rare interview with rock star Supreme Court Justice
Ian Binnie • page O5
universityofwindsor’s studentnewspaper • feb.O8.2O12 • vol#84 • issue#21 • uwindsorlance.ca
gord bacon ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR ______________________________
T
he University of Windsor is joining forces with Transit Windsor to bring Windsor’s transit system into the 21st century by putting a mandatory bus pass to referendum for the first time since 2005.
Get on the bus proposed u-pass could save students cash and improve transit
The University of Windsor’s Students’ Alliance and Transit Windsor have struck a deal that UWSA president André Capaldi thinks will be mutually beneficial to both students and Windsor’s transit system. In exchange for a financial commitment from the student body, which Transit Windsor hopes will increase ridership and translate into more municipal and provincial funding, Transit Windsor guarantees to reinvest capital generated from student fees into creating improvements that reflect student needs. The five-year rate plan, scheduled to begin in September 2012, will cost undergraduate students $45 per semester, and will peak at $57.50 per semester in year five. Staff, faculty, part-time students and graduate students will also be allowed to opt-in at the same rate as undergrads. A mandatory bus pass for all undergraduate students was defeated by a margin of 56 per cent and 74 per cent in university referendums in 2005 and 1992, respectively. It should be noted that approximately 26 per cent of undergrads actually voted on the issue in both cases. According to a UWSA report from 2004, reliability, convenience, the lack of an opt-out option and a failure to adapt to student needs were the main obstacles that caused Windsor to be one the few universities in Canada to not include a bus pass as part of their tuition structure.
news
Students march against high tuition fees p.O4
sports
Lancers Football recruit six Ontario players p.1O
arts Late Bloomer
Ron Sexsmith comes to the Loop p.O7
see u-pass on page O8-O9 u
opinion
The CBC is under Ideological attack p.O2
opinion
uwlance@uwindsor.ca • 519.253.3000 ext.3909 • uwindsorlance.ca/opinion
VOl.84 • issue21
letter{s}
FeBruary O8 2O12
CBC UNDER IDEOLOGICAL ATTACK IF CONSERVATIVES CUT CBC FUNDING, CANADIAN IDENTITY WILL SUFFER
2O12staff
When you ask what defines Canada, what iconic symbols come to mind? You may picture Granville Street during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics — a sea of polite folks dressed as red-maple-leaf-caped crusaders. Maybe you see a bearded hockey player raising Lord Stanley’s Cup (unfortunately not Roberto Luongo). You might even conjure up the image of a resourceful beaver perched on his dam. Yes, these are all prevalent Canadian images; however, there is one marquee symbol that is as Canadian as it gets: the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s logo.
editor-in-chief • natasha marar uwlance@uwindsor.ca • ext.3909 advertising manager • lanceads@uwindsor.ca • ext.3604 production manager •stephen hargreaves uwlance@uwindsor.ca • ext.3932 business manager • obie odunukwe lanceads@uwindsor.ca • ext.3905 news editor • stephen hargreaves lnews@uwindsor.ca • ext.3906
The CBC is Canada’s national public radio and television broadcaster and a major player in producing Canadian culture. It uses the majority of its funding, received in the form of government subsidies, to produce original Canadian programming like David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things, Q with Jian Ghomeshi and Hockey Night in Canada.
The Harper Tories seem to be hiding behind the classic guise of right-wing politics — a “these are tough times and we need to reduce our national debt” mentality. But on Oct. 19, 2011, the government announced Irving Shipbuilding Inc. in Halifax would receive $25 billion to build 21 large combat naval vessels. Could a portion of this money not be used to reduce the debt? It’s far more likely that the suggested five to 10 per cent cut in CBC funding has little to do with reducing debt and is only being framed in such a way to gain public support. I believe that the real reason for the proposed cuts is ideological. Historically, the CBC has been viewed as left-leaning media. The socially conscious programming they produce and the liberal scope with which they present local and international politics is inherently dangerous to Conservative dogma. Harper knows the media can shape public opinion, and in order to remain in power, he needs voters to share his ideals. When speaking to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters in 2004, Harper said the Conservatives would “seek to reduce the CBC’s dependence on advertising revenue and its competition with the private sector.” However, in 2008, when the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage released a major study on the future of the CBC that suggested annual funding be increased to $40 per capita over the next seven years, the Conservative committee members voted against it.
opinion{s} • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • O2
If the Conservatives take this anti-CBC stance one step further and cut the CBC’s funding, lower quality programming will be produced. The Canadian public will recognize this decline and lose interest in public programming, devaluing the CBC. If this occurs, it will justify further funding cuts. This could then force the CBC to seek funding from the private sector in the form of advertising revenues, hindering its creative autonomy. The airing of commercial and mainstream content will become inevitable and give proponents of funding reductions a reason to eliminate all CBC government subsidies, effectively privatizing the CBC. As of right now, the CBC receives a third of its total revenue from advertisers. If the CBC is forced to obtain the majority or all of its funding from advertisers, Canadian cultural identity will suffer. The CBC is a wounded soldier wheeling a single pistol. It is up against the heavily armed cavalry that is the American media. If we do not provide it with adequate defence, it will be killed. Canada will then be in danger of succumbing to a Conservative agenda that seems more concerned with protecting its own ideology than the Canadian public. Dave Swanson — B.C. Institute of Technology
arts editor • josh kolm larts@uwindsor.ca • ext.3910 sports editor • john doherty lsports@uwindsor.ca • ext.3923 by matthew a. terry
Currently, the CBC has an annual budget of $1.1 billion. This may seem like a substantial sum, but when compared to 18 other major western countries, Canada only places 16th in support for public broadcasters, with $34 per capita — 60 per cent less than the $87 average. This figure is expected to decrease in the near future due to impending Conservative government budget cuts. This is a serious problem.
associate news editor • gord bacon lnews@uwindsor.ca • ext.3906
multimedia editor • uwlance@uwindsor.ca • ext.3932 tel. 519.253.3000 fax. 519.971.3624 ads. 519.971.3604
uwindsorlance.ca thelance • university of windsor 401 sunset aVe. WindsOr, On Canada n9B3p4
h. g. watson • lance reporter m.n. malik • lance photographer matthew a. terry • lance illustrator h. g. watson • features reporter jeff parker • circulation manager
mission statement The goal of the Lance is to produce a weekly news paper
that provides informative and accurate accounts of events and issues relevant to the University of Windsor, its students and the surrounding community. The Lance acknowledges its privileged position in being free from commercial and administrative controls. We strive to protect that position by vigorously defending our editorial autonomy. Our mandate is to cover issues that affect students. However, we believe that no subject need fall outside the grasp of the student press, and that we best serve our purpose when we help widen the boundaries of debate on educational, social economic, environmental and political issues. The Lance and its staff shall, at all times, strive to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Canadian University Press. Any material containing a racist, sexist or otherwise prejudicial substance or tone will not be printed. The Lance is published by the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance and prints every Tuesday of the fall and winter semesters. Its offices are located in the basement of the CAW Student Centre. Unsigned editorials are produced by the Lance editorial board, or printed with their permission, and may not reflect the beliefs of all its members. Opinions expressed in the Lance are not necessarily those of the University of Windsor or the Students’ Alliance. Submissions are welcome and become the property of the news pa per. Submissions must be e-mailed. The editor reserves the right to edit for space and clarity. Letters will be accepted until the Thursday before publication and must include the writer’s name, major of study and phone number. Contents ©2012. Reproduction in any way is forbidden without the written permission of the Editor-inChief. The Lance is a member of the Canadian University Press.
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correction
In the article ‘Distance ed students still paying ‘ridiculous fee’ ’ in last week’s issue it was reported that students are to save $40,000 a year, that should have read $400,000.
news
lnews@uwindsor.ca • 519.253.3OOO ext.39O6 • uwindsorlance.ca/news
‘More thinking, less drinking’
Drinking can lower GPA by 12 per cent and land you in a stranger’s bed with a twisted ankle “Many first-years don’t realize the value of what they are obtaining at the university and we’ve found that they drink more than any other students. It’s only when students are focused and thinking about their future careers or professional school that they drink less.” Theresa Trad, a fourth-year psychology student who used to drink a lot in her early academic career said she rarely goes out any more. “I feel so much more focused now, and it’s obvious when you look at my grades.” Joyce reports a steady and obvious decline in the number of drinks students have from the heaviest drinkers in first year to the occasional drinkers in fourth year.
Student drinking is still a problem on campus • photo alex smyth (The Fulcrum)
stephen hargreaves NEWS EDITOR ______________________________
P
oor academic performance among university students is often linked to alcohol consumption.
Alcohol abuse contributes to students missing class, failing tests, dropping out due to do poor grades and compromising the academic mission of colleges and universities. Over the last two weeks, student alco-
hol education co-ordinator Catherine Joyce has been speaking to students in residence a sorority and those around campus about the link between drinking and academic standing. “Alcohol can affect your overall GPA by about 12 per cent,” said Joyce. ”If you are naturally a B student it can take you down to a low C.” Joyce reviewed 12,000 students’ academic performance and compared it to their weekly drinking habits. Her findings speak to the dedication of students throughout their university career.
Afrofest on campus
AfroFest fashion show, Monday at the CAW Centre • photo m.n. malik
stephen hargreaves NEWS EDITOR ____________________________
T
he seventh annual AfroFest kicked off this Monday at the CAW Student Centre.
exchange, AfroFest 2012 began Monday with an onsite art gallery, speeches by acclaimed Toronto poet Camesha Cox and dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Cecil Houston and a fashion show featuring handmade African dress.
The African Diaspora Festival, affectionately called AfroFest, is a fusion of intellectual discussion, film, fashion, art and music, celebrating Windsor’s people of colour.
Day two sees a film festival running from 6 to 9 p.m., including a screening of Speakers Corner at six, followed by an all men’s panel at 7 p.m.
Aiming to promote unity on campus to celebrate the journey and progression of black history, and engage in cross cultural
Wednesday is HIV Awareness day presented in part by Windsor AIDS Committee. Nesha Haniff will speak to the ongoing issue of HIV in Africa before a number of
“I can control it better than most people,” said Klaudia Petriti, a third-year behaviour cognition and neuroscience student and bartender at the Thirsty Scholar Pub. “You’ll see people in [the student bar] drinking 20 minutes before an exam; it’s all down from there.” A study of University of Windsor students by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found 59 per cent of students have suffered a hangover, 23.4 per cent missed class while nursing their hangover; 15 per cent have jumped into bed with someone and blamed booze for their behaviour; and 7.8 per cent have injured themselves under the influence of alcohol. Judi Wilson, a health promotion nurse at Student Health Services,
spoken word performances and the pedagogy of action module and the golden future module focusing on the abuse of women. Thursday is the day of ‘Day of Celebration’ and kicks off with the Windsor Lancer Dance Pack at 4 p.m., followed by the storytelling of Mama Elizabeth, more dance with live African drumming and yet more dance featuring a Mustapha Hamil, a native of Morocco and assistant professor of French/Francophone and Arabic literature and culture. The celebrations conclude with an all women’s panel at 4:40 p.m. The final day of AfroFest delights the taste buds with an evening of traditional African food from 4 to 6 p.m., the ‘singles game’ at 6 p.m. and the battle of the sexes panel at 8 p.m. Toronto’s spoken word artist, motivational speaker and poet, Dwayne Morgan joins acclaimed MCs D-Mic & J-Rod, KASC and more for an evening of love, language and pride in African heritage.
often sees the effects of boozing students before they do. “What we see are things like broken knuckles and noses from students getting in to fights and one of the things we see a lot is twisted ankles from when people have been drinking and they fall on steps or a curb. We have 10 pairs of crutches at [Student] Health Services and most of them are used by students who injured themselves while drinking.” Wilson also sees the repercussions of students who have seen drinking effect their sexual decisions. “Drinking and unsafe sex tend to go together,” said Wilson. “People hook up when usually they wouldn’t. Unplanned pregnancies, STIs and sexual assault are things we see that are linked to student drinking.” Joyce’s next goal is to educate students about the dangers of drinking and driving. The CAHM referenced earlier found 9.1 per cent of UWindsor students admit to have driven drunk, far above the national average of 4.3 per cent. That’s why Joyce, along with nursing students Sandra Tilo and Elyse O’Halloran, are bringing their message to clubs and bars downtown and in the campus area starting this weekend. For more information see uwindsor.ca/
13565 Fashion Mgmt & Promotions - Campus Plus 1/30/12 4:13 PM Page 1 responsibledrinking.
FASHION MANAGEMENT & PROMOTIONS POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE
From retail management to logistics: this program offers the unique skills you will need to launch your career as a: • • • .
Event Manager Logistics Coordinator Product Development Manager Visual Merchandiser
WORKS.
For more information contact Jasmine Burke-Ishmael, Afrofest head co-ordinator at 519-2533000 Ext. 4527.
business.humber.ca
Students march for National Day of Action Minister of Training Glen Murray comes to campus to address Liberal tuition grant
Approximately 200 students, faculty and union members took to the streets against high tuition fees as part of the National Day of Action • photo m.n. malik
stephen hargreaves NEWS EDITOR gord bacon ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR ______________________________
A
crowd of about 200 students, faculty and members of campus union groups took to the street Feb. 1 at 11:30 a.m. for a rally and march against high tuition fees as part of the National day of Action.
Before departing on a campus wide march at 12:10 p.m., speakers encouraged students to “ask the hard questions” of Glen Murray, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, who is the talking-head behind the 30 per cent Ontario Tuition Rebate.
was designed to give students coming out of high school greater accessibility to post-secondary education. He said, the Liberal government has added over 200,000 seats to colleges and universities since 2003 at a cost of over $6.2 billion. Murray said, most students who don’t qualify for the grant, such as graduate and medical students, get paid as part of there studies through residencies and graduate assistant teaching. Some mature students may even qualify for a second career grant that covers up to $28,000 of their education, he said.
Organization of Part-time University Students member and event co-organizer Vajo Stajic, lead the crowd in chants of, “Education is a right, we will not give up the fight.” Mohammad Akbar, University of Windsor Students’ Alliance Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences representative, motivated the growing collective with, “Students are under attack. What do we do? Unite and fight back!”
“Students five years ago had a very good chance of being turned away from university. Students said to us at the time, student aid and affordability are important but accessibility is more important. There’s no benefit to getting a student grant if it’s a grant that isn’t attached to an education,” said Murray. “We would love to have free education, we would love to have all kinds of things that we aspire to, but if we don’t do it in a strategic way, without the right priorities, its not going to work.”
“There is absolutely no reason that the operating expenses of this university should fall on the backs of students,” said Windsor University Faculty Association president Brian Brown, who addressed the excited group.
news • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • O4
Stajic called out Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals and what he called the false promises of a tuition freeze, the ineligibility of 64 per cent of students for the Liberal’s 30 per cent tuition grant and their scholarship cuts totaling $150 million. Students are calling for a 13 per cent tuition cut for all students, rather than the present 30 per cent cut that excludes part-time students, mature students, international students, students in a second entry program (including law, medicine and teachers college) and students whose parent or parents make over $160,000 annually. “Debt for students is a serious problem,” said Cecil Houston, dean of Arts and Social Sciences, who quietly watched the rally from the foot of Chrysler Hall Tower. “Their message is appropriate; the unreasonable funding of education has the future of postsecondary education at stake.”
The bottom line is that government can’t give everyone a break on tuition and can’t roll-back tuition costs, he said.
Glen Murray, minister of Training, Colleges and Universities addresses UWindsor students. (top right) Students unveil a banner to Murray in protest • photos m.n. malik
Glen Murray responds
Murray addressed questions raised by protestors less than 24 hours after the National Day of Action protests subsided. Appearing in front of close to 60 administrators, students and media for what was publicized as a question and answer style town hall meeting in the CAW Student Centre commons, Murray jumped right into the answer portion by addressing concerns raised by protestors.
But fourth-year political science student Meghan Mills was disappointed with what Murray had to say. “He didn’t explain why so many students didn’t qualify for the grant itself and he didn’t address the alternative ways of how he could have distributed it to more students in a more effective way,” Mills said. “[The Ontario government] basically took the money out of certain students pockets by cutting things like the Queen Elizabeth Grant and then fed it to other students.” According to Murray, the tuition grant
“Why are we spending over $9 billion on the prison system when we have one of the lowest crime rates in the world?,” said Murray, who pointed out that universities are already struggling with operating costs, so cutting tuition income rather than obtaining more provincial funding is not the most immediate answer. “Maybe this is naive, but I was hoping he was going to say we know there have been a lot of concerns based on what students were saying at the National Day of Action and we’re going to revisit the plan. Perhaps look at the criteria closely and maybe examine some alternative routes to get students the funding they need,” Mills said. “I felt he was very dismissive.”
feature{s}
uwlance@uwindsor.ca • 519.253.3OOO ext.39O9 • uwindsorlance.ca/features
Rock star Justice breaks down Charter of Rights Retired Supreme Court Justice Ian Binnie asks the tough questions about the Canadian constitution
that the right to counsel did not necessarily extend to the right to have a lawyer present during police interrogation.
o one is in favour of child pornography. But, theoretically, under child pornography laws you could criminalize half the paintings in the Louvre.”
Binnie dissented from the majority judgment in Sinclair (unlike other foreign jurisdictions, the Supreme Court of Canada does not require unanimous decisions). In his dissent, he argued that the police have more power over detainees under current law than is allowable by the charter. “Sinclair seems like a very basic legal question to me,” he said. “But it took over 20 years for it to come before the court and have it answered.”
“N
On an unseasonably warm Tuesday in January, four Windsor law students and the Lance are jammed into a tiny room in the Ron W. Ianni Law School with a veritable rock star of the legal profession— former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Ian Binnie. “Is it artistic expression? Where is the line?,” he continued. It’s one of the many tough questions he has had to face while on the bench. At 72, Binnie is soft-spoken and a touch grand-fatherly. You wouldn’t suspect that this man has made decisions that have shaped a nation. The first hearing he ever heard as a Supreme Court justice was the Quebec Secession Reference in 1998. The opinion of the court on whether Quebec could legally separate from Canada wasn’t binding. However, it remains one of the most important writings of the Supreme Court of Canada in the charter era. On Jan. 31, 2012, Justice Binnie gave a keynote lecture at the law school appropriately titled “Parting Shots.” Thirty years after the Canadian Charter of Rights came into force, we’re asking thorny legal questions about what exactly the charter means to us as Canadians. Binnie is fully aware that the charter doesn’t have all the answers. “We’re still answering some basic questions about what the Charter of Rights means for this country,” Binnie noted thoughtfully. He pointed to R v. Sinclair, a 2010 decision of the court in which a detainee’s right to counsel under section 10(b) of the charter was debated. In that case, a majority of the court found
Canada’s Constitution is young, in relative terms. Though it’s founding document, the British North America Act, has been around since 1867, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution Act were enacted in 1982 after some blood, sweat and tears on the part of then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The charter is as controversial a document then as it was now. Academics and lawyers alike have argued about what provisions the charter should include. It’s made it difficult for anyone— lawyers or the public— to fully understand what rights are afforded under the Charter and those that are not. University of Windsor law student and co-chair of the Charter Project Bryan Pascoe described how he and fellow student Michael O’Brien envisioned trying to get people talking about the charter. “Mike and I were having a conversation about how it would be neat to have an audio version of the charter. It snowballed from there.”
The Charter Project now runs jointhediscussion.ca, a non-partisan website that has information and forums dedicated to discussions about fundamental rights and freedoms. It’s one of many ways that Pascoe and O’Brien have decided to bring charter issues into the spotlight in 2012. Their other campaigns now include a high school education program and a series of public service announcements featuring Canadian musicians and actors. In fact, right before our interview, Pascoe was readying for a busy weekend of co-ordinating PSA shoots with celebs in Los Angeles and Vancouver, including B.C.-based songstress Jill Barber. “We have a volunteer base of almost 40 people, so we’ve been lucky in having people with connections that we can use to make some of the PSAs,” Pascor said. The Charter Project has also been shooting additional video with legal luminaries about charter issues. It’s all part of an effort to get people talking. Pascoe hopes that the PSAs will serve as a way of getting people to the Charter project website. “We’re not cheerleading the charter,” he said. “We’re providing the tools so that people can learn more about it and come to their own conclusions.” Despite it’s importance in shaping Canada, the charter is still a mysterious document for many Canadians. Binnie pointed to the media’s role in disseminating information about court cases decided under the charter. “It bothers me that the media will
read more into a judicial decision than is there,” Binnie said. Though he by no means painted all of the media as reporting irresponsibly, Binnie expressed disappointment that some media outlets go looking for problems. “If you want to find evidence of activist judges,” he said, “they’ll certainly find it.” Binnie retired from the Supreme Court in the summer of 2011, but he’s still keenly aware of the questions that will be faced by his successor. “There will be litigation over police powers, citizens rights to privacy and the ability of Canadian citizens to stand up to the state,” he said. “So long as there are interactions between individuals and the state, the charter will continue to grow.” Now seems a very appropriate time for Canadians to become more engaged with charter issues. Three more Supreme Court justices are expected to retire before 2015. The Conservative majority government will likely appoint five new justices by the time the next election rolls around (Justice Louise Charron retired along with Binnie in 2011). The federal governments selections could greatly affect the kind of decisions that are passed down by the Supreme Court. “Canada is extremely fortunate that there is strong recognition for rights not present in other countries,” Binnie noted. There is indeed something special in the idea that we are free to debate our rights without fear of reprisal from the state. Pascoe concurs. “Personally, I think there are good and bad things about the charter, but it’s a good thing we live in a country where we can question our rights.” Now it’s up to other Canadians to do the same.
feature{s} • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • O5
h.g. watson FEATURES REPORTER ______________________________
arts&culture
larts@uwindsor.ca • 519.253.3OOO ext.391O • uwindsorlance.ca/arts
Non-household name
After more than two decades in the game, Ron Sexsmith is still dreaming big as documented in Love Shines. “I think the movie was a little bit over-dramatic; the director was trying to make a movie where I was in a depression. And I was, but not 24 hours a day. I’m up and down like everyone else.” Even though it’s a constant motivator, Sexsmith has never had any conflicts of artistic integrity in his pursuit of success because that has always been exactly the kind of music he’s wanted to create. “I’m just a fan of pop music,” Sexsmith said. “Whatever you’re working on, you’re just trying to get what you hear in your head onto the tape, and it sounds like a hit in my head. Sometimes it changes and goes in unexpected ways; you go with it. But I’m not sitting there thinking, ‘It doesn’t sound like a hit, we better put a different guitar solo on there.’”
Ron Sexsmtih brings the tour for Long Player, Late Bloomer to Windsor on Friday• photo natasha bardin
josh kolm ARTS EDITOR ______________________________
R
on Sexsmith has never had any artistic qualms about his desire for success.
“I never wanted to be famous: it’s just about wanting your music to be heard.” The singer-songwriter— who has 25 years of experience, 12 full-length albums, a Juno award and documented acclaim from Elvis Costello, Steve Earle and Paul McCartney— has never been a household name like his heroes. “I’ve always tried to have mainstream success. I never set out to be a cult artist,” Sexsmith said. “All my heroes were people who made great albums, and also had hits off them. When I was growing up, someone like Joni Mitchell or Neil Young could actually have a hit on the radio. That’s a career I always wanted to have, but I realized it’s a whole different world out there today.” This week, Sexsmith brings the closing leg of his tour to Windsor before finishing the follow-up to last year’s Long Player, Late Bloomer. Wrapping up a tour of the UK, Sexsmith is making a point to do a “thorough job” of Canada, and hit places he missed the first time.
“A lot of people are coming out to see the show because it’s the thing going on,” Sexsmith said about playing in smaller cities. “Bigger cities, all the people that are interested in my music will come to the show and know my records. With the smaller town, you’re pulling in people that say, ‘Oh, I heard that Ron Sexsmith guy is good.’” Even though it was never his intention to be the under-appreciated elder statesman of Canadian folk, it’s a role that he is able to live with. “I’ve always had a cult following, and I’ve been fine with that. Retriever (2004) was one of the first albums that did pretty well [in Canada]. Sometimes I’ll make a record that has higher profile than others, but I can usually fill a room with people that are really into my music, even though it’s not something the average person will have heard about.” That sentiment seems to be Sexsmith’s career in a sound bite. He’s an artist who has never seen album sales that match his numerous critical accoldes or ability to draw a crowd. The stagnating level of his success after so long in the game put Sexsmith into a slump. “With the last bunch of records that I made before Long Player, I felt like my
career was slipping away, and I was trying to stand up for myself.” Long Player, Late Bloomer was produced by Bob Rock, who has worked with artists like Metallica, Motley Crue and the Cult. Despite the possible genre-mismatch, Sexsmith was eager to try something to get out of his slump.
Now nearly a year old, Long Player, Late Bloomer has reached levels of success that rival anything Sexsmith has done thus far. It reached No. 1 in the UK and charted with Billboard in the United States. For the first time, one of his albums debuted in the Canadian Top 10, and was on the shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize last summer. “It’s not like it did as well as Rihanna, but for my little world it was great,” Sexsmith said. He began to notice that the sales of the album had an effect on the tour. “In attendance, it was probably the best tour I ever had. It’s kind of bizarre, because I didn’t expect that to happen at this late stage of my career.”
“It was actually Michael Bublé who told me I should work with Bob, because Bob had produced his record. That was news to me because I thought Bob only did hard rock music,” Sexsmith said. “It seemed like a crazy idea, so my management sent out an e-mail to [Bob] just to see if there was any interest. They got back to us the same day and said they were really interested. The dilemma was trying to raise the money to do it because obviously I don’t have the kind of money Michael Bublé does.”
The success of the album has given Sexsmith a tangible confirmation that his work is resulting in something.
The making of Long Player, Late Bloomer, was the subject of a documentary called Love Shines in 2010. The film covers the writing and recording process of the album, during which Sexsmith spends a lot of time trying to crack the code to breaking out of the niche he has held since the early 1990s.
“It’s kind of silly, but it really does have an effect on your self-esteem, to feel like things are happening. People are waiting outside a venue, wanting to say, ‘Hi.’ All these things sound sort of frivolous, but they’re the things you dream about when you’re a little boy.”
“I was frustrated with my career because I felt like it didn’t have any momentum,” Sexsmith said of his mindset,
“There were points in the past where I felt like a rock star, when you’re able to tour with your band and good things are happening. I got to experience that tail end of the record industry where you record in New York and they fly you to L.A. for mastering, and there’s tour buses and everything. It had been a long time since I’d felt like that.
Ron Sexsmith plays at the Loop on Feb. 10 with special guest Pat Robitaille. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $20 at the door.
The cure for stuffiness
Windsor Canadian Music Festival creates innovative bridges with classical music
Members of the Noiseborder collective, who founded the in/fuse series of events and will be part of WCMF, perform in 2009 • photo courtesy Noiseborder Collective
shane lange LANCE WRITER ______________________________
I
n the field of electronics, the clunky adapter that converts 120 volts of electricity from a standard wall socket into a lower voltage that won’t fry a smartphone or laptop is called an “unregulated power supply.” The term is also the theme for this year’s Windsor Canadian Music Festival presented by the University of Windsor’s School of Music in association with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
‘‘
ence writing for orchestra.”
The in/fuse series of multimedia arts events has been facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty, students, and guest artists since 2006. Its 15th show, LEAP, incorporates visual and musical improvisations that explore the uses of acoustic and digital tools in both new and familiar contexts. In addition to in/fuse, festival events include a roundtable discussion between this year’s featured composers, the annual Phog Phunk Fest at Phog Lounge in downtown Windsor and classical
It’s the sort of off-campus, connecting event that the entire school can learn from - Tom Lucier, co-owner, Phog Lounge
The festival, which runs from Feb. 6 to 11, showcases new music from selected Canadian composers in residence including Keith Hamel (Vancouver), David Eagle (Calgary) and James Harley (Guelph), and from the festival’s artistic director and UWindsor music professor, Brent Lee. The festival theme, said Lee, “reflects the idea of acoustic instruments amplified and processed using customdesigned software. Each of this year’s composers has created a large body of work in this area, and also have experi-
concerts by both the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and faculty from the School of Music. A history of strong partnerships between the festival and the community is evident by the longevity of related events. Phog Phunk Phest, now in its sixth year, is an opportunity for UWindsor music students to jam with special guests. “One of the professors contacted us about doing a new music show six years ago not knowing if we’d be in-
WCMF Calendar OF eVents Wednesday FeB. 8
Friday FeB. 10
Composers roundtable ft. david eagle, James Harley, Christien ledroit, Keith Hamel and Brent lee university of Windsor school of Music, Free, 4 p.m.
Windsor symphony Orchestra on Campus assumption university Chapel, $10, 7:30 p.m,
phog phunk phest Vi phog lounge, Free, 9 p.m.
school of Music Faculty Concert assumption university Chapel, $5, 7:30 p.m.
tHursday FeB. 9 in/fuse 15: leap ft. nicolas de Cosson, James Harley, riaz Mehmoud, Martin schiller and eric Owen Wood. lambton tower (studio a), university of Windsor, Free, 7:30 p.m.
terested, but it’s always flattering when a group you’re familiar with is asking to do a show in your place,” said Phog Lounge co-owner Tom Lucier. “The School of Music has done legitimate outreach year after year. It’s the sort of off campus, connecting event that the entire school can learn from.”
CBC Windsor’s annual broadcast of festival events also provides national exposure to featured composers. Lee noted, “our long-term collaborations make the festival a community achievement, and the commitment and spirit of co-operation is apparent to the visiting artists.” Popular opinion holds that classical music maintains a rarefied air.
COLES Windsor U spring ad bw:open learning ad
Lucier believes new music is “a very
academic genre. It has a very particular crowd and you have to get the word out to that crowd well in advance.” Lucier added, the WCMF always puts on a compelling, unique series of events. “From an arts consumer point of view, this isn’t happening again if you’re not here— when the show has a half-life that is one night, that’s amazing to be a part of.” The borders between new music and popular music, however, are more fluid than one might expect, said Lee.
“Orchestral and choral music have long histories within the western classical tradition, but it is becoming very difficult to find boundaries between new chamber music and 01/02/12 11:38 AM Page 1 other forms of contemporary musical practice.”
Accelerate your studies Choose from approximately 70 online degree credit courses this summer. Registration is easy... 1. Indentify the course you wish to take. 2. Obtain a Letter of Permission from your university. 3. Register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Registration deadline: April 26, 2012 Courses begin: May 10, 2012 For a list of courses, visit: www.coles.uoguelph.ca
For further information, contact Mickey Smart at: 519-824-4120 x56050 Email: msmart@uoguelph.ca
saturday FeB. 11
For more details, visit: uwindsor.ca/music/windsorcanadian-music-festival-2012
www.coles.uoguelph.ca
U-Pass may injec
Proposed student fee to reduce continued from cover u
All of these issues were addressed in a deal brought to council last Thursday night by Transit Windsor general manager Penny Williams.
“We know where our service needs to be fixed; there is an acknowledgement of that. We’ve developed a plan, but we can’t do it all at once. We’re hoping these small steps we’re about to make will help us towards our long-term vision of frequent, fast, efficient service,” said Williams. “We’re not looking at short-term gains ... We are committed to this contract for five years, but we know the success of this contract is contingent upon our commitment to the students and our working with the students.”
“I think the landscape has really changed, not only at the university but in the city. I think you have a student body that’s really committed to taking a look at environmental issues and having travel options that are convenient,” she said. “The opt-out is not viable because of the price point ... we have to be able to generate sufficient revenues in order to improve the system, and in order to do that it’s either everybody or higher prices. The UWSA wanted a low cost shared model.”
Some of the ideas that were presented to council to help make the service a viable alternative to driving include: park and rides, technology improvements such as a real-time mobile application, and the first order of business, reducing wait times, adding shuttle services to and from campus, expanding routes and increasing service hours to reflect student needs.
To say the landscape has changed may be an understatement as Natural Resources Canada indicates the average cost of a litre of gasoline in Canada has risen from around 53 cents in January of 1992 to $1.25 as Jan. 31, 2012.
UWindsor student Jawaria Qadeer, 22, has run the gauntlet when it comes to commuting to campus from her South Windsor home. The fourth-year biology student began her post-secondary career driving to school but found parking to be difficult to come by and expensive.
Excluding $295 per academic year to park on campus, the average cost of driving a new mid-sized sedan works out to approximately $17 per day, and that doesn’t include fuel, according to a report issued in 2011 by the Canadian Automotive Association.
news • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • O8
While the financial commitment from students will translate to just over $1 million in the first year alone, Capaldi said cost and student input are the major themes of a deal that could convince students to park their cars and take advantage of the U-Pass.
Qadeer, who now gets dropped off on campus, said she took the bus for a while but found the trip took too long and the hours weren’t compatible with her class schedule.
“It’s not just the infusion of cash. I think it’s apparent [Transit Windsor] wants to work with us to improve the system. When we take into account the downtown campus, it just makes sense to have a bus pass for our students. We’re one of the only universities in Canada that doesn’t,” said Capaldi. According to Transport Canada, 21 colleges and universities in Canada offer a U-Pass to students.
[ $2,227 ]
The new contract guarantees the UWSA a seat on Transit Windsor’s board to give campus a voice in the decision making process.
Based on 18,000 km driving per year, insurance, UWindsor parking, a car loan, depreciation and licence and registration on a Cruze 1LT. data: Canadian
PRESENT WEEKDAY BUS WAIT TIMES
.17
[ Cost to operate a car per semester ]
Automobile Asociation: driving costs 2011 report & University of Windsor Parking Services.
15
MINUTES Transway 1C
[30 after 7PM]
[limited Saturday & Sunday service]
30
MINU
South [60 aft
[no Sund
ct $1 million/yr into transit
e students’ transit bill by up to $265 a semester bus change : $ per semester
[ Which route students take ]
Break down of the routes that service UWindsor’s campus, based on a Transit Windsor ridership summery adjusted as of Dec. 31, 2011.
Based on one semester: 62 week days (2 trips per day) for single rates and four months for pass rates. Affordable Pass Program (A.P.P.) available to students living alone with a net income below $19,094 a year. * Increasing $5 annually over four years and by $2.50 in year five to $57.50 in 2016.
“Who wouldn’t want to save money,” said Qadeer, who understands how some students that have no choice but to drive might oppose the idea. “I think if [Transit Windsor] is promising to improve the system and do it affordably, some students who drive might even choose the bus instead.”
UTES
Windsor 7 fter 7PM]
day service]
15
MINUTES
Crosstown 2
[30 after 7PM]
[limited Saturday & Sunday service]
“I think there are a variety of factors that have led to the current situation. The major factor is we are
According to Capaldi, the UWSA will be launching a campaign to release details of the new U-Pass to students in the coming weeks. Students will have their chance to vote on the issue during the UWSA General Election on March 7 and 8.
U-Pass plans to cut wait times ‘in half’
news • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • O9
[ Who rides the bus? ]
Based on a Transit Windsor ridership summery adjusted as of Dec. 31, 2011.
Capaldi said, he understands why students may have been turned off by the idea in the past, but sees this as a real opportunity to make a change that is long overdue.
an automotive town. There has never really been an emphasis placed on an efficient transit system. If you go to Toronto or London, you’re going to see transit is used by people from all walks of life and that’s where Transit Windsor has to go and that’s where it will go with our partnership,” he said.
photos m.n. malik
the
lance arts Calendar
Super sweet
Despite its age and sentimentality, Emma plays genuine
Wednesday FeB. 8 Kenneth Macleod dominion House, Free, 9 p.m. dusty the Manchester pub, Free, 10 p.m. tHursday FeB. 9 Vice aerial the Manchester pub, Free, 10 p.m. Friday FeB. 10 ron sexsmith wsg. pat robitaille the loop, $20, 8 p.m. Windsor youth Centre Fundraiser: the nefidovs and the Bad Mothers Villains Beastro, $5, 9:30p.m. ron leary wsg. Great aunt ida & Henry svec phog lounge, $5, 9:30 p.m. Fifth annual artists of Colour art exhibition Opening reception Common Ground art Gallery, Free, 7 p.m. dilla day: Busta rhymes, Jay electronica, danny Brown and Guilty simpson the Fillmore (detroit), $15 - $83, 8 p.m. saturday FeB. 11 pat robitaille, efan and Mike Hargreaves phog lounge, Free, 10 p.m.
Lauren Doobie as Emma Woodhouse in University Players produciton of emma • photos courtesy University Players
tita kyrtsakas LANCE WRITER ______________________________
I
n their fourth play of the season, the University Players sweep you into Jane Austen’s heart as they present Michael Bloom’s adaption of Emma. This whimsical play offers humour, conflict and warmth, like an 1815 version of a present day romantic comedy. Emma’s playful plot is overflowing with simple truths that remind the audience of the sometimesfoolish lengths people go for love. The play opens with a marriage brought together by the title character. Despite her rosy-eyed goals, Emma Woodhouse is everything a main character should be: sweet, well spoken and scheming. She is a die-hard romantic and wants nothing more than the ones she cares for to be happy. Emma eventually overestimates her eloquent language and sneaky skills,
as she victoriously creates self-justified matches until one goes terribly wrong. However, it is these mistakes that lead the previously independent Emma to realize she wants a happily ever after too. Once again, stage manager David Court does a superb job in transporting us to another time in a foreign place. Complimenting Esther Van Eek’s costume choices, Court creates an antique house setting in the 19th century village of Highbury, England. As the classical piano dances from scene to scene, director Jim Warren succeeds in presenting an antiquated piece that seems genuine in the end. As Emma, Lauren Dobbie treats the audience like a confidant. We get to experience Emma’s crazily complicated thoughts as she wonders of the world around her. As a frenzied Emma, Dobbie whisks across the stage as the quirky and mischievous troublemaker of love. Her chemistry with actor Justin Bates is innocent and darling, but it’s the
teasing torment of Andrei Preda’s Mr. Knightly that catches the audience’s attention from the moment the play commences. The easily amused and giggling Miss Bates, represented by Hannah Ziss, is Austen’s— possibly audience-parodying— icing-on-thecake character. Above all, Emma is a show that offers a sweetheart’s taste of Victorian English life. Despite the risk for over-romantic fluff, these characters entrance the audience the moment they speak, for they mirror the idealized trials and tribulations of our own lives. In a time without technology, when words and music were the two forms of entertainment at a dinner party, Emma allows the audience to sit back and watch when life was simpler, yet still utterly complicated by overpowering feelings of love. University Players present Emma until Feb. 12 at Essex Hall Theatre. More information, including show times and ticket prices, can be found at uwindsor.ca/universityplayers.
MOnday FeB. 13 Open Mic surgery with James O-l phog lounge, Free, 10 p.m. Open Mic with Clinton Hammond the Manchester pub, Free, 9 p.m. live Jazz with the Monday Milkmen Milk Coffee Bar, Free, 9 p.m. tuesday FeB. 14 Jamie reaume’s tuesday night Music Club the Manchester pub, Free, 9 p.m. Open Mic with eric Welton Band Villains Beastro, Free, 9:30 p.m. OnGOinG “southwestern Gothic” by Victor romao artcite Gallery, until Feb. 18 Korda productions presents avenue Q KordaZone theatre, until Feb. 19 “are you in the room?” sB Contemporary art, until Mar. 3 luanne Martineau art Gallery of Windsor, until Mar. 25 a nervous decade by John Kissick. art Gallery of Windsor, until Mar. 25 Optimism of Colour: William perehudoff, a retrospective. art Gallery of Windsor, until apr. 1
Rise above
Oscar-nominated doc covers the complicated emotions around the release of the West Memphis 3
The West Memphis 3, whose arrest, case and recent release are covered in Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory • photos courtesy West Memphis Police Department
h.g. watson LANCE REPORTER ______________________________
S
hocking hardly covers the opening moments of Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.
In 1993, three young boys are murdered in West Memphis, Ark., and the documentary about the hunt for their killers opens with shaky video camera images of their corpses in a ravine. It’s hard to make sense of the murders of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers. They were eightyears-old when they disappeared on May 5, 1993. Their bodies were found days later, beaten and drowned. One boy’s genitals had been mutilated.
Perhaps the horrific extent of the crimes is what led the small community to believe that those responsible were three teenagers rumoured to be involved in the occult. Jessie Misskelley, Jr., Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were all under 18 when they were arrested and charged with the murders. Nothing added up in their case. Prosecutors based the arrests on rumours that Echols had talked about sacrificing an infant with a former girlfriend and was interested in the occult. Misskelley, who suffered from severe learning disabilities and developmental delays, was questioned separately and confessed— after 12 hours of interrogation without his parents or lawyer present— to killing the three boys. Echols, Baldwin and Miskelley were found guilty for the
murders— but Echols alone received the death penalty. The first two Paradise Lost documentaries are responsible for much of the publicity around this case. The third is somewhat of an epilogue. You don’t need to have seen the first two to understand the film, which recounts how the three accused were eventually able to walk free. It’s a fascinating piece of true crime and legal maneuvering. It’s hard to form a critical response to a film like Paradise Lost 3 because most people’s immediate— and appropriate— response to a highly graphic murder is repulsion. Though the rest of the film is just as horrifying in the gross miscarriages of justice that happened continually throughout the West
joe labine lanCe Writer ______________________________
josh kolm arts editOr ______________________________
DOG DAY – Deformer (Fundog)
JOHN K. SAMSON – Provincial (anti-)
With the release of their fifth album Deformer, couple Seth Smith and Nancy Urich stripped the original five-piece line-up of their band down to a smoking two-piece complete with home studio, and may have revived the better side of early 1990’s dream pop-punk-indie.
John K. Samson may well be one of Canada’s most beloved storytellers, musician or otherwise. On his first full-length solo album, Samson flexes his lyrical muscles, not so much falling back on old tropes as much as he uses them to greater effect.
It’s not retro on purpose, though some noises come off tinny or plastic sounding, like the effects on vintage video games. The helicopter acoustic guitar on “Somebody” is an example of their dreamy captures juxtaposed with snappy drum hits and cymbal sparkle. Dog Day wants you to know the recordings are homemade and purposely lo-fi. A lot of songs begin with despondent, alienated melodies that build to a pleasurable climax before breaking into the steady groove on songs like “Part Girl.” These dreamy moments are fused in early indie pop, reminiscent of bands like Luna, GBV and My Bloody Valentine. The melodic riff on “Eurozone” seems well versed in the output of the Pixies. The songs are poppy but don’t sound like a two-piece, or at least not what you would expect of a two-piece couple like Jack and Meg White— despite it’s peaceful pace, Deformer is big, thick and joyful.
In a way, it’s an effective method of showing how the families and the community must continue to feel to this day. The deaths of those we love never really leave us; if they passed under violent circumstances, it’s even harder to come to grips with their death. When Branch, Moore, and Byers were killed it wasn’t just their lives that were destroyed. They took with them the hearts of their families and those of the wrongly accused. Paradise Lost 3 shows that they are still looking for answers.
tOp30 //alBuMs
alBuM reVieWs
Deformer is “self-recorded,” mixed and mastered by Smith. It sounds dark, stripped down, sleepy and filled with a kind of ephemeral excitement— the same feeling you get in your stomach when you’re going up on a swing.
Memphis 3 investigation, what stays with you are the opening images of three kids dead in a creek. It will haunt you throughout viewing and into the days after.
Samson retains his trademark of characterand story-based lyrics, like the heartbreaking affair between school staff in “The Last And,” or the anticipation of grad school relief in “When I Write My Master’s Thesis.” But another one of Samson’s hallmarks thrives as he develops hyper-Canadian allusions into lyrics more concerned with landscapes, locations and communities. The opener, “Highway 1 East” contains the token Samson prairie references, but as the album goes on, they are developed to create almost sublime moods and atmospheres, tempered either with mellow poetics or happy wit. “Heart of the Continent” is a sleepy nighttime journey across and out of a city centre. “Petition” tells the story of the attempt by the residents of Riverton, Man. to get hometown hero Reggie Leach inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Even though there are a few new flares— particularly in the bookending “Highway 1 East” and “Highway 1 West” songs— the actual music is at times, is very reminiscent of the Weakerthans. There’s enough “new” here to keep the listener interested, but the melodies are never going to be what draws listeners to a Samson solo album. Provincial proves Samson is charming and clever enough that his lyrics alone can carry an album without his recurring themes ever feeling tired or repetitive.
charts • Murad Erzinclioglu Music Director, CJAM 99.1 FM more Info? earshot-online.com & cjam.ca indicates Canadian artist
*
charts tabulated over a one week period prior to the release of this issue
1 JOHN K. SAMSON* – Provincial (Anti-) 2 HANDS & TEETH* – Hunting Season (Self-Released) 3 THE BLUE STONES* – Special Edition (Self-Released) 4 DUBMATIX* – Clash of the Titans (Renegade) 5 TRAILER TRASH TRACYS – Ester (Double Six) 6 THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT – 2011: A Space Odyseey (Metal Postcard) 7 THE HYPNOTICS* – Static Fuzz Radio (New Values) 8 MIESHA & THE SPANKS / THE SPHINXS* – Miesha & The Spanks / The Sphinxs Split (Self-Released) 9 SULTANS OF STRING* – Move (Self-Released) 10 RICH AUCOIN* – We’re All Dying To Live (Sonic) 11 BROCK ZEMAN* – Me Then You (Busted Flat) 12 LONG WEEKENDS* – Don’t Reach Out (Noyes) 13 THEE OH SEES – Carrion Crawler b/w The Dream (In The Red) 14 THE SCHOMBERG FAIR* – Mercy (Self-Released) 15 SAID THE WHALE* – New Brighton (Hidden Pony) 16 5TH PROJEKT* – V (Organik) 17 ARMY GIRLS* – Close to the Bone (Blocks Recording Club) 18 SKINNY PUPPY* – Handover (SPV) 19 DUCHESS SAYS* – In A Fung Day T! (Alien8) 20 THE BARMITZVAH BROTHERS* – Growing Branches (Label Fantastic) 21 LIJADU SISTERS – Danger (KF) 22 VIRGIN FOREST – Easy Way Out (Partisan) 23 CLOUD NOTHINGS – Attack On Memory (CarPark) 24 D.O.A.* – Hardcore 81 (reissue) (Sudden Death) 25 THEY CALL ME RICO* – They Call Me Rico (Voxtone) 26 PHONECIA – Demissions (Detroit Underground) 27 RAY CHARLES – Singular Genius (Concord) 28 VOIVOD* – To The Death 84 (Alternative Tentacles) 29 DON CASH* – 24-7 (Self-Released) 30 ANVIL* – Monument Of Metal (The End)
sports
lsports@uwindsor.ca • 519.253.3000 ext.3923 • uwindsorlance.ca/sports
Home ice playoff advantage in reach Lancers Men’s Hockey team records two wins on the weekend
be on their side as Lancers Isak Quakenbush was sent to the box for roughing. However, it was the Lancers who came out on top with a shorthanded goal from Oliphant to tie the game at two. Lanoue and Steve Ferry earned the assists.
tanya quaglia Sports WRITER ______________________________ Windsor 7 UOIT 4 Windsor 5 Brock 2
Stibbard broke the tie just under a minute into the second period to give Windsor its first lead of the game. Green put the Lancers ahead 4-2 off passes from Vandehogen and Spencer Pommels to close out the second period.
W
ith the playoffs right around the corner, the Windsor Lancers Men’s Hockey team won two games on the weekend.
McCready and Stibbard set Ferry up for the lone goal of the third period.
The victories extend the Lancers win streak to four games and moves the team to fifth place in the OUA West.
The pair of wins moves the Lancers into fifth place in the OUA West. With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Lancers need to continue the dominant play they have shown the past two weeks.
Home ice advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs is not out of the question for Windsor. “If we win the next two (games), it will give us a good chance of earning home ice advantage, depending on other teams success finishing the season,” team captain Matt McCready said. “Our team goal for the playoffs is to finish the season strong and clinch home ice advantage. Also, to compete each and every minute of the game to give us our best chance for success.” McCready helped lead the Lancers to a 7-4 victory over the visiting UOIT Ridgebacks Friday night at Windsor Arena with two goals and one assist. Despite their strong play as of late, McCready and the Lancers are not taking any team for granted. “Any team will be a battle. We can’t look ahead. We need to focus on one game at a time.” After the Ridgebacks went up 1-0, Drew Palmer tied the game at one for the Lancers with a powerplay goal. 20 seconds later. Derek Lanoue put Windsor up 2-1 with another powerplay tally late in the first period. Ryan Green and
First-year Lancers defenceman Mike MacIntyre (middle) and UOIT’s Jeremy Whelan chase the puck Friday. The Lancers beat the Ridgebacks 7-4 • photo m.n. malik
goalie Parker Van Buskirk were credited with the assists. McCready scored his first goal of the night with just minutes remaining in the second period to give the Lancers a 3-1 lead. Evan Stibbard set McCready up the goal. Then, UOIT scored seconds later to bring the Ridgebacks within a goal to close out the second period 3-2. The UOIT celebration was short-lived as Brett Vandehogen put Windsor up 4-2 ten seconds later to close out the second period.
under a minute later, Green put Windsor up by two off a pass from Collin Cloutier. With seconds remaining in the game, Brett Oliphant secured the win for the Lancers with a powerplay tally. Van Buskirk earned the win in net, making 24 saves. Saturday night, the Lancers extended their win streak to four games with an important 5-2 victory over the Brock Badgers at Windsor Arena.
Two quick goals by UOIT to tie the game at four early in the third period was not enough to shake the Lancers.
Brock took a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the game, but Windsor responded 50 seconds later with a goal from Tom Craig.
D.J. Turner and Ryan Crevatin set McCready up for his second goal of the night to regain Windsor’s lead and,
The Badgers regained the lead a short while later and momentum seemed to
“We need to work on playing a full 60 minutes and to make the least amount of mistakes as possible, keeping it simple and executing the game plan,” said McCready. “I expect us to complete the season with the same fight we have shown these past four games and head into playoffs on a high note.” Even though the Lancers have quite a few rookies, the team is experienced in playoff hockey and is ready to compete. “Although we are a young team, a core group of guys have playoff experience in the CIS and realize how quick a bestof-three series can be. I think that this experience does help,” McCready said. The Lancers head to Guelph to take on the Guelph Gryphons Thursday night before returning home to face the Waterloo Warriors Saturday. Both games are set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Jitters won’t hinder Tremblay’s Olympics goal john doherty Sports EDITOR ______________________________
W
restler David Tremblay of Stoney Point is one step away from the London Olympics.
sports • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • 12
While the 24-year-old L’Essor grad is confident he can compete among the best in the world, he’s also not afraid to admit he’s starting to feel the jitters. “As I get closer to the qualifying tournaments, I am getting a little more nervous,” Tremblay said. “However, I know that I have given a lot of time and effort towards my goals and making the Olympic team. I’m not ready to give it away without a fight. Knowing this makes me excited to actually try and make it to London.” Tremblay’s previous step was in securing himself as the No. 1 seed in the Canadian 55 kg class at the team trials in December in Winnipeg. While winning at the trails didn’t set up Tremblay with an automatic berth at the London
Olympics, it did offer him a invitation to three upcoming 2012 Olympic qualifiers— the final step in the process. “If I would have lost [in Winnipeg], my dreams of making the games would have ended,” Tremblay said. “Each country can only send one wrestler for each weight class. Winning the trails has given me the right to be that one person at 55 kg. In London, it will be either [me] at 55 kg or no one.” The current Concordia University wrestler is now preparing for a top-two finish at the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament March 23-25 in Kissimmee, Fla. If he fails, there are still other options. “If I don’t finish top-two in Kissimmee, I’ll need to qualify in Taiyuan, China
Stoney Point’s David Tremblay (right) turns Aso Palani in a cross ankle par terre at the Canadian team trials in December in Winnipeg • photo courtesy monique smith
in April,” Tremblay said. “The final chance will be to qualify in Helsinki, Finland in May. If I do not qualify in Finland, then I’ll have to wait another four years.” Aside from training, Tremblay relies on a simple technique that he uses to keep down the jitters and give him an edge. “[It] is to not over think,” Tremblay said. “Over thinking can lead to nega-
tive thoughts and ultimately to my body tightening up. This normally leads to a decrease in my performance. That’s why I need to enter the match with a clear and open mind. I need to be aware of things before the match, however. I cannot let [them] control me.” “Whenever you’re competing with other top level athletes, it comes down to the smallest details that can make the difference in the outcome of the match.”
Lancers recruit six Ontario players The second round of football team additions includes four Sault Sabercats john doherty Sports EDITOR ______________________________
H
ead coach Joe D’Amore and the Lancers football program announced the recruitment of six new players last week.
Highlighting the recruits is six foot-one, 200-lb. linebacker Rhys Mahler of Sault Ste. Marie, a blue chip prospect considered to be one of the top linebackers in Ontario. Rhys finished his final Ontario Varsity Football League season as a Sault Sabercat sixth in the defense rankings with 29 solo tackles, 42 tackles assists and three sacks. The Lancers also picked up Sabercats quarterback Casey Wright, the No. 2 passer in the OVFL after throwing for 1801 yards. Wright was named to the OVFL all-star team. He was also named an all-star in his high school conference as part of the Superior Heights high school football team. Two other of the recruits also hail from the Sabercats program. Brothers Brock and Jordan Hoover, a running back and defensive back, respectively, and both at six foot-one, are also considered premier players in Ontario.
Quarterback Casey Wright (left) throws a pass as a Sault Sabercat • photo courtesy Lancers athletics program
“Brock is one of the top running backs out of the Sault area,” D’Amore said.
Jordan was the 2011 high school MVP for the Sault area and will join the Lancers as a free safety.
“He is a physical player who could also play slot [while Jordan] is one of the premier defensive backs in Ontario.”
Non-Sault recruits include defensive back Brantford’s Tyson Leeb and Sarnia Northern quarterback Jon Ravenhorst.
“We feel Jon will be a slot wide receiver at the next level,” D’Amore said, “His speed and athleticism will allow him to compete early for some playing time.” As Sarnia’s QB, Ravenhost scored two running touchdowns to lead the Vikings
in a 19-16 victory again W. F. Herman Secondary School in November at the SWOSSAA championship. He was also starting quarterback for the Vikings went they competed in the Western Bowl.
Fifth-year setter to return next season
Men’s volleyball team clinches playoff spot
Volleyball team a family to Will Alexander
Women’s season over
alanna kelly spOrts Writer ______________________________
john doherty spOrts editOr ______________________________
L
T
ancers Men’s Volleyball team fifth-year setter Will Alexander is looking forward to the playoffs and more years ahead at the University of Windsor.
he Lancers Men’s Volleyball team earned a home advantage playoff berth and wrapped up the season fourth in the OUA after splitting the weekend in Kingston.
At the start of his university career, playing a varsity sport in university was a sure bet for the Windsor native. “The assistant coach at the time recruited me,” Alexander said. “Although I didn’t know any of the guys on the team, I knew it was right for me. Volleyball was always an interest to me and I really couldn’t imagine being in school and not playing a sport. It was a natural and good fit.” Originally enrolled in business, Alexander quickly realized it wasn’t the right option for him and so he switched to the communication, media and film program. “It was the best decision I have ever made, second to playing volleyball for the university, of course,” he said. For Alexander, one of the most crucial parts about the team is the family-like atmosphere created by its players. “There aren’t a whole lot of teams that do what are we doing; we don’t just part ways after practice. Everyone supports each other and is there to help each other.”
Kyle Williamson led the Lancers in Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Queen’s. Sets were 25-14, 25-20 and 25-14. The evening before, the Lancers swept the RMC Paladins 3-0. Timothee Jaumel had eight kills.
‘‘
Windsor, which beat Waterloo in a tiebreaker for home court, will host the Warriors (11-7) Saturday in an OUA quarter-final at St. Denis Centre.
Fifth-year setter Will Alexander (middle right) prepares to set up a shot for the Lancers Men’s Volleyball team • photo by alanna kelly
We hold our destiny in our hands - Will alexander, Lancers Men’s Volleyball
After competing in Chicago over the Christmas break, the men are in good shape for the rest of the season. “We’ve had a few hiccups, but we are in a pretty good spot right now,” Alexander said. “We hold our destiny in our hands.”
After graduating this spring, Alexander plans to complete a master’s degree in human kinetics at the University.
In women’s OUA volleyball action, the Lancers’ season came to an end after losses on the weekend to the RMC Paladins and the Queen’s Gaels.
“I would like to focus on sports management. I would love to be a part of the volleyball program here after I graduate.”
Sunday, the Gaels swept the Lancers 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-17). Taylor Fitzgerald had eight digs and Ana Vrcelj had five kills.
It’s the family atmosphere that draws Alexander to the program.
Saturday’s game saw Windsor win the first set 25-22 before losing the next three 22-25, 23-25 and 22-25 to the Paladins.
“I strongly would consider an administrative position within the athletic department and pairing it with coaching would be an ideal career.”
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Kaila Seguin had 16 kills and 11 digs and Taylor Fitzgerald had 15 digs.
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john doherty Sports Editor ______________________________
LANCERS Elite Manning
T
here was no shortage of Lancers hitting national championship qualifying standards on the weekend in CIS track and field action. The Lancers Track and Field team had no less than 14 CIS qualifying marks at three separate events in both Canada and the U.S. At the York Open Saturday at York University, Amilia Di Chiara won a gold medal in the 60-metre hurdles while qualifyKendall Darnay preps a high jump ing for the nationals with a time at York • photo nathan lennie of 8.66 seconds. Qualifying with bronze medals were Steffi Stephenson in the shot put (13m80) and Ami Schimanski in the weight throw (16m79). Jacinta Cowan also met the qualifying standard in the shot put event (13m61). Seven Lancers secured CIS appearances at the Meyo Invitational Friday-Saturday at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind. Picking up bronze medals were Anthony Berkis in the 1,000m (2:23.20) and Andy Ysebaert in shot put (17m23). Ysebaert also set a club record with his performance while Berkis met a second qualifying time in the mile event (4:02.57). Other qualifiers met included Celine Freeman-Gibb in shot put (13m93), Paul LaMarra in the 1,000m (2:25.39) and Matt Walters (8:07.50) and Paul Janikowski (8:10.20) in the 3,000m event. The Bison Open Friday-Saturday in Winnipeg, Man., saw Lancers hit three qualifying marks. Winning gold were the men’s 4x200 relay team of Chris Reid, Brendan Dills, Tyler MacLeod and Matt McKeegan (1:27.58), and Branden Wilhelm in high jump (2m11). Winning silver while hitting a qualifying standard was the Lancers women’s 4x200 team of Nicole Sassine, Camille Wallace, Emilie Halle and Nathana Griffith (1:40.74).
Men’s hoops ends skid; women win 13th straight john doherty Sports Editor ______________________________
T
he Lancers Men’s Basketball team put an end to a three-game losing streak with Saturday’s 78-72 win at Guelph.
Leading Windsor was Jahmal McQueen, who registered 16 points and 11 rebounds. Evan Matthews and Enrico Diloreto each scored 15 points, while Josh Collins put up 14 points and Lien Phillip added 11 points. “We controlled most of the game,” head coach Chris Oliver said. “We played some really good teams prior to that and hadn’t been able to [control the game] through four quarters so it’s good to get back to that.” Wednesday, the Lancers lost their third consecutive game 79-77 against Laurier at the St. Denis Centre. Leading scorer DiLoreto recorded 21 of his 23 points within the final quarter, Phillip had 11 points and 14 rebounds while Collins and Evan Matthews had 13 points each. The fourth-place Lancers (12-6) are two points behind McMaster heading into a game at Waterloo (4-14) Wednesday at 8 p.m. Head coach Chantal Valleé and the nationally No. 2 ranked Lancers Women’s Basketball team recorded a 13th consecutive OUA victory Saturday, winning at Guelph 75-42. The Lancers were led by athlete of the week Bojana Kovacevic with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Jocelyn LaRocque had 17 points, including four three-point shots while CIS MVP Jessica Clemencon added 12 points.
scoreboard
Eli Manning guided the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Manning’s parting gift to the Patriots was an 88-yard drive that offered Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw the mistaken opportunity to run the remaining six yards for a winning TD with 57 seconds still left in the game. Bradshaw misunderstood Manning’s orders to fall down at the one-yard line, thus giving Patriots QB Tom Brady a final crack at a touchdown. Brady could not deliver. His final hail Mary throw into the Giants’ end zone didn’t connect with tight end Rob Gronkowski. Manning set a Super Bowl record after opening the contest with nine-straight completions. Brady threw 16 consecutive completions during the second and third quarters. In total, Manning went 30-for-40 for 296 yards and a touchdown. Brady was 27-for-41 for 276 yards. He recorded two touchdowns and an interception. Weekend split The Lancers Women’s Hockey team split a pair of home games this past weekend. Saturday afternoon, the Lancers lost a 2-1 to Toronto. Candace Kourounis was the lone goal scorer of the game. Sunday, Windsor rebounded with a 6-0 win over Ryerson. Jenny MacKnight opened the scoring for the Lancers halfway into the first period. Kayla Dodson put Windsor ahead 2-0 to close out the scoring for the first period. Three goals by the Lancers in the second period killed any chance of a Ram comeback. Goal scorers were Courtney Spoors, MacKnight and Ally Strickland. Windsor went ahead 6-0 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game when Tania Mills scored. Windsor will play their last two games of the regular season on the road this coming weekend. Saturday they play at Western and Sunday they’re at York. Local addition
Women’s basketball date
opponent
time/result
2/1/2012 Laurier Golden Hawks
W 87-54
2/4/2012 at Guelph Gryphons
W 75-42
2/8/2012 at Waterloo Warriors
6 p.m.
2/11/2012 at Laurier Golden Hawks
2 p.m.
2/18/2012 Western Mustangs
2 p.m.
End of regular season
Men’s basketball date
opponent
time/result
2/1/2012 Laurier Golden Hawks
L 77-79
2/4/2012 at Guelph Gryphons
W 78-72
2/8/2012 at Waterloo Warriors
8 p.m.
2/11/2012 at Laurier Golden Hawks
4 p.m.
2/15/2012 at Brock Badgers
7 p.m.
2/18/2012 Western Mustangs
4 p.m.
Women’s hockey date
opponent
time/result
2/4/2012 Toronto Varsity Blues
L 2-1
2/5/2012 Ryerson Rams
W 6-0
2/10/2012 at Western Mustangs
7:30 p.m.
2/11/2012 at York Lions
2 p.m.
Men’s hockey date
opponent
time/result
2/3/2012 UOIT Ridgebacks
W 7-4
2/4/2012 Brock Badgers
W 5-2
2/9/2012 at Guelph Gryphons
7:30 p.m.
2/11/2012 Waterloo Warriors
7:30 p.m.
Women’s volleyball date
opponent
time/result
2/4/2012 at RMC Paladins
L 3-1
2/5/2012 Queen’s Gaels
L 3-0
Men’s volleyball date
opponent
time/result
2/4/2012 at RMC Paladins
W 3-0
2/5/2012 Queen’s Gaels
L 3-0
Track & Field date 2/10-11/2012
Team Challenge
2/18/2012 Silverston Classic, Ann Arbor, Mich 2/24-25/2012
OUA Championships, Toronto
3/8-10/2012 CIS Championships, Winnipeg
Six-foot, 215-lb Matt Lefler of Holy Names Catholic High School, a first-team Newman Conference high school all-star, will join the Lancers Football team next season. “Matt is a physical kid who is just learning the game of football,” head coach Joe D’Amore said. “He is fearless in his pursuit of the football and we are expecting big things from him in the coming years.” Track recruit Windsor native Emily Omahen will join the Lancers Track & Field team next season, head coach Dennis Fairall announced last week.
Wednesday, they won 87-54 over Laurier. Clemencon led the Lancers with 25 points and eight rebounds, Kovacevic netted 19 points, LaRocque scored 12 points and Iva Peklova added 11 points.
A current member of the Windsor Legion Track Club, Omahen is the 2011 OFSAA silver medalist and the Canadian youth champion in the long jump, where she holds a personal best of 5.66m.
The Lancers, with an OUA West Division leading record of 17-2, are at Waterloo Wednesday to take on the faltering Warriors (1-17) at 6 p.m.
She will also become a member of the Lancers sprint and relay teams.
sports • thelance • feb.O8.2O12 • 15
Track team hits 14 CIS finals qualifying marks
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