Impr int The university of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
Friday, October 2, 2009
Vol 32, No
imprint . uwaterloo . ca
11
is bigger better? Michael L. Davenport editor-in-chief
P
lans to expand health services and add a student services building to campus have been unveiled by Feds President Allan Babor and councilor Sam Andrey, during a Feds council meeting on Sunday, September 27. The federal and provincial governments are not as of yet contributing to the construction of these new buildings, nor are they expected to. Said Babor during the council meeting, “Government funding, which is used for all the other buildings popping up on campus, is only available for academic buildings.” Thus, a large share
staff reporter
F
eds President Allan Babor and Councilor Sam Andrey presented a proposal to the Student Council regarding a significant expansion to the university’s Health Services on Sunday, September 27. The proposal called for a plan that holds a $7.75 million value and would involve a 20,000 square foot expansion to the Health Services building on campus. The plan proposes a state of the art medical clinic, decreased wait time, and an availability of additional health care professionals (http://www. studentspace.uwaterloo.ca). While the plan has yet to be approved by a student referendum, which won’t occur until November, the completion date has been tentatively set for sometime between 2011 and 2012. What many people don’t know, however, is the history surrounding the expansion. How will it be achieved and what changes will be made to the existing health care system that is enjoyed by university students? The need for space
In an interview with Dr. Barbara Schumacher, Director of Health Services, it was quickly noted that since 2005, Health Services had recognized that it had reached full capacity in terms of the number of students it could provide health care for. Schumacher added that since 1989, it had been impossible to add another examination room to the clinic despite the fact that the student population had grown considerably. One of the coping methods the clinic had used was extending the physicians’ hours of operation. Unfortunately, this method was not enough to handle the pressure of the student population. Thus, Health Services has, for a significant period of time, recognized the need for a larger clinic. After the release of the university’s Sixth Decade Plan in 2006 that outlined several key goals for it to reach by the year 2017 Schumacher
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began to actively advocate the need for more physical space for the clinic. One of the key goals of the Sixth Decade Plan is to increase the number of students, especially graduate and international students. Schumacher said that with the increase in the university’s offerings and the student population, it would make sense to improve the university’s infrastructure to deal with these new changes. She also remarked that these students were more likely to be older and hence more likely to have spouses or dependants. She also observed that the Region of Waterloo, in terms of family doctors, is under serviced. This makes it very difficult for anyone to find a family doctor. Schumacher proposed that the Health Services clinic be expanded to extend care to these families as well as to international students who often face Visa restrictions pertaining to usage of government services. At the moment, family doctor services are only available to students. Current state of the clinic
Some have wondered how the university’s framework will cope with the ever-increasing number of students. Schumacher noted that on September 28 alone, the health clinic saw approximately 300 students, which pushed the capacity of the building to its maximum. Health Services acts as a first aid station to the whole campus of the University of Waterloo. The clinic has the personnel and capability to deal with patients who are suffering from chemical spills and burns while minor surgical procedures that do not involve anesthesia or respiratory assistance can also be performed. In addition, Health Services offers occupational health services for students such as providing eye examinations and hearing tests for those who work with laser-emitting equipment. This is one of the unique features of the University of Waterloo’s Health Services.
Michael L. Davenport editor-in-chief
M
ore meeting and office space, a second turnkey desk, an academic hall / movie theatre. These are some of the suggestions for a student services building. Intended to complement the SLC rather than replace it, the potential new building “will focus on the support services for students to succeed academically while the Student Life Centre will remain the social centre for students on campus,” according to the presentation given to Feds council last Sunday. As of this writing, the additional student services building is being planned around housing expanded versions of current services, such as the Student Life Office, an additional writing clinic, more counselling services and additional study space. There is also the possibility that the Graduate Students Association would move their pub and restaurant operations from its current location (Grad House) to the new building. The building is currently slated to be built on Parking Lot H, opposite of Hagey Hall. The location has the tentative approval of the Building and Properties Committee, and will require the approval of the UW Board of Governors in October. The location was
opinion A heated advertising Debate
6
See HEALTH, page 5
...Health Services only has five full-time doctors available and one part-time psychiatrist available for students with mental health issues.
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Tejas Koshy
Proposed student services building to complement the SLC
23
arts In light of the past
a weekend at the bar
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months of unlimited yoga
269
for $
chosen from several candidates, with Parking Lot H being the lead candidate because of its road access. “We’re limited in that anything with food services and retail services ... needs to have direct road access along ring road.” said Andrey. He added that the site was along currently existing main bus corridors, and a “good distance” from the SLC, which is desirable. Feds VP Education Justin Williams later said the location was preferable because it’s one of the places where students generally already are — as opposed to a site on North Campus. According to the current plan, the building would be 65 per cent funded by the undergraduate students, to the tune of $30.5 million. If the referendum succeeded, this portion of the funding would be implemented in the form of a $49.50 fee increase to students, spread out across approximately 20 years. “The ... outline may changed based on the feedback we get,” said Andrey. “The committee that has working on this for the past year has been amenable to changes.” This week Imprint has focused on the proposed Health Services expansion (see story to the left on this page). See next week’s edition for more thorough coverage and opinion on the proposed student services building. editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
27
science The science of abortion
31
sports Warriors football comes home to big win
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of the cost of both buildings would be paid by students — hypothetically. It is Babor’s expectation that Feds council will call two separate referenda (one for each project) at the October council meeting, and the actual voting would take place in mid-November. However, both projects are in the information-gathering stage. It’s entirely possible that the majority of feedback will be negative, the members of Feds council doesn’t call any referendum at all, and then there are no new buildings. Or the majority students vote “no” in the referenda, and then there would be no new buildings. Or finally, it’s possible that not enough students vote at all for the vote to be binding (the vote wouldn’t meet “quorum”) and then there would be no new buildings. So, these new projects are far from a sure thing, and nothing is yet final.
Belmont Ave. Rock Ave. GlasgowÊSt.
VictoriaÊSt.ÊSouth
News
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 news@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Politics needs young Canadians
Paula Trelinska reporter
Deanna Ostafichuk reporter
C
rowds gathered in the Student Life Centre the evening of September 29 to listen as Justin Trudeau urged young Canadians to get involved in politics. Holding the seat for the Quebec riding of Papineau, Trudeau is a Liberal MP who is trying to open a dialogue with the youth. “Politics needs young people,” he claims. His engagement at the University of Waterloo was part of his outreach program to get young people involved. With only 44 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 24 voting in the 2006 federal election, involvement among youth in politics is waning. In an attempt to reverse this trend and begin a discussion with students, Trudeau prepared only a 10 minute speech and entertained questions from the audience for the remainder of the one hour event. The core problem behind youth apathy, he says, is how young people are represented in politics. He concedes that the blame for young Canadians’ lack of involvement lies squarely on the “shoulders of politicians.” Many young people do not understand the political system and many politicians do not pay attention to the younger demographic in their constituency, he claims. Young people “don’t feel their votes matter because they don’t feel their voices matter.” Trudeau says the solution to this problem is not to lower the voting age to 16, make voting mandatory or even force more education upon students — these solutions simply “treat the symptoms” he says, not the problem itself. He does believe there is a solution, however, and says that we must develop an “openness and an attitude that allows for lifelong learning,” if we are to get young people involved. That’s why Trudeau was in Waterloo: not to educate those who came
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Politics can be a force for good, politics can be a force for change, politics can be about vision and responsibility. — Justin Trudeau
to hear him speak, but to try to get the university community excited about politics, to try and start a dialogue with them. He outlined a new vision for Canadian politics, “I have to believe it means something bigger than just trying to win.” He wants to remind people that “politics can be a force for good, politics can be a force for change, politics can be about vision and responsibility,” and that most of all politics “should be about something.” In order to make sure politics does mean something to young people, Trudeau answered many of their questions, including one concerning the recent Conservative party advertisements aimed at opposing party members. He condemned these advertisements and claimed that they do not support Canadian ideals, rather they encourage cynicism. He also said he will no longer support the Conservative government, which is releasing these advertisements, because he feels he cannot say they are doing a good enough job leading this country, a statement which garnered much applause. Another question was posed asking Trudeau to outline the benefits of student involvement in political organizations. After a quip regarding what Trudeau says is the nonexistence of Conservative youth, he moved on to explain his theory that the more young Canadians get involved, the more politicians will pay attention to them and the more politicians pay attention, the more youth will want to get involved. Trudeau’s mission to involve youth in politics is not new, nor is it over. Earlier this year, after drawing first for private member motions, he was able to introduce a motion in the House of Commons to discuss and review youth involvement in volunteerism. Although the motion did not pass, Trudeau keeps going with his goal. “Canada has always punched above its weight class.” he says, and he wants to make sure it continues to do so.
travis myers
Liberal MP Justin Trudeau urged young people to get involved with politics during his engagement at the University of Waterloo.
News
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Disability wars, a new hope
courtesy rose padacz
From left to right: Brian Reid (from Plant Operations who was responsible for the van’s maintenance), Tara Casier (supervisor, Student Access Van), Ruth Huard (administrative assistant for OPD (Office for Persons with Disabilities)), Catharine Scott (associate provost for Human Resources and Student Services), Rose Padacz (director for OPD), Alan Babor (president, Federation of Students (Feds)), Nabila Kanji (co-op student and van operator).
Nafis Ahmed Farid reporter
W
alking across campus between classes can be quite refreshing. Yes, it is just buildings, but the sunlight and the cool autumn air is a welcomed change. That especially after being in an artificially lit lecture hall with more than 200 other students. For some students, though, going from one class to another can be a very difficult experience. It is hard to imagine how you can manage the hardships of a term with a broken leg, or during recovery from a debilitating accident or even worse, with degenerative conditions like MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Winter, which is not far away, also wreacks havoc on many students taking the form of clogged sidewalks and reduced visibility. We all have high hopes for our semesters and one of the last things we want is having to deal with a disability, whether temporary or permanent. There is hope for all of us suffering such hardships. This hope has come in the form of a 2009 General Motors Uplander, a custom made van with the Braun accessibility modifications. It is our new Student Access Van and it was introduced into service this Friday September 25th at the Arts Quad. Pres-
ent for the inauguration and cutting the inaugural ribbon were: What is the Student Access Van? It is one of the many services provided to students by the Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD). The van serves to transport students with temporary or permanent disabilities across the campus, residences and to and from Wilfrid Laurier University. The disabilities include physical, medical and visual disabilities. Students are required to register with the OPD before they can use the services. The registration involves medical documentation, followed by an intake by an advisor who can tailor the services provided by the OPD to better suit the students’ needs. Students can also submit their class schedule so that the Student Access Van can pick them up between classes. In addition, registered students can also call and ask for the van’s services. The brand new van has replaced the old Student Access Van that had served the University of Waterloo since 1999. The old van was at the very end of its life and a new van, even at the cost of $44,500, was more than required. The van is equipped to accommodate two students using wheel chairs, and three ambulatory students. The eight van drivers are all University of Waterloo students employed by the OPD.
Key people who helped fund the van are: • David Johnston, president of the University of Waterloo • UW’s former vice-president Ahmed Chakma who approved the plan for the new van this June. • Catharine Scott from Human Resources and Student Services • The Federation of Students • University of Waterloo Alumni ‘We are thrilled to have the new van,’ said Rose Padacz, the cheerful director of the OPD who was kind enough to give some time to the Imprint. The OPD understands the many hardships suffered by students on campus and is there to help. The OPD serves around 1,500 students on campus while up to 100 students use the access van every term. Some students require the van’s services throughout their undergraduate or graduate career. The OPD works to minimize impact of disabilities on student academics and help bring out the true potential of students by making their environment more accessible. If you want to use the services of the OPD, the Student Access Van or, you want to learn more about it you can contact Ruth Huard at 519-888-4567 x35082 or call the Student Access Van at 519-575-5891.
Library fees and student dissatisfaction Adrienne Raw
assistant editor-in-chief
Jacqueline McKoy Lambert staff reporter
University of Toronto will charge non-U of T scholars for library books
Starting October 1, the University of Toronto will require students from other universities to pay if they want to use the library’s resources or borrow books. The fee is in response to increased operating costs at University of Toronto libraries. The library system is the third-largest library in North America and contains one of the largest selections of reference materials in Canada. Students will still be able to request items at no charge through the
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and you’re giving back Day one and your job is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to do your part. That’s why Ernst & Young opens up lots of ways to make a difference. So you can feel good about our green workplace, tutor grade school students or get involved with our entrepreneur network. You can even find a cause on our company volunteer match site. And that makes coming to work even better. Explore your career options in assurance, tax, transaction or advisory services.
What’s next for your future? To learn more, visit ey.com/ca/careers and find us on Facebook.
existing interlibrary lending system. Graduate students and research who would like to visit and directly borrow books from the University of Toronto’s library system will need to pay an annual fee of $200. Over a dozen student unions mobilize to leave CFS
Members of at least 13 student unions at universities and colleges across Canada have started the petition process to end their relations with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the country’s largest post-secondary lobby group. (Both Feds and the GSA are members of rival lobby group CASA, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.) Petition organizers at various
schools, which allegedly include McGill and Trent, claim that CFS is incompetent at lobbying. Notably, these groups have raised concern with CFS’ track record of suing student unions that attempt to leave the Federation. Cases such as the conflict between CFS and Simon Fraser University’s student union have reached the British Columbia Supreme Court. Student unions pay CFS annual membership fees of $40,000 to over $300,000, depending on the size of the student population. — with files from 680 News, UWO Gazette, The Varsity, The Eyeopener, and the McGill Daily jmckoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca araw@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
News
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
HEALTH: Significant expansion on the examination table source had offered financial support for the Health Services expansion.
Continued from cover
However, Health Services only has five full-time doctors available and one part-time psychiatrist available for students with mental health issues. Schumacher commented that the provincial average for rooms per physician is two. This allows doctors to examine one patient while a nurse in another room prepares someone else. In contrast, UW’s physicians receive only one room each. UW’s doctors therefore have less to work with and face a bottleneck when handling patients. Schumacher highlighted that due to the lack of space, business offices, health education, occupational health and mental health offices currently occupy the infirmary wing along with the examination rooms. There was also a reduction in the size of the medical lab in order to accommodate a nurse prep area, triage room and minor surgery room. Funding for the project
According to the proposal that was presented to the Federation of Students Council, the expansion has been budgeted to a total of $7.75 million. This would cause a $10 per term increase in student fees. This has been limited to undergraduate students. However, if the proposed expansion of Health Services goes through, graduate students will have to contribute to the project as well. The fee would be implemented once it has been deemed that the expansion is substantially complete. The $10 increase would be increased by as much as two per cent per year to account for inflation. It had been estimated that the capital costs of the expansion would be paid off over a period of 20 years. The capital costs of the expansion would be borne primarily by undergraduate and graduate students, a marked difference from other projects that the university has undertaken. These usually received financial support from outside donors. At the time of print, no outside
Benefits of the expansion
According to the website that outlines the proposed expansion, there are many changes planned that would benefit students. These include: • Inclusion of a state of the art medical clinic • Addition of more health care professionals • Expansion of mental health services • Provided care for family members and dependants • Decreased wait time In light of the recent swine flu epidemic, the expansion of Health Services would include proper space to control the spread of infection. This has been implemented in light of the recent recommendation issued by Public Health Services. Schumacher stated that as many as eight or nine full-time doctors could be available to handle the growing student population. The expansion would also allow Health Services to add new professionals such as physician assistants and obstetricians. Of course, the expansion would also be complemented by an upgrade of the medical equipment. Schumacher remarked that clinical psychologists would also be added to the current staff after the completion of the expansion. PhD candidates and mental health students would aid these clinical psychologists. These students would occupy a position that would be the equivalent of an internship, performing duties such as aiding the psychologists, and acquiring job experience. In order to prevent students from competing with families for medical care, Schumacher proposed a plan which calls for the renovation of the existing portions of the Health Services clinic, which will be primarily concerned with the care of families. This would include having two or three doctors focus on families. The new sections of the health clinic would be reserved for students who will be treated by five or six doctors.
Complementing the plan would be the creation of a separate waiting room for families only. It should be noted that the expanded Health Services would not deal with emergency cases and major surgeries. Cases such as these will be sent to the Grand River Hospital in Kitchener. Location, location, location
It was initially proposed that the Health Services clinic be moved to the also newly proposed Student Services building. This was eventually turned down in favour of expanding its current location. This was due to the fact the current Health Services is situated near the centre of campus. Another reason for the clinic to stay at it current location, according to Schumacher, is the fact that the Health Services clinic is easily accessible to ambulances via its’ Westmount entrance. This allows ambulances to get there fast for emergency cases at the clinic without having to deal with the busy traffic that occurs on Ring Road. In addition, in light of the swine flu outbreak that occurred this year, it would be unwise to have infectious patients sharing a building with other healthy students there for the services. The necessity of expansion
the following could be expected: • An inability to increase care for increasing student population • Doctors working in sub-par conditions • An inability to bring new non-physician providers into the team • An inability to serve current students in a timely manner • Students are forced to seek care off campus, while urgent cases are referred to other community clinics • Health Services loses effectiveness in terms of promoting health, infectious disease surveillance, and community health interventions Schumacher remarked upon the fact that even if Health Services does not treat families, it is in desperate need of an expansion of its facilities and staff in order to properly serve the increasing student population. The Federation of Students Council will vote on the initiation of a referendum for undergraduates at a meeting on October 18. The Graduate Student Association Board of Directors will also vote on the initiation of a referendum during October. If the votes pass, the tentative date for the online referendum would be mid-November this year.
What if the Health Services expansion is refused at referendum? According to the website,
tkoshy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Correction In the September 25 issue of Imprint, a story titled “Do the math” was followed by a deck which read, “Math C&D in financial difficulty because of DC Tim Hortons.” Meanwhile, the story read, “...the Math C&D is in financial difficulty because of increased traffic going to the Student Life Centre Tim Hortons.“ The latter is correct — the deck should have read “Math C&D in financial difficulty because of SLC Tim Hortons. “ Imprint apologizes.
it's all
about
health
More Full-Time Physicians
Decreased Wait Times
Quantum Dance!
Coverage for Families and Dependants of UW Students
State-of-the-Art Medical Clinic
Expansion of Mental Health Services
Saturday, October 17th Fed Hall doors open at 9:00pm
how do you
feel?
19+ event Email iqc@iqc.ca to receive VIP access
For more information on the proposed Health Services Extension, and to provide us with your feedback visit 90794
www.studentspace.uwaterloo.ca
IQC0046_The_Quantum_Dance_AD-5x7.5.indd 1
9/24/09 8:41:22 AM
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 opinion@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
A heated advertising debate Friday, October 2, 2009 Vol. 32, No. 11 Student Life Centre, Room 1116 University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 P: 519.888.4048 F: 519.884.7800 http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca Editor-in-chief, 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 Ad Assistant, vacant Sales Assistant, Tony Tang Systems Admin., vacant Distribution, Sherif Soliman Distribution, Garrett Saunders Intern Lauren Bird, Paige Leslie Volunteer co-ordinator, Angela Gaetano 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 Editorial Staff Assistant Editor, Adrienne Raw Head Reporter, vacant Lead Proofreader, vacant Cover Editor, Katrina Massey News Editor, vacant News Assistant, Clara Shin Opinion Editor, vacant Opinion Assistant, Rosalind Gunn Features Editor, Keriece Harris Features Assistant, Simone Toma Arts & Entertainment, Dinh Nguyen Arts & E. Assistant, Robyn Goodfellow Science & Tech Editor, Bogdan Petrescu Science & Tech Assistant, Shirley Ma Sports & Living Editor, Brent Golem Sports & Living Assistant, Komal Lakhani Photo Editor, Peter Kreze Photo Assistant, Sophie Sanniti Graphics Editor, Peter N. Trinh Graphics Assistant, Sonia Lee Web Administrator, Paul Collier Web Assistant, Xiaobo Liu Systems Administrator, vacant System Administrator Assistant, vacant Production Staff Tejas Koshy, Omri Arbiv, Alicia Mah, Jacqueline McKoy Lambert, Michelle Fyita, Michelle Spiers, Paul Collier, Tom Levesque, Dayo Olawo, Deanna Ostafichuk, Paula Trelinka, Felicia Rahaman, Shama Andany, Dunja Damic, Lishni Salgado, Marta Sadowski, Erin Harrison, Ivan Lui, Joanita Nakimuli, Mehrnaz Jananzadeh Graphics Team Ian Cutajar, Majuratan Sadagopan, Xiaobo Liu Imprint is the official student newspaper of the University of Waterloo. It is an editorially independent newspaper publishedbyImprintPublications,Waterloo,acorporation without share capital. Imprint is a member of the Ontario CommunityNewspaperAssociation(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 newspaperdatabase,Websiteoranyotherproductderived 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 hasbeendistributedinanissueof Imprint,orImprintdeclares 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 07067380. Imprint CDN Pub Mail Product Sales Agreement no. 40065122. Next staff meeting: Monday, October 5 12:30 p.m. Next board of directors meeting: TBA
editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
A
s I write this sentence, there are six Imprint staff members sitting around my desk, arguing about the advertising insert that appeared in last week’s newspaper. “It’s offensive.” “We shouldn’t not let it through just because it’s offensive.” “It’s full of bad science.” “The only clear line people won’t argue about is the law, and it’s not illegal.” “Washing our hands because it’s advertising is the objective thing to do, but it feels wrong.” And so it went for twenty minutes. Last week’s insert has generated a lot of discussion. Before I launch into my editorial, I do want to thank everybody who has spoken to me. Though I’ve spent a lot of time this past week talking to people who are unhappy, their courtesy, manners, and calmness have been refreshing. I’m not going to try and convince anybody the ad should or shouldn’t have appeared. Some will consider it axiomatic that the advertising insert should have never appeared, and base all reasoning on extrapolation along those lines. Others have expressed concern that hastily implementing a screening process would make Imprint more politically culpable for advertising than the status quo. The task I’ve set before myself this week is to explore some aspects of the issue of advertising — though the issue is very, very complicated. I wish I had twice as much space. But hopefully, in the end, we’ll have a framework around which to base some common discussion.
History repeating itself
A campus furor erupting over one of Imprint’s advertising inserts is infrequent, but this is not the first time it’s happened. On October 4, 2002, the Church of Scientology paid for an advertising insert which caused a similar stir. As I keep repeating, I’m old — I remember this happening. You can find evidence of the outrage on the now-defunct UWStudent.org messageboards by googling “Readers react to Imprint dianetics insert”. Interestingly enough, the biggest problem people at the time had with that ad was it wasn’t clearly marked as such, whereas the recent controversial insert had “advertising supplement” printed on every page.
Greenpeace, because that’s a waste of time. Side note to students: yes, you’re a “market” now. Sad but true. There’s a reason why campus is eternally covered with posters, why there’s a part of the SLC (officially “vendor alley” I call it “the gauntlet”) filled with salespeople trying to sell you credit cards or chiropractic services, why you can’t even take a piss in the SLC without seeing an ad: lots of businesses want something from you. Be aware. Before I move on, I want to add one more thing. One of my volunteers remarked to me that the situation Imprint is currently in is reminiscent of a situation the American blog Talking Points Memo was in during their last election. Notably, they started running ads telling Californians to vote yes on Proposition 8, the amendment to ban gay marriage. The blog came under fire for these ads, but founder Josh Marshall wrote in their defence. “If we reject ads that we disagree with, every ad we accept becomes, to one degree or another, a de facto endorsement. In other words, if we run ads only from candidates or causes we support, then the ad relationship also becomes an endorsement relationship. Even worse, a paid endorsement. That threatens the integrity of what we do -- which is to report the facts we find and explain the opinions we have.” What is an advertisement?
One other concern that’s been brought to me is that the insert “wasn’t an advertisment” for various reasons. Because it was full of opinion, because it wasn’t trying to sell anything, various reasons. But I find the assertion interesting because it leads into an interesting philosophical question: what is an advertisement? I’m asking the question because the answer might be wider than what you’re picturing. Have you ever seen the series of Team Fortress 2 videos? Or the Will it blend? videos on floating around the internet? Though entertaining in and of themselves, those are advertisements. I said last week that I wasn’t popular in elementary school. Well, I was popular in high school — so much so, that when I graduated,
Does running an advertisement constitute an endorsement?
One of the concerns that had been brought to me repeatedly over the last week was that running an ad constitutes an endorsement — that the appearance scientifically flawed, pro-life advertisement in Imprint means the editorial staff or Imprint as a corporation finds it agreeable. Those forwarding this argument point to the bias in advertising in national and international media. You never see left wing ads on Fox News, for instance. It is true that you’ll see right wing ads dominate Fox, but there’s a reason for that — the dynamics are different on a university campus. Advertising isn’t concerned with politics so much as “markets.” Which ads run in the newspaper, as it stands, is more of a question of economics and marketing than it is of politics and endorsement. It’s not a matter of left wing or right wing here; the ads that appear in Imprint is a result of an equation with two parameters: “who has money?” and “who wants to reach students?” Thus you get ads from all the people who want something from students, be that money in exchange for goods and services (bars and restaurants) or mindshare (religious and political groups, and Feds for that matter). So yes, Fox has right wing adverts. But it’s not as if Fox chooses the advertisers because it’s what they believe, it’s the advertisers choosing Fox because that’s what right-wing people(their “market”) watch. It’s the same reasons you see video game ads in Computer Gaming World, or ads for Axe body spay in Maxim. If I’m the president of Exxon I’m not going to put an ad about a job opening in
my boss took out an 1/8 page advertisment in the local newspaper, the sole purpose of which was to congratulate me. It wasn’t trying to sell anything, and frankly whether I deserved to succeed in the future was just an opinion. Yet there it was, an ad. I’ll offer my own definition of an advertisement for your acceptance or criticism: an advertisement is a space which is rented out, and the actual owner
has minimal control over. The “minimal control” part is necessary — if a space is controlled too heavily by the advertisee (i.e., the newspaper), then you start running into the “compromising independence” issues outlined by Marshall. Imprint policy is malleable
Imprint is run by the students. The entirety of the board of directors is students. This board of directors is elected every February at our annual general meeting. It’s also where policy changes are voted in or rejected (though the policy changes are typically composed ahead of time). Any student who has paid their fee (that is, hasn’t gotten their fee refunded) is eligible to vote, and is eligible to run for the board of directors. Side note: the least helpful thing you could do is get your Imprint fee refunded, or stop reading the newspaper. That won’t change as much as coming to the annual general meeting and voting. There’s nothing stopping Imprint from implementing policies above and beyond the law. I noted that the insert was marked “advertising supplement”, but I also find it funny that CDs have more glaring warnings just for explicit lyrics. But once you start divorcing “what will Imprint accept as advertising” from “what is legal” you open up a whole sea of issues to navigate. The many ways in which we are damned
I’m not going to defend the insert itself. The thing is obviously a piece of propaganda. (Pro tip: any publication which aims for respectability will tell you who it’s from right on the cover, and not hide that information on page 2.) But even if you do consider it axiomatic the insert should have never been printed, there’s a minefield of issues to navigate. You can’t just ban advertisements one side of an issue (e.g. no pro-life ads) because then the newspaper is editorializing. You can’t just ban inserted magazines because that would be unfair to Warrior Insider. You can’t just ban ads which aren’t trying to sell anything, because then there’s no “happy birthday” or “congratulations for graduating” ads, not to mention political ads. You can’t just ban ads which make unverifiable claims because that’s almost every ad, quite frankly. (Imagine us dragged to court by a neo-prohibitionist group, arguing that Club Abstract’s ads violate the rule because “You need it” isn’t true. Think like a lawyer here — that’s what we’re up against.) Honestly, I was surprised by the advertising insert myself on Friday morning. (Current practice is that the editor-in-chief does not screen inserts; that is the purview of the advertising manager.) So regarding this particular matter, I was never put in a place where I could make a decision. But I was asked that if I were to make a decision, which would I make? Truth be told, I’m still not sure. I’m a strong believer in freedom of speech — and since the ad was booked via a group on campus (UW Students for Life) there are students on campus who share the point of view in the ad. But I also believe in freedom of association — that is, while any body can say whatever they want, we are not obligated to be their soapbox. It is that question — freedom of speech vs. freedom of association — which I expect to be explored by students in the coming weeks.
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Why i hate politics and why you should too mrowley@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
you need to shut yourself in your room and write incessant letters that will be ignored. It may make you think you need to put on tie-dye and stand outside City Hall with a misspelt sign. It may make you think that you will have to become “that guy� at parties, who can’t hear any conversation without talking about how [political leader] did [boring thing]. Ultimately, however, it means none of these things. Politics, essentially, describes the process of governing a country. In current Canada, this generally means a choice between three or four options (depending on where you live) who will, upon taking office, ignore their campaign promises and do whatever necessary to strengthen their position in the House of Commons. It means elections called not over any particular issue, but because the polls are favourable. It means policies that come from party leadership which are sold to voters, and not the other way around. This is the problem with current
politics: they are boring because our capacity to affect them in even the smallest way seems negligible. If we don’t like a policy, what can we do about it? If we don’t like our MP, how can we deal with them? Often, the answer is “not much.� Even understanding political questions, never mind forming an informed opinion on them, is difficult — to understand the news you have to read the news.
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everyone will agree with you, but that that’s okay. Our generation is unlike any other generation before us: we can organise ourselves and disseminate ideas with more ease than any other people in the history of the planet. The more we talk, the more we identify which things we all share, which things we can compromise over, and which things simply aren’t important at all. That, then, is what this column
the hope of getting people to talk. The trick is not to see which party talking head is right (hint: none of them!), but to see what they are really saying behind the rhetoric, why they are saying it, and whether what they’re saying reflects our ideas of Canadian values. If we don’t know what these values are, then we should discuss our ideas on the subject. These values can’t be imposed, they must come from us,
This is the problem with current politics: they are boring because our capacity to affect them in even the smallest way seems negligible.
So then, if we can’t change policies or get rid of our representatives, what can we do? How can we “get involved?� The answer is simple: think about your world, and share those thoughts. Discuss. Debate. Be open to new ideas. Accept that not
is about. Yes, it will examine political issues in the news, explain the multiple sides to the story, provide context, and help you to inform yourself. But more importantly, it will ask questions that do not necessarily have easy answers with
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his is a column about politics. Now, in any writing class, the first thing you learn is that you have about ten seconds to grab the attention of the reader, and when your column is about something as dry as politics, that’s not an easy job, but here goes anyway. Why should you read this column about politics? Because I think politics suck. Politics, of course, are important. Those guys in Ottawa make all sorts of decisions on your behalf, decisions regarding how much your education costs, how much you pay in taxes, what sorts of social services will be offered in your community, and how you receive your healthcare. All of these things have ramifications that affect not just you, but millions of your fellow Canadians, and the direction that the country as a whole is moving. Involving yourself in politics is the only way to make sure that your voice is heard. “Involving yourself in politics� is a phrase that has a lot of connotations. It may make you think
the normal, everyday people who make up this country. It’s our responsibility to make sure that the Canada we live in is truly the best it can be, so let’s all start talking about what that means.
peter n. trinh
Letters Re: What’s really wrong with the math C&D I’ve been a student here since 2000 and seen the best days of the Math C&D. I’ve been interm vicepresident of finance for Mathsoc and I’ve been on the Math C&D Management Board. Tim Hortons is only a fraction of the problem for the Math C&D, yet too often Timmy’s is used as a complete excuse for the C&D’s suffering. The C&D has fallen to one of the worst traps in business; their cost cutting has led to revenue reduction which leads to more cost cutting etc. The C&D is constantly out of stock for one item or an other. If people cannot find what they want, they will stop going to the C&D. Not to mention, walking through a half empty store is a
depressing experience which drives away customers. Employees always find one excuse or another for an item being out stock, instead of the proper response “we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.� It’s true that Timmy’s has taken away some of the C&D’s business—but Timmy’s offers a very narrow selection of food for lunch or dinner. It should not require a complete restructuring of the C&D to offer unique food items. For starters; healthy snacks and entrees (which are sorely lacking everywhere on campus). How about expanding the successful items? The baked goods are almost always gone by 1 p.m., yet the C&D never orders more. Plus, how come the Engineering C&D has lots of great baked goods that I’ve never seen in the Math C&D?
Participants Needed for Research on Dating Relationships
Finally, the C&D needs to judge any changes long term. After having let down customers for so long, it is going to take a while for people to come back. Greg Hines CS PhD Student
Re: Frosh Week Photo Feature As a frosh at the University of Waterloo, I’d have to say I’m proud to be here. I’ve done more cheering than ever before, and I’m looking forward to spending the next five years getting to know the place inside and out. Within a week of arriving here, I have learned of several things.
One: geese do not sleep on the same schedule as exhausted students. Two: UW has incredible diversity. I’ve met so many people from so many places, it’s mind boggling. And this is only on campus. Three: certain faculties overshadow others the way the new engineering building leers over the fine arts building (now is a good time to ask the questionanyone even know that name of the fine arts building?). I have always liked reading newspapers, and I found the frosh week edition entertaining and informative. I was excited to pick up the new issue and was thoroughly enjoying the writing when it all came to a crashing halt at the centerfold. Here was a lovely spread of Orientation Week, depicting us frosh... wait... what’s with the explosion of yellow
hard hats? There’s a dash of pink here and there, and a little AHS... but where are the arts people? The environment kids? Out of the eight images, three are of engineering students, and in two, the AHS shirts are visible. Either the photographers were keen on ignoring the rest of the faculties, and making the rest of us feel left out in the wake of another’s accomplishments, or there just wasn’t sufficient photographers for the event, or perhaps the images chosen were the best available, but this left a bitter taste in my mouth. Perhaps a little more variety next time? Alcina Wong 1A Arts
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Opinion
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Letters RE: “We know better now” advertisement I am writing about the outrageous advertising supplement included in last week’s Imprint. While Imprint is not historically a publication to shy away from making bold political statements, I believe that the paper went too far in allowing “humanlife.org” the opportunity to include a 12-page glossy advertising supplement. For those that missed out on “We know BETTER NOW,” this mini-newspaper presented heavily biased articles, quizzes, and comics about abortion,
Misleading information provided
I’m very disappointed in Imprint for allowing the Human Life Alliance to insert a massive advertisement in its latest edition —not because the message is pro-life, but because it is an enormous collection of deceit. A woman’s decision whether or not to have an abortion will impact the rest of her life, and the last thing she needs is propaganda masquerading as science. The most egregious offense in the advertisement was its outright academic dishonesty. It cherrypicks statistics and correlations and parades them as conclusive
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abstinence, and other sexual issues. As a newspaper that frequently includes sex columnists and dating experts, this seems to be a strong ideological departure for Imprint. Abortion is definitely a topic worthy of discussion. I myself have defended that in both the National Post (Letter to the Editor) and the Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/ article/310365). But any discussion of abortion needs to be just that, a discussion. By including this heavily biased newspaper in last week’s issue, Imprint has made a mockery
of the idea of balanced debate and discussion. The authors take a hard stance on the most controversial issue by claiming “Abortion kills a human being. It’s simple biology.” The advertisement also takes on feminism and the environmental movement by oversimplifying their messages to buzzwords. These are both vitally important movements in today’s society, and this publication is making a mockery of their value. To make matters worse, this advertisement also preaches an overly
conservative view of sex that is simply unrealistic in a university setting. The publication preaches about abstinence until marriage, even being so bold as to claim that sex is better if you are married. In their article “What About Birth Control?” the authors actually discourage the use of birth control techniques, likening the Pill to having an abortion! Alongside all this, the authors encourage adoption, which is basically admitting that students will continue to have sex. So they’re discouraging sexually active students from using
contraceptives, and instead encouraging women to supply babies to the adoption market. All the while, they’re saying that the environmentalists are crazy for preaching about overpopulation. No amount of advertising revenue can be worth the humiliation that Imprint should feel for including this damaging and repulsive publication in their newspaper.
connections. For example, it touts the claim that medically induced abortions raise a woman’s risk of breast cancer. It cites only the “Breast Cancer Prevention Institute” —a partisan organization dedicated not to science, but a pro-life stance. Additionally, none of the institute’s papers have been through a scientific peer review in a reputable publication. As concluded by the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society, there is no connection between breast cancer and induced abortions. However, the threat of cancer is frightening and it makes an excellent tool in
coercing the uninformed. Furthermore, the advertisement claims that abortions cause depression and suicide — again, this is a case of academic dishonesty. A broad 2008 report by the American Psychological Association contradicts this assertion and highlights that any connection between poor mental health and having multiple abortions is equivocal; having one abortion for an unplanned pregnancy was actually found to have no different mental consequences than carrying the pregnancy to term. The mental health section later lists dozens of alleged threats to a woman’s physical health
from botched abortions, but it does not list their frequency. Incidentally, it does not list the numerous threats to a woman’s health that childbirth itself brings. Being complacent during the spread of misinformation is a serious breach of ethics for a newspaper. For Imprint’s sake, I hope that future editors will make sure to vet articles and advertisements to make sure their contents are based in fact, particularly when the contents can have serious consequences.
Persons should look at the facts before deciding on abortion
Alexandr Diaz-Papkovich 4B Statistics
However, this is a direct slap in the face to the gay, lesbian and transgendered population (and to a certain extent the bisexual population) as homosexuality is the ultimate form of birth control. Ignorance by the pro-life movement against the LGBT population just continues to mount. When will these religious fundamentalists realize that homosexuality is a legitimate alternative for young men and women who want to be sexually active, but avoid the risk of pregnancy? — Trevor Jenkins
Imprint supporting propaganda, not freedom of expression
What Imprint now lacks in credibility is made up instead by advertising revenue generated when supplements such as the one by humanlife.org are included in a weekly issue. I have been an avid reader of
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Imprint for a very long time, and have seen a blurb innocently appear every week without fail in the Campus Bulletin regarding adoption. But thanks to your advertising supplement, included in the Friday September 25, 2009 issue, all doubts related to neutrality and unbiased journalism on Imprint’s part have been removed entirely. Would it be too much to ask that before you turn to balancing your budget, you come to terms with the fact that you’re supporting propaganda and not a freedom of expression? The advertising supplement by humanlife.org makes a mockery of every aspect of the act of life and resultant creation of life thereafter. It is a fount of misinformation represented in kitschy graphics while also including a nifty little comic strip detailing myth as fact and debasing the readership through gratuitous propagandizing. The eerily similar circumstances between this seemingly innocuous supplement to those various Psych-Ops Leaflets dropped over Allied air by Germany during World War II are quite apparent to most of us. Is this what our beloved Imprint has been reduced to? Mishal A Naseer 4A Faculty of the Environment
Including a “misleading supplement” without a disclaimer
I am writing to you to express my disgust at the “advertising-supplement” included in the recent issue of Imprint. This 11+ page spread, titled “We Know Better Now,” unabashedly biased towards the so-called “Pro-life” movement, masquerades itself as an informational pamphlet while in effect spewing misinformation and outright lies. I completely understand an advertiser’s right to free-speech, but I question the seriously faltering ethical standards of the Imprint publication if they’re capable of including such a misleading “supplement” with no disclaimer whatsoever. I, for one, will never read Imprint again, and I will encourage my peers to boycott the paper, unless an apology is immediately delivered in the next issue of Imprint, and all the advertising revenue generated from this debacle is donated in full to a Pro-choice charity. Anson MacKeracher 4A Computer Engineering
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Damaging effect of partisan advertisements
Importance of making pro-life information available to students
I was pleased to see the pro-life insert in last week’s Imprint. It is important for this information to be available to the student community. Students must be aware of the implications of abortion and the alternative choices available to them. Thank you for allowing this information to be distributed through the Imprint.
Dafne Gokcen 4B Double Environment Resource Studies, Honours Co-op Political Science Environmental Economics Option
Recently there was an advertising insert in Imprint titled, “We know better now.” When one of my classmates and I came across it during a lecture, we opened it to a two-page spread on the developmental stages of a child. The most significant thing we read was that a fetus’ heartbeat can be heard at the end of three weeks of pregnancy, and brain waves can be detected by the end of six weeks, both astounding facts. The insert also described an Ontario study of 41,039 women which showed a four times increase in hospitalizations for infections, five times increase for surgery, and five times increase for psychiatric problems in the three months after the women had had abortions. It is clear that abortion is not “safe,” nor is it only destroying “a bunch of cells,” as demonstrated by the heartbeat and brainwaves. Of course, everyone has the right to make decisions over their own body, but when this decision results in depression, suicidal tendencies, shame, and guilt, as well as risks of infertility and even cancer, how many would make that choice? I can’t take away your right to choose, but I would never recommend this to a friend as a safe, healthy choice. We should look at all the facts before making a decision like that. Ryan Mann 2B Electrical Engineering
Sharon LaPlume 3A Arts Homosexuality as the ultimate form of birth control
After reading the September 25 edition, I was thoroughly insulted by the ideas included in the educational pro-life insert. A major idea conveyed in the insert is that the only way to avoid getting pregnant without the use of contraceptives is through abstinence. However, this is a direct slap in the face to the gay, lesbian and transgendered population (and to a certain extent the bisexual population) as homosexuality is the ultimate form of birth control. Ignorance by the pro-life movement against the LGBT population just continues to mount. When will these religious fundamentalists realize that homosexuality is a legitimate alternative for young men and women who want to
be sexually active, but avoid the risk of pregnancy? This discrimination goes against everything our university stands for: “why not?” I hope that future inserts should be better researched and include all alternatives in order to establish a far more inclusive environment for everyone in the UW community and beyond. In its current form, the insert is far better suited for a Catholic high school celibacy club in Nebraska. I strongly hope that Imprint will use stricter guidelines when choosing to include pro-life material that isn’t inclusive of all groups. Trevor Jenkins 2A Management Engineering
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Canada’s protesting “dictators”
I persisted. “I work for Imprint. I am just wondering why you are removing these ads. The sponsors must have spent a lot of money on these you know?” One of these two women turned to me and said, “We are protesting.” I cringed. Please God, not another hippie perpetually protesting group. She continued, “It is misinformation.” I paused. My more cynical inner voice went “what ad isn’t?” However, they looked serious, almost upset. It might be a valid criticism. Still ignorant of the content of advertisement that had spurred such a bizarre form of protest, I began to explain to them gently that they could protest in more emancipating ways by buying up an ad in the newspaper—as the counter cause they were protesting had done—or by writing a commentary piece for the opinion section of the newspaper. It didn’t appear they got the message—clear as I believe I made it. I came back a few minutes later and the pile of advertising supplements they were about to dispose of was gone. It had been thoughtlessly buried, as were other like copies, in the recycling bin. Before I proceed, allow me to clarify an important point. This article has absolutely nothing to do with the debate surrounding this incident. I couldn’t care less about
unnecessary culture wars taking place in western society. (Besides, while I must admit my bitterness at how your incredulous debate has been exported all over the world by western aid money that remains a
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increasingly slanderous reporting. Nevertheless, the fact that only the government could determine for us what was factual and what was not was objectively seen to be a crime against our most basic freedom of
that the oppression of free speech is one of the greatest crimes, not just against the rights of human beings, whatever their creed, but also against the entire concept of “truth.” Freedom of speech is
In either case, no reasonable conclusion mandates that, especially in a case like this, we must deny others free speech to advance our own beliefs. Canada certainly does not need an autocratic speech police, whatever cause they may be “protesting.” Disposing of “misinformation” as African dictators are wont to do, rather than addressing its factual inaccuracies, is a sign of intellectual weakness.
topic of discussion for a later date.) Hence, my intention is not to join the plethora of voices shouting “foul” or “nay” at each other (for good reason I hope) on the pages of our esteemed paper, but to caution you to defend the single right that has made your country the envy of countries like mine: freedom of speech and expression. Since I was a youngling living in Nigeria, I have always been an avid reader of newspapers. They gave me eyes in a country that an impossible transportation system made difficult and often deadly terrain for travel. Although, I was eventually opportune to travel my country widely, a privilege many in Nigeria still lack today, newspapers still afforded me the opportunity to “see” places and “hear” things that enlightened me about my country like nothing else. This is especially unfortunate because as I consistently argue, it is this disconnect between my country people that is at the root of the conflict and underdevelopment that plagues us today. However, I had an enemy that made my job difficult, the government. Unfortunately, the government—both federal and provincial—censored newspapers. The attempt at censorship was so brazen that at times, the pages of the newspaper did not correspond so that everyone in the country knew that the management of such publication must have been forced out of bed at midnight to remove content the government considered offensive—at the printing press. Thankfully, there were a few radical publications that would attempt to resist the government’s oppression. However, they were strangely scarce. With time we learned that soldiers would visit vendors in the wee hours of the morning to buy up all of the newspapers. The vendors were mandated to sell these papers on the pain of death. One or two conscientious vendors would hide a few stacks to sell to regular people, hence the scarce quantities that remained testament to a truth the government thought to be worth hiding. Now, I am not suggesting that the content of these newspapers were always factual. In fact, now that Nigeria has greater press freedom, many readers are beginning to doubt their earlier resolve in the face of
expression. It was for us to choose what was factual. While to many of you, it may seem a stretch to compare two passionate and socially conscious students of this institution to African dictators, I consider myself justified in making this comparison. That those well dressed, “protesting” ladies are not brutal armed soldiers or that this “well-meaning” cause is not the interest of the state does not ameliorate the atrocity. Regardless of the context, at the heart of this incident is a condemnable act of oppression. In fact, that such a deplorable act can take place in the Canadian context of a liberal democracy makes this even more pathetic. Nevertheless, it is clear
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I
had always believed “protest” to be the truest form of freedom of speech and expression—at least until Monday evening last week. I had been away over the weekend and as a result, did not have an opportunity to pick up a copy of Imprint. Naturally, as I consider religious reading of the newspaper I write for to be priority, I proceeded to the newspaper stacks in front of the Imprint office to grab my copy. On my arrival, I found that I had strange company. There were two smartly dressed girls with a red box lingering around the stacks systematically removing copies of the weeks advertising supplement and dumping them in the paperrecycling bin. Environmentally friendly? Yes, but strange all the same. I looked at their faces. They bore neither the warm familiarity of Imprint staff nor the inquisitive congeniality of Imprint volunteers, present or prospective. Knowing very well that Imprint has had issues with mischief-makers voiding large consignments of Imprint newspapers to recycling bins all over campus, I sought to engage these strangely unique individuals in a conversation of some sort. I proceeded to inquire in the politest of tones “Good evening ladies, what is your business here? Are you interested in becoming an Imprint volunteer? Picking up newspapers?” A strange eerie silence accorded my inquisition. With clockwork efficiency they continued their dastardly act. They were probably considering ignoring this individual in strange “African” clothes and unkempt hair who was unnecessarily accosting them.
important so that no government or individual has a monopoly on truth. While these young ladies may have believed they were “protesting misinformation” a civilized society as yours requires that you challenge the facts of whatever you may consider “misinformation” and allow the general public to determine what or where exactly the “truth” of the matter lies. It is for this reason that even the slanderous Nigerian media is not about to be silenced forever—so we do not have an arbitrary determination of what may be objectively considered “truth.” Now I know the traditional counterpoint to this claim on freedom of speech that your political science professors imbue you with
in Political Science 101—the “fire in the crowded theatre” example. Although I remain unconvinced of how such an outdated instance justifies oppression of freedom of speech (especially in this age of orderly emergency procedures for every building—including theatres), we must consider especially that such “dangers” are not even remotely imminent in any logical consideration of this particular circumstance. Thus you have to ask, “What could be the legal (or other) justification for censoring a public notice without legitimate authorization from Imprint, the only organization legally empowered to undertake such action.” Is it some perverse train of thought that assumes a monopoly on what is “correct information”? Or does an approach to the freedom of expression (that is, protest) necessarily mandate a repression of the same to others? In either case, no reasonable conclusion mandates that, especially in a case like this, we must deny others free speech to advance our own beliefs. Canada certainly does not need an autocratic speech police, whatever cause they may be “protesting.” Disposing of “misinformation” as African dictator’s are wont to do, rather than addressing its factual inaccuracies, is a sign of intellectual weakness. Denying students the opportunity to make a free and personal choice on the credibility of public information does not seem, especially to me, very “pro-choice.”
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Opinion
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Community Editorials Insight into University of Waterloo’s Student Refugee Program Miyar De’Nyok Environment and
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resource studies
he University of Waterloo Student Refugee Program was launched in 2006. This program is designed to help refugee students who have been displaced by civil wars and have no access or means to further their post-secondary education. In August 2006 UW’s first refugee student arrived. Subsequently each year an additional student has been sponsored. This past week two sponsored students, including the first female, have arrived to start their degrees at UW thanks to the partnership with the University Colleges, undergraduate student body and UW senior administration. This is great news. The Student Refugee Program
is one part of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a Canadian-based international development organization. Lisa ter Woort, a staff member at Co-operative Education and Career Services advises and works with the students to help run program of the SRP. The SRP is now a service and delivered in partnership with the Federation of Students. The WUSC SRP local committee/service club ensure that when a refugee is sponsored the student is given a detailed orientation that includes logistical, social, financial, and academic aspects. Just think all the paperwork and identification we use every day in Canada; including Canadian ID, a social insurance number, permanent resident card as the refugees obtain this status once they arrive in Canada. In addition there is uni-
versity identification, such as the WAT card, and health insurance identification. The students participates in orientation week activities as part of their academic and social orientation at UW. A number of UW students participating in the SRP volunteer act as mentors to students in his/her first year at UW to assist in the difficult transition from life at a refugee camp to becoming a successful student in Canada and the University of Waterloo. The UW SRP offers each student the following: a tuition waiver for one year which includes English language upgrading at Renison, accommodations, and meal plan at a college. This year Conrad Grebel is hosting both studentsfor two years, a small monthly stipend. After the two-year period, and provided the sponsored student is at that time
a full time student, s/he can apply for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to complete their education. The SRP is funded by a student levy of $1 per undergraduate student. In 2007, the WUSC local committee conducted a referendum, appealing to all UW students to pay an additional $1when they pay their tuition fees. The referendum was successfully adopted with the provision that this additional $1 is refundable to those who need or request it. Hence, all UW students are a great asset to the ongoing sustainability of the SRP. Each year the SRP has a stakeholders’ meeting usually held in November when the details of the previous years activities are shared with all those who are interested and who have contributed. Any undergraduate
student that supports the program may attend this meeting. Therefore, it is a great pleasure to thank every student for their generosity toward changing the life of these individuals who would not otherwise had a chance to pursue their education. This year WUSC would like to invite all students who are interested in joining the WUSC SRP local committee to support our sponsored students and to learn more about the issues of social injustice that create the situations for refugees around the world. Join, help address this issue, and together we can change the world. Thank you for making a difference to the life of a refugee. Please see the Student Refugee Program for more details (srp@feds. ca), or Sarah Cook, Vice-President Internal (vpin@feds.ca)
Don’t Turnitin Justin Williams VP education
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for faculty to interact with students in the production and completion of assignments. When students decided to opt-out and speak out against programs like Turnitin.com or pay to use online quizzes/assignments they
are sending a message that they oppose the growing distant and adversarial relationship between students and faculty. jewillia@mail.feds.uwaterloo.ca
social space services and resources
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study space
s September has just ended, I have already heard from a number of students about faculty members’ use of Turnitin.com. In what is an unfortunate, but common occurrence, this software is being introduced for use, while the policies to govern it are still being agreed upon. One such agreement that was recently approved by Senate Undergraduate Council is that faculty members using the plagiarism detection software must ensure that students in their courses know that they have the option of opting out of the software. The alternative to be made available to the student; sadly, is still undecided and is likely going to remain up to the professors discretion for the foreseeable future. The Federation of Students continues to be opposed to plagiarism detection software on a number of important grounds: protection of intellectual freedom, promotion of a supportive educational environment, and our belief that the use of Turnitin.com is against the University of Waterloo’s own policies. That being said, however, in this article I would like to suggest that students opt out of Turnitin.com on completely separate
grounds. I would like to promote opting out of the program for grounds that will support a student’s learning and protect the relationship between faculty and students. Interestingly one of the most important reasons that a student should opt-out of Turnitin.com is that the alternatives are potentially better for his or her development as a researcher and a writer. In consultation regarding the implementation of Turnitin. com, the alternatives discussed have focused around two ideas: annotated bibliographies and handing in research stages. While increased classroom sizes and demands on faculty members’ time (combined with technology which allows them to move away from their principle task of supporting and nurturing students) has reduced the amount of resources that many faculty expend on each student. However, when a student chooses not to participate in the program, the alternatives as stated above will actually support their development as researchers and writers as they engage in more advanced research and design supported by faculty. Second, opting out of the use of plagiarism software is a clear statement of opposition to the current nature of much faculty and student interaction. Technology, while at times incredibly useful, has reduced the need
student life
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12
Opinion
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Community Editorial Folding paper: unfolding unity Sarah Mae Baxter
W
respondent
hen people discuss origami (the art/science of folding paper) the discussion seems to centre around “why?” Why fold paper into shapes? (See Imprint feature, July 10, 2009.) The symbolism of folding a thousand paper cranes to overcome illness is legendary, but stories involving quantity over quality of origami bypass the nature of the art/science itself. For origami enthusiasts, it is the process of folding paper that counts. It is the action in and of itself that transforms a twodimensional, flat piece of paper into something more. Beyond this, it is the process of using geometrical folds, a mathematical
and scientific process to create something beautiful that truly sets origami apart into a league of its own. What other art form fundamentally relies on science and mathematics for its intricacy and beauty? What other scientific or mathematical exploration results in the beauty of intricate designs constructed out of nothing but paper and ingenuity? The paper-saving, green movement towards electronic versions of documents only has one fault in my mind, and that is the loss of the tangible, foldable paper. Paper holds within it such potential, and carries with it intricate memories of folds past. Most people think of paper cranes, or simple sail boats when they hear “origami,” but there is so much potential in
paper that literally anything can be created from the simplest base when you approach it with the stellar combination of mathematical ingenuity and artistic creativity. Although, here at Waterloo, faculties tend to remain quite divided, origami, for me, represents the possibility of unity. It is a location where common ground exists, and thrives, and depends on the integration of multiple perspectives. Within paper, representatives from all the faculties have a voice, and participate together to shape an exciting outcome. If anyone is still thinking “It’s just paper, how cool can it be?” I challenge you to peruse French origami artist Eric Joisel’s website, www.ericjoisel.com. This is what I’m talking about. This is awesome.
Features
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 features@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
A fitness Journey 40 years old and an undergrad
Peter Trinh
Steven R. McEvoy staff reporter
I
n this second article on a fitness journey, I will be reviewing Phase II of P90X, discussing difficulties and setbacks, and highlighting the overall benefits of the program or healthy lifestyle changes in general. After achieving great results in Phase I, I had some setbacks and encountered difficulties in Phase II right away. The first day of Phase II while I was wrestling with my son, my daughter decided to come to his aid, she dove onto my back as I was laying outstretched on the floor, and landed just below my shoulder blade with both knees. She bruised some ribs and the bruise was visible on the surface for days. It is still bothering me today. However I decided to follow two of Tony Horton’s Mantra’s “Do you best and forget the rest!” and “Modify, Modify and Modify.” I continued to push play every day and managed to workout each of the 28 days of Phase II. Phase II is very similar to Phase I in that the first three weeks you do the same workouts and then have a recovery week. Because I began on a Monday my workouts Monday through Sunday for Phase I were: Chest & Back & Ab Ripper X, Plyometrics, Shoulder & Arms & Ab Ripper X, Yoga X, leg & Back and Ab Ripper X, Kempo X and X-Stretch or rest. For Phase II The Monday and Wednesday workouts change to Chest & Shoulders & Triceps & Ab Ripper X for Mondays and for Wednesdays Back & Biceps & Ab Ripper X. Then both recovery weeks are Yoga X on Monday and Saturday, Core Synergistics on Tuesday and Friday, Kenpo X on Wednesday, X Stretch on Thursday and optional on Sunday. For me personally I find it easier to workout every day, I find if I take a day off, it can easily become two or five or 10. So I always do the stretch routine on Sundays just to get a workout in. In this phase I had to modify Ab Ripper X, Instead of attempting 25 reps of 11 different exercises, I had to drop out four exercises because the starting position was too painful on the ribs. What I did do was focus on adding reps or improving form on the rest of the exercises. By the end of the third workout week I had 25 reps in 9 of the 11 exercises and had started and was up to eight reps for the last 2. The important thing was I pushed play on the video’s each day, I worked through the pain and through a cold in Week 2. Some days with the cold combined with the ribs I did not want to workout. What has kept me going was seeing the changes thus far, my longterm goals and being accountable to two other guys for working out. I started P90X with two other guys, my brother in Kingston, and a buddy a Graduate from UW. Neither of them made it past Week 1. But each day after working out I email them and report my workout and some comments. Like that I puked the first time I did core synergistics, or I still suck at yoga, or upped reps or weight on every exercise. That accountability really helped me to push play when I was under the weather. It is a great motivational factor. The other thing I am finding is the further I get into the program and the more results I see, the better I feel the more I am focusing on the nutrition side. I find myself reading labels and comparing nutritional information even on protein bars. I find I am less and less willing to cheat and physically feel it more when I do. We went out for dinner with family for my daughters third birthday, I had about eight or ten french fries. It was the first fried food I had had since starting. Later that night I felt terrible. My workout was compromised because of the junk fuel in the system. I could not believe the
difference it made. To really achieve optimum results you need to clean up the nutrition as well as exercising more. Now a look at Phase II results. My results in Phase II were better than expected, I did not do any measurements other than the scale during the four weeks. For full results see chart for complete details and comparisons with day 0 and day 28. However in summary I have gone from 34.7 per cent body fat to 14.2 in 56 days. My resting heart rate has dropped by 11 beats per minute. I have reached 10 of 13 goals for the fitness test and 8 of 14 for measurements. I have also dropped from 244lbs to 218lbs in just 56 days. Phase III will end on October 25th. The next piece in this series will run the week after that.
The important thing I learned this month was to keep at it. Even if I slowed down to keep exercising daily and keeping making wise nutritional choices. I am feeling better, sleeping better and find my overall quality of life has improved. Those are expected results, what I did not expect was for people to notice as much, and make as many comments. I have about a half dozen friends pick up the program with plans to start it. I have now worked out 56 days in a row. I am starting to plan ahead for what to do after the program is over. When I started it was a countdown, a certain number of days left in my 90 day program, I am now counting up 56 days of working out in a row, of being healthy and active the rest of my life. smcevoy@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Campus Bulletin UPCOMING Monday, October 5, 2009 “Selections from Leisure Trophies: part II,” Andrea Carvalho at the Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener City Hall, 200 King St. W., Kitchener. For more info contact 519-741-3400, ext 3381. Tuesday, October 6, 2009 Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) information session at Renison College, UW, 240 Westmount Road, Waterloo from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. in the Chapel Lounge. For more info www.renison. uwaterloo.ca/social-work/. Waterloo Tamil Student Association presents its annual general meeting/frosh party. An opportunity to mingle, play games, exciting performances and more at the Bombshelter Pub, SLC, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, October 12, 2009 TVO is on the hunt for Ontario’s best lecturer with their 2010 Best Lecturer Competition. Lots of nominations are taking place. New categories this year is favourite professor and Facebook fan page. For further info email Sally at Sally.Byun@can.ddbpr.com or www.tvo.org/bigideas. October 15-17, 2009 Grand opening of Conestoga Mall, Waterloo, 130,000 square foot addition from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy the art-inspired festivities. For more info info@conestogamall.com. Thursday, October 27, 2009 UW World Vision will be holding an African Water Walk. All proceeds go to help build a well in an African city. For more info and pledge forms, visit www.uwwv.ca or email us at more info@uwworldvision.clubs.feds.ca. Thursday, November 5, 2009 Femfest 2009 fundraiser – a celebration of women – 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Schwaben Club, Kitchener. Come for an evening of free pampering and do some shopping in our silent auction. Check out www.sascwr.org for ticket and event details.
UW RECREATION COMMITTEE UW Recreation Committee events are open to all employees of the University of Waterloo. Register by emailing uwrc@admmail.uwaterloo. ca. UW Book Club meetings – October 21 – “Dreams from my Father” by Barack Obama ; November 18 – “So Brave, Young and Handsome” by Leif Engler ; December 16 – “Child 44” by Tom Rob Smith. Details www. uwrc.uwaterloo.ca.
STUDENT AWARD & FINANCIAL AID For all in-person inquiries, including OSAP funding pickup, your SIN card and government issued, valid photo ID are required. Please note that the BIYD card is no longer accepted as photo ID. October 8: OSAP application deadline and deadline to submit Signature Pages and Supporting documentation for fall only. October 23: OSAP application deadline (full funding) – fall and winter or fall, winter and spring applications. October 27: deadline for OSAP Reviews. OSAP funding pickup will take place from September 8 to 29 in the Tatham Centre by appointment only. Visit safa.uwaterloo.ca for a full listing of scholarships and awards.
VOLUNTEERING Student representation wanted! One year appointment available (2010) to be on the Regional Growth Management Strategy/Rapid Transit Public Advisory Committee. Resume deadline is Friday, October 16/09. For more info www.region.waterloo. on.ca/rgms or call 519-575-4757, ext 3097. 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. Volunteer with a child at their school and help improve their self-esteem and confidence. One to three hours a week commitment. Call Canadian Mental Health at 519-744-7645, ext 229. City of Waterloo has volunteer opportunities. For info call 519-8886478 or www.waterloo.ca/volunteer. The Distress Centre needs volunteers to provide confidential, supportive listening on our crisis and distress lines. Complete training provided. Call 519-744-7645, ext 300. Volunteer Action Centre, 519-7428610 / volunteer@volunteerkw.ca, for all your volunteering needs! Deliver or befriend through Community Support Connections. Deliver meals, drive seniors to appointments or visit one for a few hours each week. Contact Kate Lavender at 519-772-8787 or katel@communitysupportconnections.org. Hey Hot Stuff! Volunteering at Imprint is fun, easy, helps you meet people and boosts resumes and grad
NEED A PART-TIME JOB? The following positions are available at
IMPRINT The University of Waterloo’s official student newspaper
Systems Administrator
Up to 15 hours/week at $11/hour. Candidates will have Webmail server administration experience, be familiar with medium scale Linux network administration, SAMBA file management, Windows XP workstations, LDAP authentication and Apache admin. Duties include maintaining and strengthening our office’s network system. Applicants must be full-time students and eligible for OSAP. Please send resume to editor@imprint.uwaterloo.ca.
school applications. All welcome, regardless of experience. volunteer@ imprint.uwaterloo.ca. Volunteers needed – The English Tutor program is in constant need of volunters to tutor international students. Volunteering is an essential prt of student life at UW. Apply online at www.iso.uwaterloo.ca.
CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS Sign up for these workshops at www. careerservices.uwaterloo.ca. All workshops are held in the William M. Tatham Centre for Co-operative Education and Career Services. Friday, October 2 – Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Thursday, October 28 – 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., TC 2218. Note: there is a prerequisite for this workshop. Please see Workshop Registration at the end of these listings. Work Stratagies for the International Students – 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., TC 2218. Wednesday, October 28 – 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., TC 2218. Note: First hour of the session covers general work search stratigies; last half hour details visa requirements. There is a prerequisite for this workshop. Please see Workshop Registration at the end of these listings. Faculty of Education Talks – 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 2218. Tuesday, October 6 – 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., TC 2218. Tuesday, October 6 – Hot Tips from the Pros! – 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., TC 2218. Entrepreneurship – A Student’s Perspective! – 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., TC 1208. Applying to Teacher Education Programs – 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Networking 101 – 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., TC 1208. Note: there is a prerequisite for this workshop. Please see Workshop Registration at the end of these listings. Wednesday, October 7 – Thinking About an International Experience? – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Thursday, October 8 – Work Search Stratigies – 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., TC 1208. Note: there is a prerequisite for this workshop. Please see Workshop Registration at the end of these listings. Thursday, October 13 – Successfully Negotiating Job Offers – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Note: This workshop is geared toward graduating students. Are You Thinking About Med School? Perspectives of a Waterloo Grad – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., TC 2218. Wednesday, October 14 – Law School Applications – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 2218. Writing CVs and Cover Letters – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Note: Go to the CTE website to register for this work-
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Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 ads@imprint.uwaterloo.ca shop: cte.uwaterloo.ca/events_registration/CUT_events.html. Thursday, October 15 – Success on the Job – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., TC 1208. Exploring Your Personality Type (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) Part 1 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., TC 1112. Part 2 – Thursday, October 22 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30, TC 1112. Note: There is a materials charge of $10.00 payable at Career Services prior to the first session. Once you have registered and paid, you will be given information on how to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) online. The online test must be completed a few days prior to the workshop date. Monday, October 19 – Career Interest Assessment (Strong Interest Inventory) – 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., TC 1112. Note: There is a materials charge of $10.00 payable at Career Services prior to the first session. Once you have registered and paid, you will be given information on how to complete the Strong Interest Inventory online. The online test must be completed a few days prior to the workshop date. Teaching Philosophy Statement – 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., TC 2218. Note: Go to the CTE website to register for this workshop: cte.uwaterloo.ca/events_registration/CUT_events.html. Wednesday, October 21 –Professional and Post Degree Days – 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., SLC Great Hall – Thursday, October 22 – 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., SLC Great Hall. Monday, October 26 – Working Effectively in Another Culture – 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., TC 2218. Acedemic Interview – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Note: Go to the CTE website to register for this workshop: cte.uwaterloo.ca/events_registration/ CUT_events.html. Tuesday, October 27 – Business Etiquette and Professionalism – 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., TC 2218. Profesional School Interviews – 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., TC 1208. Careers in Public Service – 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., TC 2218. Interview Skills: Preparing for Questions – 3:30 to 5:00 p.m., TC 1208. Wednesday, October 28 – 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., TC 1208. Note: There is a prerequisite for this workshop. Please see Workshop Registration at the end of these listings. Workshop Registration Required Modules at cdm.uwaterloo.ca – if you have completed any of these modules in the Career Development eManual or Co-Fundamentals (PD1, COOP 101, Co-op Fundamentals for Engineering or Co-op Fundamentals for Pharmacy) you have satisfied this requirement and may register for the workshop. To register for Interview Skills: Preparing for Questions, complete this module with-
Participants Needed For Research In Slot Machine Gambling We are looking for experienced slots players (people who play at least twice a month) for a one hour study on features that make slot machines so exciting. Participants will play a slot machine while non-invasive measurements of heart rate, finger perspiration and pupil dilation are made. In appreciation for your time, you will receive $20, and an additional $10 depending on your end balance. To be eligible you must: (1) not be taking anxiety reducing medications, (2) not have heart problems, (3) not be in treatment for problem gambling, and (4) be between 19 years and 65 years of age. If interested, please email UWgamblingstudy@gmail.com or call Danielle or Michelle at 519-888-4567 ext 37187 This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, the Office of Research Ethics, University of Waterloo
in Marketing Yourself Interview Skills ; To register for Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills, complete this module within Marketing Yourself Interview Skills ; To register for Networking 101, complete this module within Marketing Yourself Work Search ; To register for Work Search Strategies, complete this module within Marketing Yourself Work Search. To access the module, go to cdm.uwaterloo.ca and select the UW student version of the Career Development eManual.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Office of the Vice-President, Academic & Provost released an update on H1N1 Influenza related absences on September 21 to all UW faculty, staff and student associations. See the Daily Bulletin, September 22 edition and Imprint, September 18 edition, page 14 for all up-to-date info on H1N1.
ONGOING MONDAYS Gambling can ruin your life. Gamblers Anonymous, 7 p.m. at St Marks, 825 King Street, W, basement. September to October MT Space presents Impact 09 – a 10 day International theatre festival featuring shows from three continents plus workshops, readings and more. For ticket info call 1-800-265-8977 or www.mtspace.ca.
Classified COURSES
Learn to bartend in one weekend. Smart Serve included, students discounts available. Get certified and prepare for a fun part-time job during school! Visit us www.HappyHoursBartending.com or call 1-866-494-0979.
SERVICES Does your thesis or major paper need a fresh pair of eyes to catch English spelling and grammar errors? Thesis English editing, $50/hour. Five business day turnaround. Neal Moogk-Soulis, ncmoogks@uwaterloo.ca.
HOUSING
Attention Cambridge School of Architecture students! Live conveniently and comfortably right across the street from school in this beautifully renovated apartment. 4, 8 and 12-month leases available with excellent signing bonuses and rental incentives! Call Joanne at 519-746-1411 for more details.
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.. Social Media Co-ordinator – bring your web and social media skills to work for the Feds newest part time job opportunity this term. Email resume to monn@feds.uwaterloo.ca. Full job description at www.feds.ca. MCAT prep company seeks Marketing Manager at University of Waterloo. Eight to ten hours per week tailored to your schedule. Pay $100/week plus performance bonuses. Job consists of promoting our prep courses to University of Waterloo students. Full training provided. Interested? Email our resume to prep101@gmail.com. Cora Breakfast/Lunch – now hiring for new location at Waterloo Town Square. To be considered for a position you must attend the interviews held at the Knox Presbyterian Church (50 Erb Street, W) on October 16 from 4 to 9 p.m. or October 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bring two copies of your resume. Grand opening is November 16.
Features
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
15
Are you 1 in 4?
W
e all have days where we want to be alone, away from the hustle, the demands, and the chaos of every day life, but what if the choice wasn’t ours? What if each day became harder than the last, darker than the last and left you feeling more disconnected and worthless than the one before? To bring attention to October being Mental Health Awareness Month, this past week I sent out a call to those around me to refrain from acknowledging my very existence in order that I might feel the plight of those who suffer from the solitude that mental illness can bring. Of those that live with a mental illness, 50 per cent have no close relationships and 13 per cent having had no physical contact in the last year. So by request I asked for no touching, no talking, no texting, no emails, no eye contact and no friendly smiles. Before you begin to judge me on my attempt to replicate something I can’t possibly relate to, let me share a little bit of myself with you. It may surprise those of you that know me well that I didn’t always greet the morning with a jump on the bed and a call out that ‘today is going to be a great and wonderful day’. It is an uncomfortable and squeamish feeling for me to imagine those I know reading what’s to follow but I’ve risked all of this for you, because odds are (1 in 4 actually) that this is directed at you, either now or in the future. If not take a look around you and imagine that every fourth person you see could write a similar story. There is a reason I didn’t graduate high school until I was 22 or that I have unexplainable scars on my body and why I wake up each morning now, embracing each day as the best one I’ve ever had. I was once there sitting in the dark, alone, afraid of myself, bathing in an emotional pain that kept me clenching to my bed for days and to thoughts of “why can’t it just end?” But this isn’t about me, this is about the people who are still there, every day, wondering “what’s the point?” and “why me?” It is for these people that I revisited old ghosts and retired masks. The point is not to burden you with black clouds but to make you realize these people and these issues live amongst you. We sit beside you in your classes, we ride the bus with
jgoodhand@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
you to school and we may very well be your best friend. Not even 12 hours since I said goodbye to my boyfriend and questioned the toll this would have on our beautiful and blossoming relationship, the walls are already closing in. Sitting alone in my room while my entire family of friends head to the Bomber to celebrate the birthdays of two of my favourite people, along with the other couple hundred people who line up in the SLC each Wednesday night. The day is over and the closest I came to contact with another human being was the green “touch here” sign on the doors exiting the #7 on my way home. What I wouldn’t do to be mashed in the middle of the sweaty Bomber dance floor to get accidently swiped by someone I don’t know. On my way to a doctor’s appointment this morning, a man accidentally brushed my hand and apologized... I felt like saying “thank you.” The doctor at the clinic asked me if I was depressed, I stalled, and produced a smile from deep inside that received a “you don’t look depressed” response. A flash back to a councilor saying the same thing to me years ago just hours before I went home to spend days in the dark, heart bursting with pain and the fear of being alone with myself. We think our society is accepting of the mentally ill but the pressure to be happy and in control leaves those who are suffering to hide their true feelings. Sitting in a waiting room, a few tests later and no one to talk to about it with because there is no one. This is the reality of so many people dealing with issues of mental health. The fear of sharing, the anxiety of going through it alone and of having no one that cares. I feel like the roommate you’ve lived with for three months and you still can’t pronounce my name, so you don’t and we go about our lives as if the other isn’t there. Only outside of these walls you have the life I’ve always wanted and I move around in the open space of a world of billions of people who never notice my existence. The faces and the people I have known as sources of comfort and inclusion stare blankly back at me and I feel lost in the stream. Even at the obedience of the white walk-man sign I feel invisible and as though I might be crushed by an oncoming car…would anyone care?
Courtesy Majuratan Sadagopan
I’m beginning to question what I am doing to myself and how I will ever get out. I am not a good sad person, which is why I play in the “life is amazing,” “couldn’t imagine a brighter day” park most days. Now I’m wondering where the “let me out” button is. Do I just “surprise! I’m back” it to everyone? I’m remembering now that it wasn’t that easy the first time and a deep fear that it won’t be this time either. My body is aching for even the slightest brush of someone else unwilling to move over on the sidewalk. At this point I would do anything to take the challenge of giving up meat all over again or go a day without electricity for a glimpse of the life I loved just days ago. The brain is a powerful thing. Every time the natural words of selfencouragement and optimism would seep into my head I would respond to them with words of impossibility and self-destruction. Days of this and the fear that I will fall into something I’m not strong enough to fight by myself made me decide to open the curtains, look up from the ground and embrace the arms of those around me. For most it is not a simple flick of a switch, it is a daily endeavour to do the things that the majority of us take for granted as being natural and enjoyable. If this article speaks to you or if you are depressed or feeling thoughts of suicide you don’t have to face this alone. I can’t claim to share your feelings or know your pain but what I can do is promise you there is a life worth
not only living for but fighting for on the other side and it is more beautiful and fulfilling than you could imagine. If you want to share with me your stories of triumph or your current battles I will listen with an open and compassionate heart. If you see me on campus smile and I will smile back because you are worth acknowledging and I know you are someone worth living. It is never too late to turn your life around and create the life you’ve always wanted for yourself, but I am not a professional and I encourage you to contact one. I would like to encourage everyone to use what you have to bring joy to the lives of those around you. Look up when you are walking through campus and smile at people you’ve never met. We may face competition in every other aspect of our lives but when it comes to happiness and compassion we are in this together and no one wins in a world filled with misery and isolation. To support Mental Health Awareness Month, UW is acknowledging Suicide Awareness Prevention Day on October 20th and would like to encourage you to wear a white fabric strip somewhere on your body, or a piece of string, as a visible sign of the need to end silence around suicide. Fabric strips will be available at the SLC and in residences on campus all day on Oct. 20, or make your own. If someone has confided in you that they have thoughts of suicide or you are worried about the change in behaviour of a close friend tell
28 King Street, N WATERLOO
Dirty Burger Days
them about your concern. Be patient, many times people who are depressed don’t know why they are and can get frustrated or become hesitant to share. Don’t push them to tell you what is wrong but let them know you are there when they want to open up. If it is uncomfortable to talk to someone close to you about suicide and depression write them a letter about how important their life is to you. Encourage them to talk to a professional and don’t ever hesitate to call an emergency service if you think they are going to take their life.
For Assistance: University of Waterloo resources: Counselling Services 519-8884567 x32655 Health Services 519-888-4096 UW Police on campus ext. 22222 off campus 519-888-4911 Kitchener/Waterloo Resources Crisis Services of Waterloo 519-744-1813 or 1-800-3664566 CMHA Distress Line 519-745-1166 Youth Line 519-745-9909 Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 (anyone can call regardless if you are under 18) Grand River Hospital 519-742-3611
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16
Features
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
hitching a ride
Ryan Regier reporter
I
coughed in the dirt cloud left by yet another speeding truck. These truck drivers seem to be teasing me, slowing down when they get close and then slamming on the accelerator. The spinning wheels shooting the dirt from the road into my eyes and lungs. I can imagine them laughing as they watch me coughing and crying in their rear-view mirror. I project evil thoughts at them as they drive away. But when the truck passes and the dust clears, it’s just me and the road. And again I find myself questioning, “Why the hell am I doing this?� Hitchhiking is an eye-opening experience. People driving by stare at you like you’re a caged animal at the zoo. Hitchhikers, as movies, novels and parents tell us, are mentally insane criminals who simply hitchhike to get people alone so they can kill them. However, while most people would stare at me openly, some would refuse to make eye contact with me at all, for fear that I could kill them with a glance (which I found myself wishing after two hours with my thumb out). My strategy for getting cars to stop for me was to try and look as innocent and harmless as possible. I was hoping I would remind people of their children or long lost friends, but still nobody seemed to be picking me up. As soon as I was ready to throw in the towel and quit, someone would stop. Since everyone considers hitchhikers to be insane, I was expecting to be picked up by a person just as insane as I was. Thankfully, I was mistaken. My first ride was probably one of the happiest experiences of my life. Nothing had ever looked more beautiful than this rusted old truck stopping just in front of me. I stared in shock and amazement, and it wasn’t till he waved his hand out his window that I realized that this was actually happening. I tossed my bag in the back and jumped in the front seat beside him, expecting any number of horrible things to happen to me. My angel in a rusting truck, we will call him Mike, had quite the story: he was just recently married and had a baby daughter. The economy, however, wasn’t allowing him to hold down a job and having lost several already, he was driving up to Owen
Try hard, Travel light
Sound for another job interview. Here was a man struggling to make his own way and yet he still stopped to do a favour for a complete stranger. We talked about everything on that truck ride. We discussed life goals, religion and politics. By the time he dropped me off we had become really good friends and were honestly sad to see each other go. I had to wait a good thirty minutes for my next ride, but that was nothing compared to the two hours I waited before. This ride was something you only read in books or hear about at a campfire. I was picked up by two farm hands well on their way to finishing off a 2-4 they had in the back seat. They had said their reasoning for picking me up was so that I could help them complete this mission. Who was I to turn down those who heed the call of my thumb? I helped them complete their mission with intensity. About an hour (and a few beers later) I was back on the road and strangely much more content with my situation and a lot more confident. My next ride actually came on the third vehicle that passed (which is still my record); I think I should drink beer when I hitchhike more often. This ride, I shouldn’t have been surprised about, this company always fixes your car when it’s broken down and has helped me get to school on time on numerous occasions. It was, of course, the Canadian Automobile Association or CAA. They always seem to be there when I need a ride. We discussed the future of the auto industry, and agreed that hitchhiking would be the new environmentally friendly way of travelling. My next ride was also another shocker, it was a family whose home had been destroyed in a storm by a falling tree and was driving up north to live with relatives for a while. With their most important possessions tightly packed in to their van they told me to sit right beside their four-year-old son who delighted me with tales of fire trucks and policemen gathering and their house to try and remove the tree from their roof. I ended up sharing a juice box with my young friend and promising him I would come visit him some time so that I could admire the big cows he has at his farm and play toy cars with him. I was amazed at how friendly this family was. How could they let a complete stranger
into their lives after something so horrible had happened to them? The family drove me to my destination and when I had finished my business it was time to begin the long ride home. My next two rides were curiously almost the exact same. Both rides were from old men driving trucks, who ran their own delivery service, whose wives had died and were deeply religious. And I reminded both of them of themselves in younger days. They both admitted to picking up hitchhikers whenever they could. These two rides got me most of the way home, save for one more ride which was by far the most enjoyable. I was picked up by a University of Guelph student and we became fast friends. Of course I go to a much better school in Waterloo (you might have heard of it, it’s only the best school in the country). We discussed roommates, grades, programs, girls, parties, professors, you name it, we probably talked about it. He talked about how he always dreamed of doing what I was doing and how hitchhiking to him would be like complete freedom: having the ability to go wherever you want, whenever you want. I told him about how much I had enjoyed hitchhiking and that he should definitely do it someday. We discussed how hitchhikers are taking just as
much of a risk as the person picking them up. It takes the same amount of courage to climb into a stranger’s car as it does to invite a stranger into your car. I told him how much kindness I had seen today, people going out of their way to do me a favour. From a jobless, struggling newlywed to a family whose home had been destroyed. As I talked to him I realized that hitchhiking had given me hope for humanity. I had come to realize that people are naturally good, that we do care for others without just trying to benefit ourselves. After this long philosophical talk with my friend he went an hour out of his way and drove me all the way home, right up to my front door. The kindness I had seen hitchhiking was just overwhelming. So to you the reader: Next time you see a hitchhiker, pick that person up. You will end up helping him out and helping yourself out. You will make a new friend and learn that a little bit of kindness can go a long way. Maybe even some day you will see me on the side of the road with my thumb out. Please pick me up, I promise I won’t kill you. I just want to have a nice conversation, make a new friend and of course get a free ride. Happy Travelling!
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Features
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
17
Shatter the silence, Stop the violence Komal R. Lakhani staff reporter
A
s the temperatures dropped their voices went louder; chanting and screaming they protested their right, right to humanity, right to gender equality. Over 150 women and children of all ages took to the streets of Kitchener and Waterloo to make the nights safer for women on Thursday September 24 at 6:30 p.m. The march took off from Brewmeister Green and the King and William Street intersection after some powerful speeches and sharing of emotional personal experiences. Bitter facts were bought to the forefront by the coordinators, like 505 incidents of sexual assaults in Waterloo were said to be reported to the police in the last year, but in fact this is just 10 per cent of the actual number. One of the co-ordinators of the march stated that “ every week one to two women are murdered by their partner or expartner. Men need to be a part of this fight, there is a need to educate and raise males to respect women.” Throughout the march, determined voices echoed the streets, “women unite take back the night”, “whatever we wear, where ever we go, Yes means yes and No means NO!” The Women’s Centre and WPIRG of UW joined hands to promote the event, about 15 to 20 UW students were a part of it. They sported Tshirts and held signs like “hey mister
get off my sister” to show their active support towards the cause. As the march progressed, passers by joined in, drivers showed their support by honking their horns. Women and men alike came out of their houses to cheer on the participants. The marchers were provided with police protection and safety marshals to ensure a smooth process. Judith Lodi, a part of the National Human Rights Committee, expressed her concern about the lack of political support. She said that “last year we had a speaker from the First Nations group, but this year there was no one, I would like to see someone from the political community to be a part of this.” The organizers of the march were happy with the turnout which had greatly increased since the past year, they hope for it to be doubled by the next. The march ended at Victoria Park. An important thing to note: though donated food was served, it was all meat and many women were unhappy with this fact. Some even went on to say that “feminism and vegetarianism are closely linked” and expressed their concerns to the organizers. Many booths were put up at the Victoria Park Pavilion to inform the participants about various women related issues.
Komal r. Lakhani
Before the these UW women took back the night, they took a moment to pose for us and display their signs.
klakhani@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
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Marc Rowley
Features
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Through Foreign Vive Eyes La France
staff reporter
I
t’s two in the morning and I’m sitting in the Bâtiment Censive, at the University of Nantes in western France, a three-quarters empty bottle of wine in my hand. A punk band is thrashing, people are dancing, and the floor is covered with cigarette butts. This is the very heart of campus, on a Thursday night, in the middle of term, and as the music ends and the post-show tinnitus sets in, one set of cries can be heard over the rest.
Subsidies are enough to make certain that French farming families are able to make enough money to enjoy their current standard of living without making the drastic improvements in efficiency that would certainly be necessary otherwise. This is partly out of necessity. France’s citizens are a historically unruly lot; since the first republican revolution in 1789 there have been five French republics, two empires, a foreign occupation and a decades-long crack at monarchy. French citizens are, generally, engaged in their governance, and force
have its practice teaching component reduced from two years to one. This perceived assault on public education (a sacred cow in France since its introduction towards the end of the 19th century) touched a nerve with a student population already dealing with the economic crisis of last September. It’s stressful to be a student in times of economic instability, and France, with its history of radical ideologies and mutable governments, is a very conducive place for rebellion. It started simply: students at a high school on the main north-south tram-
his policies. They became a forum to protest American interventionism in Europe, as well as the expansion of capitalism through the public sector. Old resentments began to bubble between the students, feeling the pinch of a contracting economy, and those who they perceived to be “the wealthy”. A major political party, called Le Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste was formed. By January 30, the protests had gained enormous size. Student at the University of Nantes declared it a “People’s University” and, with the support of the professors, seized campus
ingly without anyone caring. It was a generation howling at their forebears: the social revolutionaries of Mai’68 have become the established order of Janvier’ 09, and their apparent loss of principles in favour of material comfort. This tension between the young and the old is obvious in North America as well- it’s the Woodstock generation now calling most strongly for the preservation of the capitalist order. Was it worth it? Was it worth the enormous loss of productivity and inconvenience? Was it worth closing schools and shutting down public
sonia lee
“Let’s make a fire!” Dutifully, dozens of people rise to help carry wooden pallets out onto the main road running through campus. While the police watch from afar, this wood is staked up, packed with newspaper, and set alight. I ask someone in the crowd why the police are just watching. The response is utterly French in its nonchalance: “They’re just there to make sure it doesn’t get out of control.” I’m left for a moment to think about what “out of control” must mean here, as more and more people join the throng. Traces of folk songs, pop songs, and the Internationale could be heard through the tumult. So what exactly was going on? It all started in December of 2008. Shortly after the economic crisis began, measures began to be taken in France to counter its effects. The party in power, the Union for a Popular Movement, headed by President Sarkozy, took a neoliberal stance on reform: lower taxes, reduce public spending, and everything will sort itself out. This sounds like sensible policy as it’s certainly one that is heard very often in North America. In Europe however, government spending is much greater, and government programs have major effects on the lives of virtually everyone. Consider the role of the farmer. France has long been an agrarian country: it was not until the end of World War I that demographic shifts in French society led to major urbanization, and so farmers have always enjoyed a privileged place in the country’s national mythos. However, over the last few decades, French farmers have found themselves increasingly able to stay competitive in a global marketplace: their overhead is much higher than most of the world’s farmers, to start, as is their standard of living. The government’s answer?
their elected representatives to at least listen to their demands, if not yield to them. A government that is perceived to be completely unresponsive to the needs of the citizens is always under threat of popular uprising. This happened spectacularly in 1968. The large French government, naturally, is responsible for all universities in France, and takes an active role in administering aspects of student life. For example, whereas in Canada each individual school has a student union (ours is Feds) that lobbies on behalf of the students, in France student welfare is the responsibility of one organisation, called Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires (CROUS). They run the cafeterias, residences, and student aid on behalf of all students everywhere in the country. In any case, in Mai of 1968, a problem arose at the University of Nanterre: boys were banned from girls’ residences, and vice versa. The students erupted, and were soon joined in solidarity by factory workers and other large public unions. The protests blew up as the overriding message became representative of the post-war generation, resisting what they felt were the tendencies of the state and corporations towards authoritarianism. Using slogans which are now famous in France, this “wildcat” strike paralysed the country’s economy, and led to several student occupations of universities as well as battles with police in Paris’ famous Quartier Latin. The conflict only ended after intense political manoeuvring, and its social and cultural effects are still felt today. This was apparent last winter, when Education Minister Xavier Darcos unveiled his plan to save money in the school system without raising taxes. Thousands of high school teachers were to be fired, and teacher training would
line in Nantes blocked the tracks outside of their school with fires and overturned garbage cans. Classes were abandoned as students marched for kilometres up and down this central transportation corridor, leaving thousands of people unable to get to work or class. Many of these people also joined the marches. Protestors would board trams and pull the emergency brakes to clutter the tracks. The city ground to a halt. “Yes, they have a right to protest, but I also have a right to get to work!” My French host father, who worked in a bank in downtown Nantes, and who relied on the tram to get into town each day, often talked about the protestors. “They never come up with any solutions, but will rail against those of everyone else!” His perspective, of course, was different, as he was part of the most hated group in France during the protests bankers. While in North America most discussion of the crisis hinged on new regulations that would prevent risky business from companies, the French, perhaps more accustomed to holding people personally responsible for social problems (ask Louis XVI), tended more towards the idea of severely slashing pay and benefits for decision-makers and executives at the firms receiving government assistance. Bankers were vilified, being accused of robbing ordinary citizens to enrich themselves, with no care for the wider repercussions of their acts. “Is it fair for these protestors to keep people from going to work to make money to pay for food for their children? Is it fair for them to keep the students who want to learn from learning?” While originally about Darcos’ reform plan, the protests rapidly increased in size and scope. They became a forum to protest Sarkozy the man, as well as
buildings and held large student meetings to determine their course of action. University authorities, not unused to this sort of behaviour, let them do it. Students continued to gather in force each day — walking around the peripheral highway to jam traffic, continuing to cut tram lines, and holding free concerts and events inside university buildings. A protest held in the centre of Nantes that day drew close to 50,000 people, joining millions of others throughout France. Slogans from Mai’68 featured heavily on signs and in chants. “Why now?” I asked a protesting friend of mine. “Hasn’t this happened before?” He shrugged. “Yeah. But it’s different this time. We need to fix the environment; we need an economy that recognises people as people, not as machines. We really believe this time. Things have to change.” Unsurprisingly, not much did. Political manoeuvres again won the day — the government agreed to postpone the plan, and eventually dropped half of its provisions, leading to half the protestors abandoning the movement, sated. Workers, unable to sacrifice more wages for protests that seemed, while popular, largely ineffectual, went back to work. Students went back to classes, with a delayed exam period. The UMP and Mr. Sarkozy are still in power, bankers are still being paid enormous bonuses for nearly destroying (apparently) Western civilization as we know it, and sustained economic growth coupled with social justice is still a distant pipe dream. So what was it all for? Ultimately, it was an expression of an emotion that everyone feels: frustration. It was a very human frustration with authority figures that seemed to gloss over people in favour of tending to power. It was a frustration over an environment that is degrading seem-
services? Certainly not, some would argue. These protests changed nothing, and even could be considered to have made life worse for certain people. They didn’t further their goals in any measureable way, and wasted a lot of time doing it. This is not a whole answer, however. The effects of Mai’ 68 are still being felt, and will continue to make their presence known for many years to come. Perhaps the real heart of the protests doesn’t lie in the thronging masses parading around with effigies and hand-painted signs. Perhaps it could be found around that fire, outside the Bâtiment Censive, near 3am that one night. Perhaps it could be found in that feeling of community and togetherness, a sincere common concern, even if misguided, for the general welfare. Perhaps it could be found in the real people singing and laughing and dancing together, thinking, talking and hoping about a better world that could be brought into being simply by solidarity. The slogan of the French republic since it was first declared in 1789 has been “Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood.” It is clear that it was in this spirit that these protests were undertaken, with a yearning for liberty not just from the tyranny of the state, but also from the tyranny of the invisible hand of the free market. A yearning for a true equality of opportunity, if not conditions, for all people. A yearning for a brotherhood that extends across every person, of every level of society, with love and respect becoming universal values. Perhaps, if the spirit of these protests is kept alive, not just in France but everywhere people are scared, frustrated, and disenfranchised, contemporary society’s many problems can be finally solved in a lasting and satisfactory way. mrowley@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Features
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Life before Facebook Reemah Khalid reporter
D
o you remember life before Facebook? With 300 million active users worldwide, some would argue that things weren’t nearly as interesting during that time. Launched in 2004, it comes with little surprise that this social networking website finds roots at one of Canada’s most technologically savvy institutions. A mere ten years after graduating from electrical engineering at the University of Waterloo, Chamath Palihapitiya, the vice president of user growth, mobile and international expansion at Facebook found himself back on campus. During his visit, Palihapitiya spent time at the VeloCity Residence on September 26 2009, a mobile, media, and web incubator followed by a Homecoming address in the Humanities Theatre. Over a fireside chat, he shared his experiences as a Waterloo alumnus with aspiring entrepreneurs in the audience. Clad in distressed jeans, sneakers, and a Waterloo sweatshirt, Palihapitiya could have easily been mistaken for a student. He openly shared his insights on social networking, technology, and entrepreneurship.
equalizer that prioritizes excellence in ingenuity, innovations, and execution above anything else.” It is “your responsibility to sponsor, and push people around you to embrace what’s happening and to ask what should be done differently.” As he continued his conversation, he encouraged students to take calculated risks, and challenge the status quo. When there is a traditional way of doing something, and a non-traditional way of doing something, choose the non-traditional route Palihapitiya imparted. Our world is constantly changing. The opportunities are endless. “Young people have nothing to lose. Chase after your idea”. What will you do to change the world? photos by michael l. davenport
Change is happening. Are you embracing it? Social networking and technologies are second nature to many of us. Facebook, among other social media sites, are creating a shift in the way that we communicate and share our stories. Most recently, the inauguration of President Obama was broadcast through a live feed on Facebook, allowing for millions to unite through a shared experience. Similarly, as the Iranian elections unfolded, everyday citizens broadcasted news to a worldwide audience. Facebook is changing the way people interact with information. Connecting to the world is at your finger tips. Anything is possible. What will you do? As Palihapitiya compared how things were for him as a student, he shared his amazement at the existence of a residence such as Velocity. “I wish this was here when I was student!” He shared that traditional barriers such as money and technology have declined at historic rates. “The internet is an
Chamath Palihapitiya presents the audience with a fascinating lecture at the VeloCity residence.
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Photo Feature
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
HOMECOMING
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Photo Feature
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
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sophie Sanniti
sophie Sanniti
sophie Sanniti
Sports games, barbecues, a pow-wow, reunions, and the East Asian Festival. Such were the events from the University of Waterloo Homecoming. Homecoming took place from Friday, September 25 to Saturday, September 26.
sophie Sanniti
sophie Sanniti
sophie Sanniti
sophie Sanniti
kenzie reid
Micheal L. Davenport
layout by kevin liang
Arts & Entertainment Event Calendar Music
events page Courtesy Sarah Rogalla and Dinh Nguyen
Friday Oct 2, 2009
OPEN STAGE — The Boathouse — (N/A) — 8 p.m.
Salt Baby — The Registry Theatre — ($20) — 8 p.m.
Spectacular Debut — Centre in the Square — ($20) —8 p.m.
Altar Boyz — Centre in the Square — ($19 - $59 [premium seating] ) — 7:30 p.m.
Behind the Milk with DJ Charles — Starlight — ($5 before 11 p.m.) — 10 p.m.
Moshe! — The Music Room — ($20) — 8 p.m.
The Beggar`s Opera — KW Little Theatre Fiúk — The Registry Theatre — ($20) — 8 p.m.
The Free Press, Telfer (19+)
Dan Griffin (of Arkells), Mandippal, & Robyn Dell
— Maxwell’s Music House — ($7/ $5 with student card) — 9 p.m. Uptown goes Downtown: part of the pop series — Centre in the Square — ($20) — 8:00 p.m.
Saturday Oct 3, 2009 Spectacular Debut — Centre in the Square — ($20) — 8 p.m. Run with the Kittens Long Range Hustle (19+)
— Maxwell’s Music House — ($7/ $5 with student card) — 9 p.m.
Sunday Oct 4, 2009 Spectacular Debut — KW Symphony — ($20) —8 p.m. The Amity Trio — The Music Room — ($10) — 8 p.m. Open Mic Night — Bombshelter — (Free) — 10 p.m.
Tuesday Oct 6, 2009 Open Mic Night — Maxwell’s Music House — (free) — N/A
Wednesday oct, 7 2009
Paddy Townsend, “stars Here”
— Maxwell’s Music House — ($8) — 9 p.m.
Thursday Oct 8, 2009 Damon Alexander and the Ten Cent Rentals (19+)
— Maxwell’s Music House — ($5 ) — 8 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 arts@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Thursday Oct 8 - 10, 2009 The Last 15 Seconds — Centre in the Square — The Registry Theatre — ($20) — 8 p.m.
Movies Friday Oct 2, 2009 Closer — Kitchener City Hall — (Free) — 7 p.m.
Saturday Oct 3, 2009 Stage Beauty — Kitchener City Hall — (Free) — 7 p.m. Midnight Cowboy (14A) — Princess Cuinema — 7 p.m.
Galaxy Cinemas (Conestoga Mall) Oct 2 — Oct 8, 2009 • Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (PG) • Fame (PG) • Love Happens (PG) • Surrogates (PG) • The Informant (14A) • Double Feature: Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (G) • The Invention Of Lying(14A) • Trailer Park Boys Countdown To Liquor Day (14A) • Whip It (PG) • Zombieland (14A)
Princess Cinema
Theatre Friday Oct 2, 2009 Salt Baby — The Registry Theatre — ($20) — 8 p.m. Fiúk — The Registry Theatre — ($20) — 8 p.m. * Warning* Contains full male nudity & graphic sexuality The Beggar`s Opera — KW Little Theatre — ($15) — 8 p.m.
Saturday Oct 3, 2009 Cosi Fan Tutte (Opera) — The Registry Theatre — ($25) — 7:30 p.m.
The Cove — 7 p.m. — Also playing from Oct 3 - 7 (various times)
MISC.
The Loop — 9 p.m. — Also playing on Oct 3 - 7 (various times)
Painters Open Studio — Button Factory —$2 (bring paints and paper) — 1 p.m.
Princess Twin
Sunday Oct 4, 2009
Julie & Julia (PG) — 6:50 p.m. — Also playing on Oct 4 - 8 (various times)
Theatre on the Edge: Improv Workshop — Button Factory — (“small admission fee”) — 4 p.m.
9 (PG) — 7 p.m. — Also playing on Oct 3 - 8 (various times) Inglourious Basterds (PG) — 8:50 p.m. —Also playing on Oct 3 - 8 (various times) District 9 (14A) — 9:20 p.m. —Also playing on Oct 3 - 8 (various times)
Friday Oct 2, 2009
Drum Cirlce — Button Factory — ($2 + bring own drum) —7:30 p.m.
Monday Oct 5, 2009 Writer’s Circle — Button Factory — ($2 ) — 7 p.m. Swing Dancing (19+) — Caesar Martini`s — (Free)
Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
23
In light of the past Jacqueline Chan reporter
M
onday was a quiet night on the Waterloo campus, maybe because it was a school night, but more likely due to the wind and the rain that had been falling all day. Despite the silence, a certain group of people were gathered together in Hagey Hall in anticipation for an event that they had been preparing for since the beginning of spring term: the performance of their production, 1972. For the University of Waterloo Chinese Drama club, this was the night of the first and final performance; this was the product of all their hard work. As a result of their widespread promotion of the drama, audience members began showing up in bunches as early as 7:15p.m. when the show itself began at 8:00p.m. This year’s production featured the experiences of a modern day teenager, a materialistic and financially irresponsible young man, who suddenly discovered that he had somehow gone back in time to the year 1972. While he tried to adapt to his new surroundings, he became aware of certain parts of his family’s past that he never knew existed. These new revelations actually helped him to redefine himself as a person, and to reach a new level of understanding about his relationship with his parents. As is necessary with any good story, this plot is developed very well from beginning to end. It progresses chronologically, working from the introduction of the characters
in the first scene to the final conclusion which provides a satisfactory answer to the obvious question: “What happened to that character?” Although the plot itself was part cliché, the change in time period provided the group with opportunities to experiment with costumes and ideologies, and the performance as a whole package was quite memorable. The actors appeared to be comfortable in their individual roles, they made good use of the entire stage, and their acting was strong. The backstage crew did their work seamlessly, and the public relations team pulled together to find a number of sponsors for the production. It is easy to see that the entire group put a lot of effort into making this year’s production a success. For many of them, this journey began early in winter term, when details were posted around campus and auditions for roles in the different sections (front stage, backstage, and public relations) took place. At the end of these auditions (which took place in both Waterloo and Toronto), the group consisted of around 65 people. Most of this group was made up of Cantonese speaking students, but even those who do not speak the language were able to join. However, they had to
overcome a language barrier which may made it more difficult for them. Of those who auditioned, only those who possess an interest in the club and are suitable for the position would chosen. Front stage auditions would be for acting roles, which required individual practices as well as an increasing number of group practices as the performance date drew near. The backstage roles included a number of different areas of technical expertise, such as in lighting, photography or sound. The public relations section involved any sort of sponsorship or designing functions essential to the production. Since the group is so small, it should come as no surprise that there is a strong emphasis on building a sense of community and a great need for teamwork and good communication skills. So if you have a passion for drama, an interest in this club, or just want to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes when the show is finished, then you might to try out for next year’s production.
Courtesy Jacqueline Chan
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Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Book Reviews
Dan Brown The Lost Symbol Doubleday (2009)
This autumn bestselling author Dan Brown furthered his crime and thriller enterprise with the September 15 release of The Lost Symbol. The novel is Brown’s third release to feature symbologist Robert Langdon as a starring protagonist, after 2000’s novel-turned-film Angels & Demons and 2003’s likewise adapted The Da Vinci Code. As a necessary departure from his previous two bestsellers, Brown limits this episode in the series to a mere 12-hour adventure through
Paul Collier Wars, Guns, and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places HarperCollins Publishers (2009)
Collier’s Wars, Guns, and Votes is a rather hyperbolic read in many senses, albeit slightly more realist than many of its acclaimed contemporaries in the now booming business of recommending development solutions for Africa. However, if you belong to the societies of the bottom billion that he collectively condemns, it should make for you a sad, amusing and frustrating read all at the same time. Before I continue on this trajectory, let me first warn that this is a condensed “data-centric” analysis on Civil war, democracy and development in Africa that might be difficult to understand — hardly the stuff for people interested only in romantic novellas. It is more ap-
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the landmarks of Washington, D.C. Fans of the series will observe a number of similiarities between The Lost Symbol and its predecessers. Not only does this novel feature the reappearance of Robert Langdon, but his journey begins in much the same manner as that of The Da Vinci Code with an unexpected summoning by a mentor and established high-ranking official in an exclusive community. From this mediocre beginning, the reader may expect Dan Brown’s usual offering of suspenseful races through a series of well-known landmarks with necessary cameos by government officials to be help and hinder the crusade. However, despite several examples of obvious repetition from previous novels, Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol proved to be the fastest selling adult novel in North American history. Sales reached an astounding million copies via both print and ebook sources on it’s first day of release, to be followed by millions more sold in later days. With this obvious indication of mass enjoyment of his series, readers can hope that Dan Brown may be persueded to further the series and guarentee continued reading pleasures for several years to come. — Robyn Goodfellow
propriately a text that would better appeal to development enthusiasts everywhere. So if you are reading the wrong review, you probably want to stop at this point. Collier basic argument is that the international community’s obsession with elections threatens post-conflict reconstruction and that elections need not be a pre-requisite for development. Perhaps that is true. However, the radically paternalistic arguments that follow should give many an educated African cause for alarm. According to him, the statistics prove that democracy is dangerous in populations with a per capita income of under $7 a day. But what should developing countries do to break free from what he rightly considers a conflict trap? Well, in Collier’s estimation, the answer is nothing. In his words, “the societies of the bottom billion, he says, are incapable of saving themselves from misrule.” So who will, in Collier’s mind “save Africa”? “Easy!” Collier says. The same colonial masters who did a good job of destroying the very fabric of these societies to
Stephen King is one of my all-time favourite authors. I love the creepy way his words crawl under your skin, the way his stories make you glance over your shoulder, ever wary of the monsters that are surely lurking in the shadows. Do you remember The Stand? I do. It was creepy as hell. Duma Key takes the creep factor to a whole new level. Set outside of the usual Bangor, Maine, or some equally obscure, rainy town in New England, this novel begins in
Minneapolis with our protagonist Edgar Freemantle. He’s the quintessential American entrepreneur, who built himself a construction empire from a pile of dirt and some nails. Unfortunately, while inspecting a construction site one day, his truck was run over by a crane and he was crushed almost to the point of death. With major head trauma and minus his right arm, Edgar Freemantle gave up his life as a construction executive and moved to Duma Key, Florida, to recover. This is where the freaky kicks in. Living in a salmon-coloured rental house that extends over the beach and into the Gulf of Mexico, Edgar begins to have visions, visions that compel him to paint. He paints a series of ghostly works that star a decrepit ship, coming ever closer to the shore and becoming creepier as he adds more detail. He makes friends with the landlord of the house, an elderly Alzheimer’s sufferer by the name of Elizabeth Eastlake, in addition to her somewhat clairvoyant caretaker, Jerome Wireman. As he discovers Elizabeth’s disturbing past (including her similarly startling ability to paint following a head injury), Edgar discovers that his painting has the ability to manipulate reality. As the ghost ship draws nearer to the shore, its ethereal passengers begin to surface and to invade Edgar’s mind... and his house.
serve their own national interests have suddenly changed their spots so that we can trust them with the securities of entire African states. As always, his statistical evidence overwhelmingly puts him far over the top as far as credibile synopsis is concerned. However, this is only to awed westerners, willing to accept any narrative that sounds complicated enough considering their understandably limited knowledge of the facts on ground. Perhaps to cite an example, there is an inaccurate factoid in his book, which exhibits his limited knowledge of African politics despite his, acclaimed expertise. He apparently believes one of Nigeria’s former Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, who he incorrectly refers to as the “mayor” of Abuja, the capital, contested an election and lost. I can confirm, having been present and politically active in the country at the time that this information is not just factually inaccurate but impossible even in the hypothetical election setting considering the political circumstances at the time favored him in
every possible respect. In fact, he wrote the governance agenda for the new government. It is such little errors that reveal the apparent weaknesses in Collier’s general understanding of African politics, or more specifically in this case, Nigeria’s. (Collier’s finds for his coupe de grace solution to the problems of poverty and conflict in Africa an incredulous illustration.) He uses France’s incestuous relationship with its former African colonies as an example of a “best practice” in this respect. Perhaps he should have viewed the pyramids of poverty behind the Gabonese ruler’s celestial palace — protected by French military, which remains the legacy of the collaboration between the French and Mr. Bongo before conclusively endorsing such. Collier might consider these pyramids of poverty to be the price of peace in the region, but I am pretty sure the average, government-oppressed African hardly shares his point of view. While I admit these critical arguments might seem reductionist and
Duma Key Stephen King Scribner (2008)
“ ����(out of four) -Peter Howell, Toronto Star
unfair by their snarky nature, they serve to illustrate a more important point: authentic narratives of Africa’s problems and solutions to them would more likely come from people who have a more in-depth perspective — and they probably would not be old white men. — E. Aboyeji
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As Edgar’s paintings accumulate, he draws the attention of the local art crowd. His paintings make their way into a gallery and poor little Edgar the recluse becomes an overnight celebrity. Elizabeth, who spends most of her time in an alternate reality, becomes very disturbed at the clarity of the ghost ship in the paintings, and immediately before dying gives a chilling premonition of death and destruction to those who are in possession of the supernatural artwork. Unfortunately by this point many of the paintings have been purchased, and by none other than Edgar’s closest friends and family. One by one they are visited by an untimely demise, as the ghosts from Edgar’s ship become actively menacing. With the help of Wireman, Edgar Freemantle discovers the root of the evil and destroys it, but not before everyone he loves and cares for is dead or beyond amends. This novel was creepy in a more subtle sense than King’s previous works, but it was just as enjoyable. It made #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list, and I am very happy to add it to my collection of his works. It’s a great read, and something you can easily pick up and read at intervals or all at, once in an evening. Go ahead — dont take my word for it.
Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
25
Music Reviews
Raekwon Only Built For Cuban Linx… Pt. II Ice H20 (2009)
G
eorge Lucas didn’t ruin Star Wars with Episodes 1, 2, and 3, but he certainly opened the door for Hayden Christensen to mess it up; and as sure as C3P0 loves R2D2, he messed up. On September 11 hip hop fans everywhere braced themselves for that same kind of heartbreak as Wu Tang alum and Mafioso rap legend Raekwon released his sequel to the seminal Only Built for Cuban Linx: Only Built for Cuban Linx…Pt.II. The biggest question on everyone’s mind was also the most obvious one: why? Why revisit a landmark album when your relationship with one of its major contributors, RZA, is dwindling. The answer may have something to do with Rae’s age and a healthy amount of time spent reminiscing about the glory days. He’s never topped Only Built for Cuban Linx: in sales or reception, he’s on the outs with RZA, he hasn’t released any new material for years, and he’s pushing 40. With those harsh realities staring him in the face he made a call to get back to what he does best. By building on Only Built for Cuban Linx: he is guaranteeing fans and critics
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Lonely Road Virgin (2009)
T
he Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has been well known for their punk rock sound, ever since 2001 when they first began their music careers as a local band in Florida. Many believe that punk-rock music is loud with a very heavy guitar sound; however with their latest album Lonely Road, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus sang nine out of eleven soft rock songs, proving that they are indeed capable of singing a
alike, a return to form for. And build is just what he does: Only Built for Cuban Linx…Pt.II. is everything you could want from a sequel that you’ve been conditioned not to expect. It’s a brilliant second act that matches and even bests the original in more than a few ways. The term “sequel” cannot be reiterated enough as the title truly means it when it says “Pt.II”. It picks up right where the original left off, literally. “Return of the North Star”, is a run-on of the closing track, “North Star (Jewels)”, on the original. The atmosphere is also carried over with a dark, violent narrative punctuated by a series of increasingly brutal skits about murder, robbery, and of course, drug trafficking. Rae also put aside the aforementioned feud with frequent collaborator and Wu Tang mastermind, RZA, for the sake of continuity as he handles the bulk of the production responsibilities (along with J Dilla and Dr. Dre who complete the “rap guru” trifecta). But for the sake of complementing the original, don’t expect too many new tricks. Rae’s experimented enough over the years with other producers, different motifs, etc., resulting in nothing more than mediocrity — especially in the wake of Only Built for Cuban Linx. The context of Only Built for Cuban Linx…Pt.II is all well and good, but despite the intricacies and folklore surrounding it, it’s all secondary. Simply stated, it’s a great album. In this case it’s a lot easier to look at the big picture than to dwell on the seemingly less significant fact that Raekwon had made a truly excellent album. Its accessibility is bred in the formula borrowed from Pt. I with tracks like “House of Flying Daggers” and “Mean Streets” taking their
place with the likes of “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” “Shakey Dog”, and “Liquid Swords” as post-Wu Tang classics. However it’s not on the strength of those songs alone that the album excels, but as a true sum of it’s parts — a rarity in modern hip-hop. Rae draws strength from the company he keeps: the Wu Tang Clan. His old crew shows up on Only Built for Cuban Linx…Pt.II. in their entirety (with the obvious exception of the deceased Ol’ Dirty Bastard and UGod who was killed off in Pt. I) and their camaraderie shines. On “House of Flying Daggers” Rae, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and GZA trades verses over a vintage J Dilla beat that recollects the latter years of Wu Tang more than the gritty, Mafioso vibe on the rest of Pt. II. It’s the dominant standout track on an album that’s chalked-full of them thanks largely to Dilla and the former Wu Tang Clan. Perhaps the world was too hard on George Lucas — maybe bastardizing the most beloved movie franchise of all time was somehow justified in the name reinvention. Whether he is deserving of praise or reprehension for allowing Hayden Christensen to sodomize his life’s crowning achievement is debatable (for fairness’ sake), but one thing is clear: Raekwon pulled it off. Only Built for Cuban Linx…Pt. II not only exceeded any rational expectation, but gave rap a reason to smileproving that the hip-hop album is not dead. And after Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3” managed to half-suck, it’s refreshing to know that some mega-budget sequels don’t have to feel like appendicitis. Take note, George Lucas. — Devon Shea
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different style of music. As an antagonist of punk rock music, I did not think that I would like the Lonely Road but surprisingly, I thought it was a fantastic album — it deserved two thumbs up. Aside from certain lyrics that could be taken as violent in songs such as “You Better Pray,” which is the first song of Lonely Road, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has taken harsh lyrics and sang them in a soft manner, which is why in my personal opinion the album should be on the top five songs on the Billboard chart.
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Black Gives Way to Blue Alice in Chains Virgin Records
B
lack Gives Way to Blue is the first CD that 90’s grunge band Alice in Chains has released in 14 years. Aside from that, it is the first CD they released with new singer William Duvall, after their former singer Layne Staley has
passed away in 2002. Being an avid Alice in Chains fan throughout my high school years, I was thoroughly excited for hearing this highly talked about gem. Listening through, I can’t find another way to put it — Black Gives Way to Blue disappoints.. My first concern with the album is that Duvall, who is credited as the lead singer of the band, can barely be heard. Whether it was Duvall shying away from being compared to Staley’s legacy, or (guitarist’s) Jerry Cantrell’s egocentrism, the result was that way too much of the album was harmonized between the two singers. Having watched Duvall belting out notes whilst performing old Alice in Chains songs, I was surprised to barely hear any of this in the album. However, this concern is minor in comparison to the actual songwriting of the album. While Alice in Chains maintains their sound with the album, I found that almost all the songs
are painfully slow. Alice in Chains always had incredible acoustic and slow songs, but Black Gives Way to Blue just has too many. Where is the grungy Alice in Chains? Where are the songs that scream ‘fuck off ’ to the world? While the CD does have a few songs that I will listen to, the album as a whole failed. — Omri Arbiv
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Arts & Entertainment
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Music Reviews Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of Day GOOD Music (2009)
A Courtesy Michael Chung
Charles Boyd Steal This Record Self-produced
It is hard to describe what type of music Mr. Charles Boyd has created in his album steal this record. All 12 of his songs have strong resemblance to that of Bedouin Soundclash — an unique voice accompanied by an easy-going, indie flow of sounds. It is quite a treat to the ears — until you listen to the lyrics. The lyrics, if I be so blunt, are like warm streams of “jizm” hitting your face on a cool summer day; it’s a huge shocker to such gentle music in the background.
Ben’s Brother Beta Male Fairytales Virgin Records
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en’s Brother is a relatively new band with a continually exploding fan base. Their claim to fame? A 30-second Dentyne Ice commercial featuring the single “Stuttering (Kiss me again)” from their debut album, Beta Male Fairytales. Both the band name and the title of
All of his songs describe his sexual experiences and desires (often with hookers) explicitly. I am still in conflict as to if this is a masterpiece of work waiting to be discovered or is it a piece of shit that just wasted a good hour of my life. The only thing that I am certain is that the name of the album is appropriately named since you can download any one Mr Boyd’s songs for free on his website charlesboyd.com. All in all, this album has its charm. In the end, it made me want some tits, cunts, maybe love a lesbian or two, and jizm down someone’s throat. — Michael Chung
their first album are references to the past inferiority complex of the lead singer who is, in reality, Ben’s (younger) brother. Their songs, however, focus on different issues: relationships and self-affirmation. The two songs that capture these themes, and the musical style of this band, best are “Let me out” and “I am who I am”. With the exception of “Harmonica in F (Interlude)” which is an instrumental track, the songs in this album make use of a variety of instrumental and vocal blends that are mellow and easy to listen to. They feature simple, yet beautiful, piano and instrumental melodies that emphasize the smooth, and occasionally rusty sounding, vocals. This is an album that is definitely worth picking up, especially for fans of ballad-style tracks. For all you other music lovers, if you can refrain from passing judgement until you hear these songs a few times, you should give this album a listen. — Jackie Chan
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concept album with a title that references Pink Floyd, divided in acts and narrated between songs by Common, this sweeping album is mainly concerning tragedy. Here’s Kid Cudi, guns blazing, with Kanye West as his producer and a plethora of catchy samples under his belt. He’s generated so much buzz that it’s hard not to assume that he won’t end up filling that first word. His sample of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” on his single “Make Her Say” is amazing. While his “Day’N’Nite” song has been blacklisted by my ears — after hearing it one too many times on radios and nights out — I thought it would be a good idea to listen to his debut album before it inevitably gets played out as well. A warning before you read this article is not to check out the 30-second samples of this CD on Amazon. They don’t do any justice at all to what the actual song sounds like; in fact, it makes him sound like a teenage wannabe rapper who a) fails to carry a tune and b) indulges in penning emo lyrics. And this, by no means, defines Man on the Moon. Rather, check the full songs on Youtube first before you decide to buy the album. “Pursuit of Happiness” is an
instant favourite of mine. The reaching of dreams (“5 A.M. cold sweats wakin’ up to the skies; tell me what you know about dreams.”) is integrated with the distinct sounds of popular indie bands Ratatat and MGMT. Ratatat also is also featured on the “Alive (Nightmare)” track. “Hyyerr” is a song that is clearly about marijuana; no doubt a new song to add to your “Weed Songs” play-list on iTunes. It’s pretty mellow in contrast to his other weed song “Up, Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song),” that places his rapping over what sounds like Hollister store music. Both are different, but both work. “My World” sound like ramblings of self-grandeur, yet clever lyrics also show his soul’s contentment with a “ramen diet.” “Cudi Zone” is another song of self-reassurance and a catchy chorus. Other songs, like “Solo Dolo,” “Soundtrack 2 My Life” and “Heart of a Lion,” are pretty generic in beat but still interesting to listen to - mainly because he creates an emotional connection by divulging personal sadness in a way that comes across as truly genuine (much in the same way Kanye dealt with personal loss in his “808s and Heartbreak” album). “Enter Galactic Love Connection Part I” is allegedly about a time when Cudi was invited by a coworker to go to her house and do shrooms. The content is interesting, but the song is one of the weaker ones on the
album. All these drug references and futuristic space sounds are different enough to sound eclectic but not enough to seem experimental. Overall, Kid Cudi’s lyrics aren’t as politically clever as Kanye’s, nor does he have an amazing rapping voice. What sets him apart is his ability to sample indie rock music and fit them in a way that suits him. This album is mainly about grief, weed and finding motivation — at least one of those things being relatable to anyone. What you should know is that the CD is kind of emo, which is unusual for a hip-hop album — but that’s what makes it good. Every single song on this album is worth listening to. Catch Kid Cudi while he’s riding the rap wave up and get a glimpse of where hip hop music is transitioning to. This album is a masterpiece with, thank God, no filler from what I can tell. It’s as “Simple As...” that.
Entertaining clichés
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ruce Willis is seeing dead people again. Okay, so maybe it’s not quite the same thing. But so what if the people are immobile and covered in blood? Willis has gotten a chance to relive his former glory days during which he still had a strong acting career and a full head of hair. I bet he misses both quite badly while he’s lying awake in bed at night. It’s too bad that while Surrogates did provide Willis with some tresses, it couldn’t quite revalidate the man in the movie industry. Let’s face it: Willis hasn’t had a major role in a good movie for a few years now. He’s slowly moving away from the spotlight and being pushed into the side-stages of mediocrity. Now, I don’t think that Bruce Willis is in any way, a bad actor. I do, however, believe that he could be a little more selective in choosing the roles he’ll play. I mean, Nancy Drew? Come on, Bruce. You can do better than that. Surrogates is a movie in which human dependence on technology is once, again, questioned. Bad things happen, an investigation occurs, Willis confronts the bad guy, Willis defeats the bad guy, happy ending for all except the bad guy. Oh, and by the way, Surrogates is based off a comic book. The small amount of originality that does reside in this movie didn’t even involve the writers or director. It’s official: Hollywood has lost all ability to have any sort of a semi-original thought. That being said, Surrogates isn’t a bad movie. Yes, it’s cliché. Yes, there’s not much originality in it. But it is,
in fact, an incredibly entertaining movie. While the humans-relyingtoo-much-on-technology formula is always there, I found the presenting of this formula through human interaction with surrogate robots very interesting. It reminds me of all the programs and games that people get caught up in. Sure, Surrogates involves
Courtesy IMDB
fake people living in the real world. But it isn’t a long shot from games like Second Life or The Sims, or roleplaying games that people become absorbed and lost in like World of Warcraft. Because of this connection, there are some small truths within the movie’s context that are interesting. Another aspect of the movie that was vastly intriguing was the way that
the director chose to portray surrogate robots. Sure, they look human, but you can’t help but notice that most of them have been airbrushed an extreme amount in a pointed attempt to make them look fake. Keep in mind that airbrushing is used all over the place — on newscasters, on magazine models (both male and female), in movies, to make people look ‘prettier.’ But when used in the context of Surrogates, airbrushing was used to make the surrogates stand out from normal people. The surrogates look unnatural, and I can’t help but think someone that was involved with this movie really wanted to take a jab at the fashion industry and the general notion of beauty. Kudos to that. Speaking of jabs, one other moment of this movie stood out to me. Surrogates makes a very intentional jab regarding the purposes of the American militia. So many movies these days are bloated with military propaganda (see G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Transformers 2), and it’s refreshing to see the rare movie challenge this. Overall, Surrogates was not a great movie. The plot and scheme of events was too obvious and the topic has been too overworked in the past to make it an engaging or thought-provoking movie experience. However, the movie did sport a look of authenticity and was incredibly entertaining. Don’t see this movie if you are looking for a unique plot: do if you just want something fun to watch. kmassey@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 science@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
The science behind the abortion debate Maggie Clark staff reporter
T
o preface this piece, let me just say that I am pro-choice, and have a beautiful two-yearold nephew because my younger sister chose life. I am writing today because an ad insert making a pro-life case primarily through emotional rhetoric (Imprint, Friday, September 25) sparked heated debate among the UW community. American philosopher Daniel Dennett is noted for saying, “There’s nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view that I hold dear.” In the spirit of this quotation, which places critical thought at the forefront of personal enlightenment, I invite all readers interested in the issue of abortion to explore the root terms and scientific dilemmas underlying these very important discussions. In doing so I hope we can further the existing campus discourse with a mutual understanding of where, scientifically, our disagreements lie. Defining abortion
Though the term seems self-evident, pro-life and pro-choice advocates utilize “abortion” in different ranges of meaning. While pro-choice advocates apply the term to the termination of identified pregnancies — generally, two weeks through to delivery — with further breakdowns typically at the 12 week and 20 week marks, pro-life advocates often extend this definition to anything after the fertilization of an ovum by a sperm, with debate arising about whether pregnancy begins at the moment of this fertilization or at the later moment of embryonic implantation in the uterine lining. Wherever the division lies (and American, Canadian, and
ian Cutajar
British law place it post-implantation), all contra-pregnancy substances applied prior to that point are labelled “contraceptive,” while all substances after that point are called “abortifacients,” and constitute instruments of abortion. These substances include Plan B, the morning after pill with a 72-hour window of optimal, post-intercourse elimination of all materials, fertilized or otherwise, that might constitute or culminate in a pregnancy. Even the earliest detection technology, which tests for the presence of the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), can only inform a woman of her pregnancy at around eight days. After a pregnancy has been identified, abortion takes various forms at various stages in the process. Miscarriage — the body’s spontaneous termination of a pregnancy prior to 20 weeks of gestation — is a kind of abortion, but the kinds addressed in the abortion debate are those carried out with conscious intent. All abortions performed to protect the health of the pregnant woman are termed “therapeutic,” while all others are termed “elective.” The definition of each is not, however, exact: While pro-choice advocates would argue that a ten-year-old carrying a child to term might incur great physical harm in the process, some pro-life advocates would require more immediate health concerns for the case to constitute a legitimately therapeutic abortion. Medical abortion then refers to the non-surgical termination of a pregnancy with pills (methotrexate or mifepristone, then misoprostol, a prostaglandin) in the first trimester. Meanwhile, surgical abortion refers to a wide range of procedures: 1) Vacuum aspiration (the removal of foetal materials with a syringe or electric pump; also called dilation and evacuation [D&E] from 15 to 26 weeks), 2) Dilation and curettage (D&C) (the clearing from the uterine wall all foetal materials: a technique used for biopsy and cleaning as well), 3) Intact dilation and extraction (IDX) (which involves decompressing the fetus’ head before evacuating the fetus whole; also colloquially known as partial-birth abortion), and 4) The hysterotomy (similar to the caesarean, but involving a smaller incision, and used solely for late term abortions). These general terms (for which numerous specific procedures exist) encompass a range of battle-grounds on which the more specific pro-life and pro-choice arguments are waged. All are abortions — but the next question is, of what? Life and personhood
The aforementioned question of when pregnancy begins — before or after implantation — is not isolated in the realm of abortion discourse. As its heart beats a deeper question: Is the embryo (and later, fetus) a person regardless of its non-viability as an independent organism? An embryo that does not implant, for instance, cannot survive; and a fetus born before 24 weeks has a less than 50 per cent survival rate. Prolife advocates argue that a birthed child also requires systems of support for years before it becomes fully viable in this respect. In this way their argument treats embryonic person-hood as a fact independent of the embryo’s unalterable reliance on the host for life. Pro-choice advocates, meanwhile, argue that the support involved in raising a birthed child is not host-specific, and that this non-specificity of dependence is what ultimately grants the birthed child person-hood. These distinctions necessarily raise the tricky matter of the period between improbable viability and birth: specifically, what about abortions around week 24? These abortions are sometimes
ter med “postviability” abortions, and pro-life advocates often disproportionately target these late term scenarios to frame their case against the practice of abor tion as a whole. For this reason it bears mentioning that a 2003 Statistics Canada study found that, over the previous ten years, the percentage of Canadian abortions induced by 12 weeks had risen from 86.4 to 95.4 per cent of all abortion cases, while in 2003 abortions over 20 weeks, at their highest point in the ten-year range, sat at 0.007 per cent. Nonetheless, what of those 325 post-week-20 abortions? Why do they happen? Pro-life advocates often argue that these are frivolous incidents provoked by vanity, and would term even one elective procedure past this point unaccetable. In contrast, pro-choice advocates cite amniocentesis testing (for serious or even lethal abnormalities) that can only be carried out later in the pregnancy, as well as late-stage pregnancy complications endangering the pregnant woman’s health. Pro-life advocates sometimes counter that these “serious abnormalities” are not serious enough to merit the termination of life, and amount instead to a value judgement about the worth of differently abled persons. Pro-choice advocates often respond by stating that the bulk of late term abortions are of pregnancies that the would-be mothers greatly desired. The decision to end them, either for health or well-being reasons, are thus more complicated than the pro-life “selfishness” argument permits. Other key transitions in the fetus’ development also factor heavily into the abortion discourse. Beyond the point of viability, the question of person-hood also arises around the emergence of a heartbeat (three to four weeks), independent brain waves (six weeks), applied brain waves (activating visual and auditory systems at twenty-four weeks), and brain folds (twenty-six weeks). The former two instances, existing prior to the age of viability, are used by pro-life advocates to argue for a definition of foetal life that is synonymous with person-hood. Many pro-life advocates also extend this case for person-hood to the moment of fertilization (as mentioned above) by defining person-hood as human life having a distinct DNA sequence. Meanwhile, rare is the pro-choice advocate who denies that what is gestating within a woman’s uterus during pregnancy is not “life,” or even “human life”. Rather, disagreement between both groups lies within their scientific bases for the definition of “person-hood” -- specifically, the point at which each decides an instance of human life merits the right of existence independent of its location and viability. See BABY page 28
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Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
BABY: Abortion science Continued from page 27 The consequences of abortion
Another argument raised primarily by pro-life advocates is that abortion has serious long-term consequences for the woman as well. Certainly a prochoice advocate will tell you the most obvious consequence of abortion is a terminated pregnancy, but pro-life advocates may also highlight the risks of abortion: Post-abortion bleeding (with some hemorrhaging requiring surgery to repair), infection, sepsis, damage to the cervix, uterus, or internal organs, scarring, a higher chance of future, premature deliveries, and a loss of added protection against breast cancer (the added protection arising from carrying one’s first child to term). A decrease in emotional health, stemming from depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), can also emerge after an abortion. Pro-choice advocates do not deny these risks, but apply them differently in argumentation: a) by noting the heightened risk profiles that accompany “back-room abortions” in countries or states where abortion is limited or prohibited, and b) forwarding these risks as further proof that women do not enter into decisions to abort as frivolously as some pro-life advocates would argue. In
this way, the same scientific information is used to further markedly different outlooks on the issue. By now, you have probably noticed that instead of applying the terms “pro-abortion” and “anti-abortion” to different advocacy groups, I elected to use the term each group uses for itself (pro-life and pro-choice). This is in part to correct an inaccuracy in the representation of the term “pro-abortion,” as very few pro-choice advocates would term themselves “for” abortion (with all the exulting in the act itself that such a position implies) so much as “for” its legalization. A 2007 World Health Organization study discovered that global abortion numbers are very similar in countries where the practice is illegal, and those where it is not. The real difference, the New York Times reported, was that 20 million of these abortions per year were deemed unsafe, and that these sometimes fatal practices (67,000 deaths per year) occurred predominantly in regions where the practice was illegal. For pro-choice advocates, these demographics then shift the issue away from science, and into the domain of compassionate response to abortion’s continued existence independent of regional legislation. These demographics also call into question the very legitimacy of the
terms “pro-life” and “pro-choice.” From the perspective of saving or improving women’s lives the world over, for instance, pro-choice advocates are certainly not anti-life. Similarly, those pro-life advocates who champion making informed decisions before pregnancy even happens (and who allow that many pregnancies do not occur through any measure of free will on the woman or young girl’s part) cannot be considered entirely anti-choice. However, these terms — the best of the bunch we use in contemporary abortion discourse — are precisely the broad, oversimplified strokes in which legitimate concerns for both sides are lost. Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves, are there external, ideological factors at work in the abortion debate — conservative religious morality versus permissive liberal ethics; female subjugation versus emancipation on a global level; compassionate selection versus value judgements about the worth of a different life? Most likely, yes. But if we fail to understand the scientific foundations of our mutual dissent, how can we ever hope to comment fairly on the rest? mclark@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Psych study for chocolate Jaqueline Chan reporter
A
lthough the fall term has only just begun, the Great Hall has already become a hotspot for stories and reporting opportunities. Sometimes the events taking place draw large crowds, such as the volunteer fair that took place for two days in September (the 24 and 25 if you somehow missed both of those dates), while others are more subtle and require that people are in the right place at the right time. The psychology research that has been going on in the Great Hall area near the multi-purpose room in the past few weeks is the perfect example of the second scenario. These researchers do not grasp for attention, but instead wait patiently at their booths for people to show interest in the studies that they are conducting. The most recent of these studies was called the “Friendship Survey”, which focused on determining “how friends offer support to one another following negative events.” In this case, participants answered a number of value-based questions after
reading a few hypothetical scenarios. All of these studies are done on a voluntary basis and this survey in particular only takes about 20 minutes of your precious time. Should you consider participating in this type of study, you will have the great joy of knowing that you helped a researcher move closer to answering their hypothesis question. Of course, there are also other types of compensation for your time such as chocolate bars (which were the reward for completing the friendship survey) or five dollars. But let me get to the point: how often have you participated in, acknowledged, or even seen for that matter, any of the psychology studies going on in the SLC Great Hall area in the recent past? Chances are that you have not done any of those things, and I encourage you to spend a few minutes of your time to pick up one of these surveys or at least pay more attention to your surroundings. Of course, if you have seen them and have even gone as far as to participate in these studies, then I congratulate you on your powerful observational skills (or maybe just your radar for reward).
Mating habits of the academicallyinclined homo sapien
F
irstly, I have to disappoint you. Pretending to pick up a senior in a chat room turned out to have ethical and moral repercussions for me, I simply couldn’t stand to do that to someone with a weak heart. I kept having the image of a Dr.Phil-like man with a hunch confiding in his cat: “Mr. Littlefoot, we’ve been stood up (heavy asthmatic sigh) I guess it’s going to be another day of polishing our saltshaker collection.” But I did do my research. I even (almost) signed up for Lavalife…but then I realized that I could view the profiles without logging in, even those interested in “Intimate Encounters”. I compared the local 18-25 profiles to the 45-70 ones, and I was shocked to find two things. First of all, the 50-70 listings outnumbered the 18-25 by two thirds, which is likely because websites like PlentyOfFish usually claim the attention of the youth. Secondly, the “A Little to Get Us Started” section of the profiles for the 50-70 year old category was far more graphic than the majority of the 18-25ers: interests like aggression, unusual locations for sex, and threesomes were very popular; these personal findings are consistent with the research I presented on September 18. Now, moving onto students.
alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
In the last few years, the value of virginity has become increasingly ambiguous to adolescent and young adult Canadians. In 2009 Canwest News Service reported on a Trent University study that found a separation in how university students view virginity – some as a “gift” and others an expendable stigma. Involving 300 Canadian students, the study showed that 35 per cent of those surveyed viewed virginity as a “precious gift” (this category turned out to be primarily female), and was more likely to wait until a serious relationship to shed it. The 10 per cent minority that was mostly male referred to virginity as a “stigma,” and desired to rid themselves of it without demonstrating notable partner selection for said purpose. Terry Humphreys, psychology professor at Trent University, said that the movie “American Pie” may have been a self-fulfilling prophecy: “American Pie demonstrates all these guys just trying to get rid of their virginity,” he says, “so that message for males is coming through loud and clear in our media.” Lastly, 55 per cent viewed virginity as a “process,” an inevitable event worth growing from no matter its outcome. Humphreys recognizes that these views on virginity are not static, but
are bound to “evolve” over time as affected by culture and other factors. Evidently, the “saving yourself till marriage” mantra is statistically unsupported, and has devolved – the majority of today’s youth approaches sexuality with more educated realism (such as mentioned in the last column, condom use being on the rise for 18-24 year olds, compared to other age demographics). Another 2008 study published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality involving 104 Canadian university students (68 female and 36 male) dealt with the parameters of “sexual normalcy” for the sexes. It was conducted by Todd G. Morrison, professor of psychology at the University of Saskatchewan among many others. The study presented a number of hypotheses, including that a sexual double standard would be perceived by the participants, when activities performed by a male would be labeled as “normal” more frequently than the same ones being performed by a female. After the study was conducted, “no differences were noted based on perceptions of male versus female actors,” revealing a model of a “single sexual standard.” With further research, it
would be interesting to explore whether these findings are due to a diminishing gender gap, or the contemporary tendency to focus on the behaviour not the individual — or another factor completely. Lastly, here is a laughable perspective on the cross-faculty deviations in sexual activity, as contributed by an Australian study in 2008. After examining the sexual history of 185 students, University of Syndey found that the study of 16 to 25-year-olds, published in the journal Sexual Health, said: “males in the study were less likely to have had sex as a group compared to the group of females in the sample, science students were also less likely to have had sex compared to their counterparts in other faculties.” I call this study a “laughable perspective” because its results may be seriously skewed by the social demographic surveyed — 78 per cent of the study participants were female.Unfortunately, I could find no Canadian research on the same subject. Tune in next week to find out how your brain factors in on your foot obsession and other fetishes. If you have any questions about the whereabouts or behavior of your junk, please email me at alomako@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
29
Protecting the Environment Gives Us True thelferty@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
R
ecently, the city of Boulder Colorado introduced the world’s first fully functional smart grid system. It allows homeowners to better regulate their electricity use and source of energy as well as responding to outages more quickly and efficiently. Despite all the debate and uncertainty about the future of the environment, it is a bright future as long as projects such as Boulder’s smart grid continue to become widespread; which is very likely. Smart grids are being discussed everywhere, and new, innovative ways to create renewable energy and solve food and water problems are coming up all the time. Even if some are far off, likely not even feasible dreams — such as replacing every road and driveway in the US with solar-panel roads that collect energy and are covered in LED lights – the fact that people are thinking in such out-ofthe-box ways is a huge leap in itself. All of these ideas and examples of forward thinking aren’t just great for the environment though. It almost seems as if this urgency to protect our world is also leading us to more independent and free lifestyles. There are a lot of ways to create your own energy these days, and moving “back to the land” — as in moving off the grid and becoming self-sustaining — has been possible and an occurrence for decades. However, self-sustaining lifestyles had always been equated with living in a cabin or some other small house in the middle of nowhere, with maybe enough energy for a fridge or a few lights. Many people don’t find this idea very attractive, as it does require sacrificing many comforts and putting up with more labour. Now, with up and coming technological advances such as smart grid systems that allow more leeway for private energy sources to gain access to the grid, new architectural feats such as urban agriculture, and small-but-powerful home-based sources of renewable energy, becoming self-sustaining may even be common in a downtown Toronto apartment or condo.
Xiaobo Liu
To survive you need shelter, clothing, food, and water. Assuming you have access to all of these, you’re set. Kind of. As modern humans, we want more. We want electricity, a big screen television, computers, nice furniture, clothes, and so on. Basic survival is no longer enough. To obtain all of these things (including the basic components for survival) we get jobs to make money and purchase them. It has become a mindset of our society that you can’t have anything without money. Now, indirectly, the changes in society we’re inducing to help the environment may one day change how we see money. Imagine a house with your own source of power and a big garden that produces your own food (which is perfect if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, but meat-eaters such as me will need more). Right there, you’re independent from the grid and the food market. If you do eat meat, establish a relationship with a local meat farmer. Then you can get all your comforts and accessories such as furniture, a computer, and a television. The energy bill isn’t a problem and food is taken care of. If you’re not a country dweller, architects are always coming up with innovative new ways of creating rooftop gardens, indoor greenhouses, better insulation and cooling techniques to avoid using energy to regulate temperature, and small scale power generators such as rooftop solar panels. One group even modeled a vertical suburbia — condominiums complete with a lawn and a white picket fence. Still, to obtain all of this, you need money. So how is this independent? We don’t want to and
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can’t end the workplace or marketplace. However, with all of these new ideas, designs, and technologies we can attain much more of what we need easily and quickly. For example, if you separated yourself from the grid and grew your own food, after obtaining all your comforts and such, money no longer becomes a necessity, but rather a comfort. Of course, above survival, we’ll still need money, and thus careers. So is this really complete freedom? Yes. In today’s society, yes it is. Money may still be around, but wealth is less necessary. You are not forced into jobs you
hate just to survive (unless you have absolutely no ambition or put in no effort). You are still independent in that you can make your own choices. Freedom doesn’t mean getting rid of all effort or labour. Freedom is having the choice of what you put your effort into. People will always want more, so not everyone will be able to live with this idea; but that may change as technology and home designs becomes more advanced. While this is still far off dreaming, I can see it becoming a reality in the near future. Already there are people who have become
completely independent from the grid, grocery stores, and even money. Though there will always be a grid that people all over will be attached to and grocery stores will still go strong, even a single city can become independent from outside imports. This in itself is more freedom for the people. With the environment becoming the forefront of technology, urban design, agriculture, and just about everything else, true freedom and independence will no longer be a luxury, but a simple choice for those who are willing to work for themselves.
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Science & Technology
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY CHRIS MOONEY TALKS SCIENCE, TECH, AND OUR FUTURE Science and politics
Adrienne Raw staff reporter
T
he state of science in our society is not exactly healthy,” said Chris Mooney in his September 25 lecture “Why Science and Technology Matters” presented in the Hagey Hall Theatre of the Humanities. Mooney — an awardwinning science journalist, senior correspondent with The American Prospect, and author of three books, including the best-selling The Republican War on Science — addressed the gap between science and the public, why science and technology matters, why science and technology illiteracy is dangerous in his hour-long presentation. “[The isolation of science from the intellectual mainstream] is an issue that I believe the universities must and should be confronted head-on,” said Johnston in his introduction to the presentation. The challenge, Johnston said, is two-fold. “First,” he said, “to ensure that all students, regardless of discipline, understand the intellectual foundations of human dimensions, and the impact of scientific and technological development. Second, to ensure that all students understand the scientific and technology foundations and imperatives of the 21st century.” “We believe that the University of Waterloo is in a wonderful position to meet both of those challenges,” said Johnston. The goal of the University of Waterloo through lectures like Mooney’s, Johnston said, is to “[bridge] the divisions, real or imagined, between the sciences and the humanities, between technology and culture.” Mooney began his lecture by noting that his lecture would be largely focused on trends in the United States because these were the trends he was most familiar with through research for his newest book Unscientific America: How Science Illiteracy Threatens our Future. This book is, incidentally, the basis for Mooney’s lecture. The recent end of the “war on science” in the United States and the return of science to Washington was the focus of Mooney’s opening remarks. Though Mooney lauded the return of science to the White House, he cautioned that the rest of the nation is still fairly unscientific and added that “there’s a long way to go in terms of science with regards to the nation as a whole.” It all comes back to the gap between science and culture, between the scientists and the public. “If you ask the average American ‘What have you heard about science lately?’ I bet you’d get something like the following: ‘Science demoted Pluto from the solar system and the Large Hadron Collider is going to suck us all into a black hole,’” Mooney said. “Those are the kinds of things that people have heard about.”
Part of the problem, Mooney said, is a lack of engagement with science by the public, and a general lack of knowledge. According to data from the Pew Research Center, only 46 per cent of Americans know that the electron is smaller than the atom, only 54 per cent know that antibiotics will not kill viruses, and only 52 per cent know that stem cells are different than other kinds of cells because they develop into different types of cells. Public ignorance is not, however, the main cause of the gap between science and public, Mooney said. “I think it’s just as problematic that you don’t find that the public is very engaged with the scientific community,” Mooney said. Only 18 per cent of Americans know a scientist personally, and 24 per cent could not name a scientific role model. Among those who could name a role model, those role models are predominantly dead or not actually scientists, Mooney said. However Mooney argues that the idea that the divide between science and the public is solely a matter of education and intelligence is a major misconception. Some believe that “people don’t get science because they’re dumb,” Mooney said. “That’s not the case.” Research from the Pew Research Center proves Mooney’s point. The data suggests that in some cases, smarter people are actually less likely to believe scientific theories. Politics and ideology dominate how people think, especially smarter people. “Smarter people are better at making arguments,” Mooney said, “better at researching things, and since we all come to the table with a lot of presuppositions, political predilections, ideological predilections, religious views, we go out looking for confirmations of the things that we already believe.” Mooney uses as an example the anti-vaccination movement in the United States. Anti-vaccination fears, he said, are based largely on personal views and unscientific anecdotes from people who share those views. Children whose parents try to get them exempted from vaccinations are likely to be male, white, from households with middle to higher incomes, and have a mother with a college education, Mooney said. “It’s not stupidity, it’s not ignorance alone,” he said, “something else is going wrong.” “Today, science remains as important as ever to policy and the economy, but the cultural standing of science is in steep decline,” Mooney said. The core of the problem is the divide between science and the humanities, between science and culture, an idea first discussed by author C.P. Snow in his 1959 lecture The Two Cultures. “I think that there are really four of these kinds of divides today that keep science from having the kind of influence that it should,” Mooney said. These four divides
During the most recent presidential election in the United States, Mooney and several colleagues founded Science Debate 2008, a movement aimed at getting presidential candidates to talk about science. The movement was a simple statement, Mooney said: “There should be a debate because we would be more informed as a result, and we would know better which presidential candidate really is ready for the 21st century.” The movement quickly took off, gaining the support of Nobel laureates, university administrators, and over 38,000 members of the public. “We’ve got this giant movement on our hands,” Mooney said. “We didn’t really realize we’d touch such a chord.” Buoyed by the massive support, the movement’s organizers brought it to the attention of the politicians. Here they faced the first problems. Though scientists and many members of the public couldn’t see how an informed, scientific debate could be a bad thing, political advisors feared the potential backlash in the media and the polls should a mistake be made during a live debate. Though both presidential candidates did eventually answers 14 questions posed by Science Debate 2008, the process illustrates the divide between
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don’t really buy it because the scientist seems normal — doesn’t seem really angry, old, or dangerous.” Scientific accuracy in films is another contributor to the divide between science and entertainment. Science in films doesn’t have to be totally accurate, Mooney said, but in current entertainment media, the science is often ridiculous. Mooney offered several examples of ridiculous science in films. Among these films was The Core (in which the Earth’s core stops rotating, causing deadly microwaves from space to destroy the Golden Gate Bridge among other things, and a team of scientists must correct the problem by set off a nuclear blast in the Earth’s core), and The Day After Tomorrow (in which global warming causes massive hurricanes over land and an ice age in the space of several days). Science and religion The divide between science and religion is “the most controversial and explosive” divide in modern culture. Mooney presents the following statistics as contributors to this divide: 52 per cent of scientists have religious affiliation, versus only 14 per cent of the public 14 per cent of the public self-describe as fundamentalist, versus only two per cent of scientists “Scientists don’t have any sense of how fundamentalist religion works,” Mooney said. “It’s an alien world to them. Similarly, for people with fundamental religion, science is a very alien
Today, science remains as important as ever to policy and the economy, but the cultural standing of science is in steep decline, — Chris Mooney
politics and science. The divide between science and politics is compounded, Mooney said, by the fact that “Our decision-making body is not infused with scientists.” Mooney adds that average congressmen are often overwhelmed by the large amount of information and misinformation that crosses their desks. Science and journalism/the media “There are many ways in which scientists and journalists view the world differently, and many ways in which that creates problems,” Mooney said. Part of the problem, Mooney said, was that changes in the economy and the media mean that many science journalists and communicators are losing their jobs. Additionally, many major media outlets (both television and newsprint) are reducing (sometimes drastically) their science coverage. With major media outlets reducing their science coverage, many are turning to the internet for their information, though Mooney noted that there are problems with this solution. “The internet is just as good a way of connecting people around bad information as it is of connecting people around good information,” Mooney said. The anti-vaccination debate is a good example of Mooney’s point. Mooney believes that this movement wouldn’t be nearly as powerful without the internet. Science and Hollywood
entertainment/
“It’s really important how science is depicted in major entertainment media,” Mooney said. Why? Because only 18 per cent of the American public knows a scientist personally, and the rest have to get their perception of scientists from entertainment (also known as Hollywood). Here is where the problems and the divide arises: “Scientists in films are often depicted as either freaks, geeks, or villains,” Mooney said. These depictions of scientists have surprising results, research has shown, especially among young children. “It turns out that if you bring a scientists into the classroom and have that scientist talk to young kids, the young kids
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are the following: the divide between science and politics, the divide between science and journalism/the media, the divide between science and entertainment/Hollywood, and the divide between science and religion.
world to them.” The result is a long-running battle between science and religion in which the only development, Mooney said, “is that the different sides have hardened their positions and become accepting of each other and less able to talk to each other.” Why should we care? That a divide between science and culture exists is clear, Mooney said, but why should we care? “To me, there may be many reasons to care,” Mooney said. “To me the one that’s always mattered the most is that it matters to policy whether we have a society that’s paying attention to science.” Current debates in science, such as stem cell research, shape the policy of the world. No one knows what the next set of debates is going to be, but science is already talking about issues like geo-engineering as a potential solution to global warming, and synthetic organisms. “The public doesn’t know that we’re already pretty much on the verge of being able to synthesize life in a laboratory, and I suspect that people are going to scream Frankenstein when that happens,” Mooney said. Communicating with the public According to Mooney, scientists have always relied on journalists and educators as their two key surrogates to communicate with the public world. Unfortunately, neither of these surrogates, is currently able to do the work they need to. “Maybe what’s needed,” Mooney said, “is a brand new program for public outreach from the world of science.” The goal, Mooney said, is to teach scientists to communicate, and create new opportunities for science students in the fields of science communication and public education. Though Mooney illustrates that there is a serious problem facing both the scientific community and the general public, he remains positive that the divide is one we can cross with time and effort. araw@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009 sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Home sweet homecoming win
this week in sports
Komal R. Lakhani
Men’s Soccer took on two CIS ranked teams this past weekend
See PAGE 34
courtesy steve brooks
Running back Matt Socholotiuk (#35) is shown breaking through the Windsor defense. Socholotiuk had a strong game as he ran for 134 rushing yards on the day, including a 28 yard run which led to a Waterloo touchdown.
Waterloo 49, Windsor 0 Brent Golem sports and living editor
T
he Waterloo Warrior football team was back in action this Saturday, September the 26th for the Homecoming weekend. The Warriors destroyed the Windsor Lancers (2-2) by a score of 49 – 0. Waterloo came into the game off three consecutive losses away against McMaster, home against #10 Ottawa, and away at #9 Laurier. Out of 27 teams in the Canadian Intersport (CIS) league, Warrior ranked #18th in pass offense by averaging 196 yards per game in the game and ranked #15th in pass defense by holding the opposition to 235 yards per game. Considering the talent that the Warriors have played against thus far, being on par for passing with these
teams is an amazing feat and shows the Warriors capabilities. The rushing defense, on the other hand, has been a different story. The Warriors rank #18th in the CIS due to their rushing offense by averaging 118 yards per game with their running backs. The Warriors have had a dismal rushing defense as they rank #27, last in the CIS, by allowing 278 yard per game on the ground. This poor showing on defense has been the bane of their season. The Warriors went into this game concentrating on this aspect to close the gap between their offense generated (314 yards per game) and the defense’s allowances (513 yards per game). Apparently the Warrior’s hard work in practice paid off as the Warriors reversed their previous trends by
holding Windsor to only 208 yards and exploding for 517 yards on offense. Big holes in their defense created by injuries to middle linebacker (MLB) Jordan Verdone (#44) and defensive back Pat McGarry (#6) were filled as the players returned to the field. 1st Quarter: Warriors 15, Lancers 0 Waterloo – TD by L. Balch 15-yard run (D. Sevigny convert) @ 5:30 [7-0] Waterloo – Rouge by D. Sevigny @ 8:25 [8-0] Waterloo – TD by S. Lagace 20-yard pass from L. Balch (D. Sevigny convert) @ 10:42 [15-0] The first quarter started off with the Warriors receiving the kickoff. After a good return the Warriors went three and out and gave the ball right back to the Lancers. The War-
rior defense took the field and took control of the game immediately. Windsor’s first possession of the game was met with excellent pass defense, as expected, and saw defensive tackle Alex Wolfe (#50). After a Windsor three and out, the Warriors offense charged down the field led by quarterback (QB) Luke Balch (#12) who used some excellent field vision to complete almost all of his passes in the first quarter and also took chances with his speed to run for first downs when the Lancers chose to put their defense into a predominantly pass coverage. Balch may have led the offense down the field but it was running back Matt Socholotiuk (#35) who broke a huge run to put the Warriors in the red zone (within 20 yards of the endzone) and within striking distance of the lead. See HOMECOMING, page 32
Games of the week:
courtesy steve brooks
Women’s Rugby upset the #6 CIS ranked Western Mustangs
See PAGE 35
courtesy steve brooks
With the ball season almost over, check out the season in review.
See PAGE 35
the best games in town
Saturday October 3 Men’s Badminton vs York at 10am on North Campus (CIF) Men’s Soccer vs Winsor at 3:15pm on North Campus (CIF)
Sunday October 4 Men’s & Women’s Swimming tri-meet vs Toronto & Guelph at PAC Pool Men’s Soccer vs Western at 3:15pm on North Campus (CIF)
courtesy JS Rancourt
Men’s golf team was back in action. Can they continue their dominance?
See PAGE 36
32
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Homecoming football win Continued from page 31
On the first play in the red zone QB Balch was almost sacked, but managed to throw the ball away. He replied to the defensive pressure on the next play by rushing for 17 yards and the game’s first touchdown. The game continued on in this fashion, with the Warrior defense preventing the Lancers from getting first downs while the Warrior offense trotted down the field in control. This was not the run defense of previous games: The defensive lineman held the line while the linebackers made quick reads and filled the holes in the line. It was incredible to witness the coaches calling a middle linebacker blitz and Jordan Verdone blitzing the exact hole that Windsor was trying to run through, resulting in a tackle for a loss. The very next play the Warrior’s linebackers made an excellent pass read and dropped back into coverage. A dangerous Windsor throw was tipped by one linebacker and intercepted by MLB Jordan Verdone, who had excellent eyes to find the ball in the air. On offense Balch was throwing extremely well, but it was only because the offensive line had huge blocks and gave him many seconds to get the ball off to an open receiver. A combination of great running by Socholotiuk and receiving by Sean Cowie (#2) for a 26-yard gain, lead to a 20-yard pass by Balch to running back Steve Lagace (#36).
The Warriors, with a 15-0 lead still didn’t give an inch. After catching a pass, wide receiver Andrew Ward (#88) fought off numerous defenders to gain extra yards which, in a 3down game, can make the difference between a first down and punting the ball away. 2nd Quarter: Waterloo 34, Windsor 0
Waterloo – TD by T. Smith 33yard INT (D. Sevigny convert) @ 0:20 [22-0] Waterloo - Safety (Windsor conceded) @ 5:37 [24-0] Waterloo – TD by D. Zender 46-yard pass from L. Balch (D. Sevigny convert) @ 6:22 [31-0] Waterloo – FG by D. Sevigny 16-yard @ 13:31 [34-0] The start of the second quarter was very exciting, as the defense took no prisoners. In the first Windsor possession of the quarter, cornerback Tyler Smith (#20) picked off a Windsor pass and ran it 33 yards for a touchdown. On another drive defensive back Bashir Moallim (#24) had a huge sack for a 4-yard long on second down to force another three and out punt. A different drive had the defense hold back the Lancer’s on their 11-yard line to force Windsor to conceed a safety to gain field position. Unfortunately, the Warriors’ offense was playing so well that being 30 yards further down the field did not matter. On the ensuing drive, Balch completed a 46yard pass to receiver Dustin Zender (#3) for another touchdown. Although the Warriors were dominating all facets of the game, they were not impervious to attack. The Lancers finally pushed into the Warriors’ red zone and were met by stiff defense. The Warriors stopped the Lancers twice to force a third down and, with the score a far margin of 31-0, Windsor was forced to risk losing the ball to get a touchdown. The Warrior defense came up huge and stopped them a third time, which earned them the ball back. With the game almost out of reach the clouds opened up and it started raining hard. A great punt by Dave Sevigny (#4) set Windsor up deep in their end. Another dangerous pass was picked off, this time by cornerback Hugo Lopez (#22) with less than two minutes left in the half. This play set up a field goal by Sevigny. The half ended with the Warriors up by 34.
3rd Quarter: Waterloo 46, Windsor 0
Waterloo - Safety (Windsor conceded) @ 0:59 [36-0] Waterloo – TD by S. Cowie 19-yard pass from L. Balch (D. Sevigny convert) @ 3:11 [43-0] Waterloo - FG by D. Sevigny 16yard @ 8:09 [46-0] The third quarter started off with some more excellent defense as Hugo Lopez successfully defended a long pass attempt. Soon after the Warriors forced a fumbled in the Windsor endzone resulting in a safety. Early in the third quarter, a huge punt by Sevigny was underestimated by the Windsor player who tried to catch the ball above his head but instead went off his hands and bounced almost 15 yards back to be recovered by safety Mitch Nicholson (#7) on the 9-yard line. The Waterloo offense almost shot themselves in their own foot by taking a 10-yard penalty but Balch found Cowie in the end-zone for a 19-yard touchdown. After with just under 12 minutes left in the third quarter the game was over. There was no way an inept Windsor squad would be coming back from being 6 touchdown’s behind with no momentum in the rain. All the momentum was in Waterloo’s favour and the Warrior’s added a field goal before the quarter ended. 4th Quarter: Waterloo 49, Windor 0
Waterloo - Safety (Windsor conceded) @ 0:31 [48-0] Waterloo – Rouge by D. Sevigny @ 14:26 [49-0]
courtesy steve brooks
Middle Linebacker Jordan Verdone (#44) drops on the ball after catching a tipped ball for an interception.
Game 4 vs Windsor: Players of the Game Offensive Player of the Game:
QB Luke Balch (#12)
Defensive Player of the Game:
MLB Jordan Verdone (#44)
Balch is UW Athletic’s Athlete of the Week for a reason. Balch went 15 for 24 with 236 yards and 3 Touchdowns, including a 46-yard TD pass... in the rain! He also rushed for 51 yards on 4 attempts which netted him a TD.
Verdone was nominated for OUA defensive player of the week. Verdone lead the team with eight tackles and had the vision to pick up a tipped pass for the interception.
The fourth quarter was relatively uneventful. With the Warrior’s huge lead, both teams chose to allow their reserve players to gain some experience. The Lancers, for the third time of the game, were forced to concede a safety to gain field position. Kicker Dave Sevigny missed two field goals, which would have put the lead above the half-century mark. One field goal was not returned out of the end zone, resulting in the Warriors getting one point for the rouge. Although Sevigny missed a few field goals in the game, he still had a huge impact on the game through his punting. Dave Sevigny is ranked fourth in the country for his punting with an average punt of 40.1 yards. sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
courtesy steve brooks
Wide receiver Dustin Zender (#3) catches a pass and runs for a touchdown. The 46-yard pass was the longest of the day.
courtesy steve brooks
presents...
Saturday, October 3, 2009
athletes of the week
vs Windsor Lancers
THIS WEEK IN
(W) 1:00 pm, (M) 3:15 pm CIF Soccer Field
ATHLETICS & RECREATION (M) (W) soccer
SAVANNAH GENTILE
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Rugby
vs Western Mustangs
3rd year, Arts Oakville, ON
(W) 1:00 pm, (M) 3:15 pm CIF Soccer Field
LUKE BALCH Football 4th year, Recreation London, ON
M W Badminton
W Golf
M Golf
Swimming
vs York Lions
Waterloo Invitational
Waterloo Invitational
vs U of T & Guelph
October 3-4, Cambridge Golf and Country Club
October 3, Whistlebear Golf Club, Cambridge
October 3, 10:00 am, UW CIF Gym
IMPRINT | OCT 2
I AM A warrior
October 4, 11:30 am, PAC Pool Registered trademarks of Boston Pizza Royalties Limited Partnership, used under license. © Boston Pizza International Inc. 2005
ns
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
33
Men’s tennis top seed Men’s rugby in rut in OUA playoffs OUA Men’s Rugby JJ Maxwell reporter
T
he Waterloo Men’s Rugby (0-4) team took to the pitch on Sunday September 27th and lost to the undefeated Western Mustangs 33-7. The Mustangs (4-0) are first place in the OUA Standings. The Warriors started off a little shaky, having a pass intercepted for a Western try early on in the game. Waterloo then managed to gain some momentum and put the pressure the Mustangs. After several attempts, Tyler Haladuick finally managed to score a try and make the game 12-7 for Western. The Waterloo defence stood tall for the rest of the first half, but fell apart early into the second. Bryce Carlin stood especially tall on defence and was the man of the match. The game ended with the score standing at 33-7 in favour of the Mustangs, but this did not show how well Waterloo played. The Warriors are back in action in a crucial game on Friday when they travel to Guelph to take on the Gryphons. Both teams are winless and the winner will be left with the opportunity of making the playoffs. If Waterloo beats Guelph and then RMC and finally Toronto, post-season action will be a possibility. Luckily those three teams have a combined total of one win.
Brent Golem
Standings Team
sports and living editor
GP
W
L
PTS
Queens
4
4
0
18
Western
4
4
0
18
Laurier
4
3
1
13
McMaster
3
2
1
9
Brock
3
2
1
6
RMC
4
1
3
5
Guelph
3
0
3
1
editor sports and living
W
ith a win against Windsor, the Warrior’s playoff hopes are still alive and thriving. The Waterloo Warriors are now 1-3 with only four games to go. Fortunately the Warriors have played the toughest half of their schedule, and coming down the stretch they will look to ride the winning momentum into the post-season. In order to climb out of their current playoff-less standing and sneak into the playoffs they will have to get some wins. The top six of the 10-team football OUA division will make the playoffs. Currently the Warriors sit in 8th half way through the season. In order to make the playoffs the Warriors will have to have an even season by ending 4-4. This means they will have to win three of the next four weeks. Wins are all but guaranteed against York and Toronto, so the Warriors will have to steal one from either Guelph or Queen’s. Let’s take a look at how these games match up. Saturday October 3 at #10 Guelph (2-2) Being ranked 10th in the country, this matchup will be a tough one for Waterloo to handle. Guelph boasts the best offence in Ontario by averaging 570 yards per game. However, they are weaker OUA teams on defense as they allow 441 yards per game, even though they have play two weakest teams in OUA (York and Toronto). The Gryphons will be without their star quarterback Justin Dunk as he was suspended for one game by the University of Guelph’s Department of Athletics for making a profane remark during a
OUA Men’s Football Standings Team
GP
W
L
T
PTS
Western
4
4
0
0
8
Queens
4
4
0
0
8
Laurier
4
3
1
0
6
Guelph
4
2
2
0
4
McMaster
4
2
2
0
4
Ottawa
4
2
2
0
4
Windsor
4
2
2
0
4
Waterloo
4
1
3
0
2
Toronto
4
0
4
0
0
York
4
0
4
0
0
Sunday September 27 at Toronto On Sunday the team travelled to face the Varsity Blues. Once again the doubles teams struggled as only one of the three doubles matches managed to secure a victory for Waterloo.
Waterloo
4
0
4
1
Toronto
3
0
3
0
nationally televised game on the Score network. In order for Waterloo to win they must read backup QB Kurtis Dance like they did against Windsor. Although Windsor is a pass-dominant offense the Warriors must stop a good run game as well. The Warriors must also take advantage of Guelph’s lacking defense and get in the end zone. Saturday October 10 vs #4 Queen’s (4-0) Queen’s is ranked fourth in the country because of their wins against Guelph, McMaster, and Ottawa. Their team boasts the strongest defense in the OUA by allowing only 288 yards per game, and has an extremely strong rush defense as they hold teams to under 85 yards per game on average. Queen’s also has the third best offense in OUA with 476 yards per game average. There are strong through the air with 322 yards per game through the air. If Waterloo is to beat Queen’s they will have to come to play. The Warrior’s best part of their game is pass defense so if they can limit the receptions it will give them a chance to win. Queen’s has limited three of their past four opponents to 8 points or under, so if the Warrior offense can find some holes and score then they will have a good chance of taking the win. The Warriors cannot repeat what happened at McMaster. Playing in front of a home crowd, this game is Waterloo’s best chance for an upset. Saturday October 17 at Toronto (0-4) As per usual, Toronto Varsity Blues are dwelling at the bottom of the league for another year. Waterloo cannot repeat the loss of last year that broke Toronto’s losing streak. Their offense and defense is one of the worst in the league, the only football team worse then them is York. If Waterloo comes focused and off a home win then this game will be all Waterloo. Saturday October 24 vs York (0-4) York has the worst offense and defense in the league. They have the worst offense and generate 50 yards fewer, on average, per game then the next lowest team, Toronto. They also boast the worst run defense by allowing 50 yards more than the next worst team, Guelph. If the Warriors cannot beat a team that lost to Windsor, then they definitely don’t deserve to make the playoffs. sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
The Warriors now have a long break until their next competition as the OUA Playoffs commence October 17 at UOIT for the OUA semi-finals.
OUA Women’s Tennis
OUA Men’s Tennis Standings GP
W
L
PTS
Team
GP
W
L
PTS
Waterloo
8
7
1
14
Montreal
6
6
0
12
Toronto
5
3
2
6
Western
6
5
1
10
York
6
3
3
6
Toronto
5
3
2
6
McMaster
2
2
0
4
York
4
2
2
4
Western
5
2
3
4
Waterloo
6
2
4
4
Montreal
4
1
3
2
McMaster
5
1
4
2
UOIT
6
0
0
0
UOIT
6
0
6
0
Team
Football playoff bound? Brent Golem
Saturday Sept. 26 at York (Rogers Centre) The Warriors blew their chance at a perfect season on Saturday when they ran into some tough competition against the York Lions. The team lost their match 6-1. The team lost all their singles matches except for the second best Warrior single’s player Marlon Coelho who managed to pull out a victory. The doubles matches did not go as planned either as Waterloo lost two of three matches, although by a close margin as both lost 8-7.
This time the Warriors remained focused and didn’t let the doubles loss bother them. After wins from singles star Marko Agantonovic, Marlon Coelho, and rookie Andrew Brown, the team found themselves in a tough 3-3 situation with all the pressure being put on Milos Agatonovic to secure the victory for the team. Milos stepped up to the challenge and won the match by coming from behind with set of 3-6, 7-6, and 6-4. The match win secured the fixture win and also reasserted the Warriors dominance on top. The Warriors now go into the post-season with a guarenteed 1st seeding. They lead the OUA with 14 points and with the win against Toronto there is no way for Toronto to catch them.
34
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
THE LIONS HAVE BEEN TAMED
Strome told Imprint later in the interview, “Our primary objective was to remain level until halftime.” Midfielder Chris Lam (#9) created quite a few chances from the left flank during the half; however, the ball remained in the Warrior zone for most of the time, keeping goalkeeper Mike Saccone very busy. Saccone did manage to save seven targeted attempts with some spectacular diving saves. Franchesco Bruno scored for York in the 64th minute with a feeble free kick from the edge of the penalty area. The crowd sat in stunned silence as the streak was thrown in jeopardy. Nevertheless, it somehow managed to charge up the boys, who then opened fire with full force, knowing that their defense would do the rest. Sohyb Basir (#23)
Siddhant Baride reporter
H
Komal R. Lakhani
eading into October as the #9 ranked team in Canada, the soccer Warriors have managed to maintain their momentum. On Saturday, on home turf, they managed to draw with the York Lions, ranked #4 in Canada. It was surely a wonderful homecoming for the alumni, who were present at Warrior field, cheering aloud, as their soccer team held the defending national champions to a 1-1 draw. The first half saw a strong defensive strategy, with Warrior defender Raphael Goldemann (#15) guarding against York’s forward Douglas Sereti (or Douggy as he is called). Assistant Coach Mike
Komal R. Lakhani
came onto the field for the Warriors and, within minutes, scored an astonishing goal off a perfect out-swinging cross from Lam. The game was filled with tense moments, coupled with a bunch of yellow cards and a funny little incident in the right flank. Instead of passing the ball after a free kick that had already been taken, the player from York tried to set the ball with his hands and in the bargain, lost a precious forty-yard kick advantage. In the end, Asstistant Coach Strome said that he was satisfied with the effort, but summed up the season’s strategy with his quote, “We’re not here to compete. We’re here to win.”
not so relaxing weekend for the warriors Komal R. Lakhani sports and living assistant
I
t was tough weekend for the Warrior’s soccer team, after the previous weeks’ unbeaten streak. This weekend they played against two of the top ten varsity teams in Canada. On Sunday 27 September, the Waterloo Warriors were on the field face to face with the Guelph Gryphons. The team seemed tired of the previous day’s tough match with the fourth ranked team in Canada, the York Lions, where the Warriors ended the match in a draw 1-1. The first half started out slow and was not played with the same vigor
and strength as seen during the previous games. Eventually this resulted in the Warriors being one down by the end of the half. It was during the second half that the Warriors started to pick up their game, but there were still many missed opportunities to score. The game was played in a very repetitive manner; the Guelph goalkeeper kicked the ball directly near our goal, and the Warriors, after some struggle managed to take the game in the other half, only for the ball to be kicked back to our goal. This cycle continued throughout the game, only to be intensified even more during the second half. The game had its moments though, as the goalkeeper displayed exceptional skills throughout by
saving some really difficult goals. “The first half hour killed us,” said Assistant Coache Mike Strome when asked about the team’s performance. “We had an injury on the team, which added to us losing the game”. Right now the warriors have a strong footing with eleven points. The Warriors (3-1-2) are currently second in the Western division and unfortunately fell out of the top ten in the overall OUA standings. Hopefully, the weather will be clear this weekend, as they take on Windsor Lancers and Western at home. For all you soccer fans and Waterloo enthusiasts, the games start at 3:15p.m., at CIF 2. klakhani@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Komal R. Lakhani
OUA Men’s Soccer Standings West Division Team
Komal R. Lakhani
GP W
L
T
PTS
Guelph
6
4
1
1
13
Waterloo
6
3
1
2
11
Windsor
6
3
1
2
11
York
6
2
2
2
8
Western
6
2
3
1
7
McMaster
6
2
4
0
6
Laurier
6
1
2
3
6
Brock
6
1
4
1
4 Komal R. Lakhani
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Men’s baseball season recap
Women’s rugby upsets #6 ranked western
OUA Baseball Standings Team
GP
W
L
PTS
Western
15
11
4
22
Laurier
17
10
7
20
Brock
14
9
5
18
McMaster
15
9
6
18
Toronto
14
6
8
12
Waterloo
16
6
10
12
Guelph
15
2
13
4 courtesy steve brooks
courtesy steve brooks
JJ Maxwell
sports and living editor
reporter
he Men’s Baseball team took to the field before classes started off the season strong. If not for a six game losing streak, which involved some winnable games that didn’t pan out, the Warriors would be fighting for a playoff spot. As it stands now the Warriors are on the outside looking in. The playoff structure for OUA baseball is the top 4 teams from the regular season play in 1 v 4, 2 v 3 best of three series. With the Warriors loss on this past Wednesday to Western at Labatt Park in London, the Warriors have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. Waterloo did have some positives on the season. Third baseman Aaron Butler is the 7th best batting leader in OUA with an amazing .367 average. Pitcher Derek Junkin led the Warriors bullpen with a 1.80 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 15 innings pitched. Pitcher Joel Smith also had a solid season with a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 21 innings pitched. Shortstop Mike Glinka led the team in RBIs with 10, followed closely behind by first baseman Jason Diniz-wood with 9 RBIs, and outfielder Chris Ryan with 8 RBIs. First baseman Jason Diniz-wood played solid throughout the year as he ranks third in the OUA for put-outs with 113 and only 4 errors on the year, to maintain a 96.64 fielding percentage. The Warriors have a lot of young talent on the team. Even with a few of their best players leaving the team at the end of this year, such as pitcher Derek Junkin. they will be in position to contest for a playoff spot if their youngsters fill the void.
he Waterloo Women’s Rugby (2-1) took on the CIS #6 ranked Western Mustangs on Friday afternoon at Warrior Field, coming from behind for a 25-19 victory. The thrilling victory knocked Western down to #9 and vaulted Waterloo into a tie for second place in the Shiels division. The first half was a hard fought battle, and great ball movement eventually allowed veteran Warrior Savannah Gentile to score a try on an outside run. Western quickly answered back with powerful forward running, and added the convert, making it 7-5. Despite pressure from Waterloo, a few errors made by the Warriors and well played balls by Western allowed the Mustangs to make the score 12-5 going into halftime. At the half time, the Warriors composed themselves and made several key adjustments. Some great forward running allowed both Melissa McGuire and Caitlin Martin to score tries, making the score 15-12. With the excitement building on the Waterloo bench, a defensive lapse gave Western a try under the posts, making the score 19-15 for the Mustangs. With time winding down, the Warriors got re-energized by Savan-
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
Brent Golem
Game 1
Sat Sept 5
vs Brock
L 18-13
Game 2
Wed Sept 9
vs Guelph
W 8-2
Game 3*
Wed Sept 9
vs Guelph
W 15-4
Game 4
Sat Sept 12
at Toronto
W 7-4
T
Game 5*
Sat Sept 12
at Toronto
L 13-12
Game 6
Sun Sept 13
vs McMaster
L 12-5
Game 7
Tues Sept 15
at Laurier
L 3-2
Game 8
Sat Sept 19
vs Western
L 9-2
Game 9*
Sat Sept 19
vs Western
L 13-2
Game 10
Sun Sept 20
at Brock
L 6-2
Game 11* Sun Sept 20
at Brock
W 3-2
Game 12
Thurs Sept 24 at Guelph
W 4-3
Game 13
Sat Sept 26
vs Laurier
W 7-4
Game 14* Sat Sept 26
vs Laurier
L 11-4
Game 15
Sun Sept 27
vs Toronto
L 10-5
Game 16
Wed Sept 30
at Western
L 7-0
Game 17
Sat Oct 3
at McMaster
TBD
Game 18* Sat Oct 3
at McMaster
TBD
* denotes double-header
35
sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
T
nah Gentile, who was able to break another ball wide, making the score 20-19. The realization that an upset was about to be complete, the Warriors pressed even harder and veteran Caitlin Martin made another break and scored her second try of the game. This sealed the victory for Waterloo: 25-19. Savannah Gentile – who scored two tries, including the decisive one – was named woman of the match for the game. The Warriors are looking to build on this momentum when they take on Brock this Saturday October 3rd. A win at Brock could give them a 2nd place finish in the division – meaning home field advantage in the quarter finals would be a possibility.
OUA Women’s Rugby Standings Russell Team
GP
W
L
PTS
McMaster
3
3
0
12
Queens
3
2
1
8
Trent
3
1
2
5
York
3
1
2
3
Toronto
3
0
3
0
GP
W
L
PTS
Guelph
3
3
0
11
Western
3
2
1
8
Waterloo
3
2
1
8
Brock
3
1
2
4
Laurier
3
0
3
0
Shiels
Phil kessel feels a lot like love It was like having your girlfriend suddenly subscribe to fitness magazines — that glimmer was suddenly back in your eye. Maybe she’ll find some exercises she likes? Maybe she’ll pick up yoga? The possibilities were endless. And now we’ve seen Burke’s first risky move — the move, not to sound melodramatic, that could very well make or break his GM tenure here in Toronto. This past week, Burke sent the Boston Bruins two first-round picks and a second-round pick for the 21-year-old stud centre, Phil Kessel.
“
presented with. If you ask me, I like the deal; I like everything about it. Aren’t we all a little tired of our beloved Leafs losing year after year? I mean, 1967 was our last championship — we’ve been playing it safe ever since and where has that gotten us? Kessel could bomb, there’s no doubt about this. He’s been described as unattached to the game and no one seems to debate the fact that he doesn’t exactly work very hard on defense.
You have to love your Leafs, win or lose, just like that long-term girlfriend.
It’s like the new diet that your girlfriend has decided on. If it works, you might be reaping the benefits for years and years to come. But if it fails: well, she might convince herself that diets are stupid anyways, and chocolate cake clearly wasn’t worth giving up. High risk, high reward — this is the crossroad Leafs fans are now
“
T
he Toronto Maple Leafs are kind of like a long-time girlfriend that has been gradually gaining weight over time. Part of you wants out of the relationship; face it, you’d love to move in on that hot blonde who not so subtly always touches your shoulder when she talks to you after class. But you’re committed, right? You’ve put time into this girl; you’ve cried for this girl — you’re emotionally attached to this girl. You try to ignore the weightgain, and for the most part, you’re halfoblivious. Your friends will make little snide remarks; they’ll mention how that hot blonde is rumored to hate snuggling and to love video games. That’s what Leafs’ fans are like. They see the weight-gain, the five years of missed playoffs. They’d secretly love to jump on the Red Wings and all those championships, but they’re loyal and committed. Penguins’ fans grin and point to their Crosby jerseys with a confident smugness. But Leaf fans, last year, started to feel some hope. Brian Burke, GM-extraordinaire and the architect that put together the 2007 Stanley Cup Champions, Anaheim Ducks, came to town.
The Bruins’ Claude Julien benched him in the 2008 playoffs for his effort, and it was this penchant for lazing that convinced the Bruins’ to move on without him in their future plans. But with that said, Kessel can bring a lot to a Maple Leafs’ squad that is starving for a forward with the sort of attributes Kessel has.
This is a guy who scored 36 goals last year, good enough for 12th in the league, and 60 points in total. He’s fast with dangles galore and the best part of this is he’s still very young, he’s only 21. Not only does a move like this send a message to the fans, it sends a message to the players on the Leafs’ roster right now. As Burke himself said, “it’s a statement to our players that we want to be competitive right now.” What else do you want to hear from your GM? You can make the argument that the price was steep, and there’s no doubt that it was, but when you break it down, you start to see what Burke was seeing. Instead of having three picks with unsure returns, the Leafs now have one, true scorer who has proven he can score and score well in the NHL. You have to love your Leafs, win or lose, just like that long-term girlfriend. Relationships are more than just outside physical relationships, just as supporting a team is much more than what numbers end up in the win and lose columns. Let’s just hope Kessel isn’t the second coming of the Atkins Diet.
Team
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36
Sports & Living
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Warriors finish 2nd and 6th in two-day tournament reporter
T
he Warrior golf team took part in the second tournament on the OUA circuit at the Western Invitational this past weekend in London, Ont. In the two-day event, the Warriors took home a second and sixth place finish, using two different roster combinations this past weekend. The first event took place at the St. Thomas Golf and Country Club. Without co-captains Jimmy Latta, Garrett Rank and Simon McInnis, (winner of the individual title at the Queens Invitational) the Warrior golf team combined for a team score of 309. This was good enough for sixth in the tournament. However, the team was only six strokes off the winning score fired by Laurentian University, showing the stiff competition on day one of the tournament.
a two under par score of 70, bested only by teammate Simon McInnis’s team record tying score of 65. Mackay’s round bodes well for his pursuit to crack the starting five on the Warrior’s roster and shows the consistency starting to be formed around his golf game. “I played steady and safe out there. I’m finally starting to use my head out there and its paying dividends as it’s transferring into low rounds. I’m going out there (to
team reaching the ultimate goal this season. I guess you could say it’s my spot to lose now”. Rounding out the Warrior team were scores by Ryan Stroud firing a 77, JS Rancourt’s 78, rookie Jack Gibson’s 81 and Adam Wilson’s 83. Despite a sixth place finish the Warrior golf team showed their ability to compete with any other team’s starting five despite the roster combination used.
The golf team from Laurentian once again took first place honors, combining for a team score of 296, besting the Warrior’s by only two strokes. Latta’s strong perfor mance comes off of consistent rounds at the NCAA warm-up tournament and Queen’s invitational, leading to three top three finishes amongst the teams starting five in all three events played. “I hit the ball well all day and
“
I played steady and safe out there. I’m finally starting to use my head out there and its paying dividends as it’s transferring into low rounds. I’m going out there and working hard to make the starting roster -Russell Mackay
practices and events) and working The Sunningdale Golf and Counhard to make the starting roster,” try Club hosted day two of the WestRussell Mackay led the Warriors Mackay told Imprint when asked ern Invitational where the Warriors with a one over par 73, earning about his round and possibility of fared much better than day one. The Warriors were led by a rouhimself a third place finish in the cracking the starting five. “This week I will be playing on tine solid performance by veteran and event. This was yet another strong performance by the third year Rec- it at our home tournament (The co-captain Jimmy Latta, who fired a reation student, who was coming Waterloo Invitational) and I’m four under par 68 to lead the warriors off a second place showing at the excited to be given the chance by to a second place finish and taking the our coaches to b&w contribute ourPM individual title in the tournament. Queens Invitational where he fired 40Crk_Imprint_Oct09_fin:Imprint - Waterloo - 6.125x8.3125 29/09/09to1:57 Page 1
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Ryan Scott
didn’t make any big mistakes with only bogeying the seventeenth hole and making five birdies along the way. What’s more important is the team is really looking solid and making it tough on the coaches to decide which five to send out each week, as the competition amongst the team is stiff, but healthy,” Jimmy told Imprint when asked about his
round and how the team is shaping up three weeks into the season. “We are going to put up a strong showing this weekend at our home tournament as we are riding high on confidence and we are looking forward to taking the title this weekend.” Helping the Warrior cause was yet another solid outing from co-captain Garrett Rank, who fired a three over par 75 coming off back to back top three finishes at the team’s first two tournaments. Third year veteran JS Rancourt also shot a round of 75. Rounding out the team were scores of 80 by Adam Wilson and 82 by Ryan Stroud. The Warrior’s golf team continues to put up strong performances from all members, which will bode well to their success in the coming events. Also, the return of Simon McInnis will help the Warriors this weekend as they co-host the two day Waterloo Invitational, with the neighbouring Laurier Goldenhawks, and will look to add to the Waterloo Athletics trophy case.
Men’s rugby in rut JJ Maxwell reporter
T
he Waterloo Men’s Rugby (04) team took to the pitch on Sunday September 27 and lost to the undefeated Western Mustangs 33-7. The Mustangs (4-0) are first place in the OUA Standings. The Warriors started off a little shaky, having a pass intercepted for a Western try early on in the game. Waterloo then managed to gain some momentum and put the pressure the Mustangs. After several attempts, Tyler Haladuick finally managed to score a try and make the game 12-7 for Western. The Waterloo defence stood tall for the rest of the first half, but fell apart early into the second. Bryce Carlin stood especially tall on defence and was the man of the match. The game ended with the score standing at 33-7 in favour of the Mustangs, but this did not show how well Waterloo played. The Warriors are back in action in a crucial game on Friday when they travel to Guelph to take on the Gryphons. Both teams are winless and the winner will be left with the opportunity of making the playoffs. If Waterloo beats Guelph and then RMC and finally Toronto, post-season action will be a possibility. Luckily those three teams have a combined total of one win.
OUA Men’s Rugby Standings Team
GP
W
L
PTS
Queens
4
4
0
18
Western
4
4
0
18
Laurier
4
3
1
13
McMaster
3
2
1
9
Brock
3
2
1
6
RMC
4
1
3
5
Guelph
3
0
3
1
Waterloo
4
0
4
1
Toronto
3
0
3
0
Do you like the NHL, NFL, or NBA? Varsity Sports are free to watch and just as exciting.
Come write about varsity sports for Imprint’s Sports section sports@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
Comics & Distractions
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
37
RAJUL SALEH (differentperspective@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)
MICHAEL TO (irresponsiblyoptomistic@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)
Sudoku
7
8 8
7 4 1 8 9 3 9 2 5 8 3 2
7
5 9 6 4 5 2
Dear Crossword Cutie,
4 1 9
Yo Anti Abortion Insert,
When you left Tim Hortons in the SLC I grabbed your newspaper and finished the crossword you were working on. I left one space open... and only you can fill it. - G.F. Dear Underwear Queen, I saw you in the V1 laundry room last week. I couldn’t help but notice we fold our underwear the same... but I know they’d look better crumpled up on my floor. Whatup! Signed, GRFF
8
I’m real happy for ya, and imma let you finish... BUT Remax has the best inserts... OF ALL TIME!!
From Kanye West
Saw you on the 29. Thought you was lookin’ fine. Please let me know if you would like to dine. Just give me a call sometime.
- Girl with a pocket full of dimes
Missed any connections lately? Got any ideas, gripes, or randomly entertaining thoughts? Send them (with utmost affection) to
distractions@imprint.uwaterloo.ca
38
Comics & Distractions
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
(postscript@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)
By “Treavs” (geese@imprint.uwaterloo.ca)
Guest comic
By Jordan Campbell
Comics & Distractions
Imprint, Friday, October 2, 2009
Crossword
By Mike Koivusalo the world, she walks into mine.” (two wds.) 19. Bugs’ nemesis 20. Software keys 21. Slanty lettering (abbr.) 23. Deficits 24. Question to drive “Marathon Man” nuts (3 wds.) 28. Blundering 30. (Ironically) Someone who squeals 31. “You can be my ____ anytime.” 35. ____ beaver 37. Offense 38. “What we got here is ____ to communicate.” 40. Skipped a morning class 41. Sought-after cup 42. Largest Australian bird 43. Dr. Seuss character (3 wds.) 46. “____ man! ____!” (Aliens quote - 2 wds.) 48. Consumed food 53. Brake company, or misspelled mammal 54. Baseball referees 56. CIA agent 59. Most famous quote by current California governor (3 wds.) 61. Friendly chat between enemies 62. Used to distinguish or inflect words while speaking 63. Politically incorrect term for Inuit, ____mo 64. In front 65. Fly high 66. October university course inevitably
covering 5. Labourious 6. Country hotels 7. NJ basketball player 8. Town in Perugia, Italy 9. Lamaze class command (2 wds.) 10. Ritzy car, in short 11. Tricky clue sound 12. “____ me, feel me” - song by The Who 13. ____s d’oeuvres 18. Healthy grain 22. Sequel to Angela’s Ashes 24. Old-timey contraction meaning “if and when” 25. Debate informally 26. Small, mythical, flying creature 27. To be, to Pierre 29. American Academy of Dermatology 31. Pebbles’ mother 32. Sanctuary for worshipping Isis 33. Canadian political party 34. Jump in a lake (2 wds.) 36. “____ you need is love” 37. Minority Student Education Guild 38. Federal Transit Administration 39. Recovering alcoholic (2 wds.) 41. Knighted person 44. Sak’s Fifth ____ 45. Values 47. Class A biological disease 49. “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ____.” 50. Pitt flick, Seven Years in ____ 51. Remove 52. Makes out 54. Radius’ partner 55. SNL portion 56. Luxury resort 57. Exclamation of frustration 58. Raw mineral 60. Bathroom, to Bartholomew
Down 9. Groom 14. Part of the eye 15. Half of the binary alphabet 16. Mr. Montague 17. “Of all the _____ in all the towns in all
Across 1. Not low 5. 30 Rock star Fey
Solutions:
1. Embraces 2. Covered with climbing plants 3. Category 4. Common misspelling of Muslim head
September 25,2009
What do you do to make your workload hurt a little less?
2 9 4 1 5 7 6 8 3
1 6 8 9 4 3 2 5 7
39
3 7 5 2 6 8 4 9 1
7 5 1 6 2 4 8 3 9
6 8 2 5 3 9 7 1 4
9 4 3 8 7 1 5 2 6
5 2 7 3 1 6 9 4 8
4 1 9 7 8 5 3 6 2
8 3 6 4 9 2 1 7 5
By Tom Levesque and Paige Leslie
“Run away.” Alia E. Ali 4A Health
Karen Eslinger 3B Kinesiology
“Play more Spider Solitaire.” Amanda Hart 3A Biomedical Science
“Drink a little more.” Joel Zondervan 4A Kinesiology
“Eat your feelings.” Daniela Kutlesa 4A Health
“Jump out a window.” David Li 2A Computer Science
“Get rid of reading! It’s too much!” Jennifer Gingrich 1A Arts
Ross
1A Science Co-op
Jamie Stuart
1A Arts & Bus. Co-op
“Time management.” Andrej Budimir 1A Arts & Bus.
Bojan Miler 1A Honours Arts
retailservices OPEN HOUSE AND GRAND OPENING - OCTOBER 6 & 7
SCHEDULE Book Store – South Campus Hall Print On Demand Demonstration – See the new Espresso Book Machine in action as it prints a paperback book in mere minutes! Get a free notebook hot off the press, printed on demand. 11:30am to 12:30pm & 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Waterloo Store – South Campus Hall Tuesday, October 6 - Get a free reusable UW bag with purchase.‡ Wednesday, October 7 - Sidewalk Sale from 9:30am to 4:00pm Write Stuff – South Campus Hall First 100 customers each day will receive a free Write Stuff pen. Campus Tech – Student Life Centre Check out the Laptop Clearance Sale! Free giveaways.‡ E Smart – South Campus Hall Check out the newest technology store on campus and drop off your completed passport for a chance to win a Lenovo IdeaPad S10E Netbook! Free giveaways.‡ All offers while quantities last ‡
PASSPORT CONTEST Complete your passport and enter for a chance to win! Grand Prize - Lenovo IdeaPad S10E, valued at $399 Second Prize - $100 Retail Services Gift Card, valued at $100 Third Prize – Waterloo Store & Write Stuff Gift Pack, valued at $75 Here’s how to enter: 1. Visit each Retail Services store location between October 6 & 7. 2. Have the cashier stamp your passport. 3. Drop your completed passport into the ballot box in E Smart, South Campus Hall. Deadline for ballot submission is October 7 at 4:59pm. *Bring this ad with you to E Smart on October 6 & 7 and receive a free latte mug while quantities last (limit 200)