout the whole painting.”

See Leis, page 20

18

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

How long is too long

Trick or treble clef

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alloween is the best fucking holiday. For all the haters and naysayers, if you disagree with the aforementioned sentence it’s probably because you had shitty store-bought costumes in addition to ridiculously cheap neighbours who would give out apples, or even worse, pretend they weren’t home (those houses got egged).

Over the years, many of my great friends and I have had some pretty badass Halloween costumes. In grade 3 I was a samurai with decorative fanned postcards that made me as Japanese as Sapporo and sumo wrestling. In grade 7, I was the best pre-op transvestite with the skankiest sour cherry lipstick and the firmest sock-filled tits a kid could touch.

In my last year in high school I was a naked man jumping out of a cake.

While most individuals perceive Halloween to be a day filled with trickor-treating, carving pumpkins, haunted houses, T.P-ing trees, and watching classic horror films like Kazaam, it’s also a day of ridiculous debauchery that can lead to infamy, self-mortification, and the loss of one’s dignity. In a sense, it’s comparable to being white trash from rural Texas. Moreover, Halloween undoubtedly is the most original, detailed, and creative holiday with regard to the high arts. It showcases a myriad of talents that range from culinary ingenuity, elaborative costume design, as well as providing a proficient amount of inspiration to musicians that has resulted in an assortment of both

songs and albums that were inspired or influenced by this great holiday.

In light of this Halloween — or should I say dark — it is my ghoulish mandate to give you the top three Halloween inspired songs. However, it should be noted that while there are many songs, albums, bands, and genres — mainly psychobilly, horrorbilly, death metal, and punk bands — that emulate their sounds on the ethos of all things evil, this list reflects the most common and likable tracks that should be played at your kickass Halloween jam.

3. “Nightmare on My Street” – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Before Will Smith went Hollywood, he was busting rhymes about parents, girls, and trouble. On this banger, Smith and co. are on a triple date when at the end of the night, he encounters the infamous Freddy Krueger. After rejecting Kruger’s offer to be musical partners, Freddy slashes his ass into a new career.

While Smith’s raps diminish any element of fear, this classic track stands as the best Halloween hiphop song to date.

2. “The Monster Mash” – Bobby Pickett Without going into a history lesson, this track was made as a novelty song after Pickett had

imitated a horror movie actor during a concert in 1962. While recording in the studio, producers came up with several low-budget but effective sound effects for the recording. For example, the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board. While the “Mash” went to number one on Billboard charts, it has been noted that Elvis once stated it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard, to which Pickett responded live on national radio: “Elvis, if you’re listening, we’re still here.”

1. “Thriller” – Michael Jackson Surprise, surprise…best music video, best album, and best fucking pop song of the ‘80s. While we can entertain ourselves about how Jacko has changed skin tones, noses, and age preference for young boys, we cannot look past his incredible talents. Clocking in at six minutes, this track coalesces funk, soul, disco, and pop which inspires dancing, singing, laughing, and drinking – quite possibly in that order-. Truly, if it wasn’t for this creepy toucher, pop music in the ‘80s and ‘90s would have continued to be dominated by terrible new wave acts like Flock of Seagulls. hcolosimo@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

I

remember talking to a fellow aspiring comic artist about writing in comics, and he explained a concept that I never really considered before.

Because he is much closer to the world of syndicated comic strips than I am, I was inclined to listen. The idea that he explained was that with narrative in comics, the best comics are where every episode of the series (whether it is an issue or a single strip) is meant to have closure. The beginning of the comic gives a scenario that is easy to grasp, and it has a definitive end, whether it is a punch-line or a closing explanation.

In other words, a comic strip or page is meant to be like a sentence – one complete thought.

It’s a concept that surely makes sense and one that I greatly agree with.

Like any other form of literature, there needs to be a flow in dialogue and narrative to make it easy for the reader to follow. Considering how a comic is laid out, it makes perfect sense that the proverbial “periods” (or “commas”) of a comic should happen after every page, yet one specific episode of the comic should wrap up its entire concept within its last page or panel. The end shouldn’t be a “comma;” that’s bad design in narrative because it leaves the reader dead in thought. But the “question mark” can be acceptable—the infamous “to be continued” ending. This ending can be risky though, feeling more like a comma then a question mark. If you take the examples of the video game Halo 2 and

the movie The Matrix Reloaded, you know exactly what I mean.

To further emphasize this point, some of my favourite comics are oneshots and one-panel comics. Take a look at webcomics such as Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (Weiner; www.smbccomics.com) and Bunny (Davies; bunny. frozenreality.co.uk) and you can see a type of narrative brilliance that only one tothe-point comic panel can make.

Even Sam and Fuzzy (Logan; www. samandfuzzy.com) takes this concept to heart. While the storyline is a long narrative, each comic can stand on its own, which serves well for its one-page-at-atime update schedule. The usual fare for Sam and Fuzzy includes either the whole “What’s that?” cliffhanger, or the strong punch-line or response to a scenario.

The same format goes for Questionable Content (www.questionablecontent.net) from long-time rival — note that I almost wrote the term “frenemy” — Jeph Jacques, although his storyline moves reads like one continuous chapter.

I guess that would explain graphic novels. It’s possible to have a 400-page comic and easily finish the novel before the end of the day without forcing yourself. Punctuation doesn’t happen per line of dialogue in a comic book, but rather per page. This doesn’t mean it gives comics less integrity, mind you.

The book may be easier to read, but you gather so much information from one sentence. ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

19

Film Review

Passchendaele Directed by Paul Gross Alliance Films

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’ll start out quite simply: Go watch Passchendaele, as it is an amazing, epic war story written, directed, produced and starring Canadian all-star Paul Gross. The movie focuses on Canada’s efforts in the first Great War, and the climax of the movie depicts Canada’s triumph at the battle of Passchendaele, one of history’s greatest battles and one which represents one of the most significant events in Canada’s formative years. Gross explains his passion and purpose for the movie is to “encourage the youth in our country of some interest in our history. It’s hard to keep alive in an era when we’ve been so blasted by entertainment and cultural matters from outside our own borders and so little of our own.”

In Passchendaele the reality of war – which is difficult to express in a movie – is shown through the effects of the war on Canadians

at home as well as through tales of courage, passion, and sacrifice that followed the soldiers on the battlefield and coming home. How does the writer depict the extreme terror of a battle that was as awful, bloody, and horrendous as Passchendaele? Gross did a very good job in highlighting a soldier’s struggle, but he had some help with his depictions of the soldier’s trials and terrors on the battle field.

Gross’ maternal grandfather, Sergeant Michael Dunne, whom Gross portrays onscreen, was a Canadian soldier who fought in and survived the battle of Passchendaele. Gross had access to many letters written by his grandfather during his time serving in the war; letters from the trenches, from the infirmary, and after the battles, all of which add to his convincing portrayal of a soldier caught in a time when “the very ground we are standing on is shifting.”

The opening scene of the movie is incredibly vivid and horrific: Sergeant Dunne is seeking shelter in a blown out church under a barrage of enemy fire. He is an incredibly knowledgeable and courageous soldier and is able to destroy the enemy with a well thrown grenade.

When he carefully approaches the German machine gun nest, there is a young boy who raises his hand and says “Kamerade;” Sergeant Dunne then bayonets the boy in the forehead. It is one of the most graphic images in the movie and a real life story that Gross’ grandfather told him as a boy; an incredibly brutal story of the reality and inhumanity of war.

Passchendaele not only follows the life of a courageous soldier in battle, but of a love-struck man,

Sergeant Dunne, determined to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves, Sarah Mann. This love proves difficult during a time when all able-bodied men travelled overseas to prove their loyalty to the motherland. This love story triggers the tag line to the movie, “there is only one rule…don’t die,” which is incredibly romantic but also incredibly difficult to achieve during one of the bloodiest battles of WWI. Gross’ depiction of Passchendaele is historically based, draws greatly from his grandfather’s war letters, and balances the beautiful landscape of Canada with the horrors of war. In the bunkers while preparing for the battle, a senior officer briefs Sergeant Dunne on the specifics of the attack. The senior officer says to Dunne: “You know they’ve got a name for us, the enemy: They call us storm troopers.” While exploring the interactive website for the movie I found a soldier explaining this moment in the movie. The first time that the phrase “storm trooper” was ever used in history was by the Germans to describe the type of attack Canadian soldiers brought to the battlefield: “There is nothing you can do to stop the Canadians’ attack.” A great amount of pride and Canadian history is used to tell this epic story of Passchendaele. So much of what Canada is today came from the First World War, the courage of the soldiers, the love of those left behind, the memory of men who perished in the mud, and the struggle of a nation to become independent and define itself in a time of global and national uncertainty.

–Alicia Boers

Book Review

The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins Schoolastic Press

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he 74th Annual Hunger Games are soon to begin.

The Hunger Games are a fight to the death. In the new country of Panem, in the ruins of North America, each year as punishment for a rebellion and as a control mechanism, the Capitol forces each of the 12 provinces to draw names of a male and female tribute. The tributes are drawn from

all people between the ages of 12 and 18. They receive training, are assessed by the game masters and then the betting begins. The games will be televised and are required viewing for the whole nation.

The draws are not exactly even though. You can choose to enter your name extra times, for yourself and for family members to receive a terse, a grain and oil supplement from the government. Thus enters our heroine Katniss Everdeen.

She is entered this year 20 times as she is 16 and taken the terse every year, for herself, her sister and her mother. Her close friend Gale has his name in 42 times, but this is the last year he is eligible.

Then Katniss has the worst fear hit – her younger sister Prim (short for Primrose) is drawn with her first and only ballot. Katniss then does the unthinkable; she volunteers to take Prim’s place.

Katniss Everdeen knows that she has at least some chance of survival in the games. She has been secretly hunting in the woods and feeding her family since her father died years earlier. She hunts and gathers what she can with her friend and hunting partner Gale, in the woods beyond the fenced border of District 12. Yet even so, most believe she has just given up her life for her sister’s.

Katniss and Peeta Mellark are the tributes from District 12 for the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

As they travel to the Capitol they have two mentors – Haymitch Abernathy the only surviving Hunger Games winner from the district and Effie Trinket the Capitol’s representative in the district. They will each in their own way try to help them to survive both the Capitol, to win favour with the citizens who can sponsor them in the games, and then the games themselves.

This book is very well written, the scenes sharp and crisp, the world believable and detailed.

The characters become real as you read. You reach the end and are left hungry for more, which is what you will get as this is book one in a trilogy. The only drawback in my opinion is the lack of a map. I keep hoping for a map of Panem, with the 12 districts, the mysterious destroyed 13th district and the wilderness area’s between them.

Maybe it is just a guy thing, but I wanted a map. In this book 24 are forced to enter the game zone but only the winner survives. This is a great sci-fi book and would make an excellent movie.

–Steven R. McEvoy

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20

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Siskel, Ebert, and one huge art attack

Slasher Central

L

ast Friday, my housemate and I decided that we were going to have a very lazy night and just hang out around the house. In the spirit of the season, we started to tell each other some scary stories. After sufficiently freaking each other out, we decided that the only thing to do would be to rent a horror movie.

Last week, I talked about Hitchcock and his form of terror and kind of told everyone to ignore the standard horror movies this weekend. I may have been a tad hasty. Hitchcock films can terrify our intellectual minds but a good old-

were watching him left to have sex. So throughout the first Friday the 13th film young teenage counsellors get killed off one by one as they have sex, drink alcohol, and do other “bad” things.

Michael Myers’ backstory is fairly troubling. He was a young boy who murdered his family and was then sent to a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of Janet Lee of the famous Psycho shower scene, stars in this film and is the typical “good girl” and therefore the only character to survive. Myers, himself, is a fairly ter-

Let’s not forget; nothing beats making fun of these movies while watching them, and then actually being a little jumpy once they end. fashioned slasher can make us look behind our backs when walking home alone at night. Let’s not forget: nothing beats making fun of these movies while watching them, and then actually being a little jumpy once they end.

Over the years, Hollywood has brought many horror movie villains to the screen, but really there are few that have become infamous characters.

There are four killers who, in my opinion, have reached this status: Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, and Leatherface.

Now before I begin to discuss these killers and their respective films, I am going to say something important about the genre. Ever horror movie gets a sequel, which I’m sure you have realized, and sometimes these sequels are great and other times they are terrible. For the purposes of this column, I have decided to ignore newer releases such as Freddy vs. Jason and Halloween H2O, because in my opinion nothing quite beats the original few films.

In Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger is an undead man who was a child murderer while alive. The parents of the murdered children end up setting his home, a boiler room, on fire, thus killing him. This movie is able to scare because Krueger haunts the children of Elm Street in their dreams, and there’s really nothing as scary as being unable to sleep. Honestly, Nightmare on Elm Street is fun to watch for one reason: a young Johnny Depp and his death scene.

Jason has achieved notoriety due to the Friday the 13th franchise and the many sequels that came out. Originally it was his mother who was the killer. In the first of the franchise, we find out that Jason died as a young camper at Camp Crystal Lake when the counsellors who

rifying killer. This is mainly because he wears a mask that makes his eyes look like two black holes, and because he makes no sudden movements and slowly stalks his victims without saying a word. Halloween is probably the scariest of the four movies I have chosen to write about. Myers himself is scary, but so too is the opening scene and the soundtrack. Halloween offers both the hilarious ‘70s production values that are expected from a horror movie, and plays on the fear of the psychopathic mind.

Leatherface is simply deranged and enjoys killing anyone he can get his hands on. In Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a group of kids go out to the back woods of Texas to find out if their grandfather’s tomb has been tampered with. The kids run out of gas and one by one venture into Leatherface’s home, where he grabs them and cuts them up like meat.

Leatherface is another of the really scary, he doesn’t slowly follow anyone, he just grabs them and kills them. He also kills people in the most brutal ways, let’s not forget this movie is call the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. However, the ending of the original is fairly disappointing, but it’s still worth watching.

Slasher films entertain. There isn’t a lot to them, there are screaming girls, and a knife (or other weapon) wielding maniac who is out to kill any teenager he can find. The four films above are the most famous horror films of this genre and are really the place where one must begin. They set the basis for what other films do and, as Scream taught us, make the rules of horror. etarswell@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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all it another unintended consequence of the internet age or a slump in popular interest; it’s hard not to notice an obvious decline in the demand for professional film criticism.

Siskel’s in the grave, Ebert isn’t far behind him, and it’ll be a candy-free Halloween before you catch this guy up at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning tuning into heir-apparent Richard Roeper’s blithering putzery.

And with good reason.

It’s plastic surgery to dub Ebert and Roeper critics in the true sense of the word. While there are differing definitions concerning the proper role of the critic in society, those definitions rarely include the masturbatory celebration of mass-marketed entertainment on a consistent basis. Sure, from time to time these donkeys throw out a sufficient appraisal. Generally though, they serve only as a dated marketing tool, creating a commodity out of criticism for an already saturated commodity marketplace.

As far as I am concerned, Ebert and Co. squandered some 20 odd years of monopoly control of film criticism. Where they could have used their influence to keep in check a grossly decadent and self-congratulatory industry with honest, in-depth critiques that challenged the status quo and evaluated more than mere entertainment value, they sold out and

became a symptom of the problem rather than a cure.

Some of the film-going audience may still continue to put stock into the opinions of the aforementioned appraisers of quality, but Roger and Richard no longer have the hotel on Boardwalk. Relying on Ebert or Roeper for your pre-fabricated, one-dimensional opinion is passé when there is a multitude of Ebert and Roeper facsimilies available immediately online.

While I have no special love for the typical film blogger, I refuse to mourn, or even acknowledge the loss, of the antiquated stylings of Ebert and Co. It’s not that blogs (for the most part) have anything better to say. What probably contributes to the demise of the likes of Ebert in favour of our more modern medium of critique is that in the internet age, the populace demands a steady stream of information. There is no longer a need for Daddy Roeper to impart his infinite wisdom once a week, when its equivalent is readily and continually available on demand.

I recognize that many of you have your blogs or bloggers of choice which you may or may not turn to for guidance in the upcoming film department.

Frankly though, what’s the point? The sophistication of the present day marketing machine is such that, months prior to the launch of a given film, I

already know far more about it than I really should (whether I want to or not).

Trailers, posters, advertisements, TV and radio spots, prior knowledge of notable cast and crew and – perhaps most importantly – word of mouth through both the digital and natural grapevines all provide more than enough information to make the largely whimsical and certainly inconsequential decision regarding whether I should invest 10 bucks in a film or not.

I didn’t need Siskel and Ebert, or Ebert and Roeper, and I certainly don’t need Roeper and whomever else they’ve got in store for us if they don’t have some significant ground-floor changes in mind. Moreover, I don’t need a blog that contributes to the same information overload, while void of any significant critical evaluation. For the large part, the blogs I’ve seen merely provide an old article of trade in a new marketplace.

Quality critical evaluations of films are for the most part absent from popular media. They certainly still exist though, and while (not surprisingly) only available sometime after the release of a film, are a worthwhile aid in fully appreciating and assessing a film. Of course, absent this alternative you could you always revert to the ancient technique of using your own head. arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Leis: learned craft locally Continued from page 17

The broader visual arts world does not influence Leis any longer. “There are certain styles, or certain types of abstracts that have been around for a long time and they’re still around, and there are trends that come and they stay for a short time.

I stay away from those ones,” said Leis.

When I asked Leis what he wishes for his paintings, he replied, “People who buy my paintings, I just hope that they like them as much as I did. I hope that it gives them a good feeling when they look at them.”

Leis’ paintings are all over the world.

They can be found from Kenya to Germany and Luxemburg. A small gallery in Stratford, Ontario used to have Leis’ work. “A fellow from Luxemburg, who must have about 10 or 15 of my paintings by now, buys one painting every time he comes to Canada,” said Leis. The only limit is that the paintings have to be small enough to fit into a suitcase. Many visiting people buy the paintings partly as a rememberance of Canada.

Leis told me of one unusual sale: “a fellow came into the gallery and he told me he really loved my work. Then he said he was going to buy a small painting and

asked me, when he gets home and his wife approves, if I could ship some more paintings. I said yes, and so he made a list of the ones that he liked and while we were going through the transaction he said to me, ‘Maybe I should explain why I never bought anything without my wife. She’s the head of the art department at the University of Kentucky and I trust her opinion.’ So I told him I would too. Anyway, he left that day and then the following afternoon I called and he wanted four more paintings. The following summer he brought his wife along and they came over to my studio and they bought some more.”

I had been talking with Leis for nearly half an hour, but the minutes had flown by too quickly. I was eager to hear another story and so he shared one more vignette with me: “it took place in Stratford; a long limo pulled up, and two kids and their nanny came out. The little girl, who’s maybe seven or eight, just loved my paintings. Similar to how I was with Homer Watson’s paintings – just couldn’t believe that they were real. She sat on the floor looking at one painting for the longest time and then said to her nanny, ‘Can I buy this?’ The nanny looked and said, ‘You’ve already

used your allowance today. Maybe you can get tomorrow’s allowance and come back.’ But they never did come back. I don’t know what kind of allowance she had,” laughed Leis.

I told Leis that I was amazed by his ability to find something special in raw nature, focus in on it and portray it in an enchanting way. “I always find something.

That’s the only reason I do the painting,” said Leis. In an age of rigorous lifestyles that too often seem to be on fast-forward mode, it is comforting to encounter people like Leis who seem to be less affected by the speed of modernity because they are able capture a particular feature of space in an interesting way, thus drawing our attention to it and inadvertently, at least for that brief moment, slowing down our pace. “I think I’m lucky to be able to do that, and make a living of it.

Like I said, I started in 1965, and I’m never rushed, and I never timed how long it takes to do a painting. Some of them take a long time and others go really quickly. Sometimes the ones that are painted really fast are the best because that’s when there’s inspiration — when something just makes you paint.” arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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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/ministry-centre.

Parkminster United is an affirming, liberal congregation open to all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, age, ability, economic or family status.

275 Erb Street, E., Waterloo. Sunday services at 10 a.m. For more info www.parkuc.ca.

UPCOMING November 1 to 21, 2008 “End of Season” exhibition at Homer Watson House and Gallery. Three artists include J.R. Ribee, Susan Zender and Paul Roorda. For info 519748-4377, ext 233.

Thursday, November 6, 2008 FemFest 2008 fundraiser – a celebration of women – from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Schwaben Club, Kitchener. Come for an evening of free pampering and do some shopping in our silent auction. Check out www.sascwr.org for ticket and event details.

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

Saturday, November 8, 2008 Free Psoriasis Education and Assessment session from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will be presented by Dr. Kim Papp. Call 1-866-639-1119 to register/info or www.psoriasisconnections.ca.

Rotunda Gallery presents “Missing” by Megan Sinnett with reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at 200 King Street, W., Kitchener. For info 519-741-3400, ext 3381.

Sunday, November 9, 2008 Kitchener-Waterloo Camber Orchestra with pianist Sarah Ho at 3 p.m.. For info www.kwchamberorchestra.on.aibn.

Thursday, November 13, 2008 Speech Communication Anniversary celebration – 6:45 to 9:45 p.m. this event is specifically for Speech Communication students, SPCOM alumni and faculty to celebrate the programs successes. Register at www.scs.uwaterloo.ca.

“The Hidden History of 9-11-2001” special lecture by Professor Paul Zarembka from 7 to 9 p.m. at AL room 116. For more info www.Waterloo911. ca.

November 17 to 21, 2008 UW hosts its third International Education Week.

Events and activities include exchange program info sessions, volunteer opportunities, film, music, theatre and more! Check the IEW website at www.iew.uwaterloo.ca.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 David R. Cheriton School of C.S Distinguished Lecture Series with Dr. Anne Condon, UBC, DC room 1302 at 4:30 p.m. For info www.cs.uwaterloo. ca.

Friday, November 21, 2008 November Swing Dance at 315 Weber Street, N. Beginner lesson begins at 8:30 p.m., then dancing from 9:15 p.m. onwards. For info www.waterlooswing.com.

Sunday, November 30, 2008 Jan Guenther Braun, UW and Imprint alumni, will be doing a reading from her book “Somewhere Else” at Erb Street Mennonite Church library, Erb Street, Waterloo from 4 to 5 p.m. For more info jan@janguentherbraun.ca or www.janguentherbraun.ca.

VOLUNTEERING

City of Waterloo needs volunteers for summer 2009 events: Uptown Country Festival on Saturday, June 20 – entrance security/programs ; runners/site patrol ; information/volunteer/CD and t-shirt sales tent ; festival operations. Email cdostle@city.waterloo.on.ca for more info.

June 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.

CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS Monday, November 3, 2008 Writing CVs 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 p.m., 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? – 4:30 to 6 p.m., TC 1208.

Thursday, November 6, 2008 Business Etiquette and Professionalism – 3:30 to

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008 ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

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

ONGOING

THURSDAYS “in conjunction with FINE 290’?” – ECH 1220 at 6:30 p.m. Free - all are welcome!

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

Classified SERVICES

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.

HELP WANTED Weekend counsellors and relief staff to work in homes for individuals with developmental challenges. Minimum eight-month commitment.

Paid positions. Send resume to Don Mader, K-W Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2.

Skilled line cooks needed at The Bombshelter Pub and Fed Hall. Looking for students with cooking experience to work flexible weekday and weekend hours in a fast paced, fun atmosphere.

Tons of perks included! Interested candidates

please email your resume to Joey Clayfield, jclayfie@feds.uwaterloo.ca

LOST & FOUND Whomever found lost credit card and turned it in September 19 please email proudy1717@yahoo. ca to receive “thanks.” $100 REWARD – for lost gold ring, has three cubic zirconia stones, black, yellow and orange. If found please contact s_grieco@hotmail.com or 519-227-0795. Cash reward up front, no questions asked.

CASH REWARD – iPod Touch lost since beginning of October. Engraved on back, “Trust in the Lord and He will make your paths straight.” E-mail cheta3327@hotmail.com or call 519-572-9680.

WANTED

Entrepreneurial partner wanted – Training included ; comp plan. Serious applicants only – 1888-226-8151 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 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 519-7461411 for more details.

Science & Technology UW grad receives R&D award Danielle Whittemore intern

C

ameron Piron, president and founder of Sentinelle Medical, recently won the Research and Development Innovator of the year award. This was described in a press release as an award given to “an individual who demonstrates excellence and creativity in the design, development, and introduction into the market of one or more technologically significant products.” Piron has certainly achieved this with many accomplishments in the field of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Sentinelle’s newest innovation, the MRI breast scanning technology, can image every part of the breast, allowing any tumors to be caught in the early stages.

“If you’re able to detect a tumor early enough, the patient won’t die,” Piron said. In fact, if the cancer is identified and treated before it grows larger than a centimeter, patients will recover “as if they never had cancer at all,” Piron said. Sentinelle’s new innovation also has the ability to determine what elements make up a tumor, as well as how fast the tumor is growing.

Piron said one of his biggest challenges was “getting through the first year [of the company].” They excelled

at Sentinelle. Fournier’s work is split between 75 per cent production and 25 per cent medical technology. In production he builds fixtures, conducts testing, and develops standardized procedures so that test results are easier to read and more exact. He also works on fixing any errors found with machines, and he writes the reports afterward.

When asked how involved he is in the innovation process, Fournier said, “brainstorming sessions happen constantly… everyone gets involved at some point or another.”

Fournier said he enjoys working at Sentinelle because of the atmosphere.

He told Imprint that when he first started

“...co-op students get to be involved with all of the new technologies, and their ideas are always listened to.”

His most recent achievement, a piece of equipment specializing in breast cancer detection, uses MRI technology to make breast cancer scans more comfortable and efficient.

Senitnelle Medical, located in Toronto, was founded by Cameron Piron, Gal Sela, and Chris Luginbuhl in 2004. They have since performed thousands of tests on patients in an attempt to further develop their vanguard technologies. Piron himself has been a monumental part of Sentinelle’s brilliant innovations.

Piron said he was not always interested in these technologies. He was drawn to medicine until his last year at the University of Waterloo, when he was able to take a course that combined medicine with technology.

It was then that he decided to go to grad school in Toronto, a course that eventually led to the creation of Sentinelle.

According to Piron, he decided to develop MRI because it was “the most interesting type of imaging.”

at that however, and the three founders remain close.

Upcoming events for Sentinelle include a trade show on November 30 to December 5, where they will show off all of their new technologies. Other than that, Piron said that their main goal is expanding the company, which at this present time is doubling in size every six months.

“Next is the ability to detect prostate cancer,” Piron said of future plans of the company. They will also be studying the effects and patient responses to chemotherapy. Sentinelle’s long-term goals are “to manage all areas of cancer, from detection to treatment,” and to make their company international.

Sentinelle still has very strong ties with UW. Not only did Piron himself graduate from UW, but a huge majority of Sentinelle’s employees are also UW grads. Sentinelle also accepts many coop students from UW, usually having four at a time.

Imprint interviewed Doug Fournier, who is currently a co-op student

working there, he didn’t even know who was in charge. “There is no hierarchy,” he said, “everyone pitches in.” This means that co-op students get to be involved with all of the new technologies, and their ideas are always listened to. “When everyone is working together, everyone feels that they can get involved… in any project,” Fournier said.

Piron said he enjoys having co-op students because they are “very effective workers.” He added that he likes to develop workers, and that he hopes many previous co-op students will come back after they graduate.

In addition to winning R&D Innovator of the year, Piron recently won the Ontario “Best Young Innovator of the Year” award, and he was in town on Wednesday for yet another award ceremony (Imprint does not know the results, due to an earlier press deadline).

Piron’s advice to students is to “maintain focus, target your goal and you’ll achieve it.”

Taylor Helferty

it back to Earth. These satellites would be constantly exposed to the sun and could beam back five to ten gigawatts of energy each — that’s enough to power California. The receiving stations could be in deserts, and then send the energy to where it’s needed.

The costs are, of course, very high, but the technology does exist, and is constantly being improved. Ohio State Institute for Materials Research developed solar cell technology that takes in the full spectrum of the rainbow.

Maybe this can be used on the satellites to beam back even more energy. The technology exists; it just needs to be implemented.

who would like more control over the software.

staff reporter

Ubuntu 8.10 released

The newest release of Ubuntu Linux, codenamed “Intrepid Ibex,” is out.

The new version of the popular Linux operating system comes with new versions of Gnome (2.24), X.Org (7.4), and the Linux kernel (2.6.27). Gnome (the desktop environment) comes with a lot of new programs and features, including the deskbar applet, and even looks bit better than the previous version. X.Org (the software that handles your graphics hardware and software) improves boot and overall graphics performance, as well as supports more hardware. The new Linux kernel (the handling of the core operating system) comes with performance enhancements, support for new hardware, and (good news for mobile users) elongated battery life.

There are also speed enhancements for the new Ext4 file system (although full integration of Ext4 probably won’t be around until version 9.04 in April).

It is available from multiple mirrors (including one from UW) on the Ubuntu website (www.ubuntu.com).

Satellites beaming solar energy back to Earth

It was recently suggested by Ben Bova, former president of the National Space Society, that satellites built with large arrays of photovoltaic cells be put into space to collect solar energy and send

BMW to implement Linux in vehicles

BMW is developing open-source techniques for the infotainment technologies in their cars. This is a step forward in bringing open-source software further into the mainstream. Created by BMW, Wind River Systems, and Intel Corporation, they plan to have the open-source platform in a vehicle of at least 200,000 units within five to seven years. The open-source platform would encourage innovation and improvement by allowing users to modify, improve, and fix the software themselves. They invite other automakers to join the movement, but so far are alone in the endeavour.

With infotainment in vehicles becoming more popular, open-source software is a favourable move for users

dwhittemore@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Hawaiian Makauwahi cave is an ecological marvel

Hawaii holds the cave that is the richest in fossils in the Pacific Island region.

Sixteen years after its discovery, this half acre-cave has provided seeds, pollen, thousands of bird fossils, fish fossils, and Polynesian artifacts.

The storytelling of this cave spans millennia, describing the past wildlife and changes to the landscape from the expeditions of Polynesians, Europeans, Americans, and Asians. It documents three stages of extinctions on the islands. The first being from the Polynesians overhunting all the local waterfowl and introducing invasive rats and pigs.

Then the agricultural practices wiped out even more of the species. Finally, Europeans came in with their livestock to finish the job.

The cave holds many more stories with it as well and possibly more to be discovered. Who knows what discoveries will come from it next.

This cave is significant because it has the potential of attracting indigenous birds, animals and insects to flourish in the cave’s ecological habitat.

Ovulation is everyone’s business

H

ave you ever seen that Nutrigrain commercial, the one where the lady stuffs up stationery supplies up her shirt, chanting “babies!” all the while? This is a valid description of ovulation, that thing on the inside of girls that makes them want to have lots of babies. Same as when testosterone is said to validate violent tendencies in males. Are you catching my drift? What I’m trying to say is that ovulation is commonly misinterpreted.

Perhaps the reason ovulation is sometimes a stigmatized subject is because the menstrual cycle used to be associated with the 28-day cycle of the moon, which affected the menstrual cycle through exposure to natural light. Today, with so much exposure to artificial light, women to longer menstruate at the same time, but the stigma remains.

Naturally, ovulation is part of the female menstrual cycle, which will be explained next to help put things into perspective of the entire reproductive cycle. Menstruation, the body’s way of disposing of endometrial tissue, is the first stage of the menstrual cycle, and it is natural and does not carry any negative connotations. In the few days prior to menstruation, drops in progesterone and estrogen signal that pregnancy has not occurred (in the case that it hasn’t), and this triggers the shedding of the endometrial tissue from the uterus. Menstruation usually lasts between five to nine days, producing six to nine tablespoons of a mixture of blood and mucus that leave the body through the vagina.

After menstruation ends, the female body enters stage two, in which the body prepares an egg for ovulation. Estrogen levels rise, signalling the endometrial lining of the uterus to thicken in preparing to receive the egg in case of successful fertilization during ovulation. This stage lasts about two weeks following the last day of menstruation.

Mid-cycle, the increases in estrogen from the previous phase stimulate a large release of luteinizing hormone (LH). This signifies an oncoming ovulation and is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The rise of LH causes the egg to be released into the fallopian tube soon after, where it remains for a maximum of 24 hours until male sperm attempt to fertilize it or the body sends signals that no fertilization has occurred, and the egg is shed with the endometrial tissue during menstruation.

thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

— With files from MaximumPC, Inhabitat, Automotive News Europe and Live Science.

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Geoffrey Lee

If the egg is fertilized, human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) is released. This hormone serves as a foundation for modern day pregnancy tests. If the egg is not fertilized, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, causing the uterus to shed its lining and cause menstruation, triggering the monthly menstruation cycle again.

Now, put yourself in a woman’s shoes. For this gender, every month is a hormonal roller-coaster, often producing emotional side effects that are caricatured by the media. Yes, some females become high-strung under the influence of hormones, but that provides no excuse for females to act irresponsibly and for onlookers to mock their emotions during these periods.

Alternately, some women lack the emotional fluctuations that are associated with hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle. Because each body is individual, some do not react as strongly to the hormonal fluctuations.

Furthermore, when women ovulate, their sex drive peaks significantly for about two days. This is when testosterone and estrogen levels are at their highest in the cycle. According to Natalie Angier, author of Woman: An Intimate Geography, during ovulation, estrogen “hones the senses,” while testosterone boosts libido and energy. It’s no surprise that sex drive increases during ovulation, as it is the body’s attempt to ensure reproduction and the survival of the human species.

Monitoring ovulation can be of great advantage to sexually active women -— although most people associate tracking ovulation with trying to conceive a baby, few people consider using the same method to prevent pregnancy. This is called the billings ovulation method, and it depends on careful monitoring of the body’s behaviour to accurately estimate ovulation to either abstain from sex or use extra protection. The billings method involves careful observation of basal temperature and discharge, among other factors, ultimately teaching the woman to track her individual pattern of fertility.

Although this method is certainly liberating, it is best learned from a health professional as it is not as straightforward as other methods of contraception — like using condoms or oral contraceptives. Contact a local health professional or Planned Parenthood facility for more information on using this method. alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Science & Technology

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

23

The green deception H

ave you noticed the new trend in advertising where companies boast about being the “greenest” company, or for creating a new “green” product?

Sometimes these companies are the ones who are also huge polluters — this is the process of greenwashing.

Greenwashing is when a business advertises itself using green credentials while environmental preservation and sustainability are not included in its business interests. Of course, some companies do make a genuine shift to green business leadership, but the number of these needs to grow. Most companies exaggerate their use of green technologies, when in reality only a very tiny portion of their business is using it.

Greenwashing is of particular concern to those trying to live a sustainable life, as it can deceive an individual into buying products they think are making an environmentally conscious contribution, when really they are advancing the companies they wish to combat.

For instance, environmental marketing company TerraChoice conducted a study of 1,018 common consumer products in 2007, which revealed 99 per cent of them to be greenwashing. This

study, named The Six Sins of Greenwashing, also revealed that 57 per cent of these products committed what TerraChoice called “The Sin of the Hidden TradeOff.” An example of this sin is when a company claims to sell “energy-efficient” electronics, when they are full of harmful chemicals, or selling paper tissues made from sustainable forestry while the consequences of milling, and low recycled paper content are left compromised. Products like these support greenwashing by incorporating green initiatives into a small portion of the production and undermining the harm to the environment by these compromises.

A significant example of greenwashing was a Ford advertisement in a 2004 National Geographic magazine, where they advertised a new hybrid SUV. In the advertisement, they claimed: “Green vehicles. Cleaner factories. It’s the right road for our company, and we’re well underway.”

In reality, 20,000 of these SUVs were produced annually, while 80,000 polluting F-series trucks were produced every month. The Environmental Protection Agency also announced Ford as having the worst fleet wide fuel economy in the automobile industry.

Greenwashing may seem annoying and pesky, but in reality it’s dangerous. This is because consumers are the driving force behind businesses and corporations, since by purchasing their products they show support for those products and help fuel the economy. People are becoming more aware of the importance of preserving the environment, and they start with buying greener products. Major companies try to advance by making their products seem green, which is dangerous because it makes it harder for the smaller companies selling real green products to get any credibility and exposure in the market. The Greenwash Guide claims that only 10 per cent of consumers now trust green claims and information supplied by business and government. It’s clear that genuine green products have difficulty getting a foothold in the mainstream market.

In my opinion, there is another, unofficial, form of greenwashing. This is in the context of corporations — and even people — who realize the importance of going green, but are limited by how expensive eco-friendly product alternatives usually are. You see this a lot with novelty green items, such as recycled or hemp T-shirts which cost

almost double the price of a normal Tshirt. These ideas are so expensive that people start getting the impression that becoming environmentally friendly is for the elite. For that reason, most of the green products are sponsored by large companies that can afford to sell the items at a lower price. This makes them look good as well as making people think green alternatives are too expensive. As a result, people stick with the cheaper, polluting products.

In reality, there are many cheap, fast, and easy product alternatives available that are generally friendlier than these greenwashed products.

For example, I attended the ReThink event on October 3 in the Waterloo Recreation Complex, where Robert Kennedy Jr. spoke about many environmental issues in American politics.

In this speech, he mentioned how Israel was working on an electric car so cheap they could quite possibly give it away for free, if not cheaper than an electric car. In this strategy, run by the company Better Place, which aims at decreasing global dependency on oil, they work at making customers pay for charging the electric car, not the car itself — a lot like getting a cell phone for free (or very cheap) and paying for the service.

So how do you avoid greenwashing?

The website www.greenwashingindex. com provides a forum for submitting, analyzing, and rating advertisements to see if they are greenwashing or not.

This helps you gain an idea of what to look for so you aren’t being swindled into buying a non-green product.

The Futerra Sustainability Communications website also provides an entire Greenwash Guide (www.futerra. co.uk/services/greenwash-guide) to walk you through how to analyze advertisements for greenwashing.

Next time you’re looking around for greener products to reduce the size of your ecological footprint, take the time to do a bit of research into the companies and claims they make. Look around to make sure you’re actually getting the cheapest and best alternative. Another tip would be to keep an eye out for trusted certification symbols, such as the Fair Trade certification stamp, which also ensures the producer follows an ethical protocol in order to be “Fair Trade certified.” If you’re truly interested in living sustainability, it’s a dodgy and skeptical world, so be ready to do your research and know the signs of what is greenwash and what is green.

Wael Elsweisi

“To have a drug that reduces relapses, reduces the risk of progression, and reverses some of the disability will be the single most important breakthrough in early relapsing-remitting MS that we have seen to date,” said head of research Dr. Lee Dunster.

ment drug Methotrexate. In trials involving 1,190 patients, it was found that the drug combination halted RA progression in 47 per cent of patients, compared with only 8 per cent when methotrexate was taken alone.

Further, the new treatment slowed structural damage to joints by 85 per

cent on average, compared to 67 per cent when taking methotrexate alone.

“These trial findings are significant because it is critical to stop joint damage as quickly as possible to avoid joint deformity and to help people with RA maintain their quality of

life,” said lead researcher Paul Emery of the University of Leeds, UK.

staff reporter

Cell phone may cause skin rash

We all know of the many ongoing, contradicting studies aimed at linking heavy cell phone use with brain cancer. The latest of studies, however, claims to have linked heavy cell phone use with skin rash.

The British Association of Dermatologists has recently released a statement describing “mobile phone dermatitis” as a skin rash resulting from an allergic reaction of ears and/or cheeks to the nickel surface coating many cell phone keypads. Although nickel is found in objects varying from jewlery to belt buckles, it is one of the most common aggravators of dermatitis, according to the Mayo Clinic in the United States.

“It is worth doctors bearing this condition in mind if they see a patient with a rash on the cheek or ear that cannot otherwise be explained,” the association said.

First drug to reverse effects of multiple sclerosis

Considered a breakthrough in the medical community, the drug Alemtuzumab has been shown to reverse the effects typically associated with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Interestingly, Alemtuzumab is the current preferred medication given to leukemia patients.

Neurologists at the University of Cambridge gave the drug to 200 patients in their early stages of MS. When compared to the current MS treatment using interferon, Alemtuzumab was found to reduce the number of MS attacks by an extra 74 per cent. MS attacks include double vision, numbness, and loss of balance.

Of course, the drug has side effects, including lowered blood platelet count, which would make patients vulnerable to severe bleeding. But this problem can be monitored and easily treated.

New heart drug lowers risk of strokes

An experimental drug aimed at treating atrial fibrillation has been shown to lower the risk of subsequent strokes by one third in comparison to placebo testing.

The drug is marketed as Multaq(R), but its active ingredient is called dronedarone.

The study involved more than 4,600 atrial fibrillation patients aged 70 or more in 37 countries. The drug was found to lower the risk of strokes by 34 per cent when compared to control groups on placebos. The effect also lasted for 12–30 months after treatment.

Side effects include gastrointestinal problems and some skin disorders.

Multaq(R) has been granted a priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a registration dossier is also under regulatory review by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

“It’s the first time that an anti-arrhythmic drug has shown a significant impact on cardiovascular outcomes,” said Stuart Connolly, Dean and VicePresident of the Health Services Faculty at McMaster University.

Great news for rheumatoid arthritis patients

It has become clear that nothing can be done to reverse the damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but a new study has determined an effective way of halting the progression of the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in which the body attacks its own joints. The new approach halts the disease by using the drug tocilizumab in conjunction with the current treat-

thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

welsweisi@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

— With Files from BBC News, Sky News, MSNBC News, Medical News Today.

Serving UW Campus 519-747-7300

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*after 9 p.m. - large 3-item pizza*

Fischer-Hallman & Columbia Laurelwood Plaza

$9.99 MONDAY MADNESS *large 5-item pizza*

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Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Mini sticks battle foe major funds

Mini stick games aimed at supporting Warriors hockey took over the SLC Great Hall. Participants from left to right: Jarrett Schnurr, Brandon Muholland, Aaron Barton, and Jo Ann Scott.

Christina Ironstone sports and living assistant editor

T

he SLC great hall was transformed into a mini hockey stick games arena on Wednesday, October 29 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The idea, which was used to raise funds and school spirit towards Warrior hockey teams, came from hockey manager Taryn Danenan. In the past , various events such as BBQs were held for the same cause. According to Jenny Mackay, special events & promotions in the athletics department, who ran the event, for just $1 students could participate with others to play hockey using mini sticks in a makeshift arena constructed with tables.

Students who missed the event need not worry, for they’ll be plenty of chances to disply school spirit. This Friday and Saturday the Warriors men’s hockey team is playing on

campus in a series of games titled the Battle of Waterloo. On Friday, the first game is at 7:30 at the Columbia Ice Fields against Windsor. During the first intermission there will be a prize for the best Halloween costume. During the second intermission there will be a fun game of Chuck-a-Puck.

After the festive, fun filled game on Friday, there is a second game on Saturday. The game will be played at the Columbia Ice Fields at 7:30 p.m. against Laurier. During the first intermission, students will get a unique and potentially profitable opportunity — there will be a Shoot-for-Tuition.

One lucky student will get a chance to win their school fees. So come out to the Columbia Ice Fields on Friday and Saturday for lots of fun, cheering, and a chance to win your tuition. Go Warriors go. cironstone@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Photos by Holly Sage

Weighing the consequences Investigating obesity, food on and around campus, and how to make healthier choices Jeff Kelly staff reporter

L

ately, it seems like everywhere we turn, someone is warning about the dangers of an overfed and under-exercised lifestyle. It’s hard to find a magazine that doesn’t boast tips for a great new thirty minute workout on its cover, and we all see the ads on TV pitching us gym memberships, exercise equipment, weight-loss supplements, and other dubious items like weight loss belts and pads. But why is there so much focus on losing weight?

Is it just the latest fashion and fad — being thin as a waif and eating-disorder chic?

While it’s true that glamorous plus-size models are few and far between, the recently growing call for people to get active and watch what they eat comes from a more serious base. According to the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), obesity affects about one third of Americans, and is a factor in many serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers, and hypertension.

There’s no cause to sneer at our southern neighbours; Health Canada says that two out of every three adults in Canada are overweight or obese, and “the proportion of obese children has nearly tripled in the last 25 years.”

Since the grave dangers associated with being obese have been so clearly defined, why don’t more people take steps to change their lifestyle accordingly? If only. Eating habits have changed over time; according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), fast-food consumption has increased over the last three decades, and “after 15 years, those who ate at fast-food restaurants more than twice each week compared to less than once a week had gained an extra 10 pounds” as well as greatly increased their risk of developing diabetes.

Worth noting is that this study talks about “more than twice each week” as the negative end of the range. What about students, who often eat at fast-food restaurants more than twice each day?

Let’s face it: the selection of food in and around campus is a virtual fast-food bonanza, one big high-calorie (and often low-nutrient) smorgasbord, from the doughnuts at Tim Hortons to the burgers at Harvey’s and many stir-fried dishes at the various Asian restaurants in University Plaza. Even items that might seem to be healthy choices often aren’t: Roast chicken dinner at Brubakers? 25 grams of fat.

Vegetarian rice bowl at Mudie’s? An astounding 49 grams of fat.

Depending on your age and gender that could exceed your daily recommended fat intake, in just that one vegetarian bowl.

Your best bet to eating healthy is to cook for yourself, using nutritious, lower-calorie choices and cooking methods. Since this isn’t a practical option for many students, especially those in residences, your best alternative is to always check nutrition guides at restaurants before ordering. Food Services keeps detailed listings online at http://www.foodservices.uwaterloo.ca/nutrition_information/.

Eating well is only half of the solution in the “battle of the bulge,” since any healthy routine also needs to include some good old fashioned physical activity.

It’s not a new concept; those annoyingly perky Body Break commercials (you know, with Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod) are constantly reminding us to “keep fit and have fun.” For a lot of students, it’s just not that easy; between classes that can fill our days, to homework and part-time jobs that can fill our evenings and weekends, it’s often hard to find time for any physical activity.

Many students just can’t be bothered, after a long day of class, to go hit the gym or treadmill — even assuming that there isn’t homework filling the rest of their evening. When a few precious hours of

free time do become available, students may opt to fill it with more enjoyable pursuits, perhaps involving a few rounds of drinks at the Bomber or a heated Mario Kart tournament with friends.

It’s on this point that Body Break gets it right, however. If exercise is a chore, many people (students or not) will simply opt out. But if you can combine some physical activity with having fun, you’re more likely to keep at it on a regular basis. As if to make up for the questionable food choices in our area, when it comes to combining fun with fitness, UW students have a lot of options on their doorstep. There are over a dozen intramural sports leagues as part of Campus Rec, and you’ll definitely get some serious exercise if you take part in any of them. Even better, they have skill levels ranging from beginner to all-star, so you don’t need to worry about whether you’re “good enough” or not.

In addition to competitive sports leagues, there are Campus Rec clubs for lots of other physically active pastimes, such as judo, yoga, and cycling, all of which can be fun in a group setting — good opportunities to participate with friends or a place to meet new ones.

There are also opportunities to get fit on your own if you prefer, using the PAC pool and the conditioning facilities at the PAC or at Columbia Lake.

If you’re still not sold on the importance of eating properly and staying active, despite the obvious health benefits, then let me add just one more. According to Psychology Today, Prof. Eric Rimm at the Harvard School of Public Health has identified another big drawback to being overweight. Professor Rimm “found that men with waistlines of 42 inches were twice as likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) as men with 32-inch waistlines.” Still want to supersize your meal? jkelly@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Warrior Wrap-up

25

Game Recaps Women’s Soccer

Women’s Hockey

Wednesday, October 22 Laurier 3 Waterloo 1

Saturday, October 25 Waterloo 3 UOIT 1

Men’s Soccer

Sunday, October 26 Queen’s 4 Waterloo 0

Men’s Rugby

Thursday, October 23 Waterloo 5 Western 4

Wednesday, October 22 Brock 1 Waterloo 0

Saturday, October 25 McMaster 34 Waterloo 3

Golf

Sunday, October 19 to Tuesday, October 21 OUA Championships Women 2nd Men 2nd

Women’s Volleyball

Men’s Hockey

Friday, October 24 Waterloo 3 Windsor 1

Badminton

Saturday, October 25 Waterloo 9 Toronto 4

Field Hockey Friday, October 24 Waterloo 1 York 0

Sunday, October 26 Waterloo 3 Lakehead 0

Men’s Volleyball Saturday, October 25 Waterloo 3 York 0

Saturday, October 25 Toronto 4 Waterloo 0 Sunday, October 26 Western 2 Waterloo 1

The Warriors women’s team (above) finished 10th overall, while Chris Hartmann (right) finished 8th individually in the men’s race at the Cross Country OUA Championships.

Adrienne Raw sports and living editor

Upcoming Games Women’s Basketball Saturday, November 1 vs. McMaster, 2:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Friday, October 31 At Buffalo State College, 8:00 p.m.

Women’s Hockey Saturday, November 1 At Guelph, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 2 At Brock, 3:00 p.m.

Men’s Hockey Friday, October 31 vs. Windsor, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 1 vs. Laurier, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 4 At Brock, 7:35 p.m.

Men’s Hockey OUA Standings

Far East Division GP W L T OTL PTS 10 Carleton 7 5 2 0 0 10 6 5 1 0 0 UQTR 6 Ottawa 7 3 4 0 0 5 Concordia 6 2 3 0 1 0 McGill 3 0 3 0 0 Far West Division GP W L T OTL PTS 9 6 4 1 0 1 Laurier 7 1 Lakehead 6 3 2 0 7 6 3 2 0 1 Waterloo 7 6 3 2 0 1 Western 5 5 2 2 0 1 Windsor Mid East Division GP W L T OTL PTS 7 7 3 3 0 1 Queen’s 6 6 3 3 0 0 RMC 6 5 3 2 0 0 Toronto 0 4 0 4 0 0 Ryerson

Brock Guelph York UOIT

Mid West Division GP W L T OTL PTS 9 6 4 1 0 0 8 7 4 3 0 0 7 6 3 2 0 0 5 5 2 2 0 1

Women’s Volleyball Friday, October 31 vs. McMaster, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 1 vs. Guelph, 8:00 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball Friday, October 31 vs. McMaster, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 1 vs. Guelph, 8:00 p.m.

W

aterloo’s Warriors faced strong competition, miserable weather, and deteriorating footing this past Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26 in Kingston at the OUA Championships for Cross Country. The competition featured most of the men’s and women’s top 10 nationally ranked teams, making its the most competitive in the country this year.

Despite the weather and the stiff competition, both the men’s and the women’s team finished strong.

The women’s team finished in 10th place overall of the 16 teams competing. Warrior Kelly-Lynne Spettigue finished 12th individually of 105 competitors, nearly equaling her personal best time set on the same course in ideal conditions — which were noticeably absent at the competition. The men’s team finished ninth overall of the 15 teams competing. Warrior Chris Hartmann had the best individual time of the men’s team, finishing eigth of 98 competitiors and running his best race of the season. araw@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

photos courtesy uw athletics

Badminton Sunday, November 2 At McMaster, 10:00 a.m.

Swimming Saturday, November 1 to Sunday, November 2 At Laurentian Duel Mt

Women’s Hockey OUA Standings Laurier Toronto Guelph Queen’s Waterloo Brock Windsor York Western UOIT

GP 6 7 5 6 6 6 8 6 7 7

W 6 6 4 4 3 2 3 2 1 1

L 0 1 0 2 2 2 5 4 4 6

T OTL PTS 12 0 0 12 0 0 9 0 1 8 0 0 7 1 0 6 0 2 6 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 2 2 0 0

Field Hockey OUA Standings Toronto Guelph Western York Waterloo Queen’s Carleton McGill

GP 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

W 12 10 8 6 4 2 2 1

L 0 1 1 6 9 9 9 10

T PTS 2 38 3 33 5 29 2 20 1 13 9 3 9 3 6 3

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www.athabascau.ca/standout

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26

Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Toy department of news media

T

he late great American sports journalist Howard Cosell coined the famous phrase regarding sports reporting, calling it “the toy department of news media.”

He would later go on to say “sports media is the toy department of life.”

Cosell was merely being ironically selfdeprecating, but many in the “more prestigious fields” of journalism such as politics or business have taken the phrase to heart.

Despite being a prominent staple of newspapers and media outlets for over a century now, the sports section is still largely considered by many to be a light-hearted section and often relegated to the back of news telecasts or papers. There is a misconception that many people hold — a binary distinction between seriousness and quality on one side, and superficial and “tabloid” on the other. There is no provision that excludes sports journalism from the analysis, investigation, and critique that forms the basis of legitimate news reporting.

Publications such as Sports Illustrated have long published indepth investigations, sprinkled with sophisticated criticisms into the underbelly of the sports world.

Though in recent years, it has fallen victim to the celebrity worship of major North American sports stars syndrome.

all sports articles, respectively.

This however, does not imply that sports reporting is largely vacuous or self-serving, as sports is largely an event-driven section.

Other sections in the paper tend to have similar breakdown numbers to sports in event-driven reporting and “serious” investigative pieces.

world, i.e., players, coaches, team executives, etc. In other words, the sports world sets the agenda.

Sports reporting for baseball and hockey have been traditionally an “ol’boys network.” It was often difficult for new journalists to break into reporting for those sports, as writers in this field were often

Despite being a prominent staple of newspapers and media outlets for over a century now, the sports section is still largely considered by many to be a light-hearted section and often relegated to the back of news telecasts or papers.

A study conducted by David Rowe of Western Sydney University in 2007 found that sports pages across the globe focused primarily on previewing and descriptive reporting of sports events (58 per cent of articles). Stories that focused on money, politics, or the social impact of sports comprised only three, five, and two per cent of

However, sports differs from other types of journalism in its insularity and over reliance on “insider” sources. A study conducted by Schultz and Jorgenson for Journalism in 2005 found that nearly 60 per cent of sports articles referenced only a single source. These sources largely came from inside the sports

chosen due to their connections to players, coaches and those employed by professional teams rather than journalistic talent or merit. Many promising sports writers were turned away from sports sections instead of nurtured.

However, with the advent of online blogs, many new, young tal-

ented sports writers have emerged.

They tend to take a different focus from the traditional print writers, in that the focus is placed on rigorous analysis of performance rather than irreverent commentary.

Yet even with the new wave of young, online sports journalists, sports reporting has tended to focus on performance and results discussion, and not on the broad social issues which permeate the sports world. Rowe’s study found that even in Australia’s most prominent papers, only 10 per cent of the coverage was focused on topics besides previews, results, and performance.

For sports journalism to shake its label as “the toy department,” it needs to shed what it considers conventional wisdom of what is appealing to audiences and reach out to non-sports fans. The issues of the sports world is in many ways a microcosm of the world-at-large. yliu@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Working towards playoffs Editing Proofreading Rewriting Papers due?

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Warriors win two games in two days, beating Western and Windsor Matt Hayes reporter

T

he Warrior men’s hockey team continued along the course of their regular season this past weekend when they welcomed the visiting Western Mustangs to the Columbia Ice Fields on Thursday.

The following night, the Warriors travelled south to Windsor in hopes of gathering two wins in two days.

Both games presented an exciting display between fierce division rivals in the OUA Far West.

On Thursday, October 23 the Mustangs of Western made the trek from London to engage the hometown Warriors in a high-scoring spirited affair. The first period boasted a one-sided scoring scenario as the Warriors posted two goals from Chris Ray and Mark Hartman to give the home team a 2 – 0 lead after

20 minutes of play. Doug Spooner assisted on both goals.

The second period began with a Western retaliation as the visitors halved the lead at 7:13 on the power play. This seemed only to spur the Warrior offence onward, however, as Shane Hart and Chris Golem both found the back of the Western goal to restore a commanding lead. Western managed to put another goal on the scoreboard before the frame ended, setting up an exciting third period with the Warriors up 4 – 2.

The third period was a dominating 20 minutes for the visitors in purple as they managed to outshoot the home team 21 – 8 after only posting 12 shots in the previous two periods. The Mustangs managed two goals with the offensive assault and, with the Black and Gold unable to put forth any solid scoring opportunities, an overtime

period was evident. A costly penalty

by Western’s Chris Petrov at 19:05 in the third frame gave the home team a man advantage that would be detrimental to the visitors’ hopes of two points on the day.

Just 45 seconds into overtime while still on the power play a tic-tac-toe passing play from Kyle Sonnenberg, Chris Ray, and Steve Whitley ended the contest with Whitely being the overtime hero for the Warriors.

Friday sent an energized Warrior team south to compete against the Windsor Lancers. After the win from the previous night, this game acted as an excellent opportunity for the Black and Gold to bounce back from what some saw as a mediocre start to their season.

The game’s first period provided few scoring opportunities from both teams. The period’s only goal came

from Windsor’s Tyson Cameron at 8:04, giving Windsor a one goal margin after 20 minutes.

Waterloo managed to even the score at 1 – 1 when David Edgeworth lit the lamp at 18:37 in the second period from Shane Hart and Jordan Brenner. This set the stage for a thrilling final 20 minutes to decide the game.

The third period remained scoreless up until 7:03 when Kyle Schwende managed to put the Warriors up 2 – 1 with a goal from Steve Whitley. The Warriors added an empty net goal late in the third to put the final score at 3 – 1 and give Waterloo another two points in their journey towards the playoffs.

The Warriors’ next action comes this weekend as both Windsor and Laurier attempt to invade the Columbia Ice Fields on Friday October 31 and Saturday, November 1.

Warrior [W] Basketball November 1

Athletes of the Week

vs McMaster 2:00 pm UW PAC Gym

October 31

vs McMaster [M] 6:00 pm, [W] 8:00 pm UW PAC Gym November 1

vs Guelph Gryphons [M] 6:00 pm, [W] 8:00 pm UW PAC Gym

Warrior [M] Hockey October 31

vs Windsor Lancers

Vicky Lounder Field Hockey 5th year, Civil Engineering Ottawa, ON

7:30 PM UW CIF Arena November 1

vs WLU Golden Hawks 7:30 PM UW CIF Arena

Chris Hartman Cross Country

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

IMPRINT | OCTOBER 31

5th year, Pharmacy London, ON

Comics & Distractions

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

Crossword Maggie Clark

This one’s a bit of a mixed bag, to make room for the long-neglected Sudoku. Some of these clues are super easy, and others are doozies— hope you brought your laptops to class.

Across 1. In pirate stories, you find these in bottles 8. A secret collection of something (i.e. drugs)

27

By Matthew Lee

Why do you care about the U.S. general election?

“Obama. It’s all about Obama” Tom Bruce history

13. Nonresident doctors or med students connected with a hospital but not living there

“I honestly don’t care“ Andrew Ward engineering

14. Beyond or across the Atlantic, for instance 16. Japanese shrugs with white or pink flowers

“Because it’s important to keep up to date” Jessica Mackinnon environment and resource studies

17. Atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron 18. To arrange in a series, or rows 19. Plains Indian tribe

“It’s a really big change for everyone” Maggie Janik

20. Gaelic tongue

environment and resource studies

21. Plating material 22. Maid’s cloth

“Whoever is elected will have a big impact on us as well” Goran Klaric science and business

23. Baffle 25. Cousin of a bassoon 27. Provoke 28. Extra components of machines or furniture (two words)

“Not now. Midterms.“

Shefali Aggarwal biology

31. One of Ottawa’s hockey players 32. A kind of cancer

4. Bird family, cariamidae

or study

33. Bro’s counterpart

5. Acreage

36. Small amounts of money borrowed in the short term

6. Buzzing pest

43. Moved a ship by hauling the cable of a light anchor

40. Trinitrotoluene

8. Four-door

41. Runs out of steam

9. Misstep

42. Severely damaged car, train, or ship

10. Roundworm found in the intenstines

44. Female reproductive cells

11. Very large sea slug (underwater rabbit?)

45. Dog doc

12. An element from Group VIIA

46. Soft cheese

14. Large musical compositions, involving orchestra, choir, and soloits

47. Cocktail of gin or vodka with vermouth 49. Endeavoured 52. Progress 53. Speaking 54. Portable Native American dwellings 55. Marriage or driver’s 56. Beasts of burden 57. Came out

Down 1. Complicated situations 2. People with specialized knowledge 3. Agitates (two words)

7. Sum, ___, fui

15. Wine produced from single variety of grape 24. End of school year party 25. Levels of non-transparency 26. Ballet rail 29. Proof 30. Winter blanket 33. Leaf apertures 34. Infiltrates 35. Deprives of food 37. Judge 38. Giving strength to (as with nerves) 39. Activities applied to an object of inquiry

Giant Sudoku Maggie Clark

45. Creepers

“I’m indifferent, but it does affect us” Jennifer Causer geography

48. Cassette contents 49. It’s under a foot 50. Quick cut

“It’s important, but we should worry about things closer to home Aileen Cash engineering

51. Marathon

Photos by Matthew Lee

Correction October 24’s Easy Crossword wasn’t so easy after all: A clue reading “Nazareth native” yields the contentious solution of “Israeli”; though the land is Israeli-proper, the majority of residents identify as Palestinian. Imprint apologizes for the unintentionally politically-charged clue, and promises more due vigilance in the future.

October 24 solutions editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Difficult

Easy

I see you in your badass red car every day driving around University and Philip. We live on the same street and everytime I walk by, I pace myself slower than usual just to get glimpse of you. I look forward to every Thursday when you have lunch and you come eat at the SLC with your sexy MK black bag slung over your shoulder. I think you have the perfect hair, the perfect eyebrows and the shiniest lips.

One of these Thursdays, lets have lunch together, you know how to find me, I will be wearing my black bomber. I have fall-

en hard for you, borite na me voitheisete?

Is having a stack of inside jokes between us enough to base a relationship on? I hope so.

Sometimes all I like to do is laugh, sometimes all I want is you. from, wants to smile ;) Missed a connection? Get on it. Email distractions@imprint. uwaterloo.ca

28

Comics & Distractions

Imprint, Friday, October 31, 2008

POSTSCRIPT

BY GRAHAM MOOGK-SOULIS

IMPRESSION, BY JIM & LAN

BY MATT FIG, BRANDON FORLER, AND KEEGAN TREMBLAY

IN THE WEEDS

BY PETER N. TRINH

LOOSE SCREWS

BY GEOFFREY LEE & SONIA LEE

RUNAWAY RINGTOSS

BY KURTIS ELTON will return next week, November 7, 2008