Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
Friday, May 15, 2009
vol 32, no 2
ready, Set,
kitchener/ waterloo
GTA Bus Transit service set to extend routes to KW this fall, train service could follow
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breslau?
ommuters between the Region of Waterloo and Toronto will soon have another way to travel since the announcement was made Friday, May 9, that the GO Transit bus service will be extended to the KW region this fall. A new bus service will connect Kitchener/Waterloo with current stops along GO Transit’s existing stations along the Milton line and Mississauga’s City Centre Transit Terminal at Square One. Initial funding announced last Friday includes $2.5 million for the construction of four “park ‘n’ ride” bus stops along the Highway 401/8 corridor to accommodate the new bus service. The location of the first stop will be in Milton at the junction of Highways 401 and 25; the locations of the remaining three stops are to be determined. Notably absent from Friday’s announcement is the location of stops in the City of Waterloo, particularly those near UW itself. However, Vanessa Thomas, GO Transit’s media relations and issues specialist, said that “other [dropoff] locations [...] along the service to major educational and business locations are to be determined” later this summer. Railway future still uncertain
inside
acton?
Ideally, the GO Bus service will build ridership such that a rail connection to Toronto will have significant demand. Said Thomas, “Typically, GO Bus service helps to build ridership in corridors that could merit future GO rail service. For commuter areas generally, as passenger demand increases on our buses, and track capacity and funding allow, there is the potential that trains could replace those buses.” Inquiry into GO Transit’s expansion into the Waterloo region began in 2000, and it is a major goal of GO 2020, GO Transit’s 15-year strategic plan. A series of Public Information Centres (PICs) were held during February in Kitchener,
Cambridge and Georgetown to consult with the public about the environmental impact of expanding service into the region, as well as to assess ridership interest. The final results of the environmental assessment study are to be released at the end of May, and available for public review for 45 days thereafter. Based on additional public consultation, available funding, and the study itself, the provincial government is expected to make a final decision on expanding rail service later this year. The four preferred rail stations presented to the public will be located, from east to west, in Acton near the Old Hide House, Guelph, Breslau, and at downtown Kitchener’s VIA Rail station. These stations will connect to GO’s existing Georgetown line with stops throughout Milton, Brampton, and Toronto. However, optimal GO Train service in the future is largely based on the government of Ontario’s ability to pay access fees to ensure all-day rail service. Presently, rail lines used by GO Transit are owned by the provincial government, Canadian Pacific, and CN Rail. The provincial government pays access fees for use of the portions of the line they do not own, and runs bus service along rail corridors when rail routes are being used by other parties. Currently, rail service along the Georgetown line only runs during the weekday rush hour periods, but a goal of GO 2020, along with the expansion to KW, is to provide all-day, two-way rail service along the line rather than resorting to slower bus routes. Benefit to students to be proved
GO Transit service might be of greatest benefit to members of the UW community travelling to the most westerly portions of the Greater Toronto Area. Currently, the Fed Bus service is the only mass transportation option that offers a direct route between KW and Mississauga, Brampton, or Etobicoke; unlike the proposed GO service,
New (and old) columnists galore! We’ve got sex; commas; hippies; un-hippies; comics, books and comic books; research; memes; Asian culture; and oh, saving the world! Right, there’s comics, too! “Free-spirited” heroes; cute relationships; robots; and twists! And, anyone miss any connections?
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however, it only operates on weekends. Except for stops in Guelph, both Greyhound and VIA Rail limit passengers to drop-off points in Guelph and at Toronto’s Union Station, both of which lead to circuitous transit connections to the Peel Region and Hamilton area. An important aspect of the usability of GO Transit service in KW is its connection with Grand River Transit routes. According to Region of Waterloo Manager of Transit Development John Cicuttin, a “meeting next Friday [GRT] is going to start looking at routing and integration,” in hopes that GRT will be able to provide connecting service between GO stops and existing KW transit hubs as soon as GO service is introduced. Thomas says that the fare structure is still to be determined, but that GO Transit fares are typically based on distance of travel. As a reference point, a single bus fare from Union Station to the University of Guelph, GO Transit’s western terminus at present, is $11.45. GO Transit provides a 10 per cent discount on 10 single-ride tickets, as well as an additional 10 per cent discount for student fares to students from eligible schools. There is no current information on whether GO Transit is participating with UW, WLU, or Conestoga College to provide discounts to their students. As of press time, there was no information from either GO Transit or UW administration indicating any plans to participate in a student discount program. However, a 20 per cent discount could make GO’s service provide a per-ride savings over VIA’s student 6PAK ticket ($14.00/ride), Greyhound’s 10-ride ticket ($13.50/ride) or potentially even the current bargain of a round-trip Fed Bus purchased with a Feds Card ($9.50/ride). Despite this potential, Thomas said that it is important to note that “GO Transit’s services are meant to complement, rather than compete with” Greyhound, VIA Rail, and Fed Bus offerings.
UW buildings with frickin’ laser beams on their heads? (pg. 12) Fighting plagiarism with robots? Facts (pg. 3) and opinions (pg. 5) Two Star Trek reviews! (pg. 10)
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News
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Preventative Measures Food Services takes steps to stop the spread of flu
Julia Hawthornthwaite staff reporter
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rotect yourself. That’s the standpoint UW Food Services has taken in response to the development of the H1N1 Virus, commonly known as swine flu. Since Sunday May 3, the Village 1 cafeteria has been equipped with a hand sanitizing station for students and employees to use as they come in and out of Mudie’s cafeteria. The main purpose of the station is to reduce the risk of virus transfer at the self-serve salad bar in Mudie’s, where germs could be spread easily among the many hands that touch the same serving utensil all day long. Waterloo Region’s public health department says there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in the Waterloo region, and while the pandemic risk is mild at the moment, Food Services and the university have certain pandemic procedures, which they follow in a circumstance such as this. Ron Koelewijn, Mudie’s area manager, recognizes that it is a small effort to limit the chances of the virus spreading, but saw it as “a logical precaution…and a good place to start.” He also said that if the pandemic was to increase, all self-serve stations would be removed from UW cafeterias.
The public health department is not asking for extreme measures for protecting ourselves. They simply recommend washing one’s hands with soap and water and remaining inside for seven days if flu-like symptoms develop. These are two fairly simple acts, but studies have shown that a lot of people either do not wash their hands or do not wash them properly. Family physician Dr. Jocelyn Schaffenburg says the main way an influenza virus spreads is through particles in the air, and “the second most common way of spread is from mouth to surface, where someone coughs or sneezes and their germ particles land on a surface and are touched by someone else.” With these things in mind, the suggestion to integrate hand sanitation into our daily hygiene routine seems reasonable. If students and staff can consistently commit to washing their hands and sanitizing, we may be able to prevent the virus from spreading or affecting us at all, since one may develop the flu and not show symptoms for another 24 hours. The symptoms of the H1N1 virus are similar to those of other flu viruses, where people who are infected can quite suddenly experience “bad aching muscles, high fever, bad cough, runny nose, and occasionally
julia hawthornthwaite
Mudie’s (the village one cafeteria) now has mandatory hand sanitizing stations. upset stomach or diarrhea”, said Dr. Schaffenburg. UW’s Medical Director, Barb Schumacher also supports use of hand sanitizers in university facilities. Food and Health Services are working
UW Seeks Cheats Sonia Lee staff reporter
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any of you have had this experience this on the first week of school: as the professor goes through the course outline, they begin the same old speech about Policy 71. Just how thoroughly does UW plan to check for plagiarism? Currently, the faculty of computer science uses MOSS (Measure of Software Similarity) to crosscheck code submissions and engineering’s PDEng course uses WCopyfind to compare assignment content. Both of these programs help instructors to flag questionable submissions, which are then evaluated for plagiarism. The issue is that only similar submissions within University of Waterloo are checked, whereas other kinds of plagiarism can go undetected. This is where Turnitin.com comes in. Turnitin.com is a online service that provides schools around the world with the tools to check for assignment originality by cross-checking with their own database of papers, assignments, and content related to the submitted assignment. The catch? Anything submitted through Turnitin. com becomes their property. Due to the “catch” attached to Turnitin. com, student bodies from schools such as McLean High School of Washington, DC., opposed their school’s decision to be involved with Turnitin.com. Another issued raised by students is that the bond of trust between teacher and the students no longer exists, and a harsh “guilty, until proven innocent” attitude surfaces. Many schools, along with Toronto’s Ryerson University, covered these issues by creating a policy to inform students if the particular course will be using the Turnitin.com service and to offer the option to opt-out if the student desires. To provide some perspective,
serveral Canadian universities including the University of British Columbia, Western Ontario, McMaster, Toronto and McGill have site licenses to use Turnitin.com services. According to Feds Vice-President Education Justin Williams, UW students have expressed similar concerns about intellectual property rights and the option to opt-out of the program. He noted, “This isn’t a new issue for the Federation of Students. Policy 22, for instance, [...] is a reflection of our historic opposition to the software.” The policy, which covers plagiarism detection software, notes Feds’ opposition to services like Turnitin and instead, supports a “complete solution” which constitutes, according to Williams, “proper mentoring by faculty, adequate resources being available to students, and fair punishments for academic misconduct when it comes to dealing with the question of academic integrity.” Faye Schultz of the UW Office of Academic Integrity said that best practices will aim to provide students with an option to opt-out of the screening, and guidelines will be provided to instructors to enable this option. However, it should be noted that this is simply a best practice and not a mandate, thus no guarantee as to its implementation. So, next time, when you hear the “spiel” about Policy 71, you may also be greeted with the following: “Students must be given an option if they do not want to have their assignment screened by Turnitin. The best practice option is to have the students provide an annotated bibliography. Instructors should state on their course outline that students are not required to have their assignments screened by Turnitin, and instead can provide annotations for all sources.” But then again, you may not. slee@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
together to take as many preventative measures as possible, and to educate staff and students about the symptoms and precautions that can be taken against the swine flu virus. Hand sanitizers will also accom-
pany any UW catering events, and anywhere there are buffets or salad bars where customers will be handling serving utensils. jhawthornthwaite@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Formula for victory
ethan oblak
The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) holds an annual, internatioallyrecognized competition in which teams design and build a “small formula style open race car.” UW’s Formula SAE members showed off this year’s car to sponsors and passers by at the official unveiling on May 7, 2009. The University of Waterloo has had an entry — and a new car — for 21 consecutive years.
News
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
Expanding to cottage country University of Waterloo to lease building in Huntsville for education and research staff reporter
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he University of Waterloo is extending its reach once again, this time into the heart of Northern Ontario’s cottage country, and it will ride in on the coattails of the world’s political elite. On Monday, UW and the Town of Huntsville, in the District of Muskoka, announced that the university will use facilities constructed for next summer’s G8 leaders’ summit in Huntsville to launch an institution for researching and teaching ecological and environmental topics three months later, in the fall of 2010. The $9 million building is being paid for by federal and G8 funds, and it will be handed over to the town once the summit has concluded. UW will proceed to lease the space from Huntsville and invest $200,000 to install educational and research facilities, including a wet-research laboratory, at the site. Monday’s statement came nearly a year after Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that 2010’s iteration of the Group of Eight summit would be hosted by Canada, and an independent declaration by Huntsville’s Town Council that it was seeking a “world-class educational facility” to promote its own future growth. “I am thrilled that the University of Waterloo will now have a facility in Huntsville,” declared Tony Clement, federal Industry Minister - and Member of Parliament for the riding that includes Huntsville, Parry Sound-Muskoka. As Industry Minister, Clement plays a lead role in spearheading what is primarily a forum for the
ecosystems within which the institutions are situated. The UWSCE will overlook Fairy Lake and have access to a second Summit Centre, which is primarily an athletics centre, that is currently being constructed. The new partnership between UW and Huntsville is an example of what stakeholders call a “legacy project,” one which converts infrastructure constructed for the short G8 summit into permanent upgrades to the local community. Clement called the G8 Centre and the UWSCE a “strategic investment in local
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a number of areas. The local fire department has sought $1.1 million for the “construction of a new Fire Station in Port Sydney,” $450,000 for a tanker truck, and $400,000 for two fast response vehicles. The nearby North Bay Airport has also been upgraded through a separate funding stream, to the tune of the $5.25 million, to allow for the safe ingress and egress of the Summit’s dignitaries. The Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville was chosen because of its rural location and relative security. This is the fifth time that Canada will host the three-day long summit, which is
The new partnership between UW and Huntsville is an example of what stakeholders call a “legacy project,” one which converts infrastructure constructed for the short G8 summit into permanent upgrades to the local community.
infrastructure.” During the Summit, the 40,000 square foot building will be used as a central headquarters overseeing the event’s complex logistics and as an “accreditation hub” for delegates and observers. The $9 million allotted to the project represents a portion of $50 million announced by the Government of Canada in February of this year to upgrade local infrastructure and pay for other costs associated with hosting the event. Besides new UW-partnered facility, Huntsville is set to capitalize on this windfall in
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world’s top political leaders to discuss economic and security issues. The new UW Summit Centre for the Environment (UWSCE) will specialize in research programs in topics related to “ecology, climate change, tourism, land-use planning and local economic development.” At the new facility’s core will be the Centre for Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation. Although there will be room for typical undergraduate and graduate students, the centre plans to have a broader training mandate, including plans to play host to conferences, and by offering continuing education programs for professionals. Huntsville’s location in cottage country offers a picturesque location to study natural sciences. Indeed, when Harper originally announced the G8, in June of 2008, he called Huntsville “a jewel in the Canadian Shield.” Deep Saini, the dean of UW’s faculty of environment, called it “a robust environment in which to teach and conduct research.” Regardless, the announcement was vague on details of how the facility would capitalize on its surroundings in order offer unique forms of research. It said that UWSCE would provide a “living laboratory... with nearby biosphere reserves, conservation reserves and provincial parks.” The announcement went on to say that the new facility would be comparable to the Banff Centre, in Alberta, and the Kellogg Biological Station, in Michigan. Both of those facilities capitalize on their locations to allow researchers and students to interact first-hand with the rich
Ryan Webb
set to occur from June 25–27, 2010. With UW’s own recent wave of expansion perhaps it will soon expect its own seat at the Summit; until then UW President David Johnston will have to be satisfied playing second fiddle to the likes of US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. — With files from The Globe and Mail, UW Communications, and news.gc.ca.
rwebb@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Campus Bulletin UPCOMING Saturday, May 16, 2009 Nota Bene Period Orchestra: Fundraising concert of Baroque favourites and silent auction. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for refreshments and silent auction, concert at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25. The Registry Theatre 122 Frederick St, Kitchener. For more information: www. nbpo.net. Saturday, May 30, 2009 Dance-a-thon: Dance the day away to help raise money for the Family Services program with the House of Friendship. 3p.m. to 8p.m., St. Paul’s MacKirdy Hall. For more info email danceathon09@gmail.com. Saturday, June 13, 2009 Moving Beyond Violence: Lessons from Gandhi: Keynote speaker Arun Gandi at Bingemans Ballroom starting at 5:30 p.m. Black tie optional. Tickets $150 each or table of eight for $1000. 1-800-625-7925 or visit www.rebuildanselma.com.
HAPPY SPRING! ENJOY MAY 24!
CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS Sign up for these workshops at careerservices.uwaterloo.ca. Career Exploration and Decision Making – June 3, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., TC 1112. July 9, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1112. Career Interest Assessment – May 25, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1113. June 9, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1112. July 15, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., TC 1112. NOTE: $10 materials charge payable at Career Services prior to the session. Are You Thinking about an MBA? – an overview of requirements – June 10, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., TC 2218. All about GMAT – presented by Geoff Vokes from Kaplan Centre, T.O. – June 10, 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.,TC 2218 Career Exploration Workshop - June 3, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., TC 1112. July 9, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. TC 1112. Career Interest Assessment - May 25, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1113. June 9, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1112. July 15, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., TC 1112. NOTE: $10 materials charge payable at Career Services prior to the session. Exploring Your Personality - Part 1 May 20, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., TC 1113. Part 2 May 27, 10-12 p.m., TC1112. Part 1 June 11, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1113. Part 2 June 18, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1112. Part 1 July 6, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., TC 1112. Part 2 July 13, 2:30-4 p.m.,TC 1112. NOTE: $10 materials charge payable at Career Services prior to the session. Work Search Strategies - June 16, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1208. July 22, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., TC 1208. NOTE: Prerequisite for this workshop.
Work Search within “Marketing Yourself.” Work Search Strategies for International Students - May 13, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., TC 1208. June 1, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. NOTE: Prerequisite for this workshop. Work Search within “Marketing Yourself.” Basics of Starting a Business - May 27, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., TC 1208. May 28, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., CBET Room. NOTE: 20 person limit. Entrepreneurship - A Student’s Perspective: UW Arts Grad Jasmin Hofer, reflects on her experiences as a successful entrepreneur. Interactive session - bring your questions. June 4, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., TC 1208. Networking 101: May 12 & 26, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., TC 1208. NOTE: There is a prerequisite for this workshop. Work Search within “Marketing Yourself.” Interview Skills: Preparing for Questions: - May 27, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 1208. June 25, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., TC 1208. July 14, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., TC 1208. NOTE: There is a prerequisite for this workshop. Interview Skills within “Marketing Yourself.” Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills: - May 28, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.,TC 2218A. June 23 & July 15, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. NOTE: There is a prerequisite for this workshop. Interview Skills within “Marketing Yourself.” Successfully Negotiating Job Offers: June 17, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., TC 1208. July 21, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. NOTE: Session geared towards graduating students. Business Etiquette & Professionalism: - June 2, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., TC
Classified BED & BREAKFAST
Colonial Creekside – indoor pool, ensuite bathrooms, private in-room dining, 2/3 acre city property, 10 minutes from campus. Ideal for weddings/ parents visiting/graduate students for longer term stays. Special rates available. 519-886-2726 ; www.bbcanada. com/11599.html.
HELP WANTED
Weekend counsellors and relief staff to work in homes for individuals with developmental challenges. Minimum eight-month commitment. Paid positions. Send resume to Don Mader, KW Habilitation Services, 108 Sydney Street, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3V2. Behaviour Therapist/IBI part-time position in Waterloo – looking for energetic, playful person to work with a bright 8-year-old autistic boy. Home based program, working as a aprt of established team, using intensive behaviour intervention/VB. Supervision and extensive training provided. Experience with special needs children an asset, one year commitment preferred, 6 to 12 hours per week. Apply to ibitherapist@rogers.com.
SERVICES
Core 2 Computing – we are a new retail computer sales and service company located at 92 King Street, S, second floor, Waterloo. We provide excellent service, fantastic prices and house calls for home networking. Call 519-9542935.
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 Joanne at 519-746-1411 for more details.
Frosh editor assistant
Advertising assistant
needed for Imprint’s Frosh issue of the 20092010 school year. July 6 to August 28, 35 hours per week, $11 per hour. The job entails organizing volunteer story lists, layout and production of the Frosh paper, reporting to the Editor-in-Chief. Must have excellent communication/people skills, organization skills and desktop publishing knowledge.
is needed at Imprint Publications from May 25 to July 31. 35 hours/week, $11/hour
For more info and/or resume submission, email editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca or call 519-888-04048
For more info and/or resume submission, email ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca or call 519-888-04048
Duties include cold-call sales, customer databases and ad production. Vehicle access is mandatory. Must have excellent communication/people skills, organization skills and desktop publishing knowledge/Microsoft office is an asset.
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca 1208. July 16, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Success on the Job: - June 24, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. July 23, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., TC 1208. Are You Thinking about an International Experience?: - May 28, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Working Effectively in another Culture: - June 2, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Getting a U.S. Work Permit: - Learn more July 23, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., TC 1208. Are You Thinking about Med School/ Perspectives of a Waterloo Grad: Learn more about the medical school application process in Ontario - July 11, 10 a.m. to 12, TC 2218. Job Information Session for Graduating Students: - July 21, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., AL 116. July 23, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., AL 116.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Crown Ward Status: attention students who are/were Crown Wards needed to work with large, Provincially funded transdiscliplinary team (including UW students) dedicated to helping current Crown Ward youth. Please contact Kelly Anthony at 519-888-4567, ext 32802. Paid position. Excellent exchange opportunity for UW undergraduate students to participate in the Ontario/Jiangsu Student Exchange Program in China for the 2009-2010 academic years. The OJS Program provides scholarships to successful applicants. For additional information and application form/deadlines contact Andreea Ciucurita, Waterloo International, Needles Hall, 1101, room 1103, ext 35995 or by email: aciucurita@uwaterloo.ca. Tune in to Sound 100.3 FM radio to hear DJ Cool with lots of music, entertainment, helpful info, weather and more. www.soundfm.ca >listen or www.ckmsfm.ca. Heart and Stroke Row for Heart – learn to row this summer while you raise funds for life-saving heart disease and stroke research. The eight week program begins June 22 to August 15, with the end fun-filled “Row for Heart Regatta” at Laurel Creek. For times/ fee, etc call 519-571-9600 or cgies@ hsf.on.ca. Alternatives Journal is looking for the following work study positions – publishing intern ; marketing and business and web design and management. Email resume/cover letter to marcia@ alternativesjournal.ca.
VOLUNTEER Summer volunteer opportunities with Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region. Summer reading club, bookbag club, and boys’ activity club volunteers needed. Contact 519576-1329, ext 3533 or Carey.Reist@ facswaterloo.org. Shadow needed to be paired with international students. Show them around, help resolving culture shock and make their stay in Waterloo more enjoyable. Make friends and expand your knowledge. Please apply at www. iso.uwaterloo.ca. City of Waterloo needs environmental field assistant: occasional spring and fall weekdays. For info call 519-8886478 or www.waterloo.ca/volunteer.
ONGOING MONDAYS Gambling can ruin your life. Gamblers Anonymous, 7 p.m. at St Marks, 825 King Street, W, basement. FRIDAYS Season of Argentine Tango lessons in Waterloo starts May 2009 at the Princess Twin, Waterloo at 7 p.m. Beginners and advanced lessons with dancing from 9 to 11:30 p.m. (Tango, Swing, Salsa) Call 519-581-7836 or casadeltango@yahoo.ca.
UW RECREATION COMMITTEE UW Recreation Committee events are open to all employees of the University of Waterloo. Register by emailing admmail.uwaterloo.ca. Spring 2009 – TBA: Discover Trails in Waterloo Region ; E-Bikes: What are they all about? ; Preplanning Your Funeral by Erb & Good Funeral Home. Tuesday, May 12: Identity Theft and Internet Safety – from 12:05 to 2:55, PHY 145 – updates on internet safety issues by UW police. Sunday, May 3: High School Musical at St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse at 4 p.m. Monday, May 11: UW Blooms 2009 – time to be announced – Multipurpose Room, SLC. Saturday, November 21: Robin Hood Pantomime at St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse at 2 p.m.
HELP WANTED Part-time Systems Administrator required immediately at Imprint. May 4 to August 15. $11.00/hour. Webmail server administration required. Familiarity with medium scale Linux network administration, Samba file management, Windows XP workstations, LDAP authentication, Apache administration. Responsible for maintaining and updating Linux network and 16 desktops. Applicant must be approved under Ontario Work Study Plan as posted on UW’s Student Award and Financial Aid Office’s website. For more information or to send your resume, contact Imprint Editor-in-Chief Michael L. Davenport at 519-888-4048 email: editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Imprint office, SLC1116 during office hours.
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Academic honesty complexity
Friday, May 15, 2009 Vol. 32, No. 2 Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca
P
utting aside all the objections which are typically raised against anti-plagiarism services such as TurnItIn.com, I suspect subscribing to an anti-plagiarism service will do little to enhance UW’s academic integrity. First, the entire service is built around an arts-study mindset. As someone who was a physics undergrad here for many years, I can tell you there aren’t many assignments I handed in that could be parsed by this service. I wasn’t submitting 10 to 20 page essays typed up in Microsoft Word, I was handing in 10 to 20 page assignments written (in pencil) on lined paper, even in fourth year. That’s because all of my assignments were simply lines upon lines of math. The only way I could see to even get Turnitin to scan such assignments is getting every math, science, and engineering student to learn LaTeX, then submit their assignments, computerparsable and neatly typeset. Good luck with that. Other schools will run into the same problem, but it strikes me as an especially amusing problem, considering how much UW is promoted as a math and engineering school. Even then, students hand in similar math. A matrix only has so many eigenvectors, and there are only so many ways to find them! Especially being such a technically focused school, there are plenty of “study aids” and methods of outright cheating which TurnItIn will do nothing to stop. TA friends have told me students devise systems for sending signals to each other during tests. I know old labs and solution sets get passed around, and in extreme cases, textbook solutions get downloaded via peer to peer filesharing programs. (Pro tip, professors: come up with your own problems and solution sets. Do not assign them out of the textbook.)
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Also, from my experience students tend to work in groups a lot — but is that really cheating? It depends on who you ask — one of the striking differences between the arts and physics courses I’ve taken is the emphasis on the academic honesty policy, Policy 71. My physics courses only mentioned it in passing (if at all), and most assignments were given with the (often unstated) assumption students will work in groups. In contrast, the arts courses would actually spend minutes of lecture time talking about academic honesty, and stressed that our work was our own — no sharing. The groupwork in the former case (specifically, assignments which are not mandatory groupwork, but implicitly assigned as such) skews academic performance to those with the best social skills or conventional class schedules. Friends with the guy with last year’s assignments? Even better, your mark just jumped by 10 per cent. In 2007, the UW Academic Integrity Committee released a 77 page report, titled “Toward a Level Playing Field,” in which the university examines the issue of academic integrity. One section contains student feedback, among that was the following quote: “In my experience and from what I have heard from discussion with my friends, the majority of cheating can be narrowed to the programs and faculties that stress the competition for the highest marks for coop positions. Everyone must remember that when a person is pressed up against a wall, they will do anything to get out of it, no matter the consequence.” My own experience reflects that quote. My compatriots in physics frequently had access to old assignments, but it’s not as if they copied the solu-
tions by rote. They honestly tried to learn from them, and it’s honestly because the program is so difficult that not making use of such resources would render the program impossible. As another student quoted in the report put it, “For the amount of workload [department X] expects a student to take on, the average student will not be able to handle it without cheating/help from others. For my class, it would be a better question to see who actually does all the work without cheating.” For some people in a few programs, getting passable grades without running afoul of academic grey areas poses a dilemma. It’s not a matter of laziness, it’s a matter of being faced with an unwinnable test. A Kobayashi Maru. Worse, it sometimes occurs that so many classmates are participating in questionable academic practices that a student is forced to either see their grades suffer (perhaps even to the point of failure) or match step. This is not a hypothetical scenario. It has happened to me. In any case, my point is subscribing to a service such as TurnItIn will go a very short way toward enhancing UW’s academic integrity — it solves a very niche problem. If the university truly wants to create a “level playing field”, it needs to enact a more comprehensive plan, which will be effective even in math courses. Force professors to not re-use the same assignment sets every year, regulate course loads such that programs aren’t impossible without cheating, and otherwise make marks independent of social synergy. Those are harder things to do, but that is the path toward academic integrity — not giving money to a third-party, for-profit essay matching service.
Community Editorial Turning in academic freedom Youfei Xiao respondent
I
should admit, vanity played a small part in my decision to write a term paper in place of an exam last term. I was a graduate student without an office or mailbox to show for my scholarly “status.” All I had was an increased level of freedom to research and write about topics that interested me. This term paper was supposed to give me a taste of this freedom. As I was putting the final touches on my work, it dawned on me that if I submitted it to Turnitin, U.S. law enforcement authorities would be able to access it by virtue of the Patriot Act. I figured that as long as there was a theoretical possibility that the contents of my work could come back to haunt me in the future, then I should probably revise that one sentence which might be interpreted as political commentary. As you can imagine, this revision had a negligible impact on quality of this accounting-themed paper itself. However, the reality was that
any revision, no matter how minor, was a compromise of the very notion of academic freedom that I had held so closely to my heart. Even with my deep reluctance to discuss my personal beliefs with a faculty member, I made an impassioned plea to demonstrate the originality of my work by other means than through Turnitin. My professor tried to be sympathetic; he mentioned how, before Turnitin ever came along, many Canadians’ personal information already fell under the scope of the Patriot Act. It was not his refusal to make accommodations that turned my face purple, but rather the insinuation that, somehow, my apprehension over the Patriot Act’s reach over Turnitin content was less compelling just because he himself did not share this apprehension. Images of news reports covering intelligence agency practices (and Hollywood blockbusters) flashed in front of my eyes. As someone who did not share my age, gender, birthplace, race, etc. who was he to evaluate the validity of my beliefs? I truly hope
that, when Turnitin becomes widely adopted, students are able to seek alternatives to the software without the awkwardly personal conversation that had me cringe. Since the incident, my anger and bitterness has subsided, yet regret will always linger from having been denied the academic freedom that I thought united all post-secondary students’ experiences in Western nations. I should concede that cheaters make me turn purple as well. So there is merit in Turnitin’s goal to uphold UW’s reputation as well as rewarding students who, day in and day out and paper-by-paper, work honestly for their degrees. But if Turnitin’s role is to catch the student that plagiarizes their paper from the internet, then is there any comfort in knowing how easily this same student can find any one of the 15,300 results that Google generated when I searched “How to get around Turnitin”? For all the competitive careers that await us beyond graduation, a Turnitinequivalent simply does not exist. So if Turnitin’s role is to scare us all into doing honest work, then is there
much comfort in knowing that UW is sending eager, but long-stifled, cheaters into the workforce? It is ironic that Turnitin is so “effective” in preventing plagiarism and, yet, so useless in promoting the spirit of academic integrity. As scholars, academic integrity should be a concept that inspires, not scares, us. Personally, I was blessed to have been taught by numerous professors whose trust in me I respect so very earnestly. When such respect exists, academic integrity follows naturally. Admission standards into the university, into every program, and into every course should be set so that every student enrolled has the ability to meet expectations without resorting to plagiarism. More resources should be invested into the writing help centres so that it can provide assistance beyond helping us pass the ELPE or fixing our grammar. These solutions are not the “easy fix” that Turnitin is touted to be. But they will take a big step towards making academic integrity part of UW’s culture.
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
On UW leadership and the price of tea in China - Part 1 Question Everything Period
H
olidays are good — and not just because of the warmth of heat, the pleasure of endless lounging or the freedom of wanton trips to Mexico (gladly excepting an outbreak of swine flu). During the holidays, I devoted substantial thinking time to one of UW’s most insidious problems — student election apathy. I witnessed voting participation barely clock 900 students in the Senate election of a faculty that boasts 8,000 active students. I wondered what power on earth could jolt our lethargic population to some badly needed action. The holidays afforded me a break from University of Waterloo’s merciless PR machine. If you, like me, must route to UW-ACE every morning of the school term through the school’s website, you must think the school is God’s gift to mankind (not that it may not be). Then you’ve got Maclean’s hallowed confirmation in some noncompetitive, conformist “ranking” to make any dissidents as to UW’s “greatness” look like fringe things. Let’s not forget the barrage of reminders on “how lucky we are” that they program our professors with, our proximity to Canada’s Silicon Valley, the existence of Laurier, and then finally the grand illusion of greatness: the Blackberry. We proudly and somewhat veritably claim we created the executive balland-chain binding every “somebody” in the corporate world. And if you are
thinking Barack Obama — presidents are addicted too. What we miss in the heat of all this insane “propping up” we do are the many things our school fails at. The internet (meaning everywhere but the school’s website) proves a useful resource in this reality check. Over the holidays, I learnt we had the dubious record of producing the individual that gave Wall Street its ammunition for wrecking the economy (i.e. the derivatives formula). Even worse, I discovered China’s answer to Bernie Madoff bears a certificate with the school’s stamp of approval above his stained name. Also against Maclean’s obviously less credible judgment, Top Universities documented a seventeen-point drop in University of Waterloo’s overall rankings. In between my cold turkey on Waterloo’s hypnosis and deep thought on UW student election apathy, I discovered something interesting: it seems to me the two are intrinsically linked. Yes I know, you probably think any relationship between UW’s impressive PR effort and your dragging foot to the poll is as distant as my typing at this desk drinking Tim Horton’s coffee and the price of tea in China. No doubt, UW is a great school and you are very lucky to be here. However, students have to realize that like the savvy “entrepreneurs” (as the school purports to make them) must consistently ensure higher quality at far less cost. Thus, the question students should be asking is, “how
can we make service even better and cheaper?” UW students have settled on this false idea of satisfaction thanks to the advertising barrage we are subconsciously subjected to. Unfortunately, we have been programmed to think that we are getting the best possible education here and that the administration knows enough to act in our interest. The trouble with placing implicit trust in the administration is that it allows them to take advantage of our naiveté. I see your confusion. You think the administration should act in our best interests. Well, technically yes, but practically no! There are certain reasons why such expectations are as unrealistic as they are deceptive. First, the university has so many interests. For a university that spans Huntsville to Stratford; manages the world’s most important science research institute, hosts the world’s largest mathematics department and coordinates the world’s largest work-study program among a lot more, Waterloo definitely juggles too much to care about some ants who haven’t even begun their academia journey. Second in the grand scheme of all these, undergraduates are at the bottom of any pyramid of importance. Make no mistake about it; Provost Chakma would rather dwell on the needs of a group of real scientists solving “science’s big questions” than wrangle over deteriorating sound quality and content in the Arts Lecture
eaboyeji@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
hall. The issues most important to us are definitely far beneath his radar of importance. A review of recent actions by the administration shows where their true allegiances lie. As it builds more entrenched alliances to grandiose projects like the Perimeter Institute and its Stratford counterpart, it issues a “fatwa” for courses of ten people or less, disregarding the fact that these are the courses that give students the most value. It continues to fund some large (obstruction) project near the Student Life Centre whilst pleading insolvency to issues that directly concern the undergraduate student population like a lack of resources in relevant areas of study. One should shake their head in pity at the “screwing” the Faculty of Arts consistently experiences. The faculty is quick to claim strength in numbers (primarily because people fail into it) but one can only wonder about its strength in substance. While the technology scene at the university has made tremendous leaps and bounds (albeit in areas barely relevant to the undergraduate student population), the arts faculty approaches irrelevance. To make matters worse, while students cover an increasing share in the school’s budget (41 per cent), our scale on this pyramid hardly budges. We see our money go to projects that serve no other purpose than our egos — bragging about some exciting
new development while we will never reap the fruits. Tell me: How many undergrad physics majors will be lucky enough to see even the wheels of Hawkings’ chair? How many students will have the privilege of sharing the facility’s million-dollar equipment or even viewing the work done there for sheer fun? How many students of the Faculty of Arts would love to end up studying “social media” in Stratford whilst in actual fact get hounded with more of the same computer science and math courses they have enjoyed exemption from thus far? Multiple other examples of the administrations’ dedication of scarce resources to projects that continue to represent for us, illusions of empty grandiose abound. This entire funding imbroglio means that resources that should go to projects that are of more relevance to the undergraduate student community gets frittered away on these superfluous projects only because they look good on proposal paper. Of course when real undergraduate student concerns arise, the administration is quick to adopt the timeless refrain “no money” and accompany it with a morose look that feigns ignorance of the logical basis for simple accounting and resource allocation. Part 2 of “On UW leadership and the price of tea in China” will appear in the May 29, 2009 issue of Imprint.
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Direction by David Atkins Music Direction by Michael Brown Choreography by Deardra King Set Design by David Antscherl Lighting Design by Tim Jackson Costume Design by Wendy Currie Properties by Ann Mackenzie-Martino Hair & Make-up by Ene Billings & Colin Black Stage Management by Judy Allred
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Book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy • Music by Matthew Sklar • Lyrics by Chad Beguelin • Based upon the New Line Cinema film • written by Tim Herlihy • Original Broadway production, directed by John Rando, Orchestrations by Irwin Fisch THE WEDDING SINGER is presented through special arrangements with Music Theatre International (MTI) All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com
Features
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
A run for body and mind Keriece Harris features editor
W
ith spring comes the craving for the great outdoors. But for UW President David Johnston, with spring comes his annual Run for Health. This year the run was held on May 6 commencing at 4:50 p.m. from Needles Hall. Participants could either run two laps around Ring Road (approx. 5km) or if you preferred to walk then you could make one lap around Ring Road. Relay teams were also welcomed. The Run began in 2006 and has continued to the present, bringing it to its fourth year. According to President Johnston, the Run for Health was started to encourage health and wellness participation at UW (endorsed by senior administration) and to promote community development through recreation, a model seen in many annual community “fun runs.” In addition, President Johnston’s Run for Health seeks to promote the mental health benefits of physical activities and to develop a sense of community through physical/recreational activity. Although President Johnston’s retirement will come in 2011, his Run For Health will continue on as he affirmed photos by Mark Zammit that the run “has become an integral Enthusiastic runners took great strides in fixture on our campus, as a keystone David Johnston’s Run for Health, which to UW commitment to mental health support [programs].” With the number was held on May 6, 2009.
of participants ranging between 20 to 35, President Johnston believes that the run has served its purpose well as it has spawned two other runs, Keystone Run for Excellence and the Chilly Dog Run, as well as a peer support program, Running Mates, and greater staff awareness of the benefits of exercise. Usually runs are associated with a charity, but if you read the Run for Health’s form your options would be limited. The Run for Health currently only promotes the Canadian Mental Health Association and the National Mental Health Awareness Week, but is in discussion about raising, funds for the Suicide Prevention Council, as part UW’s suicide prevention commitment. Changes are on the horizon for David Johnston’s Run for Health. These possible changes include a shift in the time frame to late May to get more student participation, a relay component for departments, the option for a 10km course, developing a broader health focus program associated with the run (i.e. an annual running clinic) and although currently registration is free, there may be a nominal $10 donation request if a link to a charity is made. So if you missed this year’s run, not to worry; take out your running shoes and run for your health. Keep this run on your to do list for next year for what may be a bigger and better Run for Health.
Above:David Johnston and Waterlooregion police officer. Below:Participants of Run for Health
kharris@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Disease on the go Yang Liu staff reporter
T
he widespread coverage that the swine flu has been receiving has put a damper on the travel plans of many students, particularly those who had been planning a spring trip down to sunny Acapulco or Cancun. Travellers throughout history have had to worry about a cacophony of exotic diseases that could be contracted while in foreign lands. These days, thanks to international co-ordination between public health officials, many endemic diseases in popular tourist destinations are easily preventable. While many travellers are focused on the fear of a swine flu pandemic, other common ailments in tourist regions may actually pose a greater risk than the novel H1N1 (swine flu) virus. According to Dr. Winnie Ooi, a travel medicine specialist with the Burlington, Massachusetts-based Lahey Clinic, the number one illness travellers have to worry about is actually diarrhea. Most travellers’ bodies are not accustomed to the local microbiota flora of the region they visit. Partaking in the local street food cuisine may cause severe diarrhea or food poisoning if thorough hygiene isn’t practised by both the food handler and the customer. “Because most students are healthy young adults, they often believe that they don’t need to take precautions against some of the common illnesses travellers can pick-up,” said Ooi. Luckily, modern medicine has allowed the development of vaccines and treatments against many of the common diseases that have plagued travellers in the past. However, if the prospective traveller looks up the list of prospective diseases at the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO), they may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number. “They look at the CDC web site and get freaked out and think they will need a million shots. Each case is variable, and that’s why it’s important to see a travel doctor,” said Dr. Ronald Primas, a New York-based travel medicine specialist. In addition to shots, the prevention of diseases relies heavily on behaviour modification. Primas points out that washing hands frequently or wearing a long-sleeved shirt in mosquitoinfested areas is just as important as shots or medications. Many general care clinics may not carry specialized vaccines such as tetanus, typhoid fever, or yellow fever, which often have short shelf-lives. What are some common diseases to look out for if you are travelling this summer (aside from the omnipresent swine flu)? Cholera is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract
ian cutajar and Peter Trinh
of humans. The disease spreads through contaminated drinking water and symptoms include: mild to severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. The disease is fatal if left untreated, and while there is a vaccine available, it only has 50 per cent efficacy. While the disease has largely disappeared from developed countries because of extensive water treatment systems, the disease is still very prevalent in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Last summer in Zimbabwe, a cholera outbreak killed over 2,000 people. Hepatitis A and B are two very common diseases that are
encountered by travellers going to the tropics. Victims will develop an infection of the liver followed by possible cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver. Hepatitis A is rarely fatal if left untreated, however its counterpart Hepatitis B is frequently deadly if not treated. Luckily there is a vaccine for both diseases that is 95100 per cent effective. Japanese encephalitis, which despite its name is actually prevalent in most rural agricultural areas of Asia, is a particularly nasty disease that infects the central nervous system. The disease is spread through mosquito bites, and onset is marked by flu-like symptoms. The late stages of the disease can result in partial paralysis and mental retardation, which leads to a coma and death. Survivors may still suffer long term central nervous side-effects such as deafness, emotional lability, and hemiparesis. However, fear not for there is a vaccine which is 80 per cent effective after one dose and 97.5 per cent effective after two doses. Meningitis is a disease which causes inflammation of the protective membranes (meninges) of the brain and spinal cord. The viral form of the disease is not particularly severe, but the bacterial form has around a 50 per cent mortality rate if untreated. The disease is prevalent mostly in sub-saharan Africa and is transmitted through direct, close contact with nose or throat discharges of an infected person. Symptoms include fever at onset, intense headaches, a stiff neck, and frequently, a purplish rash with pink macules (discolourations on the skin). Another mosquito-borne disease is yellow fever. The name comes from the discolouration of the skin (jaundice) that is frequently a symptom of the disease. Other symptoms include bleeding gums and bloody urine. The disease has a 5-10 per cent mortality rate , but there is a vaccine, which if administered correctly is nearly 100 per cent effective. With all these terrifying diseases just waiting to envelop the unsuspecting vacationer, the informed traveller should take some general precautions. Carry mosquito repellant, drink bottled water whenever possible, carry portable water purification tablets such as Potable Aqua, and avoid eating street foods that are not fried. To keep things in perspective, Primas also stresses that not all illnesses abroad come from contaminated food or water. Primas warns against taking local transportation in developing countries: “Spend the extra two dollars and take a private car instead of an overcrowded train.” yliu@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Features
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
Grammer doesn’t change ... or does it?
mpankhurst@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
“
to think that correcting little things like your misuse of pronoun agreements and apostrophes and even obscure stuff like your inability to use the subjunctive mood is a little picky. It gets annoying. Plus, what’s the big deal? Grammar does change all the time, right? Pick up any Shakespeare play. I bet he’d be correcting your grammar from his grave if he heard the kinds of things we say today.
tional language. In doing so, we forget that what we’re speaking is a Germanic language. If English were a pizza, the dough, sauce, and cheese would be its Anglo-Saxon base, and the toppings—the things people tend to notice—are French, Latin, Greek, and a smattering of everything else. “But wait!” you say. “What about phrasal verbs, like ‘slow down’ and ‘put up with’? Surely these are new and trendy expres-
In today’s world, we tend to favour the mindset that English is a hip, new international language. In doing so, we forget that what we’re speaking is a Germanic language.
of a painting of Cosmo Kramer, but it’s only a representation of a representation of the real thing. “Who you lookin’ at, bro?” pipes up your roommate. Furious with annoyance, you correct him. “It’s whom, man. And I’m looking at a poster, not a person.” “Wow, know what? It doesn’t even matter. Grammar changes all the time.” Dear reader, Now that you know what it’s like to be in my loafers — err, shoes, you might begin
Well, actually, no. This is one of the worst arguments I’ve heard. Formal grammar does not change all the time; in fact, it’s stayed constant for the last 500-or-so years. Take a look at how verbs, nouns, gerunds, pronouns, determiners, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions interact. Their syntactical rules really haven’t changed since the days of Old English, and we’re talking the first millennium here. The same goes for capitalization and punctuation. In today’s world, we tend to favour the mindset that English is a hip, new interna-
sions.” While we do have a lot of grammarbending idioms scattered in our language, we shouldn’t consider these to be changing our grammar structures, as idioms work around it. It makes sense that phrasal verbs such as “blow up” are actually older than their Latinate alternatives (i.e. inflate or explode). Latin entered our language through the Norman conquest of 1066, at which time English was already a well-established language (or lǽdengereord). People have been making the same gram-
Getting the Dirt on Sanitizer
“
Hand sanitizers should not be used as a substitute for regular hand washing.
reporter
W
e’ve all seen it: the pharmacies and grocery stores stocking up on hand sanitizers in light of the recent swine flu outbreak. Even UW Food Services has adopted a new policy, whereby Food Services workers’ must insist that clients/patrons use hand sanitizer prior to collecting/eating their food. The majority of Imprint readers have likely used hand sanitizers, but very few are aware of their ingredients and how they actually work. The most popular type of sanitizers consists of alcohol-based products. These include the major brands Purell, Germ-X, and Lysol. The active ingredient in all of these products is a low molecular weight alcohol, usually either ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or isopropanol. The alcohol content must be at least 60 per cent to effectively kill germs, so be sure to check the label before making a purchase. The remaining ingredients in these products can vary, and include gels, thickeners, skin moisturizers, and fragrances. The alcohol kills bacteria and viruses that are present on the skin. In addition, it removes the natural oils of the outer layer of skin, making the skin surface a less desirable environment for the microorganisms that may wish to relocate from deeper skin layers. However, the great majority of microorganisms found on or within our skin are not harmful, and would never cause sickness. In fact, they are essential to form a barrier to protect
us from pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. What this means is that although alcohol-based hand sanitizers are very effective at killing bacteria and other microbes on our skin, in the process, there is a chance that we may actually make ourselves more susceptible to infection from other people and objects with which we come in contact. Generally, alcohol-based sanitizers work great to prevent the spread of illness as a temporary measure, but their use should be coupled with regular hand washing to achieve the best protection against bacteria and viruses. Another less common type of hand sanitizer includes products that contain a compound known as benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Major brands that contain this ingredient are Soapopular, Cleanwell, X3, and Gentle Care. This chemical is as effective as alcohol at killing a large percentage of viruses and other microorganisms present on our skin. Both BAC and alcoholbased sanitizers have recently been tested and approved to kill the influenza H1N1 virus, more commonly known as the swine flu virus. The main advantage of BAC sanitizers is that, unlike alcohol-based products that stop working once the alcohol has evaporated, BAC remains on the skin and continues to protect against bacteria until the chemical is washed off. Health Canada, as well as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), states that hand sanitizers should not be used as a substitute for regular hand washing, but in addition to it. Hand washing
“
April Pawluk
matical mistakes for hundreds of years. We just tend to blame the kids of today for not knowing any better. But you’re right. You’d have to be blind not to notice all the changes that have popped up just recently, especially since we now communicate over so many types of media. From spelling (résumé to resume) to the change of singular to plural nouns (datum to data) to trying to be being po-
is important because it removes dirt and oil from the skin, and kills most microorganisms as well. A common misconception is that only antibacterial soaps kill germs, when in fact all hand soaps do so. It is actually best to steer clear of antibacterial soaps; using chemicals to kill bacteria, they encourage the bacteria to evolve into a more resistant form, making them harder and harder to kill with every generation that develops. Proper hand washing should last at least 20 seconds, and it is best to dry with a paper towel rather than using a shared towel, in which case germs can reside in the towel and be passed along. Hand sanitizers are effective when used after soap and water, in between washings, or when regular hand washing is not an option: for example, while shopping, in a vehicle, or travelling. One important thing to keep in mind is that sanitizers have little to no effect when hands are visibly dirty, in which case hand washing is the best option. Whether lathering up with soap or stocking up on hand sanitizers or better yet, a combination of both, it is essential for us to keep our hands clean to prevent the spread of illness. Colds, flus, and many other types of infections can be passed from person to person through lack of proper sanitation. Especially with the current swine flu scare so close to home, and any new epidemics that may arise, a basic understanding of hand washing and sanitation is your greatest tool in preventing illness for both yourself and those around you.
“
C
lose your eyes. Inhale deeply. Imagine you’re stepping into an oversized pair of men’s summer loafers. Exhale. Now, on the count of three, open your eyes. Looking around, you and your roommate are sitting in Posterland, your cramped dorm room. There are a couple of laptops on your bed, and a heap of just-washed clothes blocking the door. Your eyes rest on a poster
litically correct (he/she to they), English grammar has certainly seen some recent changes in terms of convention. But the vast majority of these changes — or errors, as some people call them — are changes to vocabulary, not grammar. There’s a reason grammar is the way it is: It works. Let’s go back to the poster of Kramer: If you’re looking at a poster which is the representation of a representation of a fictitious character played by an actor, you can imagine the effects of a “little” grammatical mix-up.
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Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Reviews Movies
CD not a star trek fan
I am not a Star Trek fan by any stretch of the imagination — I have only ever watched one episode of the original series and that was only because I took Religion in Pop Culture in first year. I have never watched an episode on my own or with friends, and when it comes to titles that begin with the word “star” I have always chosen Star Wars over Star Trek. Clearly my decision to see the new movie adaptation was based on having a boyfriend who likes the franchise and on the film’s tagline, “This isn’t your father’s Star Trek.” I did, however, assume that the movie would be somewhat enjoyable, with lots of action and enough backstory so that I, a decidedly non-Trekkie, would be able to follow along. The film begins aboard Kirk’s father’s ship as they come in contact with a violent alien ship that has appeared from a black hole. It moves quickly — the only time in the film — with the crew attempting to escape the hostile ship and Kirk’s father sacrificing himself to save the rest just as his son is being born. Eventually, we meet Kirk (Chris Pine) who appears to be a screw-up living in the mid-west with nothing to do. He is asked to join the Starfleet academy, and, after
another time lapse, the audience is told that there is an emergency on planet Vulcan that all of Star fleet must go to investigate. Basically, they go, Kirk realizes that it’s the same situation that occurred with his father, there are power politics between he and Spock, Leonard Nemoy comes to save the day, and everything works out well. I will admit that the film did give me the information I needed to understand the plot. There were no assumptions that every audience member knew who characters were before their names were revealed, although there was definitely enough of a pause so that those in the know could yell out who it was, and they stuck to a simple story that would need no prior knowledge. That being said, I still didn’t like this movie. Women were given no prominent role at all; Spock’s mother is relegated to an overly emotional woman who is said to be weak due to being human and, because she is played by Winona Ryder, always sounds as though she is going to cry. The other female character, Uhura (Zoe Saldana), is said to be ridiculously smart and an amazing translator, yet the only reason she is able to get on the Enterprise is because she is sleeping with Spock. I understand that the plot is focused on Kirk and Spock’s relationship but I think that they could have allowed the one named female character on the ship to get there by merit rather than sex. That aside, there was never a moment of anticipation or nervousness
during any of the action scenes. A good action film, in my opinion, should have its viewers on the edge of their seats, even if they know deep down that the main character survives. Star Trek did not do this at all. I felt as though I was watching a movie I had seen hundreds of times that no longer held any excitement. In terms of acting, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto did steal the show. Both their portrayals were quite entertaining. Pine was funny and created a character that I actually wanted to watch. Quinto’s Spock was also good; his dialogue was wooden and emotionless, which was exactly what it was supposed to be. They clearly faced difficulties when attempting to recreate such well established roles but both appear to have done a solid job. After watching the movie I think that it is fairly safe to say that I am never going to be a fan of Star Trek. I’m sure the TV shows had some type of appeal — I mean there are lots of people who love Captain Kirk or that other guy who plays Xavier in X-Men, but really I have no idea why. There must have been something interesting in the TV shows that the film missed, because all I saw was a standard action movie that didn’t explore any new plot concepts or make a non-fan want to become one. I would argue that this is indeed your father’s Star Trek, just with better looking actors. — Emma Tarswell
Ben Harper and Relentless7 White Lies for Dark Times Released May 5, 2009
Ben Harper and Relentless7 — a somewhat misleading name given that there are only four band members — officially formed in 2008, although they first worked together back in 2005 when Harper was recording Both Sides of the Gun. Their story began when Harper invited guitarist and long-time friend Jason Mozersky to help him lay down some guitar for the song “Serve Your Soul.” As the fates would have it, Mozersky showed up at the studio with his two friends — drummer Jordan Richardson and bassist Jesse Ingalls — and so not only did they create an excellent track, they also wound up laying the framework for Relentless7. Not being particularly familiar with Ben Harper, I didn’t really know what to expect from White Lies for Dark Times — I was figuring something folksy with a bit of blues, but what I found was an intensely powerful blues-rock album with a funk-soul twist that pulls inspiration from bands like Cream, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix. Opening with the powerful, catchy, and hard-rocking “Number With No Name,” the album showcases the versatility of the Relentless7 by moving from a sort of typical American rock track through to the more blues-inspired “Lay There And Hate Me,” and then to a more roots/ folk inspired “Skin Thin.”
saddest moment of childhood: end of wrath of khan
With the 2009 spring movie mayhem of sequels, prequels, and remakes, the newest addition to the ten series Star Trek film franchise has pushed its way to the forefront of everybody’s attention. With hype for the movie spiking various TV station re-runs and week-long marathons, many fans, myself included, found a refreshing chance to brush up on their inner Trekkie spirit, all in preparation for the debut of the Enterprise’s maiden journey. The movie cast gave fans fair warning of the new films ‘unique’ direction in various television and internet bound interviews. Though many older fans were concerned about this latest addition doing the Shatner-verse justice, the movie’s production team insisted
Overall, I found that the more blues-rock oriented tracks on this album were stronger and far more interesting to listen to over those that were more “rock” focused. Bluesy tracks like “Why Must You Always Dress in Black” and “Boots Like These” really showcased the musicianship of the band, which is something that really sets them apart from other bands they may otherwise be grouped with. While there were some tracks that didn’t quite “get me there,” this was definitely a well rounded, cohesive album. Excellent guitar skills and strong riffs will no doubt leave you wiggling on your stroll to class, bopping through the SLC, and rocking out on the bus ride home — this is one album that just won’t let you sit still. Their most recent live performance was May 13 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. For more information check out http:// relentless7.benharper.com/. — Erin Harrison
I love you
H that this was “not your mother’s Star Trek.” As the lights dimmed and the film started rolling, seasoned fans were met with an opening scene to end all opening scenes. The movie dived into its first action sequence, not even a full minute into the reel. The dramatic feel of the beginning set the tone for the rest of the film, altering character histories to create a brand new breed of crew for the Enterprise. The most incredible change of character was perhaps that of the infamous Captain Kirk. With a childhood far different from the old school Kirk, then played by William Shatner, and a career start that was the direct result of the infamous plot device, time travel, actor Chris Pine gave us a look at a new, studly, snarky, and sarcastic Jim Kirk. With a very different feel from it’s 60s light-hearted charm where each and every episode ended with all conflict resolved, this film provided the audience with hard laughs, a dramatic plot line, and an on-the-edge-of your-seat-feel that kept the theatre
courtesy amazon.ca
completely captivated. Some fans will undoubtedly have their concerns with new portrayals of well-worshipped characters, such as the half-Vulcan Spock, now played by Zachary Quinto. However, these small shifts in personality and relationships serve their purpose in painting a whole new generation for the Star Trek universe. To compensate for the changes in the Enterprise’s crew, the movie even accommodates for the specific needs of the series’ fanboys and girls, providing a role for Spock’s original actor Leonard Nimoy as “Spock Prime” pulling straight from the universe they know and love. Star Trek’s new look establishes a completely different reality from the old school series, something that has had some hard core Trekkies breathing out a sigh of relief. While this revival of these fan favoured characters is exactly what this industry needed, it’s nice to see the Shatner era revisited, but otherwise left as what it is: a classic. — Caitlin McIntyre
ave you ever fallen in love with a character from a book? Were they fictional, were they real, were they dead? When reading, sometimes the characters or people become so real to me they are like friends. So I revisit them year after year, rereading the books. With others I wonder what they are doing after the time of the book two, five, or ten years later. I wonder what they are up to. I have fallen in love with five women while reading about them, one fictional, two dead before I was born, and two living. In this week’s column I will briefly describe each of them and hope it will inspire you to check out their writings or the writings about them. Meg Murry is a fictional character created by Madeleine L’Engle. She appears in six of the books in L’Engle’s Karios series. She is a child in the earlier books and a mother in later books. She is a strong woman, and an intelligent woman. She appeared so real in the pages. I tried her favourite sandwich and it became one of mine: toasted bagel with liverwurst, cream cheese, and tomato slices. L’Engle is one of my all-time favorite authors and when I met her at a conference, she stated that she recently realized that one of her characters had finished her PhD. Her characters were real to her, and time kept passing for them. Meg was the first woman I ever fell in love with in a book.
smcevoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
During my first term here at UW, I took a course called RS100C Faith Quests with Dr. Michael W. Higgins. We read 13 books over the term. I fell in love with two of the women we read about and studied. The first was Etty Hillesum, in her book The Letters and Diary of Etty Hillesum. She was passionate about life, and was determined to understand herself. Even after the Nazi advance and occupation she did not stop living. The last words we have from her are on a postcard thrown from a train on its way to Auschwitz. She was an incredible woman, and her life is a testament to the human spirit. I am not sure what to call the next woman. I met her as Joy Gresham, the woman C.S. Lewis married, then fell in love with. Lewis wrote about her in his book A Grief Observed. It recounts his experience of her illness and her death. It was also the basis for the film Shadowlands. Lewis originally published this book under a pseudonym N. W. Clerk. It appears the book was so well written, he received a number of copies from friends to help him with his grief. Five Feet of Fury (www.fivefeetoffury.com) is the current blog of Kathy Shaidle. As a fulltime blogger since 2000, Kathy has offended nearly every one. I encountered her previous blog, relapsedcatholic.com, through other Catholic blogrolls. See LOVE, page 11
Arts & Entertainment 11 Exclamation mark in the story of comics LOVE: in 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) stands as fiction Canada’s greatest salute to the comics’ art form
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
W
hen a comic convention rolls along, I always get an odd reaction from some of my friends when I ask them if they’d like to come along. They have some fears about going, such as the stereotypical smelly comic dorks, the overload of superhero eye-candy, a strain on bank accounts, or there is just not enough interest for them to go. An image like this is understandable; it happens quite often and makes me wonder why I still go to some of these cons. TCAF, a bi-annual comics festival that ran on May 9 and 10, 2009, is different from your typical convention, and it has always been my favourite event to attend because of that. Similar to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival (MoCCA) in New York City, there’s an emphasis of the event being a festival, gladly open for the entire public to see. To top it off, TCAF has always had free admission. The public isn’t only allowed to go to TCAF, they’re invited to come! Students are prominent on this invite list considering that story discussions by comic creators Seth (George Sprott: (1894-1975)), Adrian Tomine (32 Stories), and Yoshihiro Tatsumi (A Drifting Life) at the Harbourfront Centre last Friday, May 8, were free of charge with student ID. TCAF — the birthchild of the Beguiling comic-shop manager Christopher Butcher and owner Peter Birkemoe — was at its finest this year due to a number of things. People came from far and wide to celebrate and examine — not just to consume or purchase — comics. From high school teachers to casual fans to expert critics, everyone and their kin were in the building. The venue — the Toronto Reference Library on Younge and Bloor — is quite the building to house a bustling crowd. Thanks to associate vendors such as Owl Kids, I saw a lot of tykes at the event. Today, kids aren’t just reading comics because it’s cool (although that is one of their reasons), but because they’re learning that comics have something substantial about them. This year TCAF was engulfed in a positive atmosphere. With TCAF 2007, the general emotion I had about the event was a bit unclear. This year with the availability of the venue, the expansion of the events, and the allstar guest list, everything felt great. Despite the crowds, it was easy to breathe. And this comic festival felt
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caitlin mcintyre
Drawn.ca’s John Martz (left) and comic creator Stuart Immonen (middle) listen to one of Scott McCloud’s (right) many thoughts on the world of print and web comics. like it was all for the comicists. Artists from all different spectrums that I approached genuinely enjoyed their time at the festival including Scott McCloud (Zot!), Chester Brown (Louis Riel), and R. Stevens (Diesel Sweeties). TCAF was exactly what it has claimed to be for years: a festival celebrating the art form of comics. This year there was a lot of stuff for almost everyone to enjoy. Some of my friends only had one or two artists in mind to see when they attended, but after going to the event, their love and thirst for knowledge of comics expanded so much more. I find it the safest bet that if you went to the festival with virtually no knowledge of comics, you would leave learning so much! Once I entered the venue, I realised that there was no need to feel intimidated. The library was a place to expand your horizons of knowledge and have fun, which is what a library should do. The venue was the perfect choice for a time when comics are becoming more popular than ever. The panel discussions were greatly informative and led by some of the best people in the industry. McCloud’s Q&A panel on Saturday, moderated by Comic Book Confidential director Ron Mann, explained many of McCloud’s theories shared in his Comics series. Unfortunately, his lecture didn’t mimic his popular TED.com slideshow presentation but it opened up the room
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for a lot of genuine discussion. On the question of comic-influenced movies, McCloud said, “If they make a movie out of a comic ‌ my most fervent hope is that it will be a good movie, and I don’t care if they throw away everything from the comic. I don’t believe in being faithful to the comic unless it really serves the film.â€? He then brought the film Ghost World into perspective, co-written by the original comic artist Daniel Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff, where much of the film’s story was changed from the comic. “He changed all kinds of stuff!â€? said McCloud. “It’s a very different film from the original comic because, I assume, he’d felt it would make a better film if it wasn’t just slavishly imitating the comic.â€? But McCloud saw some greatness from what he calls “the Hollywood flirtation with comics,â€? saying “that’s wonderful with showing the variety in comics.â€? On Sunday, National Post comic artist and journalist Chip Zdarsky, a.k.a. Steven Murray, hosted the panel, “Newspapers, Comic Books, and The Internet.â€? The panel — featuring Stevens and McCloud along with John Martz (Drawn!), Brendan Buford (King Features Syndicate), and Stuart Immonen (Moving Pictures) — discussed many of the topics revolving around the fear of print dying and the dominance of the Web. Immonen’s views on the Web were very positive. “The
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internet basically returns us in a lot of ways to that level of engagement we had doing independent black and white comics and getting good distribution physically to stores.� For people like Immonen and Stevens, working on comics online has become their day job, which is an approach to comics that many newer artists are considering. Later on in the panel, someone asked about the necessity for comic festivals if webcomics will dominate in the end. The answer from the panel was mutual; there is still a necessary market for graphic novels and comic anthologies, so print doesn’t have to die. Stevens calls his experience in selling print versions of his comics at these festivals as “the handshake that comes home,� speaking for everyone at the panel. Overall, the general consensus at the panel was that the comics’ industry needs to focus on the content and form in comics, which will dictate its future. Comic art festivals like TCAF are important to our society. They teach us about how comics can inspire our imaginations, teach us academically, and express an artist’s vision of the world that another could never imagine. To me a comic convention is more of a market and party (which isn’t at all a bad thing), but a festival is an academic experience. Kudos, TCAF. I’ll see you again in two years!
Continued from page 10
After reading her blog for a while I tracked down her books and read them. I have read most of her books more than once and her autobiographical piece God Rides a Yamaha six times (The God on the Yamaha was wearing a UW jacket with “Math� on the armband). It is a series of columns published after she was diagnosed with Lupus. I fell in love with her because of her vulnerability in this book. Yet most of her writings are sassy, humourous, poignant, and very political. Kathy has stated both, “Social justice is the stubborn application of unworkable solutions to imaginary problems.� and “‘Racist’ is the new ‘commie.’�She is considered one of the top Conservative bloggers in Canada. In his intro to her latest book The Tyranny of Nice, Mark Steyn declares that “Kathy Shaidle is one of the great virtuoso polemicists of our day: If the ‘human rights’ racketeers get their way, she’ll be unpublishable in her own country. But, in the end, that’s a reflection not on her but on them.� Finally, a Mormon woman from Utah, Terry Tempest Williams — and she does live up to her middle name. Terry’s book Refuge is the story of life and the story of death — death of women from cancer, and death of birds in a flooded sanctuary. Williams is a poet, author, environmentalist, and is very passionate about life and death in the desert. Her books are moving and powerful; she writes about the clan of the one-breasted women. She states “I belong to a Clan of One-Breasted Women. My mother, my grandmothers, and six aunts have all had mastectomies. Seven are dead. The two who survive have just completed rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.� All of her books are powerful and moving. I fell in love with each of the women because of the power of words. Words can shape us, change us, challenge us, and transform us. Each of the women profiled above can have a lasting impact on your life. Check out the books and remember you never know what you will find between the covers, or who.
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Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Talk to the laser
Melissa Buckell
Lana Sheridan Staff reporter
“I
f you see an eerie red light, don’t be alarmed. It’s not a UFO,” Chris Erven, a PhD student for the Institute for Quantum Computing, advises. But that does not mean that mysterious things are not happening on campus. The faint red glow that can sometimes be seen while crossing campus is a laser that is part of Erven’s quantum information link between the roofs of the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, the Perimeter Institute, and the Research Advancement Centre building in UW’s Research and Technology Park. “You can see it in a light snow. It’s pretty, but terrible for experiments.” Erven should know: the laser experiment was the basis of his Master’s thesis project which he
is continuing for his PhD under the supervision of Professor Raymond Laflamme and Professor Gregor Weihs. It took more than a year to get the demonstration of the entangled state Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which is the purpose of the link. QKD is a scheme for generating a random string of numbers (a key) which is shared by two people in separate locations that can be used to encrypt secret messages. By taking advantage of the strange behaviour of small particles — which are governed by quantum mechanics — the system can be guaranteed to be secure in principle, assuming that the two peoples’ receivers are not compromised. This is possible because unknown quantum information — the states of the particles — cannot be measured without disturbing the particles. This fact can be used to prove that when an eavesdropper is trying to “listen” to the quantum information one person is sending,
Ninjas include Plan B so should you
I
f you’re female, imagine yourself waking up in a bed next to a drooling, sleeping Jack Numerals from your ECON 101 class. You may or may not have slept with him last night; the details escape your throbbing head at the moment. Did you use protection? It’s hard to be sure…of everything except that the purpose of last night was to party, not bear this man’s kids. Or, imagine yourself in a far worse scenario: you wake up in a bed, your head throbbing, with no one next to you. The details of last night are elusive, but the last thing you remember clearly is a helpful stranger accompanying you back to you room because you felt unusually woozy and lightheaded… The reason I begin this week’s article with an anecdote is because every night of partying carries a risk of these two scenarios occurring, no matter how careful you are; it is equally easy to lose track of vodka shots before retiring to a bed with a friend as it is to be carried to one after being drugged by a stranger. As such, it’s important to have a plan of action at the off-chance of these events occurring, and my top recommendation is the morning after pill. Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) are actually similar to other oral contraceptives (OC), in that they contain estrogen and progestin, or progestin alone. What makes an ECP different from an OC is that it contains a higher dosage of these two hormones. ECPs are also similar to OCs because both interfere with ovulation as a method of preventing pregnancy. It’s important to establish that, according to research, ECPs are not capable of aborting an established pregnancy; they are to be used as a preventative measure only. For the health of the embryo, it is nevertheless advised that women do not take ECPs if they already know they are pregnant. I don’t know what you were doing in 2005, but the sexual revolution of the 1960s was preparing for another climactic victory. I say this because, in 2005, Canada approved Plan B (levonorgestrel), an Emergency Contraceptive Pill as being not only safe but available to the public without a prescription. What
alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
this means for UW students is that they can attain Plan B through Health Services for $20, accompanied by a mandatory meeting with a physician. Secondly, Plan B is sold in pharmacies for an average charge of $40. If it were up to me, this little pill would be in every girl’s nightstand for one simple reason: no one can predict the future. Although I have been writing this column for over a year, I cannot stress the importance of planning ahead when it comes to contraceptives enough. Why? Pop! Your condom just broke. Doesn’t reaching over to the cupboard and taking Plan B sound better than furiously Googling for answers, or better yet, trying fruitless methods such as douching with Pepsi (thanks, word-ofmouth)? I would certainly say so. So take charge, flex your ninja contraceptive skills and nip pregnancy before it becomes a bud by having Plan B on hand. There is nothing confusing about taking Plan B, either; it comes in two pills, to be taken at once or with a twelve-hour gap between them, up to 72 hours after intercourse. It is, however, most effective in the first 24 hours. It prevents pregnancy by delaying ovulation or preventing fertilization. Among the common side effects are nausea (23 per cent of women), vomiting (6 per cent) and irregular menstrual bleeding (spotting), as indicated on the Plan B website, www.planb.ca. It’s important to understand that any bleeding does not represent the purging of an embryo (of which Plan B is not capable of), but the potential bleeding is the body’s way of returning to a natural hormonal balance after taking a high dosage of estrogen and progestin. The reason for getting Plan B is simple: life is unpredictable. As such, it’s necessary to be proactive about one’s contraceptive methods and take every precaution available. It’s easy to see why Plan A is not enough. Ninjas know this. You should, too. If you have any questions about the behaviour or location of your junk, please e-mail your questions to me at the address listed above or meet with me in the Imprint office and loiter.
another listener can always be detected. In Erven’s arrangement, a laser beam shot through a special type of crystal produces pairs of photons that have entangled, or super-correlated, states. One photon goes to each person, who measure their states. Their results will match, unless an eavesdropper has been trying to listen in. By comparing their results, they can see whether this has happened and if it has, they can throw away the random numbers they have been generating and start again. If no eavesdropping has occurred, they can encode a message using the random numbers so that no one but the two of them can read it. In the spring of 2007 Erven set up the first part of the link between the source at EIT and the detectors on a building on Columbia Street. The next spring saw the second part of the link go up between EIT and PI, following a delay caused by the need to remove an “eavesdropping tree” that was blocking the signal in Waterloo Park. The first two-link long-distance demonstration of
entangled-source QKD through air was done in April of 2008. Between May and June the second part of the link was moved from the BFG building to the R&T Park. Now each link is about 1.3 kilometres long. Erven is now trying to develop a source that emits more entangled photon pairs per second, which will allow him to get the highest key rates for this sort of arrangement. This system also mimics a much-hoped-for scheme in which an entangled-photon source is placed on satellite and can send the signal to two people on Earth’s surface. Erven recalls that it was a lot of work. “I had to build the optical stuff, the software, and the shacks” that the equipment sat in on the top of the buildings. “Most of the time, it was just me and a co-op student. Sometimes, it was just me.” Just in case his future research does not work out, Erven has a backup plan. “I can always sell hot dogs from the shack on the EIT.” lsheridan@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Without Man
E
thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
very once in a while, I hear someone say dangerous is the waste of nuclear weapons, exhow the planet would be better off without periments, and power plants — as well as the humans. That if we just left, Earth would plants and weapons themselves. While we can heal itself and everything would be better. I realized currently dispose of them, the rise in demand just how wrong that theory is while reading the for nuclear power will create even more waste book The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. In that will need a place to be stored. Until we can this book, Weisman discusses what would happen find a way to use up the fuel until there is little to our planet if all humans disappeared tomorrow. radioactivity left, the radiation from the waste He mentions how entire cities would degrade, how will always be a hazard to us and anything left invasive and local species would fight for control, after us. Unlike other chemicals we’ve manuand how all the materials we manufactured that factured, this waste will be around for millions nature has never seen before would slowly degrade. of years. Below New Mexico, a lot of waste is This doesn’t mean, however, that the world would being stored in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant get along just fine without us. (WIPP). This facility, already at least 20 per We have put so much pressure on nature — in cent full, doesn’t even store spent nuclear fuel, terms of foreign chemicals, materials, and technol- which is increasing by about 3000 tons a year. ogy — that it now depends on us to keep things Instead, it stores everything used to deal with running smoothly. One reason the Earth needs nuclear products – gloves, rags, shoe coverings, humans to stay alive is because of the invasive spe- and machinery used to build facilities and plants. cies that we’ve given free access to every part of the A lot of this came from Rocky Flats defence world. The most common and often overlooked facility, where radioactive waste was released into of these is cats. Unlike other domestic animals, streams, the ground, and air. It was finally shut cats have retained their instincts to hunt birds down and sent off to WIPP. WIPP is now so and other small animals. As it stands now, cats kill unsafe that the government is legally required somewhere in the billions of birds annually. That’s to keep people away from it for the next 10,000 with humans years. They’re feeding them even putting We have put so much pressure and housing up signs in as many of them. many languagon nature — in terms of foreign Without hues as possible, mans, the cur- chemicals, materials, and technology with pictures, rent 60 or so future civi— that it now depends on us to keep so million cats in lizations with the U.S. alone evolved lanthings running smoothly would multiguages can unply and birds derstand them. everywhere would have to adapt or die. Battles Without humans to maintain these sites and between other species — both animal and plant dispose of waste safely, time, fires, and ev— will also take place around the world as invasive erything else that causes change in nature will species that would normally be controlled by hu- slowly unravel the facilities housing this waste, man efforts would spread farther than they could as well as the bombs and plants that still hold have before and wipe out entire species. them (although bombs need huge impact to In our fascination with pushing the limits detonate, so there will be no arbitrary nuclear of technology, the resources nature had weren’t explosions from normal degradation). This enough as they were. Instead, we created new will cause radiation to billow across continents, materials that this planet has never seen before. affecting the entire planet for millions of years Plastics, CFCs, HCFCs — the chemicals that we before nature cleans it up. caught destroying our ozone in the ‘70s — and These are only a few examples of why the others that will be poisoning the planet long after continued maintenance of our impact on the we’re gone. While CFCs were largely banned, Earth is necessary for Earth to survive. With us many developing nations still use them in large, gone, all of these changes we’ve imposed on the and other places still manufacture them. If we left, planet that are currently being maintained will these millions of devices containing CFCs would be let loose on the Earth, causing more damage degrade, allowing the harmful chemical to float than we are now. So would the Earth be better upward. The ozone layer would possibly suffer to off without us? Maybe in a few hundred millevels not seen since before life itself began. Any lion years; but before that, the Earth will suffer life left around would have to adapt to the suddenly without us maintaining it. We truly have become massive amounts of UV radiation beaming to the the stewards and caretakers of this planet, albeit surface. Either that, or go extinct. stewards that have lots to do in the way of being Another type of radiation that is even more more caring for the planet.
Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
13
The Art of defining science
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achiang@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
s a student, perhaps the most common question that one faces is that which concerns one’s program of study: “What are you studying in school?” and so forth — to which the brief answer is undoubtedly one’s faculty’s name, or a modification thereof, and this, coupled with a tone of either pride, indifference, or shame, thus enables the questioner to formulate a mental stamp: “Ah, she is an ambitious science student,” or alternatively, “Ah, this is a solemn man of the arts.” But how would one answer the next question: “What is science?” or “What is art?” Is it really adequate simply to specify, “Well, I study biology” or “I’m in Italian studies?” It is clear, then, that such mental stamps serve only to convenience the questioner (and perhaps to save the student from elaborating without end), to allow him split the two camps lickety-split, filing one away neatly under the letter “S” and the other under “A.” Sure, this method works well; in principle, it is not very different from the elevator that takes us from Floor A to Floor B. But the trouble with the elevator is that sometimes it deprives us of the exercise that we in fact need. In the same vein, UW French Studies professor Dr. Christine McWebb argues that this kind of convenient academic categorization, between the arts and the sciences particularly, can rule out opportunities for people to do work that is cross-disciplinary, an approach that is arguably the most powerful and innovative tool around. Professor McWebb, who has been studying the texts and iconography of the French Middle Ages and the Early Modern period since her senior years as an undergraduate, has found that the original scientia as revealed by medieval writers and thinkers “connoted a far richer spectrum of study than what is implied by the modern day ‘science.’” McWebb explained that for medieval thinkers and writers, scientia was “much more globally conceived”, referring in general to forms of knowledge, whether speculative (in today’s terms, “liberal arts or humanities”) or exact (“natural sciences”).
“The education of the High and the late Middle Ages encompassed all disciplines…with no distinction made as to which discipline belonged to the arts and which to the sciences.” In addition, she pointed out that “the High Middle Ages boasted a very fertile intellectualism,” and attributed this fertility in large part to the lack of any such disciplinary distinction. Not only did the “lack” allow for dialogue between what one would consider today to be the equivalents of the arts and the exact sciences, but further, in medieval times, these two were “intrinsically intertwined on the discursive level.” “In earlier periods, such as the fifteenth century for example…there was a much more interdisciplinary approach to learning and to the interaction of the various disciplines,” revealed McWebb. “It is the modern era which established disciplinary walls and partitioned knowledge in terms of disconnected epistemological modes.” But even though the division of disciplines can be traced back fairly recently to the nineteenth century, when Alexander von Humboldt founded the German research university based upon “the disciplinary distinctions which remain at the basis of our contemporary institutions,” McWebb called the categorical view itself “anachronistic.” Particularly at an innovative and research-intensive university such as Waterloo, McWebb believes there is real potential to carry out cross-disciplinary work. “In very practical and concrete terms, I think that it is in the field of digital humanities that the University of Waterloo has much to gain from a cross-disciplinary approach,” she said. As an example of this collaboration, McWebb cited the MARGOT research group (Moyen Age et Renaissance – Ordinateurs et Textes), of which she is a principal researcher. MARGOT is a long-term research project devoted to publishing fully searchable editions of either generally inaccessible texts from the French Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, or of texts related to specific
projects covering the same time period. In some areas of MARGOT, said McWebb, researchers already work closely with colleagues and students from computer sciences. “As arts scholars we are trained in textual analysis and cultural understanding but not necessarily in information technology,” said McWebb. “Furthering collaboration between these two areas would have great advantages for both: it would provide colleagues such as myself with the necessary help and assistance to apply IT to our projects, and it would foster a greater cultural and historical understanding to students in the computer sciences who normally have little contact with the historical and contextual situations of their areas of study.” MARGOT is not the only example of innovative cross-disciplinary efforts. Medical illustration, for example, makes use of traditional and digital art techniques to propagate biological knowledge. Yet with all this in mind, it must be pointed out that the purpose of this article is not to radically revolutionize, nor even to critique, the way one should
To learn more about the interface between science and French literature, check out professor McWebb’s collection of articles, co-edited with colleague Dr. Donald Bruce of the University of Guelph: Texte: revue de critique et de théorie littéraire (ed. Andrew Oliver, University of Toronto) by the University of Toronto Press (2009). Dr. Christine McWebb’s profile on the Faculty of Arts webpage: http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/ profiles_professors/McWebb.html
MARGOT Research Group: http://margot.uwaterloo.ca answer the question that began this discourse. Rather, the real challenge that students face, as well as people in general who have the capacity to do great things in the sphere of academia and beyond, is this: daring our minds to leap over the “convenient” disciplinary partitions. Admittedly, the challenge is incredibly daunting for some — recall that taking the elevator is undoubtedly easier than
the other horrific alternative: manual labour — and certainly, sticking within the bounds of disciplinary familiarity is much safer than extending oneself beyond, seemingly to perilous worlds unknown. But, sometimes, to do great things is not to have convenience; indeed, sometimes, to do great things requires us actually to step away from the elevator panel, take a deep breath, and climb those stairs.
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Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Playing Mathketball
Gym upkeep coming
Julea Gelfand
Julea Gelfand
intern
intern
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im Lee, a UW mathematics student and shooting guard, is participating in one of the most honoured basketball games for Ontario University Athletics (OUA). It’s been a sensational 2008 – 09 season for women’s basketball and it’s about to get more exciting. The star-studded match is set to take place on Saturday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at RIM Park in Waterloo. The OUA All-star game is part of the 2009 OBA Ontario Cup, making the first place prize all that much sweeter. The teams in this East vs. West battle are composed of 20 top rookies from this past season, from different universities across Ontario. Lee will be assisting the West team in their fight to victory. According to Slan sports, “In her first year at UW she was named to the OUA West all-rookie team and has been honouring her game ever since,” Lee later told Imprint, “The OUA West teams are a lot stronger than the OUA East teams this year so we’re surely the favourites going into this game.” There’s no doubt about why Lee was chosen to play in the OUA game; this season she averaged 15 points per game, with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. This ranks her seventh in OUA scoring, 12th in steals and 20th in rebounding. Lee said, “I feel very honoured, yet relieved. It’s a rarity that something like this is rewarded to you and it just feels good to know that all
S your hard work finally pays off.” After missing playing-time due to an ankle injury, Lee came back stronger than ever. In the 2006 – 2007 season, she was 12th in the country in scoring. She has been named the first player of the Toronto Stealth, which is Canada’s first expansion team in the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League. Lee said, “I am thrilled to be the first player signed. ” The season runs from May until August, having the team play a total of 10 games. Lee keeps her schoolwork as her first priority — she’s a stats major pursuing a minor in actuarial science. However, basketball is a huge part of her life — and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her fall and winter terms are very busy, having basketball everyday except Sunday, as well as it being fairly busy due to her making the semi-pro team. “A lot of students spend their time in various areas, a big
photo courtesy uw athletics graphic by rajul saleh
chunk socially. In my life, I’m pretty focused with my goals and given that these few years of university are crucial in carving the rest of my future, I try to remember that working hard on these goals will give me a good and healthy life, as well as building my habits and routine as well as I can.” “My goal is be a professional basketball player and playing on this team will give me the skills I need to get there.”
©2009 Ernst & Young llp. Ernst & Young refers to the 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 Canada.
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ince the grand opening of the student-supported Columbia Ice Fields expansion back in January of 2004, the equipment hasn’t held up. Five years later the CIF and PAC fitness equipment is in need of repairs and upgrades. Just a few years ago a fee of $13.80 was added to tuition costs to support the expansion of CIF, costing $2.5 million, along with help from the Campaign Waterloo fundraising drive. The money helped build the fitness centre, a new gymnasium, a team dressing room and other renovations. At the time the expansion developed the much-needed 6,000 square-foot fitness room with top of the line equipment, which cost about $200,000. This year 10 brand new treadmills will be purchased for CIF to replace the old ones because of concerns and feedback from the students themselves. According to the February 27, 2009 issue of Imprint, Bob Copeland of the UW athletics department said, “A lot of the focus on the recommendations we put forward to the student services advisory committee (SSAC) this year involves increasing the quality of fitness and weight facilities at both the CIF and PAC buildings. There’s been a lot of concern over the past several months and years in terms of quality, something that we’re looking to improve.” Recently the SSAC approved recom-
mendations to increase resources for staff and equipment maintenance as well as the new equipment. This will result in better access and improved fitness resources. Copeland recently told Imprint, “The quality of our fitness equipment as well as accessibility to the PAC Strength Centre has been an important area of focus for the department over the past several months. Many students have voiced valid concerns about the disrepair of equipment, the age of equipment, and concerns over reduced hours of access in the PAC Strength Centre. In response to this input, recommendations were made to the SSAC for additional resources to address these issues.” Although action is being taken, repairs will still take a couple of months. Copeland said, “Some of the key changes that you can expect to see, will be: a full-time conditioning and wellness co-ordinator will be hired who will oversee the operations of the CIF Conditioning Centre and the PAC Strength Centre; new expanded hours for PAC Strength will be announced shortly, (to take effect in June). Free weights will be added to the CIF Conditioning Centre, which is in direct response to student feedback and will also help take pressure off of the overcrowding in the PAC.” He added, “additional equipment purchases will be evaluated and phased in over the three months. As well as additional recommendations will be made for future expansion of the fitness facilities.”
Comics & Distractions
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
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Crossword By Mohammad Jangda (mjangda@imprint.uwaterloo.ca) 1. Point 5. Recedes 9. Retailer’s 25 across, for example 14. One small ocean (2 wds.) 15. Not quite a horse 16. Municipal official 17. “Twinkling” Celestial 18. “A night to remember” 19. Frequent 20. NASA native (2 wds.) 23. Sculpting, for example 24. Spammer’s weapon 25. Infomercials, for example 26. Kosher symbol 27. Ball comedy: Yours, Mine, ____ 29. Approved bill 32. Like neon 35. Where the lil. piggie went 36. Canine chew 37. “Gimme a minute!” (4 wds.) 40. Caesar D.O.D. 41. Canine curse 42. Greek nymph 43. Indicate approval 44. Result of failed follicles 45. Top card 46. Pull 47. Dead ___ Scrolls 48. How much longer? (abbr.) 51. Scotland native (2 wds.) 57. Nintendo predecessor 58. Organic compound
59. Resisting units 60. Socially forbidden 61. Dancer’s skirt 62. Kind 63. German city 64. Happens with time 65. Lost footing Down
1. Middle Eastern Port
Dear Tea Drinker: Ever since our class ended, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. My Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will never be the same. I first realized the love after our brief one on one time and I know you felt it too. I don’t want to enter another classroom unless your smiling face is there. Love and lustfully, Girl in the front left row Dear French Rugby Girl: I always save you a seat in Accounting. Every time you take it my day gets a whole lot better. We always have such a great time together and I don’t want it to end. This time I’m saving you something other than a seat; I’m saving you my heart. Maybe one day after class we can go to the ML for a grilled cheese. Will you take it? Love, Italian Cycling Boy You’re like a tiger in the sun, hot, enchanting Orange, striped, I see us having fun, romancing But if I have to impress you to undress you Then I think my gambit’s done. muse
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“Call 911. Plagiarism is stealing!”
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“Use Turnitin.com” Zun Qian 1B AFM
“Nothing. It’s people’s natural tendency to ‘shirk.’”
32. Similar 33. Undo undo 34. Took a right turn 35. Brood over 36. Scottish hillside 38. Legal (2 wds.) 39. Peruvian pyramids 44. Foot ailment 45. Windy deity 46. Difficult struggle 47. Struck hard 48. Kind of alcohol 49. Adagio and allegro 50. Assed, to Prince Harry 51. Tardy 52. NFL team gettogethers 53. Big Yellow Taxis 54. ___ record (2 wds.) 55. Well-fitting 56. Bomber frequenters
To the real Hawkeye: We have shared many passionate, intimate experiences (2x 3somes?) I really hope we have many more. But I fucked up and I’m really, really sorry. I will prove to you that I’m better than that, because are we humans, or are we dancers? I will be perfect for you because you are already perfect for me. Incredibly sexy, amazing fuck, hilariously funny...you make me say yes when I ought to say no. I would definitely freak you if I had you. Oh, and you have superb taste in music, and a superb ceecckkk. XOXOX Dear Queen of the DC: I see you walking around with your intense intense clipboard, writing people up for bringing food into the library. I think I am in love with your perma-grimace of a facial expression and your sweatpants. I have never heard anything sweeter than the sound of you telling me that my veggie sandwich reeked when the chick in the cubicle next to mine was gorging on a tuna sandwich. Take my stuff away on your magic cart sometime so I can come find it and thus find you. Your DC King, Your library lover
solutions: May 1, 2009
Across
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Ruonan Lu & Sonia Shanktikumar Master’s Accounting
“Intimidate students: ’I know everything!’” Erin Stieler 3B Anthropology
class editor { <snip> function layoutSection() { if(emptySpace && !time) editor.fillEmptySpace(junk) else if (emptySpace && time) editor.hireNoobs() editor.trainNoobs() editor.kickBackAndRelax() else die(‘ERROR! DOES NOT COMPUTE!’) } <snip> }
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You: the mid-40s man driving the gorgeous red Miata around Ring Road last week Me: the academic-looking fella driving the other gorgeous red Miata following you around Ring Road We should get together and be naughty in one of our gorgeous Miatas, and then talk about filenaming conventions and personal organization. Fellow Miata Appreciator To the future pharmacist that is clearly superior: The sight of you with your lab coat and your nametag is enough
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class noob() { <snip> function party() { email = editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca noob.sendEmail(email) } <snip> }
Come and party with us! Yes, it’s that simple! editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca R
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P.S. Let’s hope that you can prescribe something for the both of us to last all night.
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to keep me awake at night. My heart skips a beat when I see you walking out of DC. If you ever find yourself with an itch that you want to scratch, come talk to me sometime. Boyfriend material
distractions@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Comics & Distractions
Imprint, Friday, May 15, 2009
GRAHAM MOOGK-SOULIS
Peter n. trinh
GEOFFREY LEE & SONIA LEE
RAJUL SALEH