Imprint_2009-07-24_v32_i07

University of Waterloo Logos

Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper

Friday, July 24, 2009

Vol 32, No

imprint . uwaterloo . ca

7

Leaked logo leads to student backlash Jacqueline McKoy staff reporter

A

ccording to university administration, it’s “creative”, “uncoventional”, and “innovative”. In the opinion of a student posting on a Facebook group, “It makes me feel like I go to DeVry”. A series of logos related to UW’s new “marketing-oriented visual identity” and positioning campaign intended for a November launch leaked onto the internet early last week. Fueled by social media, students and other members of the UW community have expressed confusion and negativity over the new design.

Anatomy of a leak

Marketing Logo

Above: the new logo which will be used in marketing material

Loco Logo

erloo Logos Below left: the new logo which will be featured on diplomas and official papers Below right: the old logo, for comparison

ATIVE

Defining Attributes

INNOVATIVE CREATIVE

The Why behind “Why Not”

When Imprint spoke to Beckel after student activism against the logo began to mobilize, she said that “the most important thing is getting the whole story out” because students may be largely unaware of the motivations behind the university’s repositioning campaign.

As part of the Sixth Decade Plan, Beckel said that administration needed to “determine a baseline of awareness…and reputation of [UW] across Canada,” which was achieved through a reputational survey conducted across the country by public opinion firm Ipsos-Reid in early 2008.

See BRANDING, page 4

COURAGEOUS Delving into Dubai The power of words UW’s recreation and leisure department CONNECTED Exploring the culture, physical and

Ceremonial Logo

reaches Alzheimer’s patients through Scrabble. page 15

TIVE

GEOUS

CTED

HINKING Bikram Choudhury - founder of hot yoga

RATIVE

Ceremonial Logo

social life of Dubai. page 12-13

CRITICAL-THINKING

LOOK GREAT NAKED! Bikra mCOLLABORATIVE YOGAUNCONVENTIONAL 2 YOGA 30 HOT SUMMER SPECIAL $ UNLIMITEDFOR OF

kitchenerÊ|Êwaterloo

WEEKS

*

*OFFER VALID FOR FIRST TIMERS ONLY

RISK-TAKING

663ÊBelmontÊAve.ÊWest (GlasgowÊandÊBelmont) 519.749.9888 www.bikramyogakw.com class schedule available online

.

UnionÊBlvd

KingÊSt.

tributes

The first leaked versions of the new visual identity hit the Internet last Tuesday, July 13 when they were posted to Facebook by a co-op student employed by the university. These drafts of the new logos, which in addition to the two new logos pictured to the left included six brightly coloured ‘W’s representing each faculty spread through the Facebook community, and eventually to Twitter and the UW LiveJournal community blog.

These logos were removed from Facebook and LiveJournal by the student the following Wednesday morning. The removal coincided with the release of a joint memo from UW President David Johnston and Vice-President of External Relations Meg Beckel introducing the new branding and positioning strategy in July 16’s Daily Bulletin. The memo did not directly address the leaked logos.

Since the introduction of the logos to various social media networks, student response has built, culminating in the creation of Facebook groups discussing the the new logo. While a 45-member (as of press time) group in favour of the logo exists, the most active part of the Facebook effort is the group “Students and Almuni Against the New University of Waterloo Logo.” Started by students Basel Sabbagh, Steve Sauve, and James Thomson, the group was over 4,500 members strong by press time and included more than 100 user-created spoofs of the new logos. The creators of this group also started a Facebook

poll asking respondents to choose between the old and new logos, with the old logo favoured by 90 per cent out of over 2,100 voters.

Sabbagh, a 3A electrical engineering student told Imprint that “[my] initial reaction to the logo was of skepticism because I wasn’t sure if it was a serious proposal… I don’t feel that this new logo represents us as a professional, academic institution.” When he showed the logos to his co-workers at RIM, they “thought it was a Las Vegas strip club logo.”

For some students, however, anger over the rebranding campaign has less to do with aesthetics and more to do with how they perceive the university’s willingness to communicate with its stakeholders. Psychology grad student Michael Druker who recently started the Facebook Group “UW Should Be a University, Not a Corporation!” in the wake of the logo leak said, “Think about it: When was the last time the University of Waterloo seriously sought out the insight of students, staff, or faculty prior to plotting a course of action?” In his Facebook group’s description, he goes on to question the need for a rebranding campaign to begin with.

He also questions whether or not external stakeholders will actually care about the new branding strategy. “Are they aware of all the marketing UW can offer them?

Politically correct photo shoots? Glossy brochures? All fluff, no substance? Lots of ways to spend their money on pursuing further sources of money?”

Belmont Ave. Rock Ave. GlasglowÊSt.

VictoriaÊSt.ÊSouth

News

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

VeloCity experience delivers mixed reviews

Program Director Sean Van Koughnett stands in front to the new Velocity Residence.

Erin Harrison staff reporter

I

n spring 2008, Minota Hagey was renovated in order to prepare for an exciting new initiative truly unique for a university residence. The first of its kind in North America, the VeloCity project saw the residence transformed into what has been termed a “dormcubator” for some of UW’s most talented, entrepreneurial, and technologically savvy students. The goal of VeloCity is to gather top students from across various disciplines and have them form project groups. They work under the guidance of business leaders who help them bring their creative projects (related to mobile communications or new media) to fruition.

VeloCity’s first 70 residents moved in September 2009 and represented four of the university’s six faculties. Nearly a year after its launch, where does VeloCity stand?

“Exceeded Expectations” Sean Van Koughnett, director of VeloCity said that only 11 months after its launch, the program has “largely met or exceeded the expectations of students, partners, and administrators. For students, it has provided them with an opportunity to develop ideas they feel passionate about, to work and live with like-minded students, and to build professional networks.” He did however recognize that there are a few challenges facing the new incubator of innovation in its fledgling year. He cited the time crunch faced by students as a problem in terms of developing ideas in full — students are often already overloaded with homework, interviews, and exams such that the amount of time available to work on an extracurricular project is limited. To overcome this challenge, VeloCity is now in talks with Co-op Services so that students living in the residence can use their work terms in order to develop their start-ups. Despite this, Van Koughnett goes on to say that his external partners (alumni, corporations, and entrepreneurs) “have been incredibly impressed by what VeloCity students have been able to achieve so far.”

A second challenge is improving diversity in terms of faculty representation within the residence and improving the gender balance. With a 6:1 ratio of males to females, Van Koughnett recognizes that while this is better than women’s participation in IT firms on the whole (only 5 per cent of which are owned by women), VeloCity recognizes that there is certainly room for improvement. To this end, Virginia McLellan of UW’s Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment who oversees VeloCity’s marketing activities, is currently examining several strategies to increase awareness of VeloCity among UW’s entrepreneurial females.

One potential strategy is establishing outreach programs through committees like Women in Math and Women in Engineering.

While its not surprising given the technological focus of the residence (web, mobile, and digital media technology) that those with more technical backgrounds such as students in engineering or math, are better represented than those in other faculties (such as AHS, science, arts, and environment). But Van Koughnett noted that innovation is best fostered in a diverse environment with a variety of skills, be they technical or otherwise. With this in mind, he is hoping that over the next year both the male to female ratio and the technical to non-technical student ratio approach 5:2, eventually striving for a ratio of 4:3.

For the most part, VeloCity residents echo the administrator’s praise for the “innovation incubator.” Barbara Macdonald, a fourth year CS student reflected on her term spent at the residence in fall of 2008. While the program was still having some growing pains, she enjoyed the “networking opportunities and technical presentations” made by entrepreneurs and groups like the Accelerator Centre.

While she felt the opportunities to learn and engage other students and industry groups were numerous, she said events were generally not well attended by students.

She also found that there was a tendency for groups working on a project to be extremely secretive instead of sharing ideas: “It wasn’t as much a group experience... people tended to be close-lipped about their projects… they were there for the industry backing, not to learn from

Mackenzie Keast / imprint archives

one another.” On the whole she felt she’d really benefited from the networking opportunities VeloCity offered, but felt the projects often fell short of expectations. “There was not a lot of co-ordination between students [that were preparing projects] and higher level residence staff ” she said, feeling that her project group could have benefited from more guidance.

When asked about how she felt living in such a maledominated residence she said that like being in any hightech environment, she did feel as though some individuals saw her as a woman and “assumed that you don’t know what you’re doing.”

AJung Moon also lived in VeloCity during its first term and found the industry support to be valuable in terms of providing tools and equipment for projects, and the workshops and talks given by industry leaders to be an educational opportunity. She too, however, didn’t find the projects to be particularly valuable, possibly due to their narrow scope (projects must all be related to web, mobile, and digital media). “I’m a hard-core mechatronics [engineering] girl rather than an IT/communications person…. The residence didn’t provide industry support from outside of the RIM, [or] Apple type companies.”

Annie Cho and Rezart Bajraktari both currently live in VeloCity. While Cho acknowledges that there is a skewed ratio of male to female residents, she points out that “a similar men to women ratio is observed in engineering or math.” While Bajraktari finds it challenging sometimes to balance academic and extra-curricular requirements as well as his VeloCity commitments, Rezart finds the residence the right place for him.“What I love the most about Velocity is that it provides an environment where like minded students can get together at any time of the day and just bounce ideas off one another. That is very powerful and that is what ignites ideas.” eharrison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

News

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Branding: the good, the bad and the ugly Continued from cover

Results of this survey showed that despite having a strong reputation within industry, UW’s strengths were not well known to important stakeholder groups such as the general public and prospective students, especially outside of Ontario. Another survey of non-confirmed applicants overseen by marketing and recruitment showed that applicants lacked a clear understanding of UW’s distinctiveness.

These troubling results led to the creation of a marketing and communications task force assigned to creating a repositioning strategy for the school. New logos for the university are only part of this strategy. New web presence, communications and promotional items will deliver a “consistent message that focuses on our attributes,” according to the memo in the Daily Bulletin.

The eight defining “attributes” were identified through the task force’s research: innovative, collaborative, connected, creative, risk-taking, courageous, critical-thinking, and unconventional. These can currently be seen on the new street banners that line Ring Road and the streets bounding the university.

Beckel also pointed out that the leaked logos were not entirely representative of the final drafts. Of greatest importance is the fact that the brightly-coloured ‘W’ logos for each faculty have been scrapped from the final visual identity strategy.

“The reality is that we are different and distinct from those universities…and the consensus is that [the current branding strategy] does not convey those attributes.”

When asked whose opinions were gathered regarding the new visual identity, Beckel said, “Students have been consulted right from the beginning, including the Feds and focus groups of our own students and high school students. We consulted representatives from the various faculty student councils, the Feds, student ambassadors and prospective students.”

Current UW students involved in testing the new logo were student ambassadors and friends of theirs who were not involved in campus leadership ­– a disparate sample. These students were incited to focus groups where they were shown the logo and buzzwords. Beckel says that the administration was “thrilled with the involvement of … and the positive response from students.”

Chris Neal, who as this year’s Feds VPAF became a member of the task force after student consultation was completed, was not entirely convinced that the task force chose the right mechanism for student feedback. “Part of it was that [the task force] wanted to keep it [discreet], but I’ll admit, it may have not been the best way [to show] how students felt.” He agreed with Beckel’s opinion that it was an interesting way to gain the opinions of “uninvolved” students, but he suggested that consulting student society members in a town hall-like meeting would have been particularly useful.

Neal, along with Sabbagh have found that student backlash has been fuelled by the myth that the new W logo will appear on transcripts and

It Will Go Easier On You If You Just Come To Our Store.

diplomas. Waterloo, much like MIT, Stanford, Cornell and UofT is adopting a system where one logo is used for marketing and other external functions and another ceremonial seal is used on diplomas and similar documents.

Even as students are being informed of the intended uses for the logos, public anger is still increasing.

A fiscally friendly project Sensitive to the university’s current economic constraints, Beckel went to great lengths to reduce the costs of the project. Membership on the marketing and communications task force was a volunteer effort on her part as well as other senior administration members. A consultant from Toronto design firm Ove Communications and Marketing joined the team to provide additional market research expertise. As well, costs were kept low by contracting UW Graphics to design the final visual identity based on the task force’s findings.

Beckel said that an employee with the expertise required to oversee the project would likely need to be compensated at a director level, which the university “could never have afforded,” even for the approximately 18 months it would have taken for the project to be completed. As a point of reference, directors of academic support units typically command salaries in the range of $85,000 to $120,000 per year. Beckel proudly said that the entire initiative cost approximately half of what she would expect a director to be paid.

Facing the fallout When asked if the marketing and communications task force had a contingency plan in place to handle the premature release of the new logos, Neal noted that “if [the task force] were to start working on a contingency plan, it would be at this part of the process.” Another important part of the rollout plan process that had not yet been planned was how to communicate the campaign to current students.

“We started the discussions of how to roll out the [rebranding] relatively recently,” said Neal.

Both Neal and Beckel agreed that the current plan is to try as best as possible to answer current student concerns in a variety of media, including Facebook. Beckel plans to respond to student concerns via Facebook, and met with Sabbagh, Sauve and Thomson Thursday, July 23 to help them share the university’s motivations with the students they are helping to protest.

— with files from UW Daily Bulletin, UW Secretariat and Facebook.com

jmckoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Right: new banners associated with UW’s new marketing campaign were put up earlier this week.

LSAT MCAT GMAT GRE Preparation Seminars • Complete 30-Hour Seminars • Convenient Weekend Schedule • Proven Test-Taking Strategies • Experienced Course Instructors • Comprehensive Study Materials • Simulated Practice Exams • Limited Class Size • Free Repeat Policy • Personal Tutoring Available • Thousands of Satisfied Students

OXFORD SEMINARS 1-800-269-6719 416-924-3240 www.oxfordseminars.ca

michael l. davenport

News

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Making the grade

How Feds executive fare when Jeffery Aho measures their performance in an executive review Jeffery Aho reporter

Justin Williams Justin Williams Vice President, Education Grade: A

The VP-Education’s portfolio is one that is often not very visible. They are often absent, attending lobby and policy conferences for our education lobby groups, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) and Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). As our delegate, they represent us at the provincial and federal level respectively.

On Justin Williams’ own estimation, he has been in the office less than half of his term, with his time on campus filled with teleconferences, meetings with the Education Advisory Committee, and policy research. This is not unusual for the VPEducation, especially during the summer months when a large number of conferences are held. It does, however, make it

hard for students to interact with him.

Williams’ success is in large part due to the experience he gained as president during the 2008–2009 year. It is not often we see such a — dare I say — downward move, but it has lead to Justin taking on leadership positions within OUSA (secretary and vice-president administration) and CASA (secretary). “It’s always a challenge going from president to vice-president,” said Williams. “I try not to step on toes.”

Taking on these roles is extremely advantageous to Waterloo students’ lobbying interests. Williams has been working on a cost recovery model paper and a repayment assistance plan paper for OUSA and a Pan Canadian Accord with CASA. He’s also been extremely active with CASA’s governance review and setting up internal policies, as well as OUSA’s HR policy.

On the home front, Williams has secured, for the first time in many years, a full

slate of commissioners, while revamping their job descriptions. He is well on his way towards revitalizing Watpubs, one of his campaign promises, while reducing liability for the Federation. For the fall he hopes to work with the Faculty Association to produce “last lectures” following the late Randy Pausch. Co-op issues, differential tuition fees, academic integrity, and lecture digitization are also ongoing projects.

Director Sam Andrey praised Williams.

“I wouldn’t trust anyone at UW more than Justin to advocate for our students externally. He knows the details of his portfolio through and through and has a strong vision for post secondary education.” When the hardest criticism I can find of Williams is that Chris Neal believes he’s a little slow on answering email, it is hard to rate his performance so far as anything but how Councillor Ian Kasper describes it: “Stellar.”

Sarah Cook Sarah Cook Vice President, Internal Grade: A-

Sarah Cook was dropped into a portfolio in disarray and plagued with mismanaged endowments from last year’s administration.

Despite these lingering problems that have preoccupied her and slowed down implementation of her agenda, it is clear that she is up for the challenge and headed towards a productive and successful year.

In response to the endowment issues, Cook took the pragmatic step of freezing funding distribution from the Student Life Endowment Fund (SLEF) and Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation Fund (EOI).

Having pledged to increase funding for these as well as the Special Projects Fund, it

is a bold move, but the right thing to do.

Coming from an HR background has been advantageous for dealing with her staff and service co-ordinators. “[Cook] is extremely flexible, a great listener and a solid manager, all traits any great VPIN should possess,” said Councillor Ian Kasper.

“Sarah came into a very messy portfolio.

There was an incredible amount of cleanup.

The record keeping has been atrocious.

What Sarah has done has been incredibly stressful,” said Justin Williams. “I’ve been really impressed with Sarah’s work.”

Cook is refreshingly candid when asked about her performance and challenges so far. You can sense a great level of pride and passion when she talks about her specific initiatives, in particular the revitalization of the Food Bank. “She doesn’t have any bias to any service,” said Chris Neal. She has been working on drafting long overdue

a

a-

procedures for Services as well as investigating the Legal Resource Office revival.

Diversity issues are a big priority for Cook. In particular she hopes to act on a recent campus climate survey of queer students that identified several issues. She hopes to have all councillors and Feds staff undergo GLOW Ally training. She will also be working as co-chair of the One Waterloo to make it more visible and effective. “[Cook] does an excellent job of understanding the social and emotional side of [the portfolio],” said President Babor.

“Sarah’s performance to date has been above and beyond what I could have expected,” said Councillor Kasper. It is the hope that she can get the administrative work out of the way so the remainder of her term can be spent doing what she does best; improving student life and advocating social justice.

Chris neal Chris Neal Vice President, Admin & Finance Grade: B+

As the only acclaimed executive this year, it is hard to say what the Vice-President Administration and Finance Chris Neal’s mandate is other than holding him to Team Green’s platform. Regardless, it is clear he is doing a good job. “Chris has really impressed me. He has a firm grasp on his entire portfolio and he has been very committed to the job and on improving things. He’s been focused and diligent,” said director Sam Andrey.

The most important milestone in a VP-AF’s first term is the drafting of the Federation’s council and corporate budgets.

Unfortunately, the budget has yet to be completed, vetted, and approved by the board of

directors and students’ council. While it is on track to be presented at the August council meeting, which is significantly earlier than last year’s budget fiasco, it is a month later than in should be. This can have serious impacts on event planning for Feds Services.

Another blemish on Neal’s tenure is that Bomber is projected to lose over $130,000.

Having pledged to strive for all Feds businesses to break even, it will be up to Neal to implement a plan to turn the deficit around.

He has begun strategic planning with Bomber staff and hopes to implement a new vision over his term of office.

One of the positives of Neal’s efforts is the hiring of the special events coordinator/ programmer, a campaign promise. He hopes to have his “Street Team” running by the fall.

He’s made progress on the bar agreements and

B+ the health and dental plan negotiations. “He’s a really great administrator,” said Cook.

A notable unfulfilled campaign promise was to fill the old Aussies space in the SLC with a food outlet that includes halal options.

It is now clear that this won’t come to fruition, but for pragmatic reasons related to UW Food Services competition. Neal has yet to make any progress on UPASS negotiations.

Despite suffering from some serious personal illnesses, Neal has managed to keep up with the demanding job, with an estimated 60-70 hour work week. President Babor sums Neal up by saying he has the “attention to detail of an accountant and the heart of an orientation leader.” So far it appears that the Federation’s businesses and operations are in capable and reliable hands.

News

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Grade: Pass or fail Allan Babor c+ Continued from page 5 Allan Babor President Grade: C+

Leadership is integral to the president’s portfolio and as an independent studies major Allan Babor studies it. Sarah Cook sees him as a “vision person.” “I think one of Allan’s great strengths is his willingness to listen to people’s ideas,” said Director Andrey, Babor’s main competitor in the election.

One significant move towards improved executive transparency and accountability has been Babor’s insistence on standardized monthly executive reports. These have been invaluable to tracking the progress of the executive. The only concern is that other than members of the council list and the executive’s Facebook friends, there is no easy way to access the reports; they are not posted on the Feds website.

One of the biggest projects of this term for Babor has been planning a Feds Leadership Retreat for campus leaders to “a) motivate b) empower c) connect and d) strategize for the year ahead.” Some of his time has been dedicated

towards preparing for the proposed student services building and athletics field.

Babor has had problems with lingering council vacancies and has had a hard time filling committees and getting students involved in Feds. Under Babor, the executive has been writing community editorials for Imprint and releasing weekly press releases to improve communication. Babor has an overall goal of “centralizing and personalizing communication on campus.” He hopes to make the Feds website more interactive and to hold Feds town hall meetings.

Lack of awareness of Feds as an organization seems to have been an issue this term. “[Babor’s] biggest weakness is that he doesn’t know the organization well enough,” said Chris Neal. “I think, at the beginning of the term, it felt a lot like the rookie star taking over as the head coach. He came in knowing only the basics and there were certain things he was really good at, but he was trying to call the shots without fully understanding their impacts,” said an anonymous councillor.

The biggest issue appears to be that Babor is not working as well with the other executives.

“I’ve sensed some frustration on the part of the vice-presidents and the staff with Allan delegating tasks to them which they either did

not think were their responsibility or were not worthwhile ideas,” said an anonymous councillor.

Cook confirmed this, saying that Babor “chooses what he wants to work on and downloads what he doesn’t”.

Justin Williams also commented that Babor “can cause fracture with other executive working relationships in terms of stepping into other people’s portfolios and making decisions.” While Babor claims that it is “water under the bridge,” he is the only executive who wasn’t part of the Team Green ticket in the election.

“I think he needs a slight reality check… it would be more effective if Allan championed initiatives that students are currently looking for instead of persuading students to like his ideas,” said Councillor Ian Kasper. Director Andrey stated that “he is adequately managing his portfolio, but I sense he sometimes gets distracted or overwhelmed with the number of projects he has on the go.” Babor’s commitment to the job is not in question. “Feds is my life,” said Babor, “it’s something I think about every moment of the day.” With nine months remaining in his term, there is lots of time to turn things around. “The transition happens for the first four months of the job”, said Babor. Hopefully this visionary will shine next term.

Read more about the platforms of the executive: http://www.ababor.ca/ http://www.feds09.com/

Staff Union: Possible Lockout at Laurentian University Mohammed Shouman staff reporter

C

ontract talks between Laurentian University and its unionized staff have broken off. As a result, approximately 250 members of the Laurentian University Staff Union (LUSU) may be locked out by August 10.

On July 15, the Sudbury University and LUSU met with a provincial conciliator in an attempt to get negotiations on track. The union was prepared to agree to a number of the university’s requests, but talks broke down. The university thus requested a “no board” report from the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

The no board report has not yet been issued because the province is still processing the paperwork. Once it is issued, the university will be in a position to lock out its workers and the union will be free to strike.

“What that usually means, if the employer is asking for a no board report, is that they want to lock us out. It’s not even a matter of us getting to a strike,” said Tracy Oost, president of LUSU “It just doesn’t look very hopeful at the moment, especially when we were prepared to agree to some of the things the university wanted.”

LUSU represents clerical, secretarial, maintenance, printing, library workers, technicians and technologists. The union’s three-year collective agreement expired June 30, but terms still apply until a new collective agreement is reached or a strike happens.

Tom Zsolnay, Laurentian spokesman and executive director of university advancement, denied that the university is planning to lock the union out.

“I guess that [Oost’s statement about the university wanting a lockout] means that every time a union asks for it [a no board report], they must want a strike,” he said.

“At the end of the day, I guess the two parties remained far enough apart, so [the conciliator] filed a no board report.”

Mediation has been scheduled for August 8-9 to avoid a lockout or strike. If a resolution is not reached, either could occur as early as August. 10 Oost claims that a strike or lockout would lead to students having to wait for long periods of time to cross picket lines and possibly miss classes. Certain labs are also taught by LUSU technologists.

Zsolnay disagreed, saying students would be inconvenienced by a labour disruption, but their classes would not be compromised.

“It’s important to recognize that this is the staff union, it’s not the faculty union.

The faculty will still be teaching… We’ve got about 900 employees. (LUSU) represents just under 250,” he said.

Oost said the university is asking for several concessions due to financial problems, including changes to seniority, decreasing the time off allowed to go to see a doctor, and the elimination of a harassment grievance policy which was included in the last collective agreement.

The union stated in a media release that the 12 proposals it made to the university dealt mainly with clarifying language issues to assist in reducing cost expenses on both sides.

“The university instead doesn’t want to address anything in our package,” said Oost.

— With files from The Sudbury Star, Northern Ontario Business, and Northern Life.

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

A contrived patina

Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Board of Directors board@imprint.uwaterloo.ca President, Sherif Soliman president@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Vice-president, Anya Lomako vp@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Treasurer, Lu Jiang treasurer@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Secretary, vacant secretary@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Staff liaison, Caitlin McIntyre liaison@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

T

he UW Orchestra set up and played a concert in the Great Hall last week. I don’t believe the event was necessarily well advertised; a crowd didn’t arrive specifically to listen to them. But the orchestra was incredible. They gathered a crowd. By the time they wrapped up, the Great Hall was

“

To me, a “branding initiative” feels like a bad date: all it’s about is trying to emulate the appearance of a good date.

“

Editor-in-chief, Michael L. Davenport editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Advertising & Production Manager, Laurie Tigert-Dumas ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca General Manager, Catherine Bolger cbolger@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Sales Assisstant, Stefan Kovacevic Systems Admin., vacant Distribution, Christy Ogley Distribution, Garrett Saunders Volunteer co-ordinator, vacant

editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

full of people standing. Listening. See, here’s the thing: they gathered a crowd because they were actually good. Other organizations and events have tried to use the Great Hall as an attention getting venue before. For instance, I remember certain Feds candidates holding “campaign platform launches” — events where they tried called all the media, to try and get attention. Did students stop and watch? No. Was the event itself all that important or interesting? No. I’m going to make a little jump here.

Please bear with me.

A friend of mine suggested that UW’s new logo is an attempt by the administration to become more like MIT. I can’t fault the UW administra-

Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Tina Ironstone Head Reporter, vacant Lead Proofreader, Katrina Massey Cover Editor, Robyn Goodfellow News Editor, vacant News Assistant, vacant Opinion Editor, Adrienne Raw Features Editor, Keriece Harris Arts & Entertainment vacant Science & Tech Editor, Bogdan Petrescu Sports & Living Editor, vacant Photo Editor, Ethan Oblak Graphics Editor, Armel Chesnais Web Administrator, Sonia Lee / Arianne Villa Systems Administrator, vacant Production Staff Erin Harrison, Paul Collier, Jacqueline McKoy, Philip McCullough

tion for wanting to become more like MIT, I think MIT is great. But what I love about MIT is their culture of using nerdy powers to do cool things.

The culture and not their new-age sans-serif logo, is what makes MIT awesome. Google “MIT LED Dance floor” or “MIDAS party system” to see what I mean. Building a multicoloured display which is also a (USB controlled!) dance floor, or a button which will automatically shut all the blinds in a residence room and start a light show while simultaneously starting music, that’s pretty awesome. And every time I read about such projects, I think to myself, “Wow, MIT is pretty awesome.

Why don’t Waterloo students do anything that awesome?”

But Waterloo students do do things that awesome, on occasion. Remember Geoff Milburn? He made an “air conditioner” using a fan, copper tubing, and a bucket of icewater. It was a simple heat exchanger, and while it was wasteful (in terms of water) it was an interesting idea, and worked. Did UW publicize the air conditioner? No. Did MIT publicize the LED dance floor a group of students made? Yes. I came to UW because my research lead me to believe (correctly) that this university is nerdtacular. Why can’t UW pick up on the geeky, awesome things students are already doing out of their own interest, and promote those instead?

To me, a “branding initiative”

feels like a bad date: all it’s about is trying to emulate the appearance of a good date. Both bad dates and good dates have similar elements: shared activity and conversation. The difference is in the motivation — on a good date, the two people genuinely want to spend time together, and the activity and conversation is the result.

On a bad date, those are things that are forced to happen, because those are the kinds of things that happen on good dates. The stuff has attained the level of ritual.

I recognize that UW is trying to get its “message” out there, that they’re trying to tell high-school students what they’re all about. But, like a bad date, or booking the Great Hall for an event, coming up with a new logo and a collection of buzzwords feels like a ritual without any substance. Why can’t the university take a cue from the UW Orchestra and focus on actually being awesome?

“

[L]ike a bad date, or booking the Great Hall for an event, coming up with a new logo and a collection of buzzwords feels like a ritual without any substance.

Graphics Team Tifa Han, Ian Cutajar, Sonia Lee Imprint is the official student newspaper of the University of Waterloo. It is an editorially independent newspaper published by Imprint Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital.

Imprint is a member of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA). Editorial submissions may be considered for publication in any edition of Imprint. Imprint may also reproduce the material commercially in any format or medium as part of the newspaper database, Web site or any other product derived from the newspaper. Those submitting editorial content, including articles, letters, photos and graphics, will grant Imprint first publication rights of their submitted material, and as such, agree not to submit the same work to any other publication or group until such time as the material has been distributed in an issue of Imprint, or Imprint declares their intent not to publish the material. The full text of this agreement is available upon request.

Imprint does not guarantee to publish articles, photographs, letters or advertising. Material may not be published, at the discretion of Imprint, if that material is deemed to be libelous or in contravention with Imprint’s policies with reference to our code of ethics and journalistic standards.

Imprint is published every Friday during fall and winter terms, and every second Friday during the spring term. Imprint reserves the right to screen, edit and refuse advertising. One copy per customer.

Imprint ISSN 0706-7380. Imprint CDN Pub Mail Product Sales Agreement no. 40065122.

Next staff meeting: Monday, September 14 12:30 p.m.

Next board of directors meeting: TBA

“

Friday, July 24, 2009 Vol. 32, No. 7

Community Editorial SoundFM seeking funding Steve Krysak president, 100.3 soundfm

O

n Sunday, July 12 Cole Atlin and I took another step towards reinstating funding to our campus radio station, 100.3 SoundFM (formerly CKMS Radio).

We made a presentation to the Federation of Students council members to update them on what we have been doing over the last year, and what we need to do in the future. The presentation was made in the hope that the Federation of Students council would put forward a referendum for the fall term to reinstate a portion of our previous funding. Last term, our volunteers collected over 2,500 signatures of support from students but unfortunately, after an audit of the signatures, we fell short of the amount needed to bring on a referendum. This is why we have decided to go directly to the Federation of Students and seek a referendum.

100.3 SoundFM has been broadcasting and operating without student funding for almost a full year.

As of now we have no paid staff members and therefore are 100 per cent volunteer-run. We broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and air the BBC world service (a 24-hour

news program) when our original programming has finished for the night. Over the past term we have worked to establish ourselves and our new identity in the community by attending music festivals and events including covering more mainstream events such as the Much Music Video Awards in Toronto. We have also begun exploring and implementing new initiatives to help provide a better level of service to the students, such as re-opening Palindrome Studios, our on site recording studio. Lastly, we have been working to re-establish and strengthen connections with on campus organizations such as UW Athletics and various student groups.

This has all been in spite of having severely reduced operations due to a lack of budget and paid staff.

Currently our expenses are larger then our revenue stream and we are rapidly depleting our savings. We will not be able to survive as an organization without an influx of sustainable revenue in the near future. This is why we began the process to hold a referendum.

At the Federation of Students council meeting, some interesting questions were brought forward.

One council member asked what

we would do with the money once we get it. The board of directors of SoundFM has drafted a proposed budget for the funds which has a strong focus on investing in on-demand technology such as podcasting and live-to-airs, as well as promotions and campus events.

We look forward to having the capacity to bring big name concerts to campus and showcase our local talent in association with campus organizations.

Another question brought up by a council member: Why should we even save radio at the University Waterloo? This is a question that I continually ask myself, and I continually come up with the same answer.

It’s not just radio we are working to save. It’s not just the opportunity for our students to get on air and start a show, get real broadcasting training, or promote their band. It’s not just a way to get free music and tickets to shows (although that is a nice perk).

100.3 SoundFM is an institution.

This station has been on air for over 30 years in one form or another and in that time it has touched many people’s lives whether they were programmers, listeners, guests, or just knew someone involved with

the station.

It also has the potential for so much more, such as weekly live-toairs from the Student Life Centre, concerts at Fed Hall for students, Battle of the Bands with UW students competing for the top prize, professors discussing current issues, and students being given another way to have their voice heard on campus and in their community. These are all things that 100.3 SoundFM is committed to doing, we just need the capacity and resources to make it happen.

In order to achieve this, we are working with the Federation of Students and hope to have a referendum in the Fall 2009 to reinstate a portion of funding and allow us to provide an excellent level of service to the students of the University of Waterloo and the community.

For now we will keep operating at a reduced capacity and work towards a fall referendum.

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact myself or any other board member.

You can find out more information about the station by visiting http:// www.soundfm.ca. president.soundfm@gmail.com

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Community Editorial

Making space

Allan Babor feds president

T

he University of Waterloo is a small town inside a big city. With its own governance, media, lawyers, doctors, and police, our community is one of a kind. Our citizenship is diverse and multicultural.

We have people of all ages, from every corner of the world, each with a different story to tell. Our population is comprised of over 24,000 full time undergraduates, 4,000 graduates, 1,000 full time faculty, and 2,000 full time staff. This doesn’t account for the thousands of part timers, short-term guests, and community members at-large. Such a dynamic community brings both challenges and opportunities to the needs and developments of our campus.

Space... is probably one of the largest topics of discussion at any given time. There are some major parallels we can draw between our campus and a “traditional” town with this regard, but there are also many things that make our needs unique. As an academic institution we are charged with maintaining an environment of the highest integrity and utmost safety, while maintaining an overall excellence in everything we do. In addition, we strive to offer a variety of core services to help our students succeed. From the Federation of Students to Athletics, Counseling Services to Food Services, we are continuing to grow in conjunction with the needs of our students. And so is the demand for space, so let’s break it down…

Study space... is essential. The majority of study space on campus exists within our seven libraries and resource centres including the Student Life Centre and Tatham Centre.

Recently we have seen a growing demand space on campus that suits different styles of learning. An example of our administration’s efforts to address this need is the shift towards a “quieter Davis Centre.”

In hopes of better addressing these needs, the Federation of Students is working with library administration to establish an advisory committee. While also pursuing opportunities to develop space in all of our new buildings on campus, and retaining the current spaces available to students.

Green space... is something near and dear to all our hearts, and our health. A few years ago Misprint joked about the increasing construction taking over the green space, stating “plaque to commemorate last green space on campus,

takes up last green space on campus.” This concept is a bit extreme, but it sends the message that we need to protect and preserve our green space today.

The university has established an environmental reserve on 109 hectares along the North Campus Laurel Creek corridor. While large and small areas of campus green space have been allowed to naturalize with indigenous trees and shrubs.

Academic space... means a number of different things. It means offices for grad students and faculty, labs for programs from chemistry to kinesiology, and lecture halls that can comfortably seat groups ranging from 10 to 400 students. The Graduate student population is set to double over the next decade, drastically changing their proportional demographic on campus. Recently grad students have in principle been entitled to an office during their academic career at UW. Saturday midterms were a recent issue of contention at Senate. This issue was founded in the need for more classrooms, which ensure an environment of the highest integrity (i.e. ample seating for midterm tests, etc.).

Housing space... is arguably one of the most important space needs in our community. With over 32 per cent of our student body in residence in a given year (about 8,500 different students) and hundreds of independent dwellings off campus, student housing needs are growing by the minute. At Waterloo, our first year students are welcomed with a guarantee of residency for their first year on campus.

As our student population grows, students will be forced to move off campus into local neighbourhoods like the Northdale community, where living conditions are at times less then ideal. Issues surrounding zoning bylaws and community concerns are a high priority for the Federation and university, and we are continuing to work with the City to address these needs.

Social space... is part of a healthy work / life balance. With over 200 clubs, 6 societies, and 8 services, our student activities are bursting at the seams. Every faculty has an outdoor courtyard, and a student lounge for breaks and events during the day.

Recent renovations to the Student Life Centre have allowed for clubs and students to share in the resources available. Some changes include increased bookable meeting rooms, storage lockers, a community library, resource room, and more!

Athletic space... is one of our commodities on campus. A student services review of athletics last year revealed we have one of the lowest student athletic fees in Canada, which has very real effects on our athletics departments’ ability to expand.

Recently a donation from the federal and provincial government totaled more than $1.2 million to develop our Warrior field on the north campus. Instillation of a synthetic turf playing field, lights, and grandstand seating will certainly make a difference in our Warrior Pride.

In addition, the student services ancillary fee recently contributed a substantial amount of funds to renovate our current gym facilities.

Spiritual space... is something we offer across campus through a variety of mediums. There are a number of churches on campus at the Federated and Affiliated Colleges: Conrad Grebel has a Mennonite Chapel, Renison has an Anglican Chapel, St. Jerome’s University has a Catholic Church, and St. Paul’s has a United Church Chapel.

The Student Life Centre also has two multi-faith prayer rooms available through turnkey bookings. The Federation of Students is currently in discussions to create prayer space near south campus, in the Tatham Centre and Dana Porter Library.

Service space... is fundamental to the success of every student, yet fragmented across campus. Do you need assistance from the Writing Clinic — go to PAS. Eager to get involved — go to the SLC or NH (Student Life Office). Looking for a textbook or UW hoodie — go to SCH. Our campus has over twenty core student services that all have unique demands.

The Federation of Students and Graduate Students Association are working together to address these issues by proposing an amalgamation of our major services into a new student service building. This is an exciting development that will also bring new space for almost all the areas identified in this article.

In every town and community, there is a need for compromise, flexibility, and involvements from all its citizens. Understanding the constraints and space needs on our campus is important for everyone. If you have concerns or ideas, connect with your student councillor. They are your representative and will be a strong sounding board to help you make a difference. Connect with your councillor here: http://governance.feds. ca/student_council.

On regional brands and international students

Y

esterday, as I was perusing my Facebook page during lunch time looking for the sort of information it has become customary for me to pick up in the course of this daily task, I encountered the horrendous face of UW’s re-branding project.

Apparently, the University of Waterloo thinks a logo more appropriate for an over-enthusiastic theatre start-up set over a W-shaped stages is the image serious college students should burden.

I have a few issues with this thinking.

I have to wonder, why in the first place the University of Waterloo needs re-branding. As a Nigerian, re-branding has always seemed to me the fond pretext of bad ideas. Allow me to provide some badly needed context for my postulations. My country is currently “rebranding” having realized that the international community regards its sickly, dumb and illegitimate leader as neither dear (as Ghana is) or worth their fear (as North Korea is). Perhaps this re-branding effort has been confounded by a fragile security situation especially pronounced in Southern Nigeria that has made

eaboyeji@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

foreigners the brunt of Taliban style kidnapping (without the beheading of course). You can already guess at the eventual repercussions; the re-branding exercise backfired. Nigeria was re-branded as a banana republic with a clueless leadership.

Admittedly, UW does not have much of the Nigeria baggage and in fact, the re-branding may have fared better but for the infantile logo. I wish amidst our criticism of this logo we look deeper at the entire branding package and ask the more important questions.

(Forgive my pun, but if the question you were expecting to see was “why not”, simply flip the page because I am sure to waste your time). We need to find out. Why are we rebranding and even more importantly, who are we re-branding for?

On the question of why we are re-branding, while I usually have huge qualms with taking the university at its word, on this occasion there is certainly reason to. The university claims that the new image is to better help tell the Waterloo story to “international audiences.”

According to the Daily Bulletin (Waterloo’s

Kool-aid I may add), respondents in a recent national reputational survey saw Waterloo as a “regional university.” I would be hard-pressed to dispute this claim. However I wonder how an advertising blitz within our own premises — premises within which our regional presence has been confined for so long — addresses this problem. Furthermore, if we are indeed intending to reach out to an international audience, what exactly is in a logo — and an uglier one for that matter?

Speaking strictly from my experience as an international student at this school for the past year, I must say that the University of Waterloo is a wonderful school with a fine logo. Whoever led the administration into thinking otherwise has huge self-esteem problems they want to group us into. That attempt, we must resist. Nevertheless, this does not mean that our school is perfect — or that the label of a “regional university” does not hold any water. In fact I would argue that it has been put in more benign terms than it really should. Our school really does seem to be only a little more than a local champion.

However, the problem with Waterloo is not its wonderful story of innovation and success or of hard work and creativity, the problem with Waterloo is who it wishes to be a part of that story. Unfortunately, even the savviest of re-branding projects cannot solve that endemic problem.

One cannot help but get the feeling that international students are Waterloo’s primary clientele for these advertising blitz projects simply because someone in Hagey Hall thinks dumb and young international students will flock to a school because of bright colors and savvy designs — like choosing a school is akin to shopping for cereal. What these individuals do not realize is that the perception of Waterloo as a regional school is primarily as a result of policies that promote what I would, for lack of a better term, call “regionally protectionist education.” Thus it begs the question, how can we expect to be more than a regional university when we run regionally protectionist education programs?

See BRANDING, page 9

Opinion

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Re: Freedom of speech Letter to the editor,

Re: “Club DC”

As a Canadian citizen, I have surely been babied by political stability, my ability to pursue whatever career or interest I have, and to have the right to hold whatever beliefs I choose. It is certainly great that our country accepts and celebrates diversity as a pillar of our society.

Having the opportunity to be born and grow up in Canada has sheltered me from persecution for my beliefs, whatever they may be.

Canada prides itself on being a country where individuals’ beliefs are protected, even if they disagree with another individual’s views.

What is not acceptable is when individuals aim to silence or infringe on another’s beliefs. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the freedom of belief and expression, among other fundamental freedoms. There are, however, limits to these freedoms. It is illegal in Canada to act or speak in a way that is considered hate speech, and to make violent threats or actions against an individual or group. Our university and the Federation of Students do not condone behaviour that is intolerant and disrespectful to others. We hope to foster an open environment where all perspectives and beliefs can be expressed without threat or fear. We encourage the creation of opportunities where differing views can be discussed in constructive and educational ways, rather than destructive ways. We have over 23,000 students with 23,000 differing perspectives. Let’s respect them all.

Sarah Cook Vice-President Internal Co-Chair of the One Waterloo Campaign

The proposed UW logo has generated a strong and, no doubt, for the administration, a surprising opposition. On top of the design itself, I believe that there is a pent up frustration towards the commercial attitude and actions the university administration has employed under David Johnston.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni can easily form an opinion about a new logo, and as a result, the administration’s actions became a lightning rod.

Dubai, PDEng and other such moves require too much knowledge for many people to form an impassioned and informed opinion. A logo is there, takes a moment to understand it, and less to react to it.

Graham Moogk-Soulis 4B honours history

“This new quiet campaign doesn’t really work... If you want quiet [study], there’s DP, but DC is for group work,” said Hussein El-Kotob, and I couldn’t have said it any better. I don’t get it. There are hundreds of places to study (quietly) on campus. There’s SLC third floor, DP — 10 floors of DP to be more specific — DC’s cubicle area as well as a quiet study room dedicated to keeners, and individual study rooms that you can book online at both libraries. In addition to rooms you can book at the SLC, you can use any empty classroom, any computer lab in the bio building, MC, optometry, or AHS building, under the staircase, outside on the field, in your res, at the libraries in your res, in the courtyard in the environment building, in the study room in the new AFM building… seriously I can bore you to death and won’t finish this list. DC is known for its social atmosphere and that’s what makes it such a likeable library, if I wanted to study alone I would go to one of the 100 places I mentioned above. Like Hussein said, “maybe we should advertise DC as the loud library” and I do.

In fact it’s the highlight of my tours, perspective students love the idea that we have such a laid back atmosphere to study in. DC is the best de-stressor when you feel you “should” be studying but you don’t “want” to study, or when it’s half an hour before your exam and you would feel guilty not studying so you go to DC to half study and half socialize — the perfect compromise between your Id and Ego. And kicking students out of the library for talking? Ridiculous. Honestly, I have yet to meet a student that agreed with the future plan for DP — then again maybe all my friends are just as loud as I am. Nevertheless, I think student opinion should be taken into account. This is my opinion, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one with it.

Dana Habayeb Applied health sciences

BRANDING: Regionally

“

protectionist policies

What these individuals do not realize is that the perception of Waterloo as a regional school is primarily as a result of policies that promote what I would, for lack of a better term, call “regionally protectionist education.”

Continued from page 8

More specifically, how can we expect to be more than a regional university when we tell the brightest of international students already burdened by the many heavy costs — financial, social and emotional — of leaving home that you are nothing more than a cash cow to balance our budgets when times are bad? How can we expect to be more than a regional university when our faculty — especially in the arts faculty — lacks the diversity requisite of any self respecting institution post the civil rights movement? How can we expect to be more than a regional university when we serve little other purpose than being the well funded research and development divisions for the companies that surround us? How can we be more than a

regional university when year after year, our new intakes are devoid of any form of socio-economic or racial diversity? How can we be more than a regional university when the undergraduate gets less value for his dollar while the graduates get facilities that remain empty? How can we be more than a regional university when we have not mainstreamed international subjects of study into our curriculum? How can we be more than a regional university when we favour Ontario students over international students when it comes to grants and scholarships at every turn? How can we be a more than a regional university when students are charged extra simply for desiring to take up more work instead of being charged a flat fee that rewards their initiative and hard work?

My litany of “regionally protectionist education policies” that hamper the full participation of international students in telling the University of Waterloo’s story could go on forever.

In the end, when our school is ready to face the bitter truth it will boil down to this point. International students are not swipe cards to be actively sought when times are bad and dumped when times are better. Waterloo will remain a regional school until it is ready to provide more than a defunct office and a dance festival for international students while it sucks them dry of their every hard earned dollar.

If the University of Waterloo really desires to be more than a regional university, it has to be prepared to tell a more international story.

Save money on your insurance with group rates!

Have you compared your insurance rates lately?

University of Waterloo’s group insurance program may save up to 50% on your insurance home and auto insurance premiums plus your group discount!

Have something to say?

An issue you want the world to know about?

Send us a letter at letters@imprint.uwaterloo.ca Let your voice be heard.

Resurrection College HOUSING Fall, winter and spring vacancies. Single rooms in quiet upper year residence. Meal plan, across the street from UW, high speed internet.

Call:

Patti, 519-885-4950 or apply at: www.resurrectioncollege.ca

It takes just a few minutes for us to provide you with a quote. You might be surprised at the savings...give us call or email to compare!

Judy Westman,

Insurance Advisor

519.743.5221 ext. 214 jwestman@staebler.com STAEBLER INSURANCE BROKERS 871 Victoria St North Kitchener ON N2B 3S4 www.staebler.com

“

Letters

Opinion

10

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

The more the merrier rthangarajah@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

O

Laughter Clubs are kindergartens for grown-ups

ne Sunday evening in June, I found myself coughing, congested, and coiled up on the couch in front of the television.

As I popped another lemon throat drop into my mouth, it dawned on me that Mother Nature wasn’t going to be forthcoming in providing me with a cure anytime soon. Ultimately dreading a doctor’s visit to get prescribed drugs I didn’t want to take, I decided to capitalize on my stay-athome time by tuning into a rerun of Happy Gilmore on CBC. As I laughed uncontrollably watching Adam Sandler ludicrously battle it out on the pro golf courses with the frivolous swagger of an amateur, something nearly miraculous happened. I suddenly felt better for the first time in days. The infectious void in my throat didn’t feel so sore anymore and overnight, I saw an almost instant transformation. All thanks to a lengthy laugh!

I knew without doubt at that very moment, that laughter is in fact the best medicine. Something we have all known for decades. But today, that cliché is taking on a new meaning as laughter is becoming more than just medicine; it’s also a form of meditation.

Amongst many “east meets west” meditation practices like the ancient Hatha yoga or the à la mode hot yoga, comes a new type of yoga called Hasya yoga (or laughter yoga) that’s quickly climbing the health and wellness charts.

Like a good joke, this new yogic technique of laughter therapy is infecting the world, one contagious Laughter Club at a time. With over 6,000 Laughter Clubs established in over 60 countries, the catalyst behind this phenomenon, Dr. Mandan Kataria, will tell you that the secret to inner peace — as well as world peace — lies in a hearty, gutful, full-blown diaphragmatic movement more globally known as laughter.

As a family physician working in

India, Dr. Kataria was looking for an alternative way to treat his patients — a majority of whom were suffering from illnesses related to stress. Upon stumbling across an abundance of scientific research supporting why “laughter is the best medicine” for a magazine article he was working on in 1995, Dr. Kataria came up with a simple remedy: 20 minutes of laughter every morning.

“You need to laugh for at least 20 minutes along with yogic breathing and stretching,” Dr. Kataria points out. And you can guarantee that those 20 minutes will be time well spent, as the health benefits of a having a good laugh are conclusively no joking matter.

“Laughing increases the production of endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormones. It lowers hypertension.

It increases oxygen intake and, as such, is a fantastic aerobic exercise,” Dr. Kataria states. “It is also a strong stimulant of the immune system.”

Now, I’ve always been acutely aware that laughing made laughers feel good, but the wealth of scientific research available today supporting Dr. Kataria’s theory never fails to surprise me. Continuous research shows laughter yoga alone — or the practice of laughing for a few minutes every day — alleviates fear and anxiety; aids in digestion by strengthening the immune system and diaphragm to fight diseases like stress ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome; and speeds injury healing by helping manage chronic pain, including arthritis.

That’s not all. From eliminating asthma and allergies to reducing insomnia and cancers, the list of laughter yoga benefits goes on almost endlessly — as endlessly as the list of Laughter Club members worldwide.

Coined by Dr. Kataria as “a kindergarten of grown-ups,” Laughter Clubs are non-parochial, non-sectarian, and open to everyone. With no forms and no fees required, there’s no need for a fuss!

Anyone can start one, and everyone is welcome to join in on the fun.

“Laughter Clubs are fully

independent, not-for profit, nonpolitical, non-religious, and non competitive community-based associations of diverse people where all are welcome regardless of gender, age, physical abilities, social, or economic backgrounds,” says Dr. Kataria.

But ye be warned. At a laughter yoga session, you can be expected to make a fool of yourself. Belting out phrases like “ho ho ho, ha ha ha”, clapping, chanting, and participating in “gibberish” sessions, you may find participating in a group setting to be the only comforting component. So, it’s important to approach this comedic communion like any other spiritual venture — with an open mind.

For those of you who fear that you may not have a sense of humour to participate, Dr. Kataria says you don’t need it because humour varies from laughter. “In practice, not many people identify with a sense of humour because it is a mental and intellectual phenomenon and varies from person to person; culture to culture,” he argues. “But, what we are born with is the tremendous potential to laugh.” Just take a look at children, who seize any opportunity to crack up without anyone necessarily cracking a joke. The inner child lies within us all. All you have to do is be willing to let loose, let go, and let laugh!

“Laughter yoga is all about making a choice to laugh and not leaving it to chance,” Dr. Kataria writes on his online diary, arguing that one cannot simply rely on outside circumstances to capitalize on the opportunity to laugh.

Who needs a joke or a funny anecdote to laugh when we are all capable of making that conscious effort to generate unconditional laughter from within, anytime, and anywhere?

It’s been proven time and time again.

Whether it’s used as a coping mechanism or a defence mechanism, laughter has always been the go-to healing agent to keep us happy. Before laughter yoga came into existence in 1995, laughter therapy was both popular and used

tifa han

frequently in hospitals as a part of mainstream medicine. Bedside treatments like “clown care” and hospital film subscription services like “Chuckle Channel” featuring laughter therapy specialists were all useful in helping relieve patients of the symptoms of their illness in the short and long term.

So, what’s next for Dr. Kataria?

Currently, on top of traveling the world conducting corporate seminars, training workshops and communal sessions, Dr. Kataria is working on building a Laughter Yoga University (I kid you not) in Bangalore, India. This will be one of five learning institutions to be built in each of the five continents, where laughter enthusiasts and specialists will gather to offer certified courses in a five-university hub that will make up what will be known as the International Laughter Yoga University.

“This will be a place where we show

people how to really live life,” claims Dr. Kataria. “It will be a place for people to network, study and share ideas of how to add more joy into our lives.”

First came the “University of Life” and now, comes this new “University of Life Sciences.” I wonder what students will graduate with… a Bachelor of Science in Laughing possibly? That would be amusing.

But all jokes aside, the next time you’re down, depressed or dreading a doctor’s visit, you may want to take Dr. Kataria’s advice and try laughing instead. Join a Laughter Club, laugh for no reason, be not afraid to look ridiculous, and enjoy exercising your way to a healthier heart! Because the truth is, although we can’t all be like Gilmore at golf, we can all be happy in this game of life.

— With files from the Associated Press For more information on Dr. Kataria and on how you can start a Laughter Club in your community, please visit the official Laughter Yoga International website at http://www.laughteryoga.org/.

55

Teach English Overseas TESOL/TESL Teacher Training Certification Courses

465 PHILLIP STREET LOCATION ONLY

746-6893 LIMITED TIME OFFER

• Intensive 60-Hour Program • Classroom Management Techniques • Detailed Lesson Planning • ESL Skills Development • Comprehensive Teaching Materials • Interactive Teaching Practicum • Internationally Recognized Certificate • Teacher Placement Service • Money Back Guarantee Included • Thousands of Satisfied Students

OXFORD SEMINARS 1-800-269-6719/416-924-3240

www.oxfordseminars.ca

Features

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

A Water Shortage in Waterloo?

Only time will tell

Julia Hawthornthwaite staff reporter

N

o matter where we live, we all need water to survive. Could you imagine a day in the future when our local water resources are not as plentiful — where we aren’t as lucky as we are today? It is a common perception that Waterloo Region has plenty to drink in a thirsty world, but already our municipalities are searching for new drinking water sources.

Now, we aren’t about to trek for hours in any direction with a jug on our heads — but we may be building a pipeline.

Our region is growing. With the Places to Grow Act: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe designed by the Government of Ontario, the Region of Waterloo is expected to increase to 712,000 people by the year 2029. This will ensure rapid growth and development throughout Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.

The Region must grapple with concerns from community members who are seeking smart and sustainable development choices to come with this growth. Of primary concern is the management of the Waterloo Moraine, a complex system of underground aquifers which regional occupants rely on for 80 per cent of their drinking water (the other 20 per cent comes from Grand River surface water).

Groundwater quality and replenishing is largely affected by urban development on or near its sources, which is threatened by the area’s expected growth.

Local environmentalist and spokesperson David Wellhauser, has been heavily involved in the protection of the Waterloo Moraine since

2003. Wellhauser said, “There are major planning failures taking place in this Region — our cities’ urban boundaries aren’t fixed.”

The Region’s Official Plan, a document for directing growth and change in the Region for the next 20 years, was released on June 16, 2009, and considers source water protection in Chapter 8 of its report. This document emphasizes the importance of protecting the municipal drinking-water supply system through a variety of planning decisions.

Shelly Conrad from Water Services at the Region of Waterloo said, “We are certainly concerned about population growth in our region.” A number of short and long term strategies are currently underway in the Region for dealing with population growth and its affect on water supply.

“Upgrades to the Greenbrook water treatment plant were completed in 2008,” Conrad said in an e-mail, and “this increased the Integrated urban supply water capacity by 12,269 million litres per day. In 2010 the Region anticipates an additional 22.7 million litres per day to come from an aquifer storage recovery project taking place at the Mannheim water treatment plant, and in 2018 we expect to locate and utilize new groundwater supplies.”

The next alternative water source will come from either Lake Erie or Lake Huron via a pipeline. Under the Region’s long term water strategy, a pipeline to Lake Erie is favoured since water taken from the lake would be returned through treated sewage disposal into the Grand River.

Implementation of the pipeline is expected by the year 2035.

With these strategies in place, it appears that the Region is taking the necessary measures to

Armel chesnais

ensure that those living in the area are going to have access to water for many years to come.

For some, however, it’s not enough.

Many aren’t convinced that the Region is doing all it can to conserve and protect the Waterloo Moraine and our vital groundwater supplies.

“What is the tipping point?” Wellhauser asked rhetorically. “The Moraine is 350 kilometres square, and already 1/3 of it has been developed.” Places like Doon South in Kitchener, sensitive water recharge areas for the Waterloo Moraine continue to be threatened by urban sprawl. As development pushes onto the Moraine, the chance of contamination from surface runoff from roofs and roads increases.

Rob de Loë, professor and research chair in water policy and governance at the University of Waterloo feels that the issue of a pipeline becomes a philosophical question concerning whether or not we respect natural limits. “The pipeline suggests that we are not prepared to change our existing ways of water use,” he said. “I don’t feel that it is necessary right now.

Just because we can take water from Lake Erie doesn’t mean we should.”

The Region must act accordingly to create adequate policies for both water conservation and land use planning. “We can go further” said de Loë. “We need to make efficient use of existing supplies before we entertain an alternative supply.”

The current Canadian average for water use is 329 litres of water per person, per day. “This number is very high and speaks to our attitudes as Canadians — that we maintain an endless water supply,” said de Loë.

“If the Region were to take necessary steps to manage the area’s water resources in

a sustainable manner, for example restricting growth on or near the Waterloo Moraine, we may be able to hold onto our groundwater,” Wellhauser said.

The pipeline to Lake Erie is not highly favoured among Wellhauser’s circle, and the public has shown concern in the past with the water quality of Lake Erie. The title it carries as being a “dead lake” might have something to do with this perception.

However, this stigma may be in the past. “The notion of Lake Erie as a dead lake is outdated,” said de Loë, “but to say that it is better than it was, is not to say there are not water quality problems.” However, de Loë is confident in today’s technologies and in their ability to clean this type of water.

The Region is currently surveying property owners in vulnerable areas where land use activities pose a threat to groundwater sources. These areas will receive a ranking later this year — low, medium, or highly vulnerable areas. Conrad said, “The public will have an opportunity to provide input into the Ministry of Environment Assessment Report, where these rankings will be released. The report will outline programs for managing the threats to our water supply.”

The opportunity to comment on the draft plan before it is sent for approval will happen before 2012.

The Region must be aggressive in their commitment to sustainable growth, water use, and conservation if future generations are to have the same access to water that exists presently.

Although it seems unfathomable today, there may come a time when the wells run dry. jhawthornthwaite@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Grammar Talk…

with really old people like GranMa & God

N

inety-seven per cent of doctors agree that grammar is a dry topic. I thank the Lord every day that I’m not a doctor.

Religious or not, we often stop and think about what the Lord has to say about how we act, how we talk, and even how we grammar (thou shalt not use “he,” “she,” or “She” when referring to God). But do we ever think about what grammar has to say about the Lord?

I think we do, but since religion is such a touchy subject, we often dismiss the thought by saying “As a Christian/Muslim/Jew, we use the capital He to refer to God/Allah out of respect.”

And the extension of this: “Even though I don’t follow one of those religions, I’ll refer to God with a capital letter, anyway, and break all the grammar rules.” Thing is though, you wouldn’t be breaking any grammar rules, because English has made an exception for phrases like “our God” (instead of “our god”) and “He” instead of “he.” But isn’t it time we purged our language of religious bias, at least for secular use? If not, we might as well recognize that there is a bias (linguists, you can thank Sapir and Whorf for pointing that out); not just in religious terms, but also in gendered terms. Not to step on the toes of my Muslim friends, but I had to laugh when I came across this text: “Allah = has no gender (not male and not female). ‘He’ is used only out of respect and dignity — not for gender.”

Point one to the men’s team! Because men are more worthy of respect, boo yeah. Maybe it translates better in Arabic, but “he” in English is for boys. “She” is for girls, and “it” is for everything else. I guess that’s what the author meant; to use “He” instead of “It” is more respectful, certainly, but why not “She?” I’m not complaining, but if you reinforce the notion

mpankhurst@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Armel chesnais

again and again until my baby language becomes laced with patriarchal terms… it might (will) grow up and make us start thinking in likewise patriarchal terms.

But it’s true — if you’re one of those who think that analyzing linguistic conventions is pointless, hear this: English is brainwashing you every day, for better or for worse. As a native English speaker, even before I realized that languages existed, my thoughts were being shaped and limited by English’s boundaries.

As a man, I’m flattered that after all the radical changes to our language for the sake of political correctness, we still capitalize the almighty “He,” even in secular talk. (Don’t hate me…

It’s not anyone’s fault that English is so screwy. Not anyone living, anyway.)

Back to reality — since this is the end of the summer grammar column, I wanted to address one last issue: Is Grammar Talk Grandma Talk?

I stumbled across a YouTube video where a stand up comic (Victor Borge) makes a bunch of pronunciation jokes. It was pretty funny. He was pretty old and dressed fancily, and most of his audience was no different. It got me thinking: is grammar talk — jokes, debate, whatever — just for old people with gold watches?

I was about to lose hope when I remembered that the video was posted on YouTube and being enjoyed by a bunch of kids who probably have never polished their shoes.

Anyway, I hope I’ve accomplished my goal, to some extent, which was to get people thinking about the language they use.

If you control grammar, you control the way others perceive you, the way your writing comes across, and most importantly, the way you think.

12

Features

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Features

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 Sherif Soliman staff reporter

W

hile born in Egypt, I have lived over 10 years of my life in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During that time, I have been exposed to many facets of the culture and dynamics of life in the country, which differ greatly from those in Canada. My recent return visit to the UAE in May 2009 and the opening of UW’s Dubai campus this coming September form the impetus for this article.

The UAE is one of the more socially moderate countries in the Gulf region. With an oil-based economy and friendly tribal traditions, the country has become a temporary home for over three million expatriates (individuals from neighbouring or Western countries in the UAE on work visas), who constitute over 80 per cent of the total population.

Social life Which social activities you can practise in the UAE vary greatly and depend on several factors, such as which city you are in. A metropolitan hub like Dubai has a thriving night-life that caters to all tastes, everything from a Hard Rock Café to seven-star hotels with their own bars. Smaller cities like Al Ain are as traditional and conservative as they come. Temperatures that touch 55 degrees Celsius during spring and summer months mean that most of your time outside your home is still spent indoors somewhere else (during my visit in May, the sun made walking out of the shade between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. a dreadful experience). The UAE, and especially Dubai, has some of the most impressive and awe-inspiring shopping malls in the region, with one indoor ski slope completed (Ski Dubai in the Dubai Emirates Mall is the third-largest indoor ski slope in the world), and another one under construction.

The dating scene is a lot more difficult to navigate. While dating per se is not outlawed, public dates could be frowned upon depending on the venue. In a country in which moral laws are being

tightened, even being over-friendly with members of the opposite sex in public could raise some indignant eyebrows. Public exhibitions of affection such as holding hands and hugging are generally prohibited, and according to the Abu Dhabi-based The National newspaper, foreigners caught kissing in public will be deported, while Emiratis (UAE citizens) could be jailed and fined.

As for the LGBT community, the situation is exponentially more difficult. In the Sharia law-governed country, and aside from underground and discrete practices, same-sex intercourse is explicitly prohibited, and is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, or — according to an ambiguous translation of the country’s penal code — death.

Those who know how and where to look, however, might be able to maintain a same-sex love life practised behind closed doors.

or “clear.” It is similar to the 407 ETR (Express Toll Route) highway that could be used by drivers in case of traffic jams on the 401, for a fee. A scanner on the gate reads your Salik tag as you enter the street, reads it as you exit, and the toll is charged to your account.

Two years and a gazillion skyscraper renders later: Salik has been implemented in several crucial streets inside Dubai itself — streets without which you cannot reach several parts of the inner city.

I don’t know if this affects campuses in the region in any way, but if it does, it can’t be good. While the current cost of passing a Salik gate is only AED 4.00, that price is inevitably going to increase in the near future (as the price of everything else in the country has), and is an example of the charges students who drive cars (and there is a lot more of those in the UAE than in Canada) will have to pay in their daily lives.

Dubai The Dubai we all see online does not exist. Dubai contains about 25 per cent of the world’s cranes, and for a good reason. On my way from the airport (Dubai Int’l Airport), I went through some parts of Dubai before arriving at Al Ain, the city where I would be spending most of my stay. Most of the Dubai we see online is under construction. I would say that 70 per cent or so of the renders you find online are for projects that have at least a few more years until completion at best. In the meantime, Dubai is a city that is in a bit of a financial tight spot. For an Emirate (the UAE is composed of seven provinces, called Emirates) with no oil, the real estate business is paramount to the financial well being of the city. The recent financial meltdown has hit them hard, and Dubai had to receive some bailout money from Abu Dhabi earlier this year in exchange for some real estate ownership. Property prices have fallen a whopping 40 per cent in the first three months of 2009. Add to that an exodus of people who are beginning to fall in debt and/or cannot afford to live in the city anymore, and the result is a city that plans on being spectacular, but may not accomplish that in time to reap the benefits.

In 2007, Dubai had just begun implementing a traffic system called Salik. Salik is Arabic and can roughly be translated to “open”

13

Final Verdict The UAE proves to be yet another Middle Eastern country with contradictory aspirations. While the financial and business sectors are developing at hyper-speed, restrictions on social life and free speech remain high and have been tightened in many areas. To the foreign eye, one is torn between feeling awe-struck at the architectural wonderland that Dubai promises to be, and feeling dismayed at the abysmal human rights violations committed against the workers hired to work on such projects.

With 21 confirmed students at UW’s Dubai campus (as of July 2), and an annual tuition of over AED 100,000 in a country with a high and increasing cost of living, how successful the UW experience will be in the UAE remains to be seen.

As a final verdict: the UAE is definitely worth the visit. The social and cultural spectrum there is fascinating, and while there are many restrictions on life, the Emiratis’ hospitality is matched by few others. ssoliman@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Delving into

Dubai

Water fountains and buildings under construction as seen from The Emirates Palace, a national landmark and luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, the capital Emarate of the United Arab Emirates. sherif soliman

14

Features

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

CONDUCTING CLASS

michael l. davenport

Passers by in the SLC on the afternoon of July 16 were treated to a free performance from the University of Waterloo orchestra, conducted by Erna Van Daele.

Organizing against private water Tejas Koshy staff reporter

I

n recent years, there has been an increase in the public’s interest in water. There have also been attempts to formally recognize access to drinking water as a basic human right on the part of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Water played a key role in the recent James Bond film

Quantum of Solace, in which the main villain attempts to gain control over Bolivia’s underground source of water.

Naturally, there are disputes concerning access to water. One such example of this is the California Water Wars that took place between Los Angeles, California and Owens Valley.

According to Environment Canada, Canada has about 20 per cent of the Earth’s fresh water, thus making

it the largest source of fresh water.

One must bear in mind, however, that we only own but only 7 per cent of the world’s renewable freshwater supply – the rest is fossil water, water left over from the ice ages trapped in ice, snow, glaciers, etc.

It’s with this in mind that organizations of the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA) association seek, according to their constitution to

Present this coupon at our Kitchener location and receive

15

% OFF

One coupon per table Special offer from June 24 to July 24/09

LUNCH:

Sun.-Thurs. 11:30 to 3 p.m.-$12.99 ; Fri. & Sat. 12 to 3:30 p.m.-$13.99

DINNER:

Sun.-Thurs. 4 to 10 p.m.-$19.99 ; Fri. & Sat. 4:30 to 10 p.m.-$20.99

King St. N.

519-888-6066 583 King St. N. WATERLOO

Come in today!

King St. W.

NEW MENU- OVER 100 DISHES! All You Can Eat Sushi Buffet!

*

Northfield

UW

Columbia St.

Celebrating 3 Years in Kitchener!

Ontario St.

*

Queen St.

519-568-7566 103 King St. W. KITCHENER

“encourage the university community to become interested and involved in the drinking water industry.”

Therefore on July 14, the University of Waterloo chapter of the OWWA gave a screening of the film The Water Front. This film explored the crisis that occurred in the birthplace of mass production, the post-industrial city of Highland Park, Michigan. In June 2001 the city faced a financial disaster after the Chrysler manufacturing plant moved elsewhere.

In a bid to improve its finances, the city was given an emergency financial manager, Ramona Henderson Pearson, by the State of Michigan. Pearson noted that Highland Park had virtually no local economy. She proposed the usage of a water plant, which Ford built in 1917 to support his auto industry, as key to economic recovery. Hence she raised the water rates and implemented strict measures to collect on bills. As a result, Highland Park residents received water bills as high as $10,000.

Those who didn’t pay had their water turned off and consequently their homes foreclosed due to not having access to running water.

In a bid to improve the water plant and potentially improve its revenue generation, the manager proposed that the water plant be privatized. After this proposal was strongly rejected, Pearson was asked to step down by the state and was replaced by a local resident.

In the following discussion, the majority of the audience felt that the city had made the wrong choice to attempt to use the water plant as a revenue source and instead felt that the city had no right to use water, which many regarded as a basic right, as a revenue source.

In an interview after the screening, co-president Nicole McLellan noted that Waterloo gets a majority of its water from groundwater sources and thus is less vulnerable to extreme water issues, such as the one faced by Highland Park. However, McLellan noted that “the Region is growing at an astounding rate and the demand for more water, and ultimately surface

water continues to grow.” McLellan also noted that there have been proposals to install a pipeline from the Great Lakes to supply the Region. However, its more expensive to properly treat surface water for drinking.

When asked specifics about the Region’s water, McLellan responded by stating that Region of Waterloo gets 70 – 80 per cent of its water from groundwater wells and the rest from the Grand River. Overall Canada has more fresh groundwater than fresh surface water.

McLellan also noted that in Canada a large portion of drinking and waste water costs are subsidized and that when compared to the worldwide community, has the most affordable and cleanest drinking water.

The UW chapter of the OWWA has opened up new positions in the chapter and many of them are available starting this fall.

The Special Annual General Meeting will be held this fall on September 16, 2009; and the positions that will be available are vice president and advertising and recruitment officer.

The group plans to run at least one event per term, but hopes to run an average of four events per term.

These events will include seminars, special speakers, film screening and plant tours.

The University of Waterloo chapter of the OWWA is currently under review as a potential member of the Graduate Student Association on UW campus, according to McLellan.

Its also recognized and supported by the Young Professionals group in the OWWA, whose members are dispersed through Southern Ontario.

On a closing note, it would seem that Highland Park’s problems are not over yet. According to Detroit News, in April 2009, the State of Michigan fired, Pearson’s replacement, Arthur Blackwell, with regards to $280,000 in overpayments that he received. When he took over in 2005, Blackwell agreed to work for a $1 a year. tkoshy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Features

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Keriece Harris features editor

I

t’s the end of the term, you have a 70 per cent final and it’s cumulative. You wonder, how am I going to remember all of this?

But you do (somehow) due to that beautiful part of your brain called your memory bank.

We often take this zone for granted. Students cram a term’s worth of material into their brain the night before the final while for others their memory bank functions at a minimuma. They have Alzheimer’s.

According to MediceNet.com, Alzheimer’s disease “is a progressive neurological disease of the brain that leads to dementia and the irreversible loss of neurons. The clinical hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease are progressive impairment in memory, judgment, decision-making, orientation to physical surroundings, and language.”

But what does Alzheimer’s have to do with UW? It appears in the form of REC 356. On July 13, 2009 REC 356 held a Scrabble tournament in the multi-purpose room of the SLC to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society of KW. REC 356 is a community development class.

Look at the overall practice of community development in relation to leisure and recreation behaviour and services and how it can occur within different settings. Prof Heather Mair of the recreation and leisure department teaches this class.

According to the tournament organizer Christine Wong, a component of REC 356 is volunteering for a local organization that will provide the class with first hand experience in community development. They had many choices ranging from Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (ROOF), Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre, and Waterloo Adult Recreation Centre, to name a few. Wong and fellow classmates, Edward Yu, Kenneth Mak, and Lily Ng, got teamed up with the Alzheimer’s society of Kitchener-Waterloo.

They worked with Debra McGonegal, event co-ordinator and head of donor relations for the Alzheimer’s society of Waterloo. They were selected to work with the Alzheimer’s Society of K-W based on their interests, past volunteer experiences, and preferences.

Although they had many other options to get involved with the organization, Wong mentioned that they settled on a fundraising event because it was a clear need of the society, and it put to use their skills and expertise in event planning. Unknown to many is the fact that over 70 per cent of the Alzheimer’s Society of Kitchener-Waterloo’s

funding comes from donations and fundraising activities. Without this support, they would not have sufficient financial resources to continue providing their services and programs.

Wong believes that the Alzheimer’s Society of KW is extremely beneficial to our community. Alzheimer is the most common form of dementia and affects over 500,000 people nationwide. The Alzheimer’s Society of KW provides valuable support and services to those affected by this disease by delivering programs, providing education and information, supporting research, and providing a voice within the community for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Since their conception 25 years ago, the Alzheimer’s Society of KW has helped thousands of families and will continue to do so.

Why have a Scrabble tournament? Well the symptom most associated with Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss and Scrabble® is a game that challenges your mind and allows you to exercise your brain. For Wong and her group members, it seemed like an obvious connection to hold a fundraising event on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society of KW, it would be something related to exercising your memory.

The Scrabble tournament was a professor vs. students battle. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, they only had one professor team. The team consisted of Heather Mair, Luke Potwarka, department chair of recreation and leisure. From 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., students and professors challenged their vocabulary and memories. It cost $25 per student teams of three, and $50 for a professor team of four (three players plus an alternate), with all funds going to the Alzheimer’s Society of KW. In the end, the tournament raised $400.

However, this is merely the beginning as Wong foresees continued support for the Alzheimer’s Society of KW by REC 356. UW students can volunteer by being special event helpers, office assistants, and teach quilt volunteers or join the Volunteer Companion Program, which is an in-home respite service. This would require individuals to visit one to four hours each week and engage in activities (such as going for walks, reminiscing, and playing games.) Please visit their website at www.alzheimerkw.com for further details. kharris@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Sonia lee

15

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Festival jazz lacks razzle-dazzle staff reporter

A

touch of bohemia breezed into Uptown Waterloo this past weekend for the Jazz Festival. Waterloo’s patrons of the arts gathered just off King Street on July 17, 18, and 19 to experience the classical jive despite cold and rainy weather. The 17th annual Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival offered a myriad of talented jazz musicians that entertained hundreds with free performances over the three-day span.

The music, an excellent and inspired demonstration of Canadian vocal and instrumental talent, was well received by its public — many of whom sat in stiff collapsible chairs for hours over the muggy afternoons. Featured artists included Chris Smith, nominee for the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, Juno-nominated pianist Michael Kaeshammer, and instrumental ensemble Shuffle Demons, among other noted musicians.

The exceptional music and sound quality may, indeed, have been the only redeemable factors of an attendance at last weekend’s festival. The event boasted few appealing qualities beyond the aforementioned, with no additional activities to occupy children and encourage the attention of families or students. The festival offered a selection of jazz-related merchandise for sale, including CDs and T-shirts, as well as food and alcohol tents for the public.

“ ethan oblak

The 17th annual Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival featured a number of talented musicians, including Chris Smith, Michael Kaeshammer, and Shuffle Demons. Pictured above is Divine Brown.

Saturday afternoon’s audience was composed almost entirely of Waterloo’s senior community with the meagre addition of a few students, youth, and small families. Many of the patrons appeared thoroughly engrossed in conversation or absorbed in novels and newspapers; scarce few seemed captivated by the on-stage performances. The festival atmosphere itself held the appeal of elevator music: pleasant and mellow but easily ignored. The event did, in fact, appear largely ignored by the student population, a loss that may be attributed to lack of on-campus advertising and additional thrills for youth patrons.

However, despite the lukewarm festival, it is difficult to criticize Waterloo’s cultural efforts. Beyond the obvious educational and cultural benefits of experiencing the Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival, the excitement demonstrated by participating artists certainly offered an upbeat addition to an otherwise bland summer existence. The festival’s website indicates a certain belief that the festival “makes a significant contribution to our community.” Additionally, the the festival claims to provide “a safe, family-oriented environment, and promotes healthy living by encouraging people to go outdoors.” Certainly a benefit for the retired and aging majority of the audience.

— With files from uptownwaterloojazz.ca rgoodfellow@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

The exceptional music and sound quality may, indeed, have been the only redeemable factors of a patronage to last weekend’s festival.

“

Robyn Goodfellow

How do you treat your books?

I

smcevoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

have noticed that people treat books in many different ways: they choose to write in them or not, to stamp them or mark them, to break the spine, etc. Over the years my habits have changed often. In this week’s article, I will examine the pros and cons of some of these habits in a reader.

First, let’s look at writing in books. This is a habit I tend to do in phases; when I am keeping all my books, reading a book I am planning on reading a number of times, or if a book is really impacting my life, I tend to underline parts of the book and write notes in the margins. If it is a book I write in, I use a different colour for each consecutive reading. An example of this is in The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. This book came highly recommended to me during my first year here at UW by Dr. Peter Frick. During the first lecture of my first term here, Frick did a talk on theory of education, and why are we at university. He quoted from his version of this book

which was so well worn it was held together with elastics. Back in 1998 when I first read it, much of the discussion was over my head, specifically some of the philosophy of education. That first year I underlined the book in red and made notes in the margins. I have since reread the book three times, and each time I have understood more of the book and used a different colour for my notes and underlining. For a while I underlined in every book I read, but as I started selling more and more of my books, I realized that you get significantly less money for books that are marked — or they will not be purchased at all. So I started only writing in school books, or in really meaningful or life-changing books. I also always underline with a ruler so it will be neat.

The second thing I do, in part because I have my own lending library, is stamp my name on the spines of my books. I currently have 56 books lent out. By having my name on the spines, when

WIN TICKETS!

the book sits on someone else’s shelf for a while, someone will see the name and say “Hey, you have Steven’s book here.” I now get about 85 per cent of the books I lend out back. Before I started this, I averaged only around 40 per cent. I previously put bookplates on the inside of the book, but the stamp on the spine was recommended to me by a professor back at Queen’s and it resulted in a lot less books having to be repurchased.

I am pretty meticulous about how I treat my books. I have some paperbacks that I have read three or more times and still have not broken the spines. I will not purchase used books if the spine is broken. I also take dust covers off of hard covers when reading them in order to prevent them from being torn or damaged while in my backpack.

While reading I use cue cards as bookmarks.

I write down notes for reviews on the cards. I also write down any words that I do not know

The first 10 people to show this ad at the Princess Twin box office will receive free admission for 2 to see Moon

“THE BEST SCI-FI MOVIE “FIRST-RATE SCIENCE FICTION, to come along in a generation.” tackling such issues as identity, - Cole Smithey individuality the psyche and the soul - Arizona Republic.

MOON

NOW PLAYING 46 KING ST. N. • PRINCESSCINEMAS.COM

so I can later look up their meanings. My record for the most words looked up was a Michael W. Higgins book. I filled three large cue cards, one word per line, while reading his book Heretic Blood. Most of the words were either old English or old French words.

So how do you treat your books? Drop me a line and share your habits and strategies.

There is a story I heard years ago — I do not know if it is true or not, however. A guy notices that his neighbour has cleaned out his garage, and can now park both cars in it. Previously the doors barely closed because of all the old stuff. The neighbour asks “Did you find anything worthwhile?” The guy responds, “Not really. There was this old bible from Gutenburg. But some guy named Luther had written all over it so I threw it out.”

As always, you never know what you will find between the covers and whom it might be from.

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

17

Reviews Books Her Mother’s Face Roddy Doyle (author) Freya Blackwood (illustrator) Arthur A. Levine Books, An Imprint of Scholastic

Least I Could Do Volume 2: Velcro Pants are Awesome Ryan Sohmer and Lar DeSouza Blind Ferret Entertainment

The Montreal webcomic-creating duo Ryan Sohmer and Lar DeSouza recently released their second trade volume of Least I Could Do (www.leasticoulddo.com), which can be found on retail shops Amazon.ca and Barnes & Noble.com. Rayne’s sex-capades are in full force in the book, containing a number of their more memorable story-arcs from 2006 and 2007.

Formed in a nice, light format, it’s

The Old Bird, A Love Story (illustrated edition) J.F. Powers (author) Barbara Harman (illustrator) Minnesota Center for Book Arts

The Old Bird, a Love Story short story is a like a sad version of the The Gift of the Magi with the sacrifice, but without the reward. The story is one of an old man looking for work during a depression. He finds a temporary seasonal position, yet his day is long and hard. When he goes home he must act a role with his wife. This is a sad tale of a sad man — a man who has lost it all, but must keep plodding on.

While working, he overhears part of a conversation about himself, and he is referred to as the old bird.

This story is heart-wrenching. I have known people like Mr. Newman: men broken and beaten by life.

Tortured, timid men. The story evokes great emotion.

But what makes this book so excellent is not just the story, it is this special edition. The story is enhanced by the illustrations from Barbara Harman. This special illustrated edition was created by the Minnesota

great to go back to read these stories in a tangible book form. Sohmer’s one-two punch writing is confident and uncensored — a trait that he holds well. DeSouza’s artwork is at its prime here; the characters are well defined and definitely reflect the characters I hear in Sohmer’s writing. My favourite arc “A Christmas Story” is probably the best example of Sohmer’s writing. Rayne’s character development in the arc shows that he’s more than just a playboy; he’s a geek and a loving family man.

However, for fans of the webcomic looking for extras in the book, you may be disappointed. Aside from

the collection of comics from the website along with rough sketches from the strips, not much else is in the book itself. In other words, the book is mostly for those who haven’t experienced the comic or are looking for a book-form of Least I Could Do. If you’re looking for a nice, slim collection of Sohmer’s and DeSouza’s work for on-the-go, I’d recommend picking up a copy. But for those expecting a lot of extra meat from the book, you may want to think about the purchase.

— Peter N. Trinh

Her Mother’s Face is an amazing story of a young girl learning to come to terms with her mother’s death. Siobhan is like most little girls — she runs, plays, and has fun. But at ten she can no longer remember her mother’s face; she is sad about this but cannot talk to her father, as he too is overcome with grief. One day in the park she meets a strange lady.

The woman tells her to look in the mirror and she will see her mother there in her own face.

This is a magnificent book.

Books written for children that deal with grief are either very good or very bad. This one is very good.

Roddy Doyle tells a great story, and in the tradition of great Irish writers, he is a master storyteller and this is truly a masterpiece. The illustrations by Freya Blackwood are done in a simple understated

style. Yet they bring a great depth to the story.

So pick it up and journey with Siobhan as she grows up and becomes a mother herself, yet always with the memory of her own mother. It is a good story to share with the children in your life, especially if they have lost someone close.

— Steven R. McEvoy

Catching Fire The Hunger Games, Book 2 Suzanne Collins Scholastic

Center for Book Arts. The project created 260 signed, numbered, limited-editions of this soft story. The Old Bird, a Love Story was published by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts on December 7, 1991. It was the fourth in an annual series commissioned to celebrate winter in the Upper Midwest. The story previously appeared in the Rocky Mountain Review (1944), and in Prince of Darkness and Other Stories (Doubleday, 1947).

The book is a treasure for the Powers’ fan, or for a serious bibliophile. Beautiful to hold and read, the book itself is a work of art, as is the story within the pages. Gaylord Schanilec, MCBA Artist-in-Residence in 1991, designed and printed the book on Rives Heavyweight.

The Garamond type was composition-set at Harold Berliner Type Foundry. There were two editions of this special edition. First is the standard edition which consists of 260 copies, numbered and signed by the author and bound by Greg Campbell of Campbell-Logan Bindery in a non-adhesive paper binding.

Second, the deluxe edition consists of 40 copies, lettered and signed

by the author and the artist. This edition is bound by Dennis Ruud in quarter leather with an original monoprint by Barbara Harman in a leather-edged slipcase. The special editions of this book were made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Literature Program and with the generous support of Allegra and Paul Parker, and Gail and Henry See. If you can track down this edition, it is tremendous. A very persistent person from the InterLibrary Loan Office at the University of Waterloo was able to track it down for me after attempting a number of different libraries. It was a pleasure to read such a special book.

— Steven R. McEvoy

Catching Fire takes place shortly after The Hunger Games finishes.

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are back home in District 12 but things are not all joyful for the victors. Katniss receives a visit from the President of the Capitol warning her that he knows all of her secrets. He demands that during the Victory tour Peeta and Katniss must convince the other districts that their love is real. It is even announced on TV that their wedding will be hosted by the Capitol.

All is not well in Panem. The last time there was a rebellion District 13 was nuked from the map and The Hunger Games began to remind the districts of their submission and subjugation to the Capitol in this new country of Panem. In the ruins of former North America, the Capitol forces each of the 12 provinces to draw names of a male and female tribute each year. The tributes are drawn from the demographic between the ages of 12 and 18. They receive training, are assessed by the game masters and then the betting begins. The games are televised and are required viewing for the whole nation.

In book one, Peeta and Katniss won the games, but angered many leaders in the Capitol. Catching Fire shows the beginning of the preparation for the 75th annual Hunger Games. It is a Quarter Quell, an occasion marked every 25 years as an anniversary of the rebellion during which the rules of the games are modified. In previous Quarter Quells, each district had to vote on what child to send to the games.

In the second Quarter Quell, each district had to send two men and two female tributes to the games.

This time it is announced that the

Tributes to fight in the games will be drawn from previous victors only.

Katniss panics at this news since less than a year ago she had to fight to the death with 23 other youths. Now she must return to the arena and the death and carnage it will entail, for she is the only female from District 12 to be a victor. She will have to enter the arena either with Peeta or Haymitch, her former co-winner or her mentor.

This time the Capitol will not allow two winners from the same district.

Her world has just been turned upside down. As she prepares to train to reenter the arena, she must decide who and what she is willing to fight for, and this time maybe die for.

This book was so intense I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting, devouring it, then went back about a week later and reread it much slower in case I missed anything.

The cliffhanger is so extreme that even though it is more than a year away, I cannot wait for book three to be published. This book and the first The Hunger Games are excellent fictions and great summer or fall leisure reading.

— Steven R. McEvoy

18

Arts & Entertainment

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Reviews CD Discovery LP Released on July 7, 2009

Relationships between the relatively exclusive indie-pop scene and that of the bloated R&B landscape are dodgy to say the least. The former of the two sub-genres is resolute in its social-awkwardness, bubblegum veneer, and closet coolness: a land where Michael Cera would be king. This is a generalization of course, but the validity of these points is augmented by its sharp contrast to the R&B reality. A stream that often times takes itself so seriously is, well, difficult to take seriously.

Occupying nearly opposite ends of the music spectrum, it would be reasonable to assume that these two don’t hang out much. Save for a few notable exceptions (The Go! Team, Dirty Projectors, Spoon), this has been and will continue to be the way of things to come. However, the philosophical misalignment is enough to arouse curiosity in the two camps about one another.

Said curiosity leading to experimentation is how Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend fame and Wes Miles, leader of Ra Ra Riot, came to create the R&B outfit: Discovery.

On their debut album, LP, Batmanglij and Miles make their forbidden love affair with rhythm and blues exceedingly clear as the ten tracks (including a cover of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back”) are stuffed and then stuffed some more with synths, handclaps, and silky smooth vocal harmonies. The songs are not a fusion of the two genres as one might expect.

Instead it is simply a modern R&B album created by two well-educated, upper-middleclass, white guys.

LP is without the god-awful pretentiousness that plagues the indie community, and out of this comes its most endearing quality: innocence. Every song is full of wide-eyed excitement and honesty that is so rare in popular R&B. You get the impression that Batmanglij and Miles have spent a fair amount of time listening to Akon records in their basement and really, truly enjoyed them.

While its childlike sincerity is what makes LP a rewarding (and refreshing) listen, it is also what condemns it to the realm of “novelty side project.” Since this is their first foray into the genre they come up green at times; some of the songs fall flat, fail to capitalize on building potential, or loop certain segments too often.

There is also a formidable “cheese” factor to the album with our boys pulling out literally every R&B/dance cliché in the book. This boils down to the aforementioned soft spot Batmanglij and Miles have for popular R&B, prompting them to fill in the blanks as opposed to diversifying the songs. Besides, even the best R&B is a little cheesy, right?

Album opener and first single, “Orange Shirt,” is the LP MVP. It embodies every aspect of the record, good and bad, but manages to come out shining. Another standout is “Carby,” featuring vocals from Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, this time exploring faster paced dance and techno elements. What makes “Carby” a winner is that you could quite conceivably picture it being incorporated into a DJ’s setlist without club goers turning their musically refined noses up at it.

All of the above aspects of the album are tied together by the fact that LP is first and foremost a vanity project. Recorded on spare time between school, other bands, and work

over a four year period, it is clear that selfgratification was their intent, and in no way is there anything wrong with that. Self-serving musicians are usually the most progressive as well as the most artistically viable in that there is no underlying motive (i.e. money, fame, etc.) to the music or its process.

Discovery is no stranger to hype. The indiepop scene is jam-packed with “hype bands” that either live up to it (Vampire Weekend), or fall short (most of the others). R&B does things differently, with most songs only taking a guest appearance or famous name to ensure a top 10 hit.

Hype is unnecessary because the R&B market is so rich with demand that there can never be too many generic love songs, club hits, or summer anthems. Discovery lean more to the side of indie-pop in terms of spirit, although not musically.

They wrote an album without compromising their unconditional love for R&B/Dance, have no tour plans on the horizon, and forced current fans to sit in the awkward purgatory between indie and Popular Music. Not to mention the most obvious: a couple of preppy white dudes made the kind of album cool black dudes usually make. That adventurous spirit is what connects them to indie-pop world more securely than the

formulaic, no risk, R&B alternative. This attitude pays off for most of LP, but stumbles in respective areas. Regardless of hype, album sales, or guest appearances, Discovery’s LP may one day be seen as the album that united smooth, R&B crooners with lanky, indie-pop scenesters.

— Devon Shea

A nice break from exams

I

t’s great to see such a library of webcomics out there. And while there are a lot of misses, there are also a number of gems out there.

With stressful exams coming up, I thought I’d share some comics with you that have appeared on my radar for the past while.

One neat strip that I’ve been following is called That’s Inhuman (www.thatsinhuman.com), created

by Ty Halley. I may have talked about it before, but Halley’s recently rebooted the series. That’s Inhuman is a humour strip following the lives of two roommates, Gordon and Karloff. While it may sound like a simple sitcom, Halley’s added a twist: Gordon’s a zombie and Karloff ’s a robot.

The comic revolves around their examination of humanity and how it could be less stupid than it actually is. The artwork itself is nice to look at; illustrated in Adobe Flash, the colour palette of That’s Inhuman is a nice set of muted colours and line-art with a stylish cartoon design. If you need a quick laugh regarding the upcomings and downfalls of humanity, check out Halley.

The Meek (Der-shing Helmer: www.meekcomic. com) is one of my recent favourite webcomics. It follows the story of an eccentric girl named Angora who has the task of saving the world. The artwork in this webcomic is pretty cool, with work that looks like it came straight out of a professional animation studio. As of the press date, the first

ptrinh@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

chapter was completed and the writing is not bad.

The main characters are well rounded, and the flow of dialogue works. The comic, is technically notwork-safe, since Angora so far wears no clothes above the waist. However, the nudity is done in a very classy manner, and it doesn’t distract the reader from the story at all. You may want to wait until after exams before reading this one, though.

It’s a pretty involving read.

The last comic I’ll mention is Finder’s Keepers (www.finderskeepers.gcgstudios.com) by Garth Cameron Graham, the creator of the now-defunct Comedity (www.comedity.com). Having a strong mythological influence, the story follows Cailyn, a modern-day girl who finds herself soulbound to a mystical character named Cardinal.

The art is very clean-cut, with varying weights in line-art, an earthy colour palette, and bright lighting. Characters such as Death and Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream have been featured in the story, and it’s really cool to see these characters appear in Graham’s story. Again, it’s a continuing story, so it’s up to your discretion if you want to read it during study time.

If you’re in a bit of a lull and you need a good distraction, check these comics out. If you’re still writing an essay and you need inspiration, these may help.

Science & Technology

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Walking on a tightrope: the subjectivity of rape alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

R

ape, now and always, is a heavily controversial issue. Some believe that “rules are like women, made to be violated,” as Quebecois Judge Denys Dione said in dealing with a sexual harassment case in 1989. Just as drastically, women are sometimes guilty of the same type of gender-generalization. “Whatever [men] may be in public life…in their relations with women, all men are rapists and that’s all they are. They rape us with their eyes, their laws, their codes,” as spoken

by Marilyn French, an American writer.

The point of presenting these two polar viewpoints is because peoples’ perspectives on the acceptability and accountability of rape are as diverse as people themselves.

This is precisely what this article aims to do ­— to provide food for thought on differing scientific findings concerning sexual aggression, in hopes of beginning to peel taboo from the topic.

Rape itself is a mostly gender specific event, as it is usually men who rape women, versus men raping men or women raping men, etc. Let me then ask the question, why do men rape? Theories to answer this question are numerous. One is presented in a book titled Men Who Rape: Psychology of the Offender, whose authors Nicholas Groth and Jean Birnbaum provide many genres

of rape, among which are “anger” and “power” rape. Evidently, the categorization seen in Men Who Rape suggests that the authors reject the mythological claim that men rape because of a biological urge to do so. Groth and Birnbaum furthermore identify three underlying components, “power, anger and sexuality,” in all cases of forced sexual intercourse. It is furthermore said that “the ang[ry] rapist typically finds little or no sexual gratification in the rape,” while in instances of power rape the assailant carries the intent to “achieve sexual intercourse with his victim as evidence of conquest.” Consequently, the authors argue that different sociological and psychological triggers may contribute to rape, adding an aspect of subjectivity to the aggressor.

It is worth mentioning that some women have rape-themed sexual fantasies.

For students, the rate varies between 37 and 57 per cent, and is independent of context — such as masturbation. These statistics come from an article labeled “Women’s erotic rape fantasies: an evaluation of theory and research,” compiled by Joseph Critelli and Jenny Bivona, both psychology professors at the University of North Texas. The article, published in The Journal of Sex Research, assesses over 30 studies

on rape, ultimately suggesting that, among a plethora of other factors, sympathetic physiological activation may help explain how an abhorring event such as rape could heighten sexual arousal. As mentioned in the study, “sympathetic activation provides the physiological basis for understanding how fantasies that generate feelings of fear and anger may enhance sexual arousal.”

But again, this is one theory dealing with a statistical phenomenon, and it does not in any way indicate that women as a sex have an internal desire to experience rape.

Even less credible is the alibi of a sexual aggressor who uses the above thinking pattern to justify rape.

An interesting theory relating to female rape fantasy is presented by Susan Brownmiller, an American feminist, she argues that female sexuality has long been repressed by American culture to a point where, “the fantasies they do have are a product of male conditioning,” she stated in her book, Against Our Will. But it is worth noting that women have the full capacity to rape, too. And Brownmiller’s theory does not explain why women, whose sexuality is supposedly oppressed into leading a vicarious sexual identity, sometimes execute the power and capacity to rape. The evidence of these instances is made evident in the

headlines where women exploit their power in hierarchical positions, such as with a teacher toward a student, causing offset-power sexual relationships.

My personal opinion is that rape, although horrid, should be studied meticulously and without taboo. I believe this is the only way that objectivity in studying sexual aggression can be maximized, and social prevention systems may be formed and instilled in society. Perhaps rape is somewhat similar to Alcoholics’ Anonymous meetings — the first step to dealing with this abhorrent issue is admitting the problem exists.

Owen D. Jones article: http://papers.ssrn. com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=611908 Bivona and Critelli: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/men’s+erotic+rape+fantasies: +an+evaluation+of+theory+and+resear ch.-a0176374283 Men Who Rape: http://books.google. ca/books?id=hUCUg02fqCgC&dq=psych ology+of+rape&printsec=frontcover&so urce=in&hl=en&ei=O-FnSo6hLcimlAen4_ myCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result& resnum=11

The Consumerist Society thalferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

“

seen as precious ecosystems, but as foundations for a new Las Vegas. We hesitate and battle over spending millions to create new green technologies, but will jump head-first into spending billions to create a new resort in the middle of a desert. Where one follows logic and science, the other follows neither, but rather the wants of a civilization who would put a diamond necklace above a mountain range. We’ve already seen the effects of Dubai, the massive city built from oil in the middle of a desert. Completely dependent on foreign import for just about everything and nothing to regulate their waste (a good portion of it is floating in its massive beaches), this is a great example of how nations are in a race to build the biggest, shiniest buildings and cities just to show them off. A similar

problems), but ignore them outright to continue to impress the consumer society. This project is costing upwards of $4.5 billion.

The Pacific Ocean island nation of Tuvalu is spending $20 million for 100 per cent clean energy by 2020. Not only is the renewable energy plan cheaper, it is also economically and environmentally safer in the long run. The much more expensive project costs even more money to maintain, is designed for failure as has been seen countless times in the past, and will cost both the environment and economy. So why do we continue to appeal to the consumerists in ourselves when it costs us so much more?

I have no doubt that it is impossible to end consumerism. It is integrated so deeply in ourselves that

We hesitate and battle over spending millions to create new green technologies, but will jump head-first into spending billions to create a new resort in the middle of a desert.

have become the new foundation for development.

What is with the human fascination to alter everything? Why is everything now seen as an opportunity to maximize profit? Has not only our society, but our entire race become completely consumerist? It seems every action we do must be justified by how much publicity and profit it gains, or how useful it is. The consumer mindset is one that will be near impossible to change on a global scale, as it is so embedded in our society; yet it is the very attribute that is leading to our destruction.

The consumer society alters the landscape more than anything else. In many desert countries, coasts aren’t

endeavor has been started in the central Asian nation of Turkmenistan, where they are pulling 130 billion cubic meters of water from canals that normally irrigate crops for an artificial oasis to foster development and new settlements. This oasis is being put in the middle of a desert, where many scientists argue it will evaporate and bring in contaminants. History already proves this a mistake, with decades of central Asia’s environment suffering blow after blow by such Soviet-era irrigation projects. The Aral Sea has already shrunk by over 80 per cent because of such ambitious projects. These countries are blatantly faced with the consequences (such as collapsed fisheries and health

“

I

t was recently announced that a company wanted to license a technology that would allow it to create advertisements on the moon’s surface. All I could think of was that quote from Fight Club: “When deep space exploration ramps up, it’ll be the corporations that name everything. The IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks.” This single comment is starting to become truer, and further fortifies the notion that humanity no longer views landscapes — whether on Earth or beyond — as new land to explore and discover, revel at the sight of, and study.

Instead, they have become commodities; something to exploit. When we discover an inhabitable planet, it won’t be scientists and colonists who go there first.

It will be CEOs and advertising agencies. Billboards

it won’t come out. However, I will say that it is very possible to stop taking such ridiculous measures to appeal to it. We can keep our malls and tall buildings without putting them in deserts and sucking up countless litres of water and oil. We can make consumerism environmentally and economically friendly. We have the power to alter any landscape we choose and we do so with little thought of consequence.

We cannot survive as a species with the perception of the environment as a commodity that can be altered. If we do discover new worlds, I hope they may be luckier in surviving the onslaught that is human consumerism.

Science & Technology

20

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Microbial Matters azchiang@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

W

hen I close my eyes in an attempt to picture “biodiversity,” my mind cannot escape images such as those of a magnificent tiger tearing into an endless open savannah, coupled with that of an eclectic starfish leeching onto billowing algae in the depths of a lively ocean. For me, and no doubt for many others, biodiversity is big.

But as Dr. Josh Neufeld of the UW Biology Department explained in an interview with Imprint, perhaps the most important type of diversity — the kind that sustains life on Earth – is the kind we can’t see so readily: microbial diversity.

“There are thousands or millions of species of microorganisms,” Neufeld stated, noting that only a few of them — “a small

thriving in the tundra, a habitat whose climate is so extreme? Instead of pointing to the most intuitive factor, temperature, one hypothesis that is currently being tested in his lab is the role of pH. Neufeld speculated that it may be “…the pH, the chemical conditions of the soil itself, that govern how many different types of organisms can live together comfortably.

As the pH is lower, fewer organisms are comfortable, and the diversity decreases as a result.”

In addition to studying microbial communities in the Arctic tundra, at present, Neufeld has another exciting project going on, and this time, he’s focusing on the microbial communities in a different kind of “environmental sandbox.” Indeed, with

“When you know the organism’s there, and you know what they do,” said Neufeld, “then you can harness that ability, perhaps, to serve a purpose for industry as well.”

handful”— can actually cause us harm. “The rest of them are very busy doing what they do best, which is eating and reproducing, and in doing so, affecting the environment around us.”

To understand how crucial microbial activity is to our environment, consider [their biogeochemical importance.] Microorganisms play an indispensable role in the transformation of different forms of nitrogen found in the atmosphere, in the soil, in groundwater, and in the proteins of living organisms. Without the cycling of nitrogen, life on Earth would not be possible. However, the cycle in its entirety is made possible only by the collective efforts of many different species of microbes.

Earth’s poles,” said Neufeld. “There’s this latitudinal biodiversity gradient.”

To see if this gradient also applies to the microbial world, Neufeld previously surveyed and compared microorganisms found in soil samples from the boreal forest and from Arctic tundra. “We were expecting to show very clearly that the boreal forest soil diversity was much higher than the tundra,” he said.

“But our study shows that [the latitudinal biodiversity] trend is clearly not the case with microorganisms. You can have exceedingly high diversity right at the northernmost inhabited point on the Earth.”

But how could there be such an amazing abundance of different microorganisms

“

“

In microbial ecology, the term “consortia” is used to refer to co-operative partnerships between different microorganisms in their natural environment. In a partnership such as that required to carry out the nitrogen cycle, Neufeld described: that while one organism may be eating one compound and producing another one, what is produced may become the food for another organism. It is in this way, he said, that “organisms can work together, eat together, and accomplish community roles together.”

So what does a microbe’s world look like, then? Well, it depends. “We know that for most communities of macroorganisms on Earth, the diversity tends to decrease as you move northward or southward, towards the

funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), his lab is getting ready to embark on the first stage of a project affectionately referred to as “From Gums to Bums,” to look at the microorganisms found in the full length of the human digestive system, from mouth to rectum. In this project, members from a set of healthy individuals will each contribute a sample of feces, as well as samples taken from their stomach, their small intestine, their large intestine, and lastly, will also provide samples of plaque and tongue scrapings.

The goal of the study, said Neufeld, is to understand the composition of each of these microbial communities in a way that

Learn more about research in the Neufeld lab, check out: http:// biology.uwaterloo.ca/people/ neufeld/index.html Science Matters is now on WordPress: http://scimatters. wordpress.com hasn’t been possible before. “We will be able to understand how these communities shift as you move through the digestive system, and we will also be able to compare the typical healthy communities present in men and women.”

Both inside and outside the human body, finding out which organisms do what in a community can lead to useful applications. For example, the ability of the relatively recently discovered anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidizing) bacteria, which function in the nitrogen cycle to remove ammonia, has already been exploited to generate bioreactors that can remove ammonia pollutants from wastewater in a more efficient manner. “When you know the organism’s there, and you know what they do,” said Neufeld, “then you can harness that ability, perhaps, to serve a purpose for industry as well.”

Ultimately, said Neufeld, what one sees at the lab bench is just a small drop in the bucket of the total diversity out there. “Beneath a layer of abundant organisms that we tend always to be sampling from, lies an absolutely enormous reservoir of taxonomic diversity…

We now know that they’re there and we’re starting to characterize those communities.

We’re asking questions like, ‘why are some of these communities so diverse and why do others lack that diversity? What factors influence that diversity?’

“Slowly, we’re making a dent in this unknown diversity that’s out there.”

Sonia lee

“An even-tempered but nonetheless horrifying dissection of the U.S. food industry” - Associated Press

The science section also likes technology articles. if you love technology and/or computers write about it!!

Seriously!

Come write about it!!!!!!

NOW PLAYING 6 Princess St. W., Waterloo 885-2950 www.princesscinemas.com

or we’ll

010100001 you!

C o m e

W r i t e

f o r

s c i e n c e

It

w il l

make

a

bet ter

you

person

trust me, it’s science Contact us at science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Sports & Living

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Ultimate: Frisbee with a dash of football

Michael. L. Davenport

Ethan Oblack

The teams “Pure AHSomeness” and “Danger Beach” compete on Wednesday, July 22.

Duncan Ramsay staff reporter

T

he sight of students tossing Frisbees on the greens may not be that unusual to UW denizens, but visitors to the Village Green this Wednesday observed a group of people dedicated to taking this pastime far beyond its original designs. This is UW’s Ultimate league, and it’s one of the university’s most popular intramurals.

Ultimate (formerly known as ultimate frisbee, until a trademark dispute prompted the re-naming) as a sport steals liberally from a number of team pursuits; end zone scoring from football, transportation rules

from basketball, and others. In practice, though, the sport is fairly simple. Seven players take a side on a rectangular field, with the objective to pass a Frisbee into the opponents end zone. A player cannot move while in possession of the Frisbee, and has ten seconds to pass it on. Anything other than a successful pass — blocked throws, fumbling, out of bounds — results in the other team gaining possession. And so it goes for 45 minutes, until a winner is declared.

Perhaps what stands out most about Ultimate, though, is its traditional focus on competitive spirit.

The UW Ultimate league, like all UW intramurals, makes use of the ‘Spirit of Competition’ system to develop healthy sportsmanship, but Ultimate is different in that

the sport has always focused on this in much the same way. The sport is self-refereed up to the highest levels, and it is traditional in several leagues to cheer on the opposing team after a game. Fouls can only be called by the player fouled, and even if a foul is contested, the play is simply done over, with a presumption of honourable conduct throughout.

Right now, the UW Ultimate leagues feature just under 30 teams, with registration for the fall term beginning September 14. As Danger Beach captain Sean Sorrel put it, “It’s a great sport — fun, and easy to pick up and play. I hope more people get into it.” dramsay@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

Campus Bulletin UPCOMING

VOLUNTEER

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Friday, July 24, 2009 Blues dancing at K-W Naval Association, 315 Weber Street, N. Lesson at 8 p.m. and dancing until midnight. For cost/info visit waterlooswing.com.

TODAY is the last issue of the spring/ summer term. Imprint resumes September 4......have a great summer!

Saturday, August 1, 2009 Rotunda Gallery presents “Flotsam” – Matt Schust, for the month of August at Kitchener City Hall, 200 King Street, W. For info contact Cheryl at 519-741-3400, ext 3381.

Sunday, August 30, 2009 2nd annual Memorial Butterfly Release 2009 at Williamsburg Cemetery from 2 to 4 p.m. Proceeds support the work of Bereaved Families of Ontario.

Midwestern Region. To order a butterfly/more info call 519-894-8344.

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 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 supporters for older adults for shopping and day programs. For info call 519-888-6478 or www.waterloo.ca/volunteer.

Volunteer Action Centre, 519-7428610 / volunteer@volunteerkw.ca, for all your volunteering needs!

Do you text...do you iPod? We are looking for volunteers to take part in a study on mobile hand held device use and any related health or comfort troubles experienced during their use.

The study is being conducted by the Department of Kinesiology and the institute for Work and Health. As a participant in this study, you would be asked to fill out a five to eight minute computer-administered confidential questionnaire. If you would like to participate, please follow this link: http:// ithumb.iwh.on.ca. If you wish more information about this study, please contact Sophia Berolo, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo at sberolo@uwaterloo.ca. This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, the Office of Research Ethics, University of Waterloo.

Speak Laos? Volunteer needed to visit Laos-speaking woman with Alzheimers in Heritage Park, Kitchener. For info contact Jill at jmercier@alzheimersocietykw.com.

“In The Mind’s Eye 2009: Issues of Substance Use in Film + Forum” – offers a very rare glimpse into the world of drug and/or alcohol use through films, workshops and keynote presentations. In The Mind’s Eye is unique in North America and is held at locations throughout Waterloo region in October and November. For more info visit www.inthemindseye.ca in September or call the hotline at 519-575-4757, ext 5016.

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.

City of Kitchener Artist-in-Residence Program Call for Proposals – invites applications from artists working in any visual arts medium. Deadline for applications is Wednesday, September 9, 2009, with selection of artist by September 30. For more info on submission requirements call 519-741-3400, ext 3381 or cheryl.york@kitchener.ca.

UW RECREATION COMMITTEE

UW Recreation Committee events are open to all employees of the University of Waterloo. Register by emailing admmail.uwaterloo.ca.

UW Book Club meetings – August 19, “Unfeeling,” by Ian Holding. Cost is price of book if you wish to purchase it.

Dana Porter Library, room 407 at 12:05 p.m. Details www.uwrc.uwaterloo.ca.

Fall selections coming include “One Book, One Community” and a book by Barack Obama.

Discount tickets are available for Centreville (Toronto) Island, Ontario Place, Ontario Science Centre, Royal Ontario Museum and Wings of Paradise. Email uwrc@uwaterloo.ca for a UW code for online ordering.

St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse tickets available now for Robin Hood Pantomime on Saturday, November 21.

ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

STUDENT AWARDS FINANCIAL AID

2009-2010 OSAP application is available now – apply early. Refer to our website: safa.uwaterloo.ca for full listing of scholarships and awards.

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.

Classified 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.

Excellent student work opportunity!

The Survey Research Centre (SRC) here at UW, is currently seeking parttime telephone interviewers for August and fall term. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2009. The SRC is an on-campus research centre that offers a variety of survey services. Telephone interviewers are responsible for conducting quality-oriented interviews and performing administrative tasks such as data entry. Must be fluent in English and have a clear, strong speaking voice and excellent communication skills. Experience in telephone work, data entry, or customer service is helpful but not required. Ability to speak French fluently is an asset. 1215 hours per week required, mainly evenings and weekends. Starting wage is $11.50 an hour. Please send resume

to Lindsey Webster at email lwebster@math.uwaterloo.ca.

For more information email or phone 8884567, ext 36689.

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.

Sunnydale prime townhouses – 505517 Sunnydale Crescent. LIMITED OFFER: free 32” flat screen TV for one year lease. Spacious three bedroom units, large bedrooms, big common area, bright windows, backyard, free parking, laundry, many newly renovated, bus route 9. $475/person, utilities included. September start. Call 519572-0278.

Room for rent for a quiet individual in a detached home near both universities. Parking and all amenities. Please call 519-725-5348.

22

Comics & Distractions

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

Crossword By Paul Collier

Dear Shaniqua: Your sassy attitude and charm are greatly missed by your most devoted fan (myself)!

I miss your scathing replies to my many-a-question. Please, please Shaniqua, come back to me! Reading your advice column was always the best part of my week. Every week.

Love, Wilbert William Wilford.

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

14

10

11

12

What do you think of the new UW marketing logo?

By Michael L. Davenport

15

17

(editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)

18

20

21

23

“It does not speak to our academic calibre.”

22

24

25

Charlie Forkas

26

31

27

32 35 38

28

Masters Systems Engineering

29

33

“It’s boring.”

36

3A Mathematics

Javid Jeraj

39

41

42

44

“Water, water, water! Pew, pew, pew!”

43

45

Andrew Moull 3A Political Science

48

49 53

50

54

51

“Why are students caring about this? There are bigger issues than the logo.”

Marlise Pelkey

55

57

58

2B SciBus

60

61

Sudoku 57. NASA soft drink 58. Cream-welded disc cookies 59. Stare covetously 60. ___-haw!

61. Extols virtues of Down 1. Approved 2. “Auld Lang ____” 3. Come up with 4. Bill dispenser (abbr.)

5. Highway levy (two words) 6. Ribbiter 7. Prohibition 8. Madness 9. Industrious 10. Double reed woodwind 11. Grouped by kinship 12. Superman’s alter ego 14. Preconception 17. Journey 22. Official without 14 down 23. Impossible to avoid 24. Playing field

Dear Hot Transformer Girl: Why were you killed off so fast? You were so much hotter than that Megan Fox chick. I’d take you over her any day.

Shia LeManBeef

26. Employs intentional logical fallacies (internet) 27. Harness 28. Airtight metal containers 29. Large deer; wapiti 30. Bubbly chocolate 31. ____ of the Mist 32. Impostor 34. Leg prosthesis 35. Endless eight 39. Leads to a contradiction 41. O RLY? NO ___ 42. Traditional beliefs and legendry 43. Preoccupy in excess 45. Town or city 46. Slartibartfast’s fjords’ capital 47. Web journal 48. Espresso drink size, 12 ounce 49. Pimply condition 50. Killed by biblical brother 51. Rectangular gap 54. Negatory (Scots.)

55. Irish separatists (abbr.)

Ninja: Our battle will be the end the next time we meet. I’ll have ye seeing red once my cannon blasts right through yer head.

Yarr will soon be dead.

- Pirate

To Mr. PACman: Pirate: The rain is here and now I fear that fate will lay with my tan is fading, looks like you you instead. Sleep well. should have come over to soak - Ninja up the sun when you had the chance.

Sun Goddess

Missed any connections lately?

Got any ideas, gripes, or randomly entertaining thoughts?

Send them (with utmost affection) to

distractions@imprint.uwaterloo.ca

1 4 9 5 3

8 7 6

9 2 6 7 2 9

9 4 2 1 4 6 9 1 6 1 5 3 7 4

solutionS: JUly 10, 2009

1 2 Across 1. Moving picture 13 awards 16 6. U.S. intel 19 agency (abbr.)

9. Pawn 13. Greenhouse gas protocol 30 14. Outer layer of grain 34 15. Qualified 37 16. Moving 40 drawings 18. Horse coat colour 46 47 19. Currency 52 of 13 across 20. Cross-dressing 56 performance art 59 21. Full of passion 23. Lethargy after soul food 24. Once more 25. Result of 23 across 26. Zelda artifact 30. Finest way of settling bills known to Ford Prefect (abbr.)

32. Fingerboard ridge 33. Substantial 34. Pod seeds 35. Poignant coincidence and contradiction 36. Unconventional sexual practice 37. Idle Python 38. Lion King heroine 39. ____ and needles 40. Prevailing reaction to new logo 42. Grouped by ethernet or wireless (abbr.)

44. Bore the cost 45. Trek assimilators 46. Procure 49. Halo 50. Donkey 52. Marble ____ 53. Beyond belief 56. Hang loosely

4 9 7 2 5 3 6 1 8

S U S S

T R U E

R I G A

S A N T A

T H I E F

A N A l O A G S S A E P T E

U R I C

K E N O

E l D S

l I R E

3 8 1 7 9 6 2 4 5

5 6 2 8 4 1 7 3 9

1 3 6 9 8 2 4 5 7

P E W E V O R B E E I O N l D U E A S E D G E N E l E E E R T A S G A P S E l E T M A I E l C N A

9 4 5 6 3 7 1 8 2

7 2 8 4 1 5 3 9 6

2 5 4 3 7 8 9 6 1

E P A X R E T O R O E N O R G E T I N D S E E M S E O N S T E P W H A I S O T N y S I K E N y S A

8 7 3 1 6 9 5 2 4

6 1 9 5 2 4 8 7 3

S l A M

H A T E

A X E l

I S T l E

E A T E N

S W O O N

O D D S

P E E S

E D D y

How are we doing?

Imprint Reader Survey, Spring 2009

Drop this page off at Imprint (SLC 1116) for a chance to win a $50 UW Book Store gift certificate.

Winner to be announced August 15 on the website (www.imprint.uwaterloo.ca).

Question 1: Why did you pick up this newspaper?

Question 2: On a scale of 0 (never) to 5 (always) how likely are you to read the following sections?

News

Opinion

Features

Arts

Science

Sports

Distractions, Comics

Question 3: Rate this statement: “Imprint keeps me adequately informed on campus issues” 1 Strongly Disagree

2

3 Neutral

4

5 Strongly Agree

Question 4: What’s your favourite part of the newspaper and why?

Question 5: What do you like least about Imprint? Write the first thing that comes to mind.

Question 6: What is Imprint missing that you’d like to see?

(Optional) NAME:

YEAR & MAJOR:

EMAIL:

PHONE NUMBER:

Help Imprint better represent the UW student community: Volunteer!

Name: Program: Email: Section preferences: News ( ) Opinion ( ) Features ( ) A&E ( ) Science ( ) Sports ( ) Comics and Distraction( ) Photo ( )

What would you like to do at Imprint?

Write ( ) Proofread ( ) Take photos ( ) Edit sections ( ) Other ( ) Do you want to get updates through Imprint’s mailing and story list?

Yes ( ) No ( )

24

Comics & Distractions

Imprint, Friday, July 24, 2009

(postscript@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)

Peter n. trinh (impression@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)

GEOFFREY LEE & SONIA LEE (loosescrews@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)

RAJUL SALEH (differentperspective@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)