interrobang issue for monday, november 19th, 2012

Volume 45 Issue No. 13 November 19, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

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NEWS 2Volume 45 Issue No. 13 November 19, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Ebehi Okojie is in her first yearof Fanshawe’s Music IndustryArts program. “I’m a huge nerd,but one of the coolest ones,” shelaughed. “I love music and wantto be a singer. I give 110 per centin everything I do. I’m a perfec-tionist. I’m a sports junkie wholoves basketball, football andvolleyball. I’m always there formy friends and family, no matterwhat.” 1. Why are you here?To get closer to my dream of beingin the music industry. 2. What was your life-changingmoment?When Grandpa passed away, and

his last words were for me tobecome a leader.3. What music are you currentlylistening to?“Let Her Go” by Passenger.4. What is the best piece ofadvice you’ve ever received?You have a big heart, but some-times you need to learn how tolock it down, and put your feelingsand yourself first.5. Who is your role model?My mum, my high school vocalteacher, and my vocal coach. 6. Where in the world have youtravelled?British Columbia; a few cities inOntario; many states in the U.S.;

and Jamaica when I was younger.7. What was your first job?The one I have now: I am a score-keeper, timekeeper and anthemsinger in the Athletics department.8. What would your last mealbe?A giant bowl of strawberries.9. What makes you uneasy?Disgusting things like roadkill andannoying sounds like fingernailson a chalkboard and knivesscreeching on a dinner plate. 10. What is your passion?Music, but more specifically,singing.Do you want Fanshawe to know 10Things About You? Just head onover to fsu.ca/interrobang andclick on the 10 Things I KnowAbout You link at the top.

10 Things I Know About You...

Okojie a proud nerd

CREDIT: SUBMITTED

Ebehi Okojie a multitalented MIA student.

CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST

From colourful art prints to sports stars to fuzzy animals and beyond, students found what they were looking for at theImaginus poster sale on November 14.

KIOSK QUIZWIRELESS PASSWORD?

Drop by the Welcome Kiosk with your answer. Five winners will be selected from correct entries and we’ll notify winners by email.The Welcome Kiosk (between the Bookstore and the Library) is open all year between 8am and 4pm, Monday

to Friday.PRIZES SPONSORED BY CHARTWELLS

sweet tweets of the week

@loki564#ConfessionNight I take pride in be-

ing a giant nerd, geek, or whatever

you wanna call it. It’s who I am and

that’s OK.

@fanshawesuStudent leaders - get the recognition

you deserve. Apply for the $1,000

College Student Alliance scholarship

http://bit.ly/WYOZQM #fanshawe

@jimiinvincibleTwitter is the kind of place I can say

how much I think this is really awe-

some. Right? #geekpride #notgeek-

pie pic.twitter.com/7MXQKgMP

@VPEntertainment#thatawkwardmoment when you

realize you’ve spent more nights at

#fanshawe than you have your new

apartment... #LoveWhatYouDo

@Arya_No1#ooc Every time I write a ‘real life’

message, and iRaven autocorrects

something into ASOIAF, I burst into a

fit of #NerdPride .

@AshleyAnnMorrisCurled up in the boyfriend’s large

#fanshawe sweater. Cough syrup has

nothing on this remedy #sickness

@alexissantosYou know you’re a geek when

you misread “Skyfall” as

“Skyrim.”#GeekPride

@Metal_TreeBask in the glory that is my view of

#LdnOnt’s City Hall. One of many

downtown views that is. Free rent!

pic.twitter.com/j84ZU6nK

@jessica_brookMovember <3 #outback #fanshawe

http://instagr.am/p/R0NadhoqkV/

@emanmousRight when I step foot in #fanshawe,

straight to the library is where I’m

going .. #nerdswag #economictest-

tomorrow

@HuffingtonPost10 new things we’ve learned about

prostate cancer so far this year #mo-

vember http://huff.to/Rxd3V2

@MetatauDoing #chainmail jewelry while

watching #TheGuild from S1E1

#geekpride

@EvansXFMJust stopped by #Fanshawe J Gym for

opening night of@FanshaweFalcons

Basketball - Retired Coach Glen John-

son will be honored December 1st.

Nursing students at WesternUniversity and Fanshawe Collegeare conflicted by their right ofchoice versus what their nursingplacement requires.

In order to graduate from thenursing program at either school,students must complete a place-ment. Thelma Riddell, lecturer atArthur Labatt Family School ofNursing said, “Nursing is a prac-tice profession. There would be nopoint in studying nursing science ifyou did not plan to interact withpatients.”

While it is not a programrequirement for the students toreceive a flu shot, placement agen-cies require nursing students toreceive the influenza vaccinationbefore they begin their co-ops.According to Marlene Price, man-ager for the Vaccine PreventableDiseases Program at theMiddlesex-London Health Unit,“When students are doing theirplacements, they may be in hospi-tals, long-term care facilities,places where they are caring forsomeone who is ill. So if the nurs-ing student has their flu shot, theycan’t be infecting anyone else. It’sfor the protection of the patients inthe hospitals.”

One Western nursing student,Sara Gasior, felt uneasy with thispolicy, as she would not have got-ten the vaccination had she notbeen in the program or had it notbeen a requirement.

She said it’s contrary to every-thing she is being taught in thenursing program. “I think beingable to take the flu shot should be aright of choice of personal autono-my and that’s what they focus on innursing; however, they kind of takethat away with the flu shot.”

Neither school has any controlover this policy, which is why “thequestion about fairness is a toughone as the requirement is set by anoutside clinical agency,” accordingto Shelley Masse, coordinator ofPractical Nursing at Fanshawe.“Most agencies recommend thattheir staff get the vaccine but it isnot required for staff in someplaces as it is for students. Fromthat perspective, the practice is notfair as not all ‘nurses’ or ‘nursingstudents’ are held to the same stan-dard.”

Riddell said the bigger issue hasto do with the fairness of exposingvulnerable patients to unvaccinatedcare providers. “People can diefrom acquiring influenza, especial-ly when their bodies are copingwith other challenges such aschronic disease or infections, lowerimmunity due to old age or veryyoung age. It is an expectation that,as health professionals, we get vac-cinated annually to protect ourpatients.”

Nonetheless, Gasior still saidshe feels that “it should be achoice. If you want to get the flushot, you can, but if you don’t wantto, you should be able to state thatyou don’t want to and you shouldstill be able to pass.”

While some students, likeGasior, struggle with the injusticeof the situation, “students areaware of the placement require-ments when they come into thenursing program,” said Riddell.

But Gasior said she feels herright of choice is being denied bythe policy because she understandsthat medical practices and beliefsvary among individuals. Sheacknowledged that some peopleprefer to use homeopathic reme-dies.

“Homeopathic products are out

there,” said Price. “But it’s the fluvaccine produced and distributedby Health Canada is the one thathas been researched and shown tobe effective.”

People can carry the flu evenwhen they don’t have the flu, andso therefore, “the best way to pro-tect yourself from getting sick andthose around you is to get the flushot,” according to Price.

While it is an agency require-ment for students to be vaccinated,there are some agencies that “willallow them in the facility as long as

there isn’t an outbreak; however, ifone develops, they will not allowthe student to be in the facility.This absence from clinical may putthe student at risk for not meetingthe course outcomes.”

For nursing students that have adocumented reason as to why theyare not receiving the flu shot, thesame policy applies. They couldencounter an outbreak and theycannot return “until the outbreak isover or until they have been pre-scribed medication to treat/preventthe flu,” said Masse.

Even though all the informationis readily available for studentsplanning to enroll in the nursingprogram, it is evident that somestill struggle with the idea of get-ting the flu shot. Ultimately itcomes down to what is moreimportant for Gasior: becoming anurse or saving herself from a fewpricks. In Gasior’s case, she wouldreadily take the flu shot knowingthe outcome is of the greater inter-est for her.


CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST

Students took a puppy break on November 13 when Progressive AnimalWelfare Services (PAWS) brought some fuzzy friends to campus. PAWSencouraged Fanshawe staff and students to vote for their idea in theAviva Community Fund contest. PAWS wants to create a non-profit com-panion animal hospital that will provide the London community with low-cost spay and neuter services and give shelter to pets in need. Check outtinyurl.com/PAWSvote2012 for more information.

CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Nursing students face the dilemma of whether or not to get flu shot. While not required to get the shot for theirprogram, the placements that they go on require it since they will be working with vulnerable patients. Withoutthe shot they will not be able to complete their placement and graduate their program.

PAIGE PARKERINTERROBANG

Flu shot or not? Nursing students conflicted


If you’ve been extremelystressed out lately, you’re notalone. According to the third annu-al Sun Life Canadian Health Index,90 per cent of 18- to 24-year-oldsare currently feeling a high level ofstress. And young adults aren’t theonly ones; 72 per cent of all adultsare currently feeling overwhelmedby the current economic climate inCanada.

A number of factors can causestress; you may have been pullingyour hair out during midterms orsobbing over a long distance rela-tionship, but the most commonsources of anxiety for all of the3,113 people surveyed are finances

and work life. Many are unhappy in the work-

place, and feel they can do better.According to the Index, 30 per centof respondents said they are under-employed, under-utilized andunable to make full use of theirskills and abilities.Underemployment is highestamong young workers aged 18 to24, as 39 per cent reported feelingunder-utilized.

“These results are consistentwith Canada’s national unemploy-ment rate sitting at close to 15 percent for Canadians under 25, morethan twice the Canadian average,”said Louis Theriault, director ofhealth economics at theConference Board of Canada. “It is

more difficult for young Canadiansto find permanent full-time jobsthat suit their skills and areas ofstudy. Recent job creation has beendominated by part-time work,which is becoming a trend inCanada. This impacts youngerworkers in particular and con-tributes to their higher stresslevel.”

The Index also showed that 80per cent of Canadians believe theiremployers should assist in themanagement of stress in the work-place. Just over one-third (37 percent) of those aged 18 to 24 whoexperience excessive stress saythey don’t have the support theyneed in their lives to help managethe stress.

MELANIE ANDERSONINTERROBANG

Underemployment and work culturemain factors leading to stress

It’s a life-changing experiencewhen we come across opportuni-ties that help us grow and becomea stronger person. Samantha Hoggfound an opportunity to grow as aprofessional and learn from inspi-rational mentors at her co-opplacement with Hutton House, anonprofit organization that pro-motes and supports people withdisabilities.

A student in the DevelopmentalService Worker (DSW) program,Hogg already has plenty of experi-ence working with people with dis-abilities. Working specifically withHutton House’s Day Break pro-gram, an individualized programfor young adults with complexneeds, Hogg has been able to applyher knowledge in a unique andexciting environment.

“Hutton House promotes inde-pendence,” said Hogg.“Participants choose what theywant to do when they come in here.Other organizations aren’t likethis.”

For Hogg, this is a great oppor-tunity to learn from an innovativeorganization while following her

dream of working with people withdisabilities. On a daily basis, Hogghelps clients develop life skillssuch as nutrition and baking, writ-ing, laundry, computer skills andplaying card games. She coordi-nates with clients on what theywould like to do and assists themthroughout the activity.

“They can do anything,” saidHogg. “The disability is part of theperson – it doesn’t define who theperson is.”

Hogg believes that HuttonHouse has prepared her for a careerin developmental services. Notonly has her co-op exposed her tomany challenges and given her anew perspective on working withadults with disabilities, it has alsogiven her the skills and experienceshe needs to be successful.

More importantly, Hogg feels asense of fulfillment by helpingthose who use Hutton House’sservices. “Their smiles melt yourheart,” she noted.

Hogg isn’t the first student topass through Hutton House’sdoors. Gwen Pelley, field place-ment coordinator for the DSW pro-gram, praised Hutton House forcontinuously providing Fanshawe

students with valuable hands-onexperience.

“Fanshawe College and HuttonHouse have been working jointlytogether for many years, providingexperiences to students wanting toprovide support to people whohave a disability,” said Pelley.“Hutton House has been flexibleand creative in providing opportu-nities.”

This year alone, Hutton Househas had 16 students fromFanshawe College. Without thecontributions of these students,Hutton House would not be able toprovide such a high level of serv-ice. Hogg’s supervisor, JenniferMerrylees, a Hutton House coordi-nator, pointed out how the co-opprogram benefits their organiza-tion.

“We get to learn from the stu-dents,” said Merrylees. “They havea fresh perspective and the latestinformation, so it’s a great oppor-tunity for us to polish our skills,too.”

If you are interested in learningabout volunteer and placementopportunities at Hutton House,visit huttonhouse.com or contactyour field placement coordinator.

AGNES CHICKINTERROBANG

Hutton House gives studentsa place to grow

If you rarely lock your back dooror regularly leave your iPod inyour car, you may want to thinktwice. London Police are remind-ing citizens, particularly students,to be more security consciouswhen it comes to their belongings.

With break and enters occurringat all times of the day, it’s impor-tant to protect your personal items.Some break-ins do occur when res-idents are home; protect yourselfand your new laptop by lockingyour doors and windows evenwhen you’re in the house.

If you’re sharing your homewith roommates, make sure thateveryone has the necessary keys sothat doors can be locked whenthey’re out.

Thieves target electronics that

are easy to snatch such as cell-phones, iPods and computers.Don’t leave expensive electronicslying around in your vehicle or inplain view within your home.

You may also consider record-ing your electronic devices’ serialnumbers or subscribing to trackingsoftware. If you own an iPad or aniPhone, for example, you candownload the Find My iPhone appthat allows you to locate yourdevice on a map and remotely lockyour device or erase your personalinformation.

Backing up information on yourcomputer is another good idea; youcan purchase external hard drivesfor reasonable prices or use blankC.Ds. Other valuables like jew-ellery or important documentssuch as passports should be lockedaway in safes or a safety deposit

box rather than leaving them out inthe open.

I know changing a lightbulb canseem like a daunting task, but takethe time to make sure your outdoorlights are working and turned onafter dark. If you do see someonein your community who appears tobe out of place or acting suspi-ciously, notify the police.

For more information on crimeprevention, visittinyurl.com/ldnprojsafeguard2012.

Anyone who observes suspi-cious activity is asked to call 9-1-1,the London Police Service at 519-661-5670, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Informationcan also be sent in online anony-mously tolondoncrimestoppers.com.


Beware of break and enters

Students of Fanshawe’sCorporate Communication andPublic Relations program areproud to present this year’s annualInternational Christmas Event.

All international students arewelcome to experience a CanadianChristmas, as this year’s theme is“Cozy Christmas.” Come dressedin red and green, or throw on somewarm and comfy clothes, and besure to bring your family and

friends!From festive activities to fun

presentations, the night will befilled with ongoing entertainment.Rumour has it there will be a spe-cial guest appearance!

So come one, come all! Theevent takes place on November 29in the Alumni Lounge on the sec-ond floor of SC building. Doorsopen at 5 p.m. and tickets are $15each. Finger foods and refresh-ments will be provided.

CCPR STUDENTS SPECIAL TO INTERROBANG

CCPR students hostingChristmas party forinternational students

CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST

Chelsea Cowling, left, and Ola Akinsara get their swag on with some awe-some Movember gear. Check out the Swag Sale in the F hallway (outsidethe Bookstore) on November 22.


Currently there are about 10,000women working in the CanadianForces (CF). It may seem like a bignumber, but that only accounts forapproximately 12 per cent of theentire force, meaning that 88 percent of employees are men.

Canadian Forces staff is hopingto expand the female presence inthe military to 25 per cent. To doso, the CF hosts national womeninfluencer events specificallygeared toward promoting womenin the military. “It’s important toget the word out that’s it’s not onlyyour typical 19- to 24-year-oldmale that’s in the CanadianForces,” said Captain MargaretHearn, the attraction and diversityofficer for the Canadian ForcesRecruiting Centre Atlantic.

Sergeant Jamie Shewaga, who’sbeen a part of the Canadian Forcesfor over 20 years, stressed theimportance of recruiting morewomen in our military. “It’s criti-cal for the Canadian Forces to bet-ter reflect Canada’s demographyreality in order to project our val-ues around the world.”

In 1885 women served as nursesfor the first time in military history.Capt. Hearn pointed out that oftenfemales are unaware that over 100occupations are now available tothem. In the late ’80s, the CFadopted a “no exclusion policy,”becoming one of the only mili-taries in the world to create equalopportunities for all its members.There are no longer any jobs in theCanadian Forces that women can-not have. The most popular posi-tions among women now includeDental Technician, Health CareAdministrator, ImageryTechnician, Logistics Officer andResource Management Clerk. Youwill find women in more tradition-ally male-dominated trades as well,such as Combat Arms and VehicleTechnician.

There are several misconcep-tions that can deter women fromjoining the military. For one, somewomen may believe that there arenot as many opportunities for themin positions of authority. “Manyhigh ranking and senior appoint-ments are currently held bywomen, such as the CFLRS

Commandant, CommanderMichelaine Lahaie,” said Sgt.Shewaga.

Secondly, there’s also the ideathat the military is solely for thosewho want to fight. All CF membersare required to complete theirBasic Military Qualification,which includes weapons training,first aid training, physical fitnessand courses on military basics.But, according to the CanadianForces website, “while allCanadian Forces members aretrained to respond to threats, mostmilitary jobs do not involve directcombat operations.” There aremany non-combat jobs in the mili-tary including positions in healthcare, logistics and administration.

The physical fitness testing mayalso intimidate some women, as itis a challenging requirementregardless of gender. Naval Cadet(NCdt) Abigail Nicolle is a juniorat Royal Military College in St.Jean. She found the fitness compo-nent a challenge, she said. “It washard at first. The running was thebiggest issue. We would go out asa squadron together in the morningor at night, so that was difficult atfirst, just adjusting.”

According to Capt. Hearn, it’simportant to understand that thereare different expectations for menand women. “Even for the physicalfitness tests, the criteria you haveto meet is different; women dofewer push-ups than men. The factof the matter is that women don’thave the same upper body strengthas men.”

NCdt Nicolle decided to attendRMC St-Jean to study engineering.It is not a requirement to study at aMilitary College to join theCanadian Forces, but those attend-ing will recognize a similar trendamong the population. NCdtNicolle said there are only fivewomen in her squadron and fewerthan 30 in the college out ofapproximately 200 cadets. “I’m theonly girl in my classes right nowexcept for one; it’s a little bitweird. I was surprised, I knew wedidn’t have a lot of women at thecollege, but going into that situa-tion it’s still an adjustment,” shesaid.

NCdt Nicolle admitted that it’svery difficult at times, but she’smade great friendships along the

way, “It’s good, that small numberof girls, we stuck together.Needless to say I’m close to a lot ofpeople in my squadron, regardlessof gender.”

Capt. Hearn said the majority ofher co-workers have been and arecurrently male, but for her it was

never an issue. “Maybe it’s mypersonality but it really doesn’tbother me a whole lot. I go in anddo my job, and I do the job the bestthat I can and it’s because of who Iam, not because I’m female.”

Regardless of the number ofmen in the force, Capt. Hearn said

it’s been an amazing life choice forher. “I’ve been in the military for28 years and I’ve loved everyminute of it. It’s been a great jobfor me, so anytime I can promote itand tell people that it’s a great jobfor a female, I do it absolutely.”

CREDIT: FORCES.CA

The Canadian Forces are encouraging more women to explore non traditional jobs in the military.

CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST

Bill Paul (left) interviews Chaukar, a Laggar Falcon, on his radio show, Straight Talk, on 106.9 The X. JevesSukhdeo (centre), of Jeve’s Pet Care, and Brian Salt, of Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre inMount Brydges, came on the show to talk about A Charity Event, which takes place on February 20, 2013 atAroma restaurant. The event is a fundraiser for Salthaven, which will use the proceeds to continue to give sick,injured and orphaned animals a second chance to live a wild and free life. For more information, check outtinyurl.com/ACharityEvent2013.


Misconceptions may deter women from joining the military

It’s time to start planning theFanshawe Student Union’s annualCharity Ball, so consider this yourformal invitation to help!

If you’re interested in volunteer-ing and helping to plan this semi-formal event, you can show up tothe first meeting on November 20at 5 p.m. in SC2016. This is whereall the major decisions for theevent will be made, such as thetheme, marketing strategies andwhich charity the event will raisemoney for.

Volunteers will be asked tocome to three meetings before the

Charity Ball and be available theday of the event to set up before itbegins and to help clean up after.

“This is a great event for stu-dents to participate in; it’s a lot offun and it’s for a great cause,” saidJohn Young, operations managerfor the FSU, who is organizing theevent.

The Charity Ball takes place onFebruary 9, 2013, and runs from 9p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Oasis. It’s anight of dancing, fun and a mid-night buffet. This is also a licencedevent, and a limited number ofunderage students will be able topurchase tickets in advance.

ERIKA FAUST INTERROBANG

Charity Ballseeks volunteers

OPINION LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [email protected] 6


The Liberal Party is counting down thedays until November 23, 2012. That’s thefinal day for political hopefuls to jump in thering and square off against each other forPremier Dalton McGuinty’s recently vacatedposition. The provincial Liberal Party hasbeen in power for nine years under his lead-ership and several leaders on the provinciallevel are looking to step in. Three of themost formidable candidates are sure to beformer Liberal Party member SandraPupatello, Education Minister Glen Murrayand, returning from a six-year stint at thefederal level, Gerard Kennedy.

Before addressing the merits of these indi-viduals, it’s worth noting how the provincialparty’s leader will be selected. Members ofthe Liberal Party are eligible to cast a votefor one of the candidates on January 26when the convention will be held in Toronto.Those in attendance vote for their candidateof choice and the candidate with the fewestvotes is eliminated. The process is repeateduntil there are two candidates remaining, andthe final round of voting determines theprovincial leader.

One of the fundamental errors that con-tributed to McGuinty’s fall was his introduc-tion of Bill C-115. It will be key for the newleader to immediately establish his or herposition on Bill C-115 because of its divisivenature. On this front, Kennedy has a validargument to make, namely that he’s beenuninvolved at the provincial level for a num-ber of years and therefore can’t be blamedfor the current debacle. He seems to be in asweet spot where he’s capable of running forparty leadership without being converselytarnished by that same party’s reputation.

The Ontario Minister of Training Collegesand Universities, Murray, also has a lot tooffer the powerful teachers’ unions inOntario. His ongoing work in transformingthe face of education hasn’t gone unnoticedand he’s going to pick up a lot of supportfrom that sector; the remainder will dependon how successful a campaign he’s able torun.

If it were possible to pick a front-runner atthis stage, it would be former LiberalMinister Pupatello. Besides her popularity asa cabinet minister under McGuinty, she’salso married to the former Liberal leader ofNewfoundland and Labrador, Jim Bennett.While Murray could be seen as having beenparty to McGuinty’s Bill C-115 andKennedy has failed to be present provincial-ly in recent years, Pupatello has the benefitof having been employed in the private sec-tor for the last 12 months and has avoidedpolitical ill will.

The inherent challenge that the incomingprovincial leader will face is how to take theparty in a new direction without abandoningthe legacy of the last nine years. WhileMcGuinty introduced a lot of unpopular leg-islation in the past year, he was able to winthree elections despite having to break someof his most adamant election promises, butit’s unlikely that his replacement will get thesame leeway.

In case youneed anelection fix

People will often say to me that they triedto read the Bible but didn’t get very far. Thisis totally understandable. It would be arro-gant to think it is not. The writers didn’twrite for you or me. They were writing forpeople of their time. Yet, interestingly, whatthey said continues to ring true.

Really? Yes, and in fact that should not bevery surprising. We often see this phenome-non in the history of writing. For example,Shakespeare wrote for the audiences of histime, yet many still find truth in his words.

But far be it from me to at this point to tellyou to read the entire Bible. I won’t ask forthat much today. I will be thrilled if you,esteemed reader, for the first time, read justthe first page. Genesis, chapter one. As theysay, is that too much to ask?

This is the chapter that speaks about theworld being created in seven days. Thereforewhenever people outside of Christianchurches refer to it, they typically dismiss it.After all, no one except deluded fundamen-talists takes this sort of creation mythologyseriously, they confidently tell us. Believerslook down at their shoes and hope not tomake eye contact.

The first chapter of the Bible, though,should be taken seriously as the startingpoint for life, yours and mine. If it is not, weexpose ourselves to peril.

Take the opening line. It is magisterial.“In the beginning God created the Heavensand the Earth.” Think of these 10 words asan announcement accompanied by thunder-ous fanfare – horns, other brass instrumentsand percussion by the Toronto Symphonyand Neil Ellwood Peart.

This opening line firmly places God at thefoundation of the world. Behold! The creatorof this incredible stage, the designer of allthe sets. And, although not the writer ofevery part of the script – as Sir MichaelPhilip Mick Jagger once sang, Satan too hasopportunity to throw in his bits, as do youand I – God is nonetheless the creator ofmind, speech and every being, which, inturn, beget more beings.

Next line. The opening scene. It’s a stormon the high seas. Shape-shifting cold, dark,watery chaos. Hurricane Sandy. No place forliving things. But the Spirit of God is there,hovering over the uninviting dark. Ready toenergize and give order.

And then, scene two, God speaks, like anancient Middle Eastern king to his court.“Let there be…” Order replaces the chaos.Day and night. Sky and water. Land withvegetation. And then items to fill thoseplaces. Stars, moon, and sun. Fish and birds.All kinds of animals. And finally, as the pin-nacle, humans.

And to humans, God says, “It’s all yours!This is your home. Fill it with your tent-dwelling tribes, nations, libraries, colleges,concerts, machines and stories. Make yourhome even more blessed and beautiful than Ihave made it. Create with me. Give order toit as I have given order to it. Celebrate withme.”

At our peril we forget that only God isGod. Without faith in God, we place ourfaith elsewhere, anywhere. Where atheismgrows, religion thrives.

Without God we overplay the appropriateremembrance of the war dead and make areligion of the sacrifices of veterans.Without God we overinvest in ideology,placing our faith in capitalism, socialism,Nazism, revolution, the American Way andthe Canadian Way. Good luck with that. Orwe overemphasize the importance of bodybuilding, individual rights, the stock market,

real estate, hockey, the latest celebrity onoffer or just about anything else that movesus.

At our peril, we forget why we exist. Weexist to enjoy the blessings God placed onthe whole human race; we exist to make ourplanet more and more a paradise, not anexhausted, depleted shell of its former self –which is where our present trajectory willbring us; we exist to enjoy the diverse cul-tures we are able to bring to life; we exist tolive without fear and terror, and to live freefrom tyrannies of all kinds, including thetyranny of bullies who become politiciansand the tyranny of modern economists whoclaim that they are the way, the truth, and thelife.

Yes, we have messed up, as page two andthree of Genesis teach. Messed up from thebeginning, all of us involved in the destruc-tion. But that doesn’t negate the other stuff,the prior things, the first things. In fact, theywill never be negated. Jesus Christ was born,died and was raised from the dead to bringthem back “with a vengeance.” But that’sanother story, though one that can only beunderstood in the light of the Bible’s pageone.

VICTOR DE JONGINTERROBANG

NOTES FROM DAY SEVENMICHAEL [email protected]

Reading the Bible with NeilPeart, Mick Jagger and Sandy

CREDIT: GENESIS.NET.AU

CREDIT: ECONOMICCLUB.CA

Sandra Pupatello Ontario Liberal frontrunner?

Christmas cheernot all year

Video game characters have all influ-enced our lives. Yet do some promote nega-tive stereotypes? Do some video gamesmake us think outside the box? Can videogames promote an unhealthy lifestyle?These are all great questions. However, theyreally are unimportant as people will contin-ue to play video games regardless.

Take a look at Mario and Luigi. Let’s faceit, as much as we all love them, they looklike discarded attempts at cloning Mussolini.If the laws of physics and biology applied inreal life as they did in the Mario Brothersgames, then we would be totally screwed.For instance, how does a wormhole intoanother dimension occur in the pipe systemof a home? How do two fully grown Italianmen get sucked down a drain? If you look atthe concept from a critical eye, the storydevolves into a mash-up of bad stereotypesand poorly drawn reptiles, not to mentionthe drug references. In Yoshi’s Island, whenyou consume the wrong mushroom, thescreen begins flashing in psychedeliccolours, and Yoshi staggers around thescreen with a big dopey smile. In several ofthe other games, Mario and his cohorts con-sume flowers to shoot fire, take yellow starsto feel invincible, and eat mushrooms togrow twice as large. What does this teachchildren? Not to mention that while Mario israther obese, Luigi is skinny to the point ofbulimia. By any standard, drug abusers withgrotesque weight problems are not a rolemodel for anyone, especially when theironly friends are make-believe dinosaurs anda woman who calls herself Princess PeachToadstool.

The PBS documentary Raccoon Nationexamines a 1970s anime series called Rascalthe Raccoon. In this documentary, theyexplain that, during this show’s popularity,thousands of children in Japan purchasedraccoons and had them shipped from theU.S.A. This is because the protagonist of theseries had a raccoon as a pet, and this madethem very popular. Several years later,Nintendo decided to repeat the mistakes ofthe past with a little yellow abominationnamed Pikachu. Much like in the showRascal the Raccoon, in the show Pokemon,the protagonist has a pet Pikachu, a fictionalanimal that he cares for and trains to attackother animals. This simple trick of repetitioncaused millions of children worldwide towant a Pikachu of their own and obtain oneby purchasing a sad excuse for a video

game. Pikachu is a small, violent creaturewho is abused and trained into fighting othermake-believe and often ridiculous animals.Nintendo tricked millions of children andmanipulated their parents into purchasing apoorly made video game with the help of acartoon. It looks like this is a common themefor the gaming console giant.

Nintendo is not the only one makingmoney off bad ideas and selling them assoftware. Take a look at Blizzard. Theymake the Diablo series and the World OfWarcraft massively multiplayer online role-playing game. They also make StarCraft,but that game does not actually matter so weare not getting into it. World of Warcraft hasdestroyed relationships, turned friendsagainst each other and, for some players,replaced real life with a fantasy world, not tomention the female characters portrayed inthe game are sexist and unrealistic examplesof women in the real world. However for thetypical WoW player, making a female elfcharacter and having her run around in abikini is as close as they are ever gonna get,so you can’t really hold that against them.

My question is, how does Blizzard regardwomen? It appears as nothing more thanobjects.

Comedian Marcus Brigstock put it bestwhen he said, “If Pacman had affected us askids, we'd all be running around in darkrooms, munching pills and listening to repet-itive electronic music.” The same generationthat played too much Pacman as kids endedup inventing the rave party. Since Pacman,video games have only gotten worse, whilegraphics, memory and console power mayhave increased. So have the addictive poten-tial, lack of creativity on part of gamedesigners, the overabundance of first-personshooters that are basically the same gameonly slightly remade, using female videogame characters not as empowerment fig-ures for girls but as exaggerated pieces ofmeat on a screen, and taking away from theproductivity of people’s lives. It seems thatwhile video game graphics are getting bet-ter, the characters in those video gamesslowly devolve into the lowest commondenominator game developers can imagine.

Modern video games stuffedwith dysfunctional characters

ROLAND PRISKEINTERROBANG

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CREDIT: NINTENDO

Another Remembrance Day has come andgone. I’m certain that you’ve all paid yourrespects, done your part and took a momentto remember those who have fought and fall-en for this country. Perhaps what you areless inclined to do is extend those same feel-ings beyond the calendar date of November11.

I grew up in London, and I lived thereuntil I was 25. Now, I live on a military base,so these issues are much more in the fore-front for me, however since I know what it’slike to live in London, and perhaps forgetthat London has a military community aswell, I want to take the time to remind peo-ple of a few things.

Remembrance Day isn’t just about thefallen soldiers. It’s about those who returnhome wounded with visible and invisiblescars. It’s about those who work long hours

every day to support those on the front lines.It’s about those who are on the front lines.It’s about those who are truly unsung heroesin the special forces, who do the heavy lift-ing and the dangerous jobs, but who cannotever receive thanks. It’s about those familieswho have one of their own involved in themilitary and who have to make sacrificesthat their civilian counterparts will nevertruly understand.

Being part of a military family, I appreci-ate that civilians take time out of their busyschedules to thank those close to me for thesacrifices they make, day in and day out. Iappreciate that more than any civilian willever be able to understand. But what I wanteven more than that kind of attention andgratitude on November 11 is that same kindof attention and gratitude on November 12,December 1, March 20 and every other day.

What I’m going to suggest is that if youwant to show your support and your grati-

tude beyond Remembrance Day, you shouldalso make small gestures of appreciationwhen the opportunity presents itself. Seethat soldier standing in line behind you atTim Hortons in their uniform? Buy their cof-fee, if you can. See that olive green car try-ing desperately to turn onto Oxford Streetfrom Wolseley Barracks in rush-hour traf-fic? Let them in. See that man or woman inuniform at the grocery store? Tell them youappreciate them.

What the military community reallyneeds, but will never ask for, is to feel appre-ciated on more days of the year than justNovember 11. London may not bePetawawa or Kingston, but we do house amilitary community; we support them andthey support us.

Don’t forget that just becauseRemembrance Day has passed.

Military appreciation beyond

November 11ALISON MCGEEINTERROBANG

The week of Halloween, I found myselfwalking through the mall and not only findingHalloween costumes, pumpkins and cobwebs,but also inflatable Santas, garlands and orna-ments. Before one commercialized holidayeven wraps up, the stores are shoving unneces-sary purchases down our throats. I just can’t getover how early Christmas has come this year.

The jolly old elf himself made an appearancein London on November 10 as a part of ourSanta Claus Parade. May I remind you that ournight-time parade was held on the eve ofRemembrance Day! I’ll admit I was one of theeager fans awaiting Santa’s arrival, enjoyingthe bright lights, floats and Christmas carols,but after a night of holiday celebration I foundit odd to be taking a moment of silence at 11a.m. the next morning.

Now that November has begun, many peoplehave started to decorate their homes, checkitems off their Christmas lists and attendChristmas parties. There’s no snow on theground, and Americans haven’t even finishedtheir Thanksgiving turkey yet.

On one hand, I understand getting Christmasshopping done early or planning who will hostChristmas, because the holidays become moreof a stress than a special occasion. So althoughI encourage you to get into the Christmas spir-it, try not to be bombarded by all of the materi-alistic items glistening in windows but insteadkeep in mind what this holiday is really about.


LIFESTYLES8Volume 45 Issue No. 13 November 19, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice andother guests visited WesternUniversity and played at theLondon Music Hall on November6 as a part of their North Americantour “CNTRL: Beyond EDM.” Theevents focused on the technologyaspects of modern-day electronicmusic.

Their goal wasn’t just to playamazing shows in university townsacross North America, but to edu-cate and engage students about themusic. Using a panel set-up, theDJs spent their days giving lecturesabout the history of the globalmovement and demonstrating whatthe future of music technology andperformance can become.

“I hope we inspire and give a lit-tle bit of what we are doing andgive our culture to the kids,” saidDice. Loco Dice held a 10-yearresidency at Tribehouse in hishometown Düsseldorf, Germanyand played at DC-10 in Ibiza from2002 to 2006. He’s known forbeing unpredictable and using hisimagination to make an artisticreality for listeners. Through hisinfluential record label Deolat, hisown accomplished production cat-alogue and his legendary DJ sets,Dice has joined a band of eliteunderground DJs.

He stressed the importance ofbeing unique, “What we tell themis keep your style and define yourstyle. You come to our club andyou hear us playing this certainmusic, (it) doesn’t mean you haveto follow this; bring your own style– please motivate us, please inspireus. Only because of this does ourgenre stay alive.”

Headlining act Richie Hawtingrew up in Windsor and was adriving force for minimal techno inthe ’90s. Hawtin is widely knownas an innovator and one of the mosttechnologically advanced artists inelectronic music. Having experi-enced the short-lived rise of elec-tronic music in the ’90s, these DJs

are hoping that the rise in popular-ity of electronic music is here tostay.

“What we tell the people is thatmainstream is too simple, it’s tooeasy and it can die right away,”said Dice, “because mainstreamcomes with the hype of the mediaand the hype of culture. It’s diffi-cult to find something that will stayforever. Hip-hop is here foreverbecause it took its time to developand become where it’s standingnow.”

During the presentation atWestern, Dice showed how old-style DJing can be done with mod-

ern equipment. He stood up andpresented the crowd with a mini DJlesson. “It’s just a small demon-stration,” Dice said, “it’s importantfor me to show them, ‘Hey, in thistechnology world with all thesecomputers, there’s also somethingreally basic like a turntable.’ WhatI’m showing is nothing complicat-ed; I just hope to motivate thekids.”

After being in the business forover 20 years, Dice has noticedseveral changes in the industry,“Changed for sure (is) the technol-ogy, the movement; before it wasyou only had certain synthesizers

and certain sounds you had to playwith, now you go to studio and thepossibilities are enormous.”

Another message Loco is send-ing to up-and-coming DJs is tonever give up on their dreams.“They should believe in them-selves. In a hard world, especiallyin the music business, a lot of kidsthink there’s not a lot of opportuni-ties, there’s no way to make some-thing happen or you need a reallygood connection. We tell them,‘Look, you have friends aroundyou who you can ask to help youmake a website or to help you withpromotions.’” He added that every-

one has to start somewhere, “Go toa local bar and ask the local pro-moter, ‘Give me a Wednesdaynight,’ and invite your friends.This is how we started in thiscareer. It needs to take time andeveryone needs to be patient.”

The group completed theirCanadian tour dates with stops inWindsor and Toronto followingtheir show in London. Theywrapped up their tour onNovember 18 in Minneapolis.

For more information about theCNTRL tour, visitfacebook.com/cntrlbeyondedm orcntrl.com.


CNTRL tour digs deeper into EDM

CREDIT: MELANIE ANDERSON

German DJ/Producer Loco Dice demonstrates his DJ style to a packed Mustang Lounge at Western University.

Big Sugar is a band that is great-ly influenced by the reggae genre.Gordie Johnson (guitar/vocals),Garry Lowe (bass), Kelly “MrChill” Hoppe( h a r m o n i c a / s a x / m e l o d i c a ) ,Friendlyness (keyboards/toasting)and Stephane “Bodean” Beaudin(drums) are currently on tour andwill make a stop in London onNovember 22 with reggae legendWilli Williams as their guest. Irecently did an interview withJohnson, and we chatted aboutwhat it was like to work with oneof their idols and why reggae issuch a big influence for the band.

What has it been like to haveone of your idols, Willi Williams,be on tour with you?

“Yeah, it’s a real privilege forus. Our bass player Garry hasknown Willi all his life and I’veloved his music all my life, andonce I realized that Garry knew

him I got his phone number andthought what a great opportunity(it was) for us to be able to workwith one of our heroes. He’s beenon the whole tour with us and it’sbeen just amazing.”

Are you enjoying this tour justas much as the last one?

“It’s been amazing. This tourhas been very different from lastyear’s tour because we have somenew material and also having Willion stage with us, it makes thesongs go in a different direction.It’s been really gratifying for us asmusicians. I would hate to get upon stage and just walk through thesame set list we played last tour.We don’t want to just give peoplea rerun; we want to give themsomething fresh.”

Why is reggae such an influ-ence for you guys?

“I think it’s because where wedeveloped our sound in Toronto.That music was pervasive every-where we went. A lot of the bandmembers over the years have beenborn in Jamaica or Trinidad. It wasreally the music that was prevalentin our formative years.”

What are some future plans

for Big Sugar after this tour isover?

“We just put out a concert DVDcalled Eliminate Ya with a newsong on it, and we also did a song

with Willi Williams that is oniTunes now. The band is feelingreally inspired right now so I cansee us getting together and doingsome more music in the new year.”

For more information on theband and for tickets to their showat London Music Hall, visit theirwebsite at bigsugar.com.

Sweet sounds of Big Sugar coming to townMY 15 MINUTESWITH...TAYLOR MARSHALL

CREDIT: BIGSUGAR.COM

Big Sugar, a rock band with reggae influences, will be coming to the London Music Hall on November 22.

LIFESTYLES 9Volume 45 Issue No. 13 November 19, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

CREDIT: FSU STREET TEAM

Arius Paschakis became an instant multi-hundredaire by winning the Fanshawe’s Got Talent competition. Ariussurvived the online voting process and performed in front of a live audience and panel of judges on November 6in the Out Back Shack.

I write about random things alot. I write a lot about randomthings. Did you know that thesleepover scene in the movieGrease in which StockardChanning sings about Elvis Presleywas filmed on August 16, 1977 –the very day the former heartthrobpassed away?

Film soundtracks are remarkablethings by their very nature. That apassage of music should not onlyelevate a moment but also encap-sulate a memory is an incrediblefeat, so it’s little wonder that peo-ple are forever endeared to musicalfilms like Grease or any other –that personal connection isstrengthened by the powerfulmemories attached to the music.

Such is the case with FreeDimensional, the sophomorealbum by Diamond Rings –Toronto’s John O’Regan –released October 23 on Secret CityRecords. Much like the soundtrackto an old favourite film, the albumplays on your ear and compels youon a chemical level to provide theexperience to make new memoriesof your own.

As an art form, music can be sowonderfully paradoxical when it’sapproached intelligently and cre-atively. With this album, O’Reganmarries his pensive, vulnerablewriting style with a matured yetunderstated musical vocabulary,

retaining that introspective qualitywhile shaping broader, boldermusical landscapes. DiamondRings brings the music and theexperience to London for anappearance at Call The Office onNovember 28.

“I wanted the first album to havethat homespun quality,” heexplained, his decision to exploremusically on Free Dimensionalrooted in his growing comfort withthe tools at his disposal. “A bigpart of being afraid of something isnot understanding it ... once Ibecame more comfortable with themedium of electronic music, it wasonly natural to want to improve.”

Diamond Rings’ success andgrowth will come as little surpriseto those who have had the foresightto pay attention to his career herein Southern Ontario over the pastfew years. From his beginnings inGuelph in bands like TheD’Urbervilles or releasing a splitEP with PS I Love You to high-profile gigs at Yonge-DundasSquare during NXNE or support-ing Robyn on her North Americantour, O’Regan has been steadilygrowing in notoriety on an interna-tional level.

Impressed by Diamond Rings’journey to date, producer DamianTaylor (Björk, Austra, Robyn) washappy for the opportunity to workwith O’Regan, professing a deeprespect for his desire to grow andemploy new tools “while keepinghis music honest and emotionallyresonant.”

“That was a big part of thiswhole experience,” O’Reganexplained. “Coming to terms with

the fact that I wanted to makesomething direct and impactful,and that I could trust other peopleto help me do it, but at the end ofthe day it would still feel like me.”

Released almost two years to theday after his first album, FreeDimensional debuted on The HypeMachine on the power of two sin-gles, “I’m Just Me” and “RunawayLove,” which was filmed inMontreal. In recent weeks,Diamond Rings has performed“I’m Just Me” as a guest of bothDavid Letterman and Jay Leno, awell-deserved opportunity tobroadcast his message to a wideraudience.

For that reason, missing thisshow at Call The Office would be acrime! It isn’t likely that a world-class artist like Diamond Ringswill be playing cozier venues likethat for long, so don’t miss thechance while you have it. Ticketsfor the November 28 19-plus showare $12 in advance through tick-etscene.ca, doors open at 9 pm.

For more on Diamond Rings orthe new album, visit diamon-dringsmusic.com or follow alongon Twitter @diamondrings. FreeDimensional is widely available instores and online, as well as avail-able on music subscription servicesand streaming sites now.

And for more of the latest inmusic news, views and streams,consider following this column onTwitter @fsu_bobbyisms. Here’shoping you Mo Brothas and MoSistas are hanging in there, staystrong for a great cause. I’m out ofwords.

BOBBYISMSBOBBY FOLEY

Diamond Rings explores new dimensions

CREDIT: NORMAN WONG.

Diamond Rings will be at Call The Office on November 28.


We’ve all encountered them.We work with them, go to schoolwith them, and sometimes we areeven related to them. Youguessed it, this week, I’m talkingabout rude people.

It doesn’t matter what stageyou are at in your life, there willalways be rude people you haveto deal with. Bummer, isn’t it?Well I’m here to tell you how todeal.

This came to my attention afterdealing with a very rude personon the phone. I had called harm-lessly to set up an interview, onlyto get the cold shoulder and aninterview with his dial tone. In hisdefence, maybe he was having abad day or had just burnt histongue while drinking his cof-fee… although I’d like to thinkthat I would still be as kind as Icould to someone if I was havingan off day.

Anyway, that’s beside thepoint, back to you. Here are fivetips to help you deal with rudepeople:

1. The first thing you need to

do is learn how to make a voodoodoll. Only kidding, of course!Seriously, something I’ve learnedover the years when it comes todealing with difficult situations isthat you always need to take thehigh road. It’s surprisingly a verytough road to take, as it’s notpaved entirely well.

2. Another trick that worksincredibly well is simply to agreewith them. Even if their argumentis that this should not be the finalseason of Jersey Shore. If the per-son you’re dealing with happensto be an authority figure or boss,it is essential that you do whatthey say and then complain aboutit to your friends and familymembers afterwards. The lastthing that you want to do is burnany bridges.

3. Stick up for yourself! Ifsomeone is kicking the back ofyour chair in a movie or stoleyour spot in the bathroom line,say something about it! Do not letothers walk all over you; some-times they might not even knowthat they are bothering you.

4. If you want something,you’ve got to ask for it. I once satthrough all of a Harry Potter filmwith someone’s New Balanceshoes resting next to my head. Inow realize that I did not get tofully admire Ron Weasley

because I was too scared to stickup for myself. What a shame!

5. Above all, the most impor-tant thing you can do when deal-

ing with rude people is to forgetabout it. Keep in the back of yourmind all of the people who loveyou, and remember that those are

the only people that matter. If all else fails, you may really

need to learn how to make avoodoo doll.

MY SERIES OFUNFORTUNATEEVENTSJENNA WANT [email protected]

How to deal with rude people

CREDIT: CHRON.COM

Dealing with rude people is a common occurrence that we can’t seem to get away from.


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Thinking of handing out someresumes sometime soon? A greatway to impress a potential employ-er is to look polished and profes-sional and wear something thatallows you to incorporate elementsof your personality and aura.

Invest in a fitted boyfriend styleblazer like the one to the right – it’sthe easiest way to come off in aprofessional way and the slightlypuffed-up sleeves give the look astructured and defined silhouette.The blazer is in a versatile beigeand takes little thought to coordi-nate into any outfit, but pick acolor that you feel comfortable in.

Pair the blazer with a pair ofhigh-waisted tights and a plain topunderneath – it’s simple but it’s agreat base to accessorize. Add agreat collar necklace and an amaz-ing oversized men’s-style watch tocomplement the structured look ofthe blazer.

To keep the look formal, wear agreat pair of patent black pumps!The shoes don’t have to be toointricate since we want to keep thelook professional.

1. Blazer: This is a tailoredbasic to keep in your closet andadd a formal touch to almost anyoutfit. Try a slightly padded style;it fits very comfortably and makes

the look more tailored. (UrbanBehavior, $35; other great coloredoptions available at Dynamite,$40)

2. High-Waisted Pants: Theseelastic high-waisted pants are seri-ously comfortable and the waist-band hugs close to your hips, creat-ing a sleek silhouette. The blackvertical ribbing, although subtle,adds length your legs and creates aslimming effect. (Zara, $40)

3. Collar Necklace: This sleekcollar necklace sits as a choker andbrings emphasis to the neckline. Itis easy enough to wear that it does-n’t overpower the overall look.(Aldo Accessories, $15)

4. Oversized Men’s-StyleWatch: Add a masculine touch tothe look with a great two-tonedchocolate gold and gold oversizedmen’s watch to keep you runningon time! (Aldo Accessories, $40)

5. Earrings: Keep it conserva-tive with the earrings since thereare a few accent pieces already. Apair of plain gold earrings ties thewhole outfit together. (AldoAccessories or Forever 21, $10)

6. Black Patent Pumps: Youcan never go wrong with a pair ofpatent black pumps! These amaz-ing almond-toe pumps elongateyour legs for any outfit. The pumpskeep the outfit looking sophisticat-ed and business-formal to offsetthe accessories. (Aldo, $90)

The featured pieces are greatbases for a polished look. Addyour touch or favorite lucky charmto help make the job-hunt processmore comfortable and stylish.Bring your confidence and positiveattitude along with your stylishensemble and you’ll be able toimpress anyone who comes yourway!

Corporate chic

CREDIT: HAI HA NGUYEN

College is the perfect time toamp up and use your geek chiclook. Elements of this look puttogether carefully will get youlooking more chic than geek in notime. Looking at runway trendsand fashion blogs alike, I will giveyou some advice to skim the linebetween nerdy girl and sexy secre-tary.

The cornerstone of a geek chiclook is glasses. When you’re work-ing this look to your advantage, theheavier, darker, squarer the frame,the better. While non-prescriptionframes are available (and gainingin popularity), sometimes glassesare best left to those with sightproblems. Currently all the rageamong hipsters and celebrities(think Justin Timberlake, AnneHathaway and Taylor Swift), darkhorn-rimmed glasses add a touchof sophistication to your look. Thepsychology of glasses is no fad,however, as studies indicate thatyou are perceived to be more intel-ligent (and leave a better impres-sion at a job interview!) if you dowear specs.

The rest of the look is in thedetails. You don’t need a wardrobeoverhaul or spending spree to add alittle geek into your life. Next timeyou wear a collared button-down,for example, button it all the wayto the top. Pop on a V-necksweater, crew-neck sweatshirt oreven sweater vest (if you’re goingfor prep-school cool) and you’re

on your way. Covering up is key. When done

right, geek chic is a very conserva-tive look, leaving a lot to the imag-ination. When you want to look alittle more like Jane from Mad Menand a little less like HowardWolowitz in The Big Bang Theory,the trick is fit. You can be coveredneck to ankle, but when you’recovered in a tight-fitting pencilskirt and a thin turtleneck sweaterthat clings in all the right places, noone will confuse you for a nerd.

Plaid, checks and stripes all canbe used to geek up your chic.Think Catholic schoolgirl with atwist, and remember that for thislook, kilts are best worn to the kneeand not hiked up, as you would seein actual Catholic high schools in

the area. Pairing a plaid skirt withknee-high socks in a contrastingcolour and some flat shoes like bal-let flats or lace-up oxfords willupgrade your everyday attire.

Not to be forgotten, hair andmakeup can also contribute to youroverall look. To fit in with bothhipsters and runway models walk-ing in geek chic shows, put a deepside part in your hair and pull itback into a slick ponytail or tightbun. Keep makeup minimal, with apale complexion and lips, andblack winged liquid eyeliner forthat touch of sexy simplicity.

Geek chic rules because it isinteresting, individual and all therage. Be inspired to smarten upyour attire, because dumb isn’tcute.

Geek chic makes one smart outfit

MAKE THE LOOKYOUR OWNAMY LEGGE

THE SHOPPING BAGHAI HA NGUYEN

One of the most daring, sexy andhard to wear colours on the lips isred. Seen on countless fashionadvertisements, celebrities andtimeless icons such as MarilynMonroe, red lips are wearable byeveryone – it just takes somecourage and the right shade. Redmay seem like a dramatic colour,but it definitely is not just forevening wear; reds can be toneddown and become a gorgeous addi-tion to your day look.

The first important thing to knowabout red lipsticks is that there aretwo tones: cool toned, which has ablue undertone, and warm toned,which has an orange undertone.When picking a red lipstick, it isbest to choose the same tone as theundertone of your skin. If you arecool toned, chose a cool-toned redlipstick and vice versa as this willalways look the best. That beingsaid, some warm-toned lipsticksmay look good on cool-toned peo-ple, you just have to try it on tomake sure it looks right and you feelcomfortable in it. There is also a lip-stick from the Chanel Rouge Allurecollection (number 99) that suitsmost people’s skin undertones!

The second most important thingfor wearing a red lipstick is liningthe lips first! Since red is a brightcolour, when it bleeds (which isoften), it is very noticeable. Liningand filling in the lips with a lip linerwill help hold the colour and canalso alter the shade. If you line thelips with a nude liner, it will tonedown the red. If you line the lipswith a bright pink lip liner, the redwill appear very vibrant (this isoften done to achieve a 1940s look).To keep the red lipstick in its truecolour, just line the lips with a redlip liner. Lastly, to create a vampyshade of red, lining the lips in adeep purple will create a perfect

moody lip colour. When choosing a lip liner, it is

always best to find one that is water-proof so it will hold the colourlonger. Brands such as Lise Watier,MAC and Make Up For Ever offeroutstanding, affordable, waterprooflip liners.

The last and probably mostimportant aspect to keep in mindwhen wearing a red lipstick is thatyou need to feel confident whenwearing it. Even if you have the per-fect shade and have your lips linedjust right, if you are feeling insecureabout your lip colour, it will trans-late through and people will notice.Red is bold, colourful and may befrightening at first, but it is anabsolutely gorgeous colour to wearand can really enhance your look.Since the holiday season is justaround the corner, now is the per-fect time to try out one of the 50shades of red.

50 shades of red

CREDIT: AMCTV.COM

Jane from Mad Men rocks the geek chic look with a conservative turtleneck.

BEAUTY BOYJOSHUA R. [email protected]

CREDIT: ELLECANADA.COM

Number 99 from the Chanel RougeAllure collection looks flawless onalmost everyone!


CREDIT: BETTERMARKSNOW.COM

Many students are sick of hunching over textbooks to prepare for exams, and dream of relaxing during the holi-day break in December.

It’s a very relieving yet funnyfeeling going straight from thereally eventful and stressful mid-term examinations to ending thesemester in less than a month.That’s right, it’s time to shout forjoy ladies and gentlemen – we arenearing the end of the Fall 2012semester here at Fanshawe Collegeand it is all moving at a wickedlyfast rate.

All around, students are chattinghappily about their upcomingplans for their well-deserved timeoff. With the winter semester rightaround the corner, the break inbetween classes will be a chancefor students to relax and unwindwhile awaiting the challenges thatstand before them going into thenext semester.

Ryan, who is currently in hissecond year of Business –Insurance studies at Fanshawe,said, “I am so happy that mid-terms are done. Now I just have towrite exams, then it’s off to thecottage for the break.”

Dana, who is in his second

semester of studies in the Business– Insurance program, agreed. “Iwill finally have time to relax withmy family and enjoy Christmaswithout any distractions, and thatmakes me happy, but I look for-ward to the next semester and theclasses I have.”

Don’t kick your feet up just yet,though! There are still a few weeksremaining in this semester and stilla lot of projects are due and takingprecedence over all the spare timea student has. Sarah, who is in hersecond year of the Business –Marketing program here atFanshawe, said she looks forwardto the challenges. “I am glad mid-terms are over. A lot of peoplethink the last few weeks are thehardest, but for me it is definitelymid-terms that get me more thananything.”

The reality is that time moves soquickly for some students, buttediously long for others to thepoint where some people requirethe breaks more than others. I per-sonally love working and studyinga lot more than the average personand I don’t do well with long

breaks, so the break will be a littleuneasy for me. I’ll be anticipatingthe return to classes in January.

Regardless of your excitementor anxiety about the coming break,many will agree that it is time toshut down for a little while. It is agreat opportunity to get involvedhere at Fanshawe with various vol-unteer initiatives and seminars.ENACTUS, as an example, is agreat way to get involved here atthe campus. They are a studentclub that deals with various com-munity initiatives and they arealways looking for new membersas well. For more information,speak to Nitsa Andres or JimJohnston in the business office(B2015) or check out the bill-boards on the second floor of Bbuilding.

In conclusion, the time of year isstarting to get chilly. It is now timeto throw the cabana cozies in thecloset and break out the cardigans.Fellow students, this will be a veryfast-paced home stretch.Remember to keep your heads upand stay focused, we only have afew short days until the break.

DAKOTA THOMPSONINTERROBANG

Midterm madness over;holidays are almost here

CREDIT: JOEL BEZ

The nutritional content of vegetables drops significantly when boiled.

Since we were little, our mothersalways told us to eat our vegetablesin order to be healthy. In the olddays, little thought went into howfood was prepared and the impactit would have on the nutritionalvalue of it. Today, there is muchcontroversy in the media about thenutritional content of cooked foodsversus raw foods, processed foodand other methods used when stor-ing and transporting foods. Withevery TV show, newspaper articleand magazine telling you some-thing different, it can be quite con-fusing to understand what the sci-ence actually says about what weshould do with our food before it isconsumed. In this article, I’ll try toclear up some of the mystery sur-rounding food preparation.

Firstly, it must be mentioned thatour body needs a variety of vita-mins and minerals to be healthy,according to the Centers forDisease Control; many of thesenutrients are found in the fruits andvegetable servings recommendedby Canada’s Food Guide. Peopleconsume fruits and vegetables anumber of ways: frozen, dried,cooked, boiled and drained, andreheated after cooking.

The most common methods ofpreparing vegetables is cooking orboiling then draining. Cookingyour vegetables can cause you tolose as much as 40 per cent of yourminerals and 70 per cent of yourvitamins. According toNutritionData, boiling and drainingcan cause a loss of up to 70 per centof your minerals and 75 percent ofyour vitamins! This means that ifyou buy frozen vegetables and thenboil them, there is almost no nutri-tional value left in them at all! Inaddition to this, reheating previ-ously cooked vegetables can causea loss of 10 to 40 per cent of theremaining vitamins, although itdoes not seem to affect mineralcontent. (For a full list of nutrientlosses, check outnutritiondata.self.com/topics/pro-cessing.)

What about frozen fruits andvegetables? Research shows thatsome vitamins and minerals(riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, iron,magnesium and copper) are notlost at all during freezing; howevercertain vitamins like vitamin C canshow as much as a 30 per cent

reduction after being frozen. Inaddition, some minerals like cop-per and potassium are lost at a rateof 10 per cent when frozen. Othervitamins and calcium are lost at arate of 5 per cent.

Studies conducted on dried fruitsand vegetables show that mineralsaren’t typically lost during the dry-ing process, but most vitamins arelost at a rate of 50 per cent! In thecase of vitamin C, a typical lossduring drying is 80 per cent.

So we should eat all of our fruitsand vegetables raw then, right?WRONG! Studies show that whilecooking vegetables shows a reduc-tion in the mineral content, eatingfruits and vegetables raw makes ittough for our bodies to extractsome vitamins in them, particularlybeta carotene or vitamin A andother carotenoids, according to anarticle in the Journal of Nutrition.Carotenoids are very importantnutrients because they are anti-oxi-dants, which neutralize free radicalin the cells (electrons that causedamage) and fight some diseaseslike cancer, according to an articleon beyondveg.com. Research inthe Journal of Nutrition suggeststhat lightly heating or steamingvegetables makes it easier toextract these carotenoids. Sincesteaming still reduces some vita-mins like vitamin C, according toan article in Scientific Americanmagazine, it would make sense toeat a combination of cooked andraw fruits and vegetables in orderto receive optimal nutrients.

As the old saying goes, “varietyis the spice of life”; this is definite-ly true when it comes to foodpreparation. It is important that younot only have a variety of foods,but also that they are prepared in avariety of ways.

In closing, it should also be men-tioned that the food preparationtechniques discussed are for opti-mal nutrient absorption, howeverwhen certain barriers are present(time, access to fresh fruits andvegetables, etc.), the importantthing is just that you are eating.Remember, some nutrients are bet-ter than NO nutrients; however, themore nutrients you absorb on adaily basis, the higher the chancethat your body can fight off certaindiseases like cancer.

Jason Doyle is a Fitness andHealth Promotion student atFanshawe College.

JASON DOYLE SPECIAL TO INTERROBANG

Cooking up acontroversy

E veryone is a geek about something. Perhaps that statement is bold or even, to a

degree, offensive to some. But if you take a second to consider what the word actually means, you may find that there is some truth behind it.

Perhaps one of the reasons theword “geek” is looked down upon by some is because it has such a strong correlation with the word “nerd.” Though the two are often used interchangeably, the difference between the words is important to understand.

A nerd is generally someone who devotes most of their time to intellectual or technological pursuits. They often forego social endeavours to expand upon their already vast knowledge and skill base. The latest cell phone technology, ancient Mesopotamian trade systems and

Talk like a

geek with this

useful geek

to English

dictionary

1337: Pronounced “leet” – derived from the word “elite” – this is a written language that replaces some letters with numbers or symbols. The term “1337” is used by some gamers to express their prowess at a game. Some people use 1337speak as a way to speak in code, often using it to circumvent language filters on websites and in online games.

Cheese: Using a non-standard strategy to quickly attack an opponent, such as building a base inside the opponent’s base. These attacks are meant to catch the opponent off guard and be difficult to defend against.

Griefer: A player who directly or indirectly kills their own teammates with the goal of irritating other players. This term is often used in first person shooter games.

Meme: Pronounced “meem,” it is a humorous idea, photo or video that spreads quickly over Internet forums, blogs and websites.

n00b//newb/newbie: Someone who is inexperienced or new to a game or Internet forum.

Pwned: Being completely destroyed at a game.

QQ: Used to deride someone for whining; each Q resembles an eye with a teardrop.

Shipping: Fanfictions (stories written by fans using characters and scenarios from existing media works, such as Har r y Pot te r or Twi l igh t ) in which writers will put two characters from the same series in a romantic or intimate relationship that does not exist in the original story.

Slash: A fanfiction story in which two characters are paired together in a homosexual relationship. A slasher is someone who reads slash fanfiction.

Troll: A person who posts offensive and often superfluous photos or comments on Internet forums in hopes of provoking anger and frustration in other users.

Let your geek flag fly

What can geeks do for you

BROOKE FOSTER AND STUART GOODEN| INTERROBANG

VICTOR DE JONG | INTERROBANG

BROOKE FOSTER AND LINDSAY ROCHE | INTERROBANG

W hen people think of you, they

likely associate you with a few things for which you’re best known or best at doing: everyone knows somebody who opts to fix their car in the driveway instead of bringing it to a shop or a handyman neighbour who built his own shed.

I’ve recently become aware of geekiness in my own life. As a cycling enthusiast, I often pore over websites for hours at a time looking at new products, interviews and training instructions. While looking at the dimensions of a new bicycle frame, I noticed in the description that it was made from 6061 Aluminum Alloy. Being a curious kind of person, it only took 25 minutes before I was looking at the Periodic Table of Elements, trying to understand atomic mass, covalent bonds and everything else I worked so hard to not learn in high school. My inner geek had surfaced, eager to fill everybody in on the advantages and drawbacks of additional tensile strength that can be achieved in the 4130 alloy.

Julien Channer is a second-year student in the Computer Systems Technology program here at Fanshawe, and he spent his summer working as a computer technician for the Fanshawe Student Union.

Channer’s journey into geekdom can be tracked to his first computer. “My parents got one in ’95 when I was 10, that was sort of the beginning, I guess.” He remembered his first forays into working with software. “All I was concerned about right away was figuring out how to get whatever games I wanted to work. Whenever it would break, we’d have a guy who would come over.” Even ‘that guy’ now remembers who ‘that guy’ was back in the day.

In Channer’s words, “Given enough time and given enough boredom, I would just start messing around with computer settings. That’s the best way to figure out how stuff works.” Anyone can start messing around with settings, but it’s the drive to mess with all the settings that defines

a geek. As much business as local bicycle shops

get repairing broken parts, I’ve seen triple the amount of work done free of charge by untrained cycling enthusiasts who don’t leave the house without a bag of tools.

Alison McGee is a Fanshawe Film graduate from 2011 and resident film critic for The Interrobang. She had no problem admitting that she has a lot of geek in her: “I would say it’s a very fair statement to call me a film geek – in fact, I’m proud to call myself that!” She’s “learned how to think critically about aspects of film like cinematography, editing and atmosphere,” thanks to two years of studying film. Even a geek needs their tools, and in Alison’s case, she got those by studying Film at Fanshawe, but her interest in her field was what drove her to equip herself in the first place.

We love geeks. Having a friend change your oil in 45 minutes for a 12-pack of beer feels infinitely preferable to dropping a vehicle off for six hours with a good chance you’ll get a call that it won’t be ready until tomorrow. Every coin has two sides, however, and I decided to get some insight into what it’s like being on the other side of the arrangement.

Channer deals with computers for himself and his girlfriend, his parents, her parents and a host of others who caught wind of free repairs. “It’s really useful sometimes if you want to impress somebody,” but these favours can eventually become obligations, he said, and that can lead to some awkward situations.

McGee has had a significantly different experience. “I actually don’t get asked for my opinion on movies all that much from friends and family, I think because I am very open about my opinions with people that I know – they don’t want me to spend 10 minutes telling them

why a movie they really want to see is terrible. My husband just avoids that area with me altogether.” A sure sign of geekdom is when your partner starts intentionally avoiding the subject area because they don’t want to risk setting you off!

Channer and McGee have taken their hobbies to the next level and use their skills to earn some extra money, though Channer experienced some complications. “It’s always a family network or a friend network – you feel like an ass if you charge your friend to fix his laptop and it takes an hour, but if his friend is like, ‘Hey, he fixed your laptop, can he fix mine?’ do you charge him?” The price he charges is always a fraction of what you’d pay in store, and in return, you get a personal guarantee instead of one based on store policy. The inherent dilemmas that arise from charging for non-certified expertise are plentiful, but in most cases this too is an advantage. At a computer repair store you’ll be charged as soon as you hand over your PC, while a friend can play with it for five minutes and save you the diagnostic fee at the very least. An individual working for himself can determine what price is appropriate based on the amount of labour necessary. At a place like Future Shop, there’s a set price for every procedure and labour is added on top of that.

Geeks get things done, simply being a geek means you are well informed on the subject, actively involved in the community and, by and large, you just know what you’re doing. Embracing your inner geek will result in personal enjoyment of a new – or old – hobby, new friends and a feeling of satisfaction that comes from being ‘that guy.’ While it was a long time coming, I think the day is almost upon us when the geek will inherit the earth.

building a replica of the Starship Enterprise are all safe to consider super nerdy. Because of the intense intellectual and reclusive nature of most nerds, the word usually has negative connotations.

On the other hand, a geek is simplysomeone who has found an interest in... well… anything, really. A geek voluntarily seeks to widen his or her knowledge on a particular subject, regardless of how quirky or nerdy that subject is. Geeks are often sociable, enthusiastic experts in any given field. For example, musicians and music fans alike are geeks. Going to shows, buying (or downloading) every single song their favourite musician has been featured in, learning the lyrics to every one of those songs and defending that same musician from haters with a passion are the basic characteristics of any music geek.

There are many different kind of geeks, and chances are you’re one of them. We’re not talking about the stereotypical ones that like to configure computers and play Halo all day long. I’m talking about sports geeks, fashion geeks, music geeks and gym geeks. Everyone has an inner geek. This issue is pulling the curtains off of the word “geek” and the stigma it draws. We’re all geeked up in one way or another, so you might as well just embrace it.

No longer should the stigma of being a geek allow others to ostracise or misunderstand. Being a geek is expressing that passion that makes us happy. Without it, our lives would seem mundane and perpetually boring. Remember that, regardless of whether or not they’ve expressed it, everyone has an inner geek.

Gaming has come a long way since the first game of Pong in 1972. Today, games have 3D graphics, online play and so much more.One thing that will never be forgotten is the beloved characters that have changed with the times. Take a look into where Mario, Sonic, Donkey Kong and Kirby all began.

From pixels to 3DThe evolution of your favourite video game characters

LINDSAY ROCHE | INTERROBANG

MARIONintendo’s beloved plumber made his debut in 1981 with the arcade game Donkey Kong. In this game, Mario tries to rescue his girlfriend from an evil ape by climbing ladders and dodging obstacles hurled by Donkey Kong to get to her. Since then, Mario has appeared in over 200 games, which have collectively sold over 210 million units. He is Nintendo’s mascot and he is said to be the most famous character in video game history.

Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto originally wanted to name Mario “Mr. Video Game,” and he was to be used in all of the games Miyamoto created. Miyamoto ended up named his character after Nintendo of America’s warehouse landlord Mario Segale, so the story goes. Miyamoto named the character after Segale instead of paying back the rent for the warehouse. Settling this disagreement was crucial at the time, as Donkey Kong was being localized to North American audiences.

Miyamoto thought that Mario should be a plumber because most of the game is played in underground settings. Mario was designed wearing simple clothing – a red shirt and blue overalls – due to the limitations of the arcade game system. Mario’s cap was added so that Miyamoto did not have to draw or animate Mario’s hair, forehead or eyebrows as he jumped, and he was given a prominent moustache so the designer could avoid animating his mouth. As the years progressed, Mario’s outfit became a little more detailed: a red circle with a red M was added to his hat and gold buttons were added to his overalls.

Today, Mario is in racing, puzzle, party and many more types of games. His latest is Super Mario Bros 2, for the Nintendo 3DS.

For more information, check out tinyurl.com/marioinfo1 and tinyurl.com/marioinfo2.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOGSega’s speedy blue hedgehog made his debut in 1991 in Sonic the Hedgehog for Atari. Sonic was created to rival the popularity of Nintendo’s Mario. Since then, Sonic’s games have sold over 80 million copies, making him one of the world’s best-known video game characters.

Sonic’s blue colour was made to match the colour of Sega’s logo, and his shoes were inspired by Michael Jackson’s boots with an added splash of red, supposedly inspired by Santa Claus. His personality was inspired by Bill Clinton’s get-it-done attitude. Sonic’s appearance has also had an upgrade over the years. Originally in the video games, Sonic was short and round with short quills and no colour in his pupils. Over the years, Sonic has changed with the times. He now has longer quills, a longer body and green pupils.

Sonic’s latest is Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, for various platforms, where he is now accompanied by his two-tailed friend Tails. Up next for Sonic is Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for various platforms, expected to come out in the latter part of this year.

For more info on Sonic, check out tinyurl.com/sonicinfo1, tinyurl.com/sonicinfo2, tinyurl.com/sonicinfo3 and tinyurl.com/segaallstarsracing2012.

DONKEY KONGDonkey Kong stepped into the gaming world in 1981 with Donkey Kong. In this he was Mario’s enemy as Mario tried to rescue his girlfriend. Since then, Donkey Kong had his own series starting in 1994 with Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo.

DK came about because Nintendo could not get the license to make a game based on the Popeye comic strip, so Nintendo character creator Shigeru Miyamoto decided on to create a love triangle between a gorilla, a carpenter and his girlfriend that mirrored the rivalry between Bluto and Popeye for Olive Oyl. In later years, the original Donkey Kong from the arcade game became Cranky Kong, DK’s grandfather.

DK is known for the bit of hair sticking up on his head and the red tie around his neck.

He has appeared in many Mario sports, party and other types of games, including every edition of Mario Kart. DK was also a playable character in the Mario Party series up until Mario Party 4, and he still appears in some games as a non-playable event character. Over the years, DK has occasionally traded places with spiny-back dragon Bowser as Mario’s enemy. Donkey Kong’s most recent title is Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! There have been rumors of a Donkey Kong 3D game for the Nintendo 3DS, but nothing has been confirmed by Nintendo.

For more info on Donkey Kong, check out tinyurl.com/DKinfo1 and the book Power-up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life by Chris Kohler.

KIRBYNintendo’s pink marshmallow debuted in 1992 with Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy. In this, he was a black and white two-dimensional sprite. There are many theories on how Kirby got his name – a popular one says that he was named after a vacuum cleaner manufacturer – but Kirby creator Masahiro Sakura said that he does not remember where the name came from.

Kirby is known for his pink colour, round shape, red shoes, stubby arms and his ability to inhale objects and exhale them with great force or take on the special abilities of the objects or characters he inhales. According to the Super Smash Bros. games, Kirby is eight inches tall. He hasn’t changed much over the years, except for becoming more rounded and defined mainly in his face, and having larger eyes. Kirby’s high-pitched voice suggests that he is fairly young. He is also a very positive character and enjoys singing, despite being tone-deaf.

Aside from video games, Kirby is also the star of many anime and manga comics. The longest-running series is Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives In Pupupu, written by Hirokazu Hikawa. This series has 25 books and was released only in the Japanese language. Kirby’s most recent game is Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, released in fall 2011 for the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo is rumoured to be releasing something for Kirby’s 20th anniversary this year.

For more info on Kirby, check out kirby.nintendo.com.

sandbox.yoyogames.com

media.sonicscanf.org

dkvine.comcreativeuncut.com

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STUART GOODEN | INTERROBANG

PHOTO CREDIT: THATINTERVIEWGUY.COM AND SODAHEAD.COM

L ike our very own Brooke Foster said in the intro to this issue,

there are many types of geeks in this world. Sport geeks, book geeks, Halo geeks, band geeks… you get the idea. Some aren’t ashamed to show it, while others choose to get their geek on in private. But absolutely everyone is a computer geek, whether you choose to accept it or not.

Over the past couple of years, the computer

market has created two breeds of computer geeks, and you’re one of them. You’re either a Mac or a PC.

A Mac (also called a Macintosh) is a computer made by Apple and features the Mac OS X operating system. The very first Mac was made back in the mid-’80s when then-chairman Steve Jobs was in charge of Apple. A PC is a personal computer that most often runs the Windows operating system, which was invented by Microsoft’s current chairman Bill Gates a year after the Macintosh was introduced.

The Mac versus PC debate is a controversy that has picked up steam the past several years, and it is still tearing students in two over which one they think is better. There are many reasons why users are turned on and made tick over the two developers. Both Mac and PC faithfuls endorse that their computer is superior to the other, but why?

Brenden Gibbins is a TV – News student at Fanshawe who has always been – and always will be – a PC user. Gibbins said he loves the fact that Windows computers are adaptable with almost every type of software and hardware, adding that he feels that Macs put a cap on what you can and cannot do.

“I started using Macs and realized more things aren’t compatible with it,” he said. Indeed, Macs lack an HDMI port, meaning they cannot be directly hooked up to newer televisions or other HDMI-compatible devices, though this problem can be remedied with adapters. It is also very difficult or impossible to upgrade the hardware on a Mac. “The PC, although it gets viruses and whatnot, I feel like the PC is more compatible with things that I would probably use more, like Flash and things like that. The Mac seems pretty limited.”

When asked if pricing was an issue, Gibbins made it pretty clear where he stands. “The price is ridiculous … I would never buy one. If someone gave one to me, I’d probably sell it.” The MacBook Air retails as the cheapest version for Apple at about $1,000 for an 11.6”, 64-gigabyte capacity of flash storage. The MacBook Pro, the most popular type of Mac, starts at $1,249 for a 13.3” model, and their priciest version runs up to $2,499 for the 17” model. Student discounts are available, but it still isn’t exactly the most affordable piece of electronic equipment on the market.

Gibbins said he doesn’t see himself ever forking out thousands of dollars for one. “I can’t really justify spending that much money on a computer, without the insurance (warranty),” he added. “The big part of my computer purchase was the insurance. Seventy-five per cent of (my decision) was pretty much insurance just in case it broke, and it broke twice … I don’t know what insurance is like with Macs, but considering the price is so high, I’m assuming the insurance will just add to that …

That’s a lot of money for a computer.”

Jake Kislinsky is in the joint broadcast journalism and MIT program with Fanshawe and Western University, and he has made the transition from PC to Mac since joining the program. Kislinsky’s hobbies and program requirements are heavily media-based, and he said that when it comes to dealing with media-related software, Apple fits the bill. “I’m somebody that likes using a lot of media applications … and Macs (are) perfect for that. I was able to use software like Final Cut Pro and iPhoto and different things that I could use to my strengths and Mac offers those types of programs way more than PCs can offer.”

Kislinsky said he believes that both types of computers have their place in the market for two separate types of people. “Microsoft and PCs generally cater themselves to business-oriented things. So it’s all about spreadsheets, it’s all about calculations and numbers,” he said. “Whereas Macs really gear their wants and needs towards what people use on an everyday basis. So people like listening to music, they like watching videos they like doing stuff that will make their life easier.”

Randy Silverthorne is the computer sales consultant at the Fanshawe Computer Store, and he said that historically, Mac was always the typical option for artistic fields, while those who worked more with words and numbers depended on PCs. “(Macs) were a graphic-based machine. People who were artistically inclined tended to gravitate to the Mac. The IBM PC, when it was created… it was text-based, it was not graphics. So if you were into graphics, you went to Apple, if you were into text, you went to the PC. It’s basically that way.” That trend continues today as most graphic designers, photographers, fashion designers and other image-based fields turn to Mac.

Although Microsoft has been a staple in the market for decades, over the past several years, it’s Apple that has seemed to be running circles around the rest. Silverthorne said that Apple has done a great job at putting down their foot first when it comes to developing new technology. “Apple is an innovator. It definitely is an innovator,” he said. “They’ve grown from 10 to 15 per cent of the market to I would say an estimate of 30 to 40 per cent.”

Kislinsky said he thinks that although the two companies will always be around to outdo one another, Windows is just too slow to the draw when it comes to competing with Apple. “You slowly see this emergence that Macs are looking to do just as much as PC, and even more,” he noted. “To me it seems like whenever PC does something, then Mac is one step ahead. So Mac will come out with some type of product or some new

feature, whether it’s a MacBook Air or an iMac or something like

that, and then four or five months down the line when Microsoft or other PCs come out with their stuff, it’s kind of just a play on what Mac’s already done.” Silverthorne said that

despite a couple of technical differences between the two platforms, the popularity of Macs has really come down to one main reason: “The coolness. It’s cool to have Mac,” he said. He

added that he has sold Macs to people who trash the Mac operating system and install Windows instead,

opting to buy a Mac over a PC because Macs seem to have fewer hardware problems.

Silverthorne did say that unlike PCs, the quality of Apple computers does not tend to be compromised. “One of the beneficial things about Mac is that all the Apple computers are made by one company, where you have in the PC world … a hundred different companies that are making Windows computers.”

In general, when it comes to electronics, you get what you pay for. If you spend more on a machine, chances are it’s because it boasts more features and the quality is better than the rest. But is this the case for Mac computers? When asked if Macs are worth the money they are sold for, Silverthorne was blunt in his reply. “No. A flat no,” he said.

Silverthorne then compared the average PC computer to the average Mac. “I can sell you a comparable machine from Windows verses Mac, and it will cost you twice as much for the Mac than it would for the Windows. The Mac comes with one-year parts and labour (warranty); a Windows machine comes with three years parts and labour. The Mac machine is $1,750, the Windows machine is $750 – you’re paying $1,000 more for less. So no. The premium that you’re paying for Mac is not worth it.”

So how then can one become so much more popular in the past several years, despite the huge discrepancy in price? Silverthorne could only come back to his belief why. “I have to write it off to coolness. It’s cool to be a Mac user.”

VERDICTOne isn’t necessarily better than the other. Users of both computers love what they use, and for different reasons.

PCs are affordable, versatile computers that are compatible with virtually every type of software and hardware, but some brands are known to have hardware problems.

Macs are computers that stay true to their mantra of “it just works.” They are reliable, attractive, and offer the experience of using a different operating system than Windows. Unfortunately, they are very expensive, and whether you’re able to own one heavily depends on how deep your pockets are. If you’re the average student, chances they aren’t that deep.

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T here’s no denying that back during the glory days, cartoons played a big part in our childhoods, whether you grew up in the age of Doug and Ren & Stimpy or

Ed, Edd, & Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog. But there is one geek subculture that is grasping tightly to cartoons and refuses to let go.

Let me introduce you to Bronies. Bronies are bros, or typically teenaged to middle-aged men that watch the television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. You read that right. Theoretically, this is odd. But after catching up with an actual brony who was more than willing to express his brony geekyness, I’ve learned that the spectrum of geek is broader than I thought. Some bros are bike geeks, some are sports geeks, some are music geeks, there are some who like ponies and there are plenty who like to hold onto elements of childhood a little longer.

For those who don’t know what My Little Pony is, it’s a television show that features the adventures of a unicorn called Twilight Sparkle and five of her pony friends in the kingdom of Equestrian. The show is filled with pink-pony happiness that glues many young fans to their television screens on a weekly basis. The show has aired for two seasons, with the third to premiere this fall.

Raymond Haggerty is a Fanshawe College student, and has been a proud brony for two years now. Haggerty is 25 years old and has no shame expressing his geekyness. When asked as to why he’s a brony, his answer was simple: “The show is just happy and awesome,” he said. “There’s so much terrible in the world right now, it’s nice to veg out for

24 minutes and watch some My Little Pony and just be happy and laugh.”

Contrary to what you may be thinking, the show is a lot more sophisticated than six pony friends scouring the land looking for solutions to their fairytale problems – well, maybe not for the five-year-old fan. Haggerty said he has noticed that the growing brony community has influenced the plot a great deal, and Hasbro, the company that produces the show, has catered to their unusual fan base. “The show has definitely evolved over the last two seasons,” Haggerty admitted. “It’s still there to be silly, and still there for the five year-old girls, because that’s still their main audience they want to deal with. But there’s definitely stuff

for us, like The Big Lebowski reference (in season two) is a perfect example, because no five year-old is going to get that.”

Haggerty has also noticed many adult elements in the show after its first season when the brony culture became more and more predominant. Over the course of the second season, he’s noticed references to terrorism, international conflict, sadism and even political unrest – pretty uncommon for your average children’s show.

The brony culture is spreading quickly though, with My Little Pony and brony conventions as well as a brony-specific pony, Derpy hooves, that Hasbro has created.

But like any geek faithful to his or her creed, there is always the chance of taking some heat. Being a brony isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, but Haggerty doesn’t let criticism affect him. Still, he doesn’t understand the haters. “I guess they don’t get it, or they hate happiness or something. How can you hate something so fluffy and excellent, and only about being happy? Especially on the Internet, there’s lots of hate. I just ignore it.” Haggerty has already had meet-ups with fellow bronies, and he said he hopes to post flyers around Fanshawe to inform others in hiding that there are like-minded people.

The geek spectrum is indeed wide and varied. When we meant you could be a geek about literally anything, we were totally serious.

COVER US WINNING ARTWORKWILL BE ON THE COVER OF THE JANUARY 14TH ISSUE

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INTERROBANG COVER CONTEST

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the FSU office [SC2001] or found online @ www.fsu.ca/contestFor more information contact Erika Faust in SC1012 or @ [email protected]

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Zombies: those pesky flesh-eating Hollywood monsters never seem to die, even after decapitation.

From George A. Romero’s classic slow-moving zombies to the infected undead of 28 Days Later and its sequel, the popular Hollywood depiction of the walking dead has lasted for more than four decades.

But when and where did this craze really start? Self-proclaimed zombie expert Bryan Holmes said, “It all started with (George A.) Romero, of course. He made movies that showed the ugliest of human nature.” Romero’s 1968 cult classic Night of the Living Dead was one of the first movies to depict what we could now refer to as “the Hollywood zombie.”

“The word ‘zombie’ originally comes from the Kimbundu word ‘nzúmbe,’ a term describing a dead person’s soul, and yes, zombies and zombification are integral parts of the Afro-Caribbean religion known as voodoo. However, the origin of their name is the only similarity between the voodoo zombie and the viral zombie,” wrote Max Brooks in his New York Times bestselling book, The Zombie Survival Guide. By Brooks’ definition, a “voodoo zombie” is created using “zombie powder.” A voodoo priest would use the powerful neurotoxin to put his victim in a deathlike state, and the paralyzed human would be buried alive. What causes the zombielike state is brain damage from lack of oxygen. Brooks wrote that he believes that, unlike zombies shown in movies, voodoo zombies can think, feel pain and show emotion.

This version of the zombie is where movie producers found inspiration for the well-known flesh-eating ghouls we see on the big screen today. Former Fanshawe student Brian Gibson developed a zombie fascination after seeing Night of the Living Dead with his parents at a fairly

young age. He also said he believes that zombies originated from old voodoo tales. “We always have stories about resurrection, people trying to bring others back from the dead. It was almost like a magician bringing back bodies to use, sort of like a puppeteer.”

Zombie films always seem to experience a surge in popularity during times of uncertainty. In the ’70s, with social uprising and the Vietnam and Cold Wars, fiction was something that people had some sort of control over and zombies were still something new and taboo that people could explore. Holmes said he believes that zombie gore is a metaphor for real life human struggles. “Most people miss the messages hidden in the films.”Eventually, zombie flicks shifted from being all about the hidden messages and the struggles of life to focusing on how much blood and guts you could show in

one scene – which is not necessarily a bad thing. “You’re thinking ‘you shouldn’t really be watching this’ ... Which just makes it more interesting,” Gibson added.

“There are a lot of different reasons that people find it interesting. I watch it for the relationships and the more human side of the plots,” he said. “It’s dealing with something that’s really hard to grasp. People tend to reach out with humour to things that are hard to comprehend. It’s just outside our scope of what could really happen,” he added.

When reading and watching material based around fictional creatures like zombies, werewolves and vampires, it’s important to remember that there is not and never will be one uniform story to describe where the folktale started or where it’s going to end. By their very nature, fictional creatures are

constantly evolving and new ones always developing. “It’s been fascinating to see how big (the zombie craze) has gotten ... but I could see it getting even bigger,” Gibson remarked.

Zombie films, survival guides, comic strips and Halloween costumes have become a big part of today’s zombie culture, but perhaps one of the most important and popular things to have is a zombie survival plan. Holmes said he gets all his information from movies: “I would pretty much watch anything with the word ‘zombie’ in it, even the really bad films, and I would try to write down at least three things I would have done differently in their situation.” He also joked that, “you are never safe, only safer. Whatever you choose – sealed-up Costco, island off the coast, mountain terrain – just remember to always have an exit strategy planned.”

BROOKE FOSTER | INTERROBANG BRAINS

Sources for survival and education

MoviesNight of the Living Dead (1968 and its 1990 remake)

An unfortunate group finds themselves hiding in a farmhouse from flesh-hungry zombies.

Shaun of the DeadThis British zombie movie parody is sure to have you laughing while the undead prepare to attack.

ZombielandAn unlikely group joins together to travel across a zombie-infected America in a flick that will make you laugh and question their zombie-killing tactics.

Books The Zombie Survival Guide by Max BrooksThis New York Times bestseller was written to keep you alive during the imminent zombie apocalypse.

Pride, Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-SmithA mash-up of the classic Pride and Prejudice and modern zombie fiction.

The Enemy by Charlie HigsonSet in a post-apocalyptic London, England, a group of children must live in an infected world where only adults become the enemy.

ExtrasResident Evil 2Prepare your hunting skills by playing this older survival video game made for PlayStation. Resident Evil takes place in an American community infected by zombies.

Zombie JerkyStay nourished while on the run with this Teriyaki beef jerky made to look like zombie flesh.

Bed, Bath and Beyond’s Zombie Squad hand sanitizer A glow-in-the-dark hand sanitizer to keep your hands clean after all your zombie slaying.

Credit: upload.wikim

edia.org

Credit: sibatmedia.files.w

ordpress.com

Credit: upload.wikim

edia.org

All you need is

ERIKA FAUST | INTERROBANG

Game on! Board games rise to the tabletop

M ove over, Monopoly! Step aside, Scrabble! There are new games in town.

Well, actually, they’re not all that new. Hardcore board gaming geeks have been playing these games for over a decade, but they’re just now coming into the mainstream.

They’re called tabletop games – because you play them on a table – but there’s so much more to them than that.

You may have played board games with your family when you were younger, but there’s a huge difference between this breed of tabletop games and a traditional family game like Monopoly, said Marc Lanctot, who is the main organizer of the Great Canadian Board Game Blitz, a group that spreads the joy of strategy board games across the country.

“What sets (these games) apart from classic games would be, first of all, they come out of Germany. Settlers of Catan was made by a German designer, published originally in Germany. Only after it got immense success there did they start publishing it in North America,” he said. Settlers of Catan was one of the first European tabletop games to become popular in North America and has helped set the strategy board game trend. It continues to be one of the most popular tabletop games today, 17 years after it was created.

“The second thing that separates them is that they’re more strategic, in my opinion, than a classic game … In Monopoly, you spend a lot of time rolling dice. Same thing with Clue … you spend a lot of time rolling dice and just moving around, whereas in a lot of these new games, you have more control over what you can do to win.”

He added that beautiful and detailed designs and cover art, a variety of themes and higher-quality components also set these games apart from the rest. “A lot of the appeal is aesthetic.”

The social aspect of these games is another big draw, according to Chris McInnis, a local board game fan who owns Über Cool Stuff (122 Dundas St.), a store that sells a few tabletop games. “You’re gathering around a table, so there’s a lot of interaction. It’s very tactile, and good games actually have you making choices and interacting with each other a lot,” he said.

“You exercise all kinds of different ways of thinking: there’s often humour, but you’re strategizing at the same

time; you’re trying to predict (what will happen). Basically it just gets you thinking in a lot of different ways in a very short period of time.”

A story published in mid-June in the Star Tribune newspaper out of Minneapolis, Minnesota stated that board game sales are up 6 per cent nationally in the last year, part of a five-year upswing. But Gord Mood and Carol Vandenberg, who sell tons of tabletop games at their store LA Mood (350 Richmond St.), said that isn’t quite the case in their store: Mood estimated he’s seen more like a 20 per cent increase in sales in his store each year.

“Games have really expanded for us a lot,” said Vandenberg. “We’ve dedicated more space and time to them.” A June 25 article in the London Free Press newspaper broke down LA Mood’s sales figures into 50 per cent games, 30 per cent comic books and 20 per cent other (figurines and models, used LPs and more geeky goodness).

Part of this surge in sales can be attributed to geek godfather Wil Wheaton’s game reviewing show, TableTop (which you can watch online at tabletop.geekandsundry.com). “Since the Wil Wheaton show, it’s really taken off,” Mood said. “Whenever he picks a game, there’s always a short spike in demand for that game.” Wheaton, along with a group of special guest stars (including Felicia Day), has reviewed games like Munchkin, Ticket to Ride, Small World and Settlers of Catan – games that board game geeks have loved for a long time – and made them more accessible to a wider audience by explaining the rules simply and showing every step of gameplay.

Rob Allison, a Londoner who just loves board games, said he thinks the media’s positive portrayal of board games has helped them gain more popularity. “Shows like Big Bang Theory, they have their fictional games on there, but they’re highlighting the game-playing aspect as a social activity – it’s more than just rolling the dice and moving pieces around the board and collecting rent.”

What makes a good game depends on the individual, said Board Game Blitz organizer Lanctot, but “I think it’s fair to say that the general (characteristics of a good game) are easy to learn – probably the most important one to me. I personally believe easy to learn is the reason that a lot of these games have become more mainstream, because there’s nothing that turns you off quicker

than something that just has a lot of rules and it’s very hard to learn. It sort of shuts down your mind.”Having a good strategic component is important as well, he added: “A lot of games in the past 10 years, since Settlers has come out, have been really easy to learn, but at the same time, they’ve been strategic. If you’re using a good strategy, you want to be able to win. You want to be able to think, at the end of the game, you want to be able to reflect on what you did inside the game and be able to improve on it. When you play a game, you want it to be fun so that you have the incentive to play again.”

On that note, “I think a good game should be fun to lose,” said Über Cool Stuff owner McInnis, describing the frustration some gamers feel after losing all their money or territory in games like Monopoly or Risk and sitting at the table while everyone else continues to play. “One of the key things that a lot of new (games) like Catan have introduced is that everybody finishes at the same time, which, if you’re playing with more than two or three people, is huge.”

Another component of the replayability factor is the wide range of expansion packs for these games. “The expansions really add to the game too, especially if you like the game,” Lanctot added. “You can buy all these different expansions and they add to the game.”

“It gives your game more life, rather than buying the 67th version of Monopoly,” chuckled Andy Berdan, a self-described board game addict who owns around 50 games.

Just looking around the shelves at LA Mood, there are so many tabletop games to choose from, no matter what you’re interested in. If you’re into science, try a game like Pandemic, where you and your friends act as a team of scientists and researchers defending the world’s population from terrible diseases. If you’re into history, there are a plethora of games to choose from, whether you want to explore and tame new lands (Settlers of Catan) or build a town, tile by tile (Carcassonne). If silly games are more your style, get cutthroat and screw over your friends in Munchkin or team up and fight against the undead in Zombies!!!. But where do you start if you’re looking to get into these games?

Game fan Allison suggested new players start with “gateway” games, “Start with the classics: Catan, Carcassonne … (these are) nice, easy games to learn,” he said. These games are gateway games because “they’re fairly easy to learn. The

rule set is pretty simple but it becomes such a complicated game: building your routes, the opportunity to screw over other players – I think that’s a good part of the fun. Not only are you trying to win, but you’re also trying to screw the other players … it’s all good fun.”Other gateway games include Ticket to Ride, Bonanza, Citadel, Bang! and Pandemic. “There’s so many that are easy to play to get into (board games),” said Lanctot.

“Lately I’ve been really looking into cooperative games,” said Berdan. “That seems to be a really good introduction for a lot of players. If you’re bringing new players into the board game space, a cooperative board game allows other players to help the new players very easily without compromising the challenge.” In competitive games, when you help a new player, you’re giving them a bit of an advantage over the other players, he said.

“Pandemic is the (cooperative game) one we go back to all the time; it’s really, really challenging and it’s really, really easy for a new player to get involved with,” he added. Pandemic also has an expansion pack to make the game more challenging.

To find new games (and maybe even some new friends), Lanctot directed new and experienced players to Snakes and Lattes, a board game café located at 600 Bloor St. W. in Toronto. For $5, “you’re allowed to use any of their games for as long as you want for the rest of the day. They have a library of over 2,000 games.” He added that there is a team of helpful staff members to can help newbies navigate the rules of any game they choose. “Snakes and Lattes’ popularity has gotten people thinking that maybe there’s money in this model.” A similar café, Monopolatte, opened up in Ottawa (640 Somerset St. W.) this past summer.

Another way to learn more about tabletop games is through Lanctot’s own Great Canadian Board Game Blitz. “It’s actually a tournament, but as far as tournaments go, it’s pretty casual. We teach all the games. We do them all over the country, and they’re also very low-cost. We’re totally non-profit, so we put all our money towards prizes.” While it is competitive, “for the most part, (people are) there to have fun and learn,” said Lanctot.

If you’re looking for some local tabletop fun, “go to a good game store like LA Mood, because they’ll actually find out what you’re looking for and make some suggestions,” said McInnis. LA Mood also hosts a monthly board game night, which takes place at the store on the third Saturday of every month.

Bring something new to the table with a tabletop game. For user reviews, game details and more, check out BoardGameGeek.com – you might find your new favourite game.

For more information…

Great Canadian Board Game Blitz: gcbgb.ca

Über Cool Stuff: ubercoolstuff.com

LA Mood: lamoodcomics.com

Snakes and Lattes: snakesandlattes.com

Monopolatte: monopolatte.com

credit: GCBC.cacredit: supermaw.com


Troll 2 (1990)

Whether you are filming a $200million epic, or simply KimKardashian getting it on, produc-ing a motion picture is no smalltask. Sometimes you have to dealwith temperamental actors (like acertain Caped Crusader). The proj-ect can go ridiculously over budg-et, such as the 1995 filmWaterworld. Or maybe your starmight get too busy trying to con-vert the other cast members andcrew to the Church of Scientologyinstead of focusing on the task athand.

The film I will be taking a lookat this week, Troll 2, was plaguedwith many issues. Among them:

- Almost no one involved withthe writing or production of thefilm spoke English – which isn’talways a problem, except for whenyou are making an English-lan-guage film.

- Most of the cast had no previ-ous acting experience. Those whoshowed up expecting to be extras(including a dentist and a mentalhospital resident) were given largeroles.

- Last, but not least, the film,despite being named Troll 2, con-tains exactly zero trolls.

All that said, Troll 2 still man-ages to be one of the finest filmsever produced.

What can be said about Troll 2?Well, for starters, it is not a sequel.At first this had me confused,much like after I watched the dis-aster flick 2012 and tried to trackdown the previous 2,011 install-ments. The film was originallyslated to be released as Goblins,which is appropriate, since it isabout goblins. However, it’s allabout the Benjamins in the end, as

the powers that be decided torename it Troll 2 in order to capi-talize on the prestige of the 1986film Troll.

Now I don’t want to start thisreview in a negative fashion,because I truly did enjoy this film.But I am not a fan of misleadingtitles. When I watch RoboCop, Iknow that I will see a cyborg thatenforces the law. When I watchHobo With A Shotgun, I rightfullyanticipate witnessing a dishevelledman with some firearms. And thisweekend when I gather my chil-dren in front of the TV to watchMagic Mike, I fully expect that wewill be treated to the tale of a kind-ly magician who delights audi-ences by pulling rabbits out of hatsand other such illusions.

So I’ve covered what Troll 2isn’t, which is a film about trolls.So what is it? Well, it is a state-ment by director Claudio Fragassoand his wife, writer RossellaDrudi, against those who are vege-tarians. Apparently several of thecouple’s friends had decided tostop eating meat. I myself eat meatat every meal. In fact I am eating arack of lamb while typing this. SoI commend the duo’s efforts in cre-ating what might be the only anti-vegetarian propaganda film everproduced.

In Troll 2, the Waits familydecides to take a trip to the remotefarm town of Nilbog. Lots can gowrong when you go on vacation, as

the films of Chevy Chase havetaught us. But the Waits familydoesn’t simply lose their luggageor run into a language barrier.What they do run into is goblins.Not just any goblins, though; theseare vegetarian goblins who turnpeople into plants before consum-ing them.

The Waits family’s battle withthese evil goblins is a non-stopthrill ride. Think Rocky vs. Apollo,the Empire vs. the Rebel Allianceand Kramer vs. Kramer allwrapped up in one, and then throwin some mother effin’ goblins. Icannot do justice to the intricaciesof the plot. I will whet yourappetite though by telling you thatone of the characters urinates on avegetarian feast prepared by thegoblins, and corn on the cob isused in an attempt to seduce anoth-er character. I can only imaginethis led to a new genre of filmcalled corn porn.

Troll 2 is a remarkable achieve-ment. Despite overwhelmingobstacles, the meat-loving film-makers and cast composed of den-tists and mental patients managedto produce a film that has stood thetest of time. If I haven’t sold youon the film yet, let me just tell youthat a bologna sandwich plays animportant role in the film’sthrilling final act. Troll 2 is a filmthat will terrify you one moment,and have you laughing uncon-Troll-ably the next.

Cinema ConnoisseurALLEN GAYNORwww.cinemaconn.com

CREDIT: METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.

A family trip is ruined by vile plant-eating monsters. Despite being titledTroll 2, there are NO trolls in this movie, only goblins.

Skyfall (2012)

Everyone’s favourite secretagent is back, and every girl hastwo-plus new hours of DanielCraig to swoon over. Every guyhas a whole new set of gadgets andbadass spy moves to covet. Everymartini for miles around will beordered shaken, not stirred. That’sright, folks; he’s back again forSkyfall.

Director Sam Mendes, bestknown for his films AmericanBeauty and Revolutionary Road,takes on the task of bringing to lifethe world’s most beloved secretagent in the 23rd installment of theJames Bond franchise, Skyfall. Theflick starts off with a bang as Bondis wounded in a fight with a mer-cenary in Turkey and becomesclassified as “missing, presumeddead.” Using his secret to hisfullest advantage Bond works offthe grid to discover the secret ofwho caused an explosion at theMI6 office and who exactly is outto get M. Uncovering corruption,exposing traitors and saving thosewho are working to help his causeare once again on 007’s dangerousto-do list and this time around thestakes are higher than ever.

Since taking on the role ofJames Bond three films ago,Daniel Craig has more than provedto audiences that he can pull offthe role made famous by the likesof Sean Connery, Roger Moore

and Pierce Brosnan. Maybe it’s hisclassy British accent, or the strongmuscular build that he maintainsfor these films, but somethingabout Craig makes him a pitch-perfect James Bond.

A fan favourite and soon-to-be-retired actress takes up her role asM once again – Dame Judi Dench.The highly talented Dench will beretiring due to a tragic loss of eye-sight, but she definitely makes animpression in Skyfall, which is saidto be one of her last films. Dench ischarming yet poignant as usual andher scenes are arguably among thehighlights of the film.

Stepping into the role of “BondVillain” this time around is JavierBardem, who is best rememberedfor his disturbing – even terrifying– role as Anton in the Coen broth-ers’ No Country for Old Men.There is something about Bardemthat lends itself well to playing thevillain and in Skyfall, as Silva, hemakes quite an impression on theaudience.

And who, you may be asking, isthis flick’s “Bond Girl?” BéréniceMarlohe is her name, and she playsthe sexy yet dangerous Severinewith everything you’d expect outof a Bond Girl.

The thing that is truly specialabout the James Bond franchise isthat, despite the fact that there are23 films, audiences haven’t tired ofwatching the same spy fightingdifferent villains and falling fordifferent girls. At some point, mostfranchises get tired, old and unin-teresting, but Skyfall has provenbeyond a shadow of a doubt thatthere is no slowing down for thissecret agent.

Skyfall is a must-see for all Bondfans, for all Daniel Craig fans andfor anyone who dreams of becom-ing a sexy British secret agent.

CREDIT: DANJAQ, LLC, UNITED ARTISTS CORPORATION AND COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC.

Daniel Craig is back as James Bond.

REEL VIEWSALISON [email protected]

Bond’s back

Recently, I discovered that afriend of mine who is in his early30s hadn’t seen the final HarryPotter flick. Actually, he hadn’tseen any of them past The Gobletof Fire, and he hadn’t read thebooks either. To me, this wasshocking – it was a travesty! Howcould you watch the first fourmovies and then have no interest inseeing how it all ends?

So we started the grand endeav-our of watching The Order of thePhoenix, The Half-Blood Princeand The Deathly Hallows parts oneand two. Why is this important?Because I let my geek flag fly in abig way while watching him watchhow it ended. When Hedwig,Moody and Dobby died, I got a lit-tle misty-eyed. When McGonagallbrought the statues to life and allthe teachers started casting the pro-tection spell over Hogwarts, I gotgoosebumps. When Harry and

Voldemort were locked in battle,wand to wand and you didn’t knowwho was going to come out of italive, I watched with bated breath.

My friend called me a dork.The point of this story is that a

big part of the fun when watchingmovies like Harry Potter, TheHunger Games or even Twilight isthat for those few hours, in thedarkness of the theatre or the pri-vacy of your own home, you get tobe your true geeky self. You cangive in completely to the idea thatyou do in fact care whether a 17-year-old, completely fictional wiz-ard lives or dies. You care a lot.

You can watch with completeand utter joy when Harry jumpsout of Hagrid’s arms, not dead atall, and then again when Nevillefinally finds his strength andcourage and kills the snake,destroying the final horcrux. Youcan celebrate when Bella finallyawakens from her near-death sleepwith fierce red eyes. You can feelthe bittersweetness of Katniss andPeeta returning to District 12,together and alive.

What I’m saying is, that in hon-our of the Interrobang’s annual

Geek Pride issue, let your geek flagfly every once in a while. It’s easyto geek out for movies – heck,that’s a big part of the fun of a lotof flicks nowadays – and what bet-ter medium to let yourself getswept away by?

So don’t play it cool – instead,let yourself care. Care about Harry,about Edward and Bella, aboutKatniss and Peeta, even maybe alittle still for Luke Skywalker.Whatever you do, let your geekflag fly... at least at the movies.

McGee’s MovieMomentsALISON [email protected]

Geek pride at the movies

CREDIT: WARNER BROS.

Alison McGee geeks out for HarryPotter films.

Troll 2 lacks nothing – except a troll


One of the great ironies of ourtech-savvy world is the way inwhich we communicate – that is,don’t communicate. Despiteinstant messaging and texting,Skype video chat and email, welive in a world that is technicallywired but often disconnected interms of communicating effective-ly.

In my CorporateCommunication and PublicRelations writing class here atFanshawe College, I encourage mystudents to be connected duringclass time – not only in terms ofparticipation, but also as it relatesto the Internet. After all, socialmedia is the most powerful medi-um, offering instant broadcasts to aworldwide audience. It never getsold for me to check on my GoogleAnalytics to track global visitors tomy websites.

Perhaps the biggest change I’venoticed in terms of simple emailingis the length of messages. When

Internet communications first tookthe world by storm, it was quitecommon for email messages to bewritten as long as traditional busi-ness letters. I must admit, beingold-school and, yes, a professionalwriter, I sometimes send lengthymessages that I am sure read likeWar and Peace.

Yet with the advent of texting,smartphones and tablets, emailmessages are now short and sweet.I chatted recently with my comput-er techie, who told me purchases ofPC towers, for example, haveplummeted – most offices now useonly laptops. The world of elec-tronic messaging is continuallymorphing – but not always for thebest.

The biggest problem I note withmodern communications is a lackof proper email use. By their verynature, email messages can bewrongly interpreted, for many rea-sons. The sender must be able tocraft a well-written message, andmust send it in a timely fashion.Messages must be forwarded in aconcise, professional manner whenyou are dealing with clients andstaff. There is a human factorinvolved with email messages, anduntil we figure out how to put

robots to use in handling all of ourdaily electronic correspondence,there will always be a margin oferror involved in Internet-basedmessaging.

Every day I am forced to deci-pher poorly written email mes-sages. Case in point: a publisherrecently corresponded with me onthree separate occasions and, whenhe couldn’t properly relay his mes-sage, gave up in frustration. Thiswas a publisher, not a grade schoolpupil texting his classmate duringEnglish class.

Microsoft Office Online, in apiece penned by the “CrabbyOffice Lady,” listed its Top 10Cyber Discourtesies – I’m sureyou’ll recognize these 10 deadly e-mail sins:

• Avoid the “Reply to All” but-ton. In most cases, your personalreply to an email doesn’t requireyou to share your thoughts witheveryone on the mailing list. Gretain the accounting department prob-ably couldn’t care less if you areattending the company picnic.

• Skip the CAPITAL letters. Byusing uppercase letters, it essen-tially means that you are yelling atthe recipient. Save the capital let-ters unless you really want to shout

and seek assistance.• Save the fancy stationery. You

don’t need pastel backgrounds,smiley faces and a fancy letterheadto send an email. Keep it simpleand uncluttered.

• Give your response first. Whenyou reply to an email, make sureyour reply is the first thing therecipient reads.

• Keep forwards to a minimum.Everyone has already heard thejoke.

• Don’t be a cyber-coward. Ifyou have something to say that ishighly personal, scary, sad, angry,tragic, vicious, shocking, or anycombination of those, say it in per-son.

• Keep the 500KB image file toyourself. Most email accountshave limited capacity. Don’t sendyour vacation photos to everyonein your address book. UseFacebook or Flickr to post yourphotos.

• Fill out the subject line. Peopleget plenty of emails every day; ifyou can’t take the time to fill outthe subject line, I don’t need totake time to open it.

• Avoid HTML format. Themost easily accessible email for-mat around the globe is plain text.

• Count to 10 before hitting theSend button. Think twice, or evenwait 24 hours, before sending thatclever, scathing message to some-one and possibly the rest of theworld. A “flaming” email oftenstarts more fires than you can putout.

Of the aforementioned 10 dead-ly sins of emailing, cyber-cowardsand “flaming” emails stand at thetop of my list. Just in the past day,I’ve been privy to some prettyscathing messages – welcome tothe world of journalism. Hangaround this game long enough, andyour skin becomes as thick as anelephant’s.

Before you hit the Send button,make sure you’re connected toproper email etiquette. Otherwise,you may be blocked from futureuse and forced to send smoke sig-nals to your friends.

Award-winning journalistJeffrey Reed is a FanshaweCollege professor with theCorporate Communication andPublic Relations post-graduateprogram and an instructor withFanshawe’s Continuing Educationdepartment. E-mail him [email protected].

THE REAL WORLDJeffrey [email protected]

At the beginning of November,we celebrated Diwali, or theFestival of Lights. Now you’reprobably asking yourself what isDiwali? Or why do people cele-brate Diwali? The answer to thatis simple.

Diwali is a Hindu festival, andin a multicultural country likeCanada it becomes one of utmostimportance, especially to peoplewho grew up celebrating the festi-val. It’s essentially a five-day fes-tival, but that’s not the way I cel-ebrated it. Of course, the primereason for that is largely the factthat I’m not a Hindu, but as achild growing up in India, thelights fascinated me.

Typically, in the area I grew up,families lit their homes (hence theterm “Festival of Lights”) andexchanged sweets with one anoth-er. Diwali doesn’t occur on afixed day, just like most Indianfestivals. In the Gregorian calen-dar, Diwali typically fallsbetween mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is an officialholiday in a number of Asiancountries: India, Nepal, SriLanka, Myanmar, Malaysia,Singapore as well as other coun-tries like Guyana, Trinidad andTobago as well as Suriname.

Diwali is by no means a publicholiday in Canada, so if you’resomeone who celebrated the festi-val, you still had to go to schoolor to work that day, even if youdidn’t feel like it. You also sawhow large department store flyerstend to advertise Diwali shoppingand it’s all part of multicultural-ism.

So what do people do on Diwaliin Canada? Many Canadians docelebrate the festival, which alsoattracts plenty of media and pub-lic attention. Various communitygroups, businesses, schools andassociations celebrate Diwali

each year, largely due to the num-ber of employees that might cele-brate the festival.

Virginia Park in London saw anear traditional celebration.Besides fireworks on November17 (which happened to be the offi-cial date for the festival in 2012)the place saw Lakshmi puja, bha-jans (Indian devotional songs), aquiz on Ramayan (one of the greatepics on India), music, entertain-ment, dancing and celebration byHindus and non-Hindus alike.

But now here comes myfavourite part. What would I doon Diwali growing up? For me thefestival largely involved buyingtons of fireworks. Huge sales (or“melas,” as we called it backhome) would sprout up in numer-ous locations and they werealways buzzing with life.Returning home with stacks offireworks, it was time to move thevehicles into the garages, leavingplenty of space on the roads andon our driveways as we’d taketurns, family and friends includ-

ed, to light those fireworks, eachof us full of such passion andenthusiasm. And when we weredone burning about a thousandrupees’ worth of crackers (About$17 to $19), we’d take turnsscrubbing gunpowder and smokeoff our skins before gleefully hog-ging sweets as if there were ashortage coming.

I miss that here, and I won’t lie.I’m scared at times that lighting afirecracker would land me a tick-et of some sort. The festival ismonitored strictly for obviousreasons: the noise, the risk of firesand the very rare chance of a strayfirework. But all that said anddone, that won’t stop me fromheading out and picking up a fewsweets, even if I have to eat themmyself. I may not be celebratingthe festival in the true sense, butlook at it this way: the world is aglobal village, and if it’s not mecelebrating, then someone elsedefinitely is.

Here’s hoping everyone had asafe and happy Diwali.

VICTOR KAISARINTERROBANG

The festival of lights

When I think about ‘branding,’ itconjures up an image in my mindof a mark or tattoo that impliesownership, as in branding cattle. Ialso associate it with company slo-gans or branding of products, suchas Ford’s “Drive One!” orBudweiser’s “The King of Beers.”For many, the decision to buy aproduct is made because we’vebought into the concept created bybranding and our perception is ifwe buy that product, we know whatwe can expect to receive in return.

Personal branding isn’t thatmuch different, if you think aboutit. Having a brand means commu-nicating what makes you uniqueand, like product branding, it hasbeen around for a long time.

If there is one thing you can doto improve your chances of gettinga job, it would be to develop yourown brand statement. Your brandstatement may come down to aslittle as three words. To figure outyour brand, you need to take a seri-ous look at your existence, yourvalues, passions and strengths.Self-reflection can be an uncom-fortable process, but it should helpyou to build the confidence youneed to create and sell your brand.

In Job Searching With SocialMedia for Dummies, author JoshuaWaldman wrote, “Personal brand-ing is the culmination of youractions; it’s an image that marksyou as a brand. It is you, the entirepackage, outside and inside, in thesense that you’re unique and dis-tinguishable from others.” He goeson to state, “Personal branding hasa lot to do with the emotion some-one feels when he or she thinksabout you (something you can’tcontrol) but is rooted in self-reflec-tion and integrity (something you

can control by regulating yourbehaviour on and offline and by pre-senting yourself conscientiously).”

Social media has become theimpetus for so many things,including personal branding.Nowadays everyone has an onlinereputation, whether you want oneor not – better for you to take own-ership of your reputation and brandyourself before someone else does.

Personal branding isn’t justabout you making yourself lookgood online. It is more about beingwho you say you are and your abil-ity to communicate that messageeffectively and consistently. Whenpeople meet us, they make impres-sions based on our in-person brand– the way we act, talk, dress andwho we think we are. Online brandelements are used to show peoplewho don’t know us in person whowe really are. So, our online brandpresence is perceived by the waywe act online, the way we talkonline (and how often) and theway we present ourselves. Ouronline presence needs to be consis-tent so no matter where someonelooks for you, you will alwaysappear in the same light.

Changing your online image,your style of messaging, your look,etc. will differentiate you fromother potential job candidates andwill show how you are unique ordifferent and what you stand for.That way, if an employer takes achance on you based on what yourbrand represents to them, they willknow exactly what they can expectto receive in return.

Need assistance with your jobsearch? Drop by the CareerServices office in D1063. TheCareer Services staff is available toassist you on an individual basis.Visit the office in D1063 to arrangean appointment with the consultantresponsible for your program orcall 519 452-4294. For Fanshawestudent job listings, visit www.fan-shaweonline.ca or www.fan-shawec.ca/careerservices.

CAREER CORNER Susan CoyneCareer ServicesConsultant Fanshawe Career Services

CREDIT: STOW.AC.UK

Diwali is called the Festival of Lights, but is also known for its sweettreats and celebrations with family.

Always remember email etiquette

Personal branding


business.humber.ca/scholarship

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Lions International has come toFanshawe College!

They are going to help those inneed and need us too as students tojoin their ranks as members to helpmake a Fanshawe College LionsCampus Club. They need our helpto get the minimum of 20 membersin the club.

Lions Club is an internationalorganization and was formed onJune 7, 1917. It includes over 1.35million members and over 45,000clubs worldwide. The members dowhatever they can to help in localcommunities. All the money madeby the Lions Club members goes tocharities and for charitable purpos-es. The Lions also give out schol-arships for local schools and chil-dren.

The Lions’ mission statement is:“To empower volunteers to servetheir communities, meet humani-tarian needs, encourage peace andpromote international understand-ing through Lions clubs.” Theirvision statement is: “To be theglobal leader in community andhumanitarian service.”

If you want to learn more aboutthe Lions Club International, go to

lionsclubs.org. If you want toknow more about the LionsFanshawe Club or want moreinformation about Lions ClubInternational in general, call 519-452-3935 and ask for Jim Lystar.

We need at least 20 people forminimum to continue the club oncampus that we have right now. If

you want to join Fanshawe’s LionsClub, go to the main office of theFanshawe Student Union (on thesecond floor of SC building) andask about the club or you can emailme at [email protected] [email protected].

We need your support,Fanshawe, and we need it now!

MOAAZ KHANINTERROBANG

New club roaring onto campus

THE TONIGHT SHOWwith Jay Leno

The head of the CIA and formerGeneral David Petraeus has resignedbecause of an extramarital affair. Soguys, let that be a lesson for you. Ifthe CIA director can’t keep an affairsecret, you don’t have a chance.

Florida has finally finished count-ing the votes for president. Why is itso hard for the people down there tocount votes? We’re talking about astate where half the population canplay 10 bingo cards at the same time.

Both parties in Washington nowagree that our country is headedtoward a “fiscal cliff.” The bad news:We just elected a guy whose campaignslogan was “Forward.”

The Republicans droveus into a ditch and theDemocrats are driving usover a cliff.

BEST IN LATE NIGHTCOMIC RELIEF

CONAN with Conan O’Brien

Taco Bell is going to start sellingnachos and chicken nuggets wrappedin a tortilla. In other words, thankGod we’re going to keep Obamacare.

Honey Boo Boo’s in the news. Arepresentative from PETA has writ-ten her a letter urging her not to eather new pet chicken. So insteadHoney Boo Boo’s mom ate the rep-resentative from PETA.

Arizona has elected the first open-ly bisexual congresswoman.Apparently she did very well withswing voters.

At a gas station in Texas, a womanpurchased what she thought was a$200 iPad that turned outto be just a mirror. Let thatbe a lesson. Make sure youbuy your iPad from a REP-UTABLE gas station.

LATE NIGHT with Jimmy Fallon

If Congress does nothing, the U.S.could go off a so-called fiscal cliffthat could cause another worldwidefinancial collapse like the one in2008. Congress had a lot of ques-tions about this scenario, like, “Whatdo you mean if we do nothing?”

Thousands of people complainedon Twitter after Facebook wentdown for 60 seconds. It reminded meof the time my great-grandparentscomplained about having to makesoup out of shoes during World WarII.

This weekend, it was announcedthat Justin Bieber and hisgirlfriend, Selena Gomez,have broken up. Biebersaid, “Just tell me one thing— is it General Petraeus?”

THE LATE LATE SHOW with Craig Ferguson

Black Friday is the day afterThanksgiving, when you find realbargains. It works on our innatedesire to save money and to get awayfrom your family afterThanksgiving.

I’m not buying any Christmasgifts until December 22 because thatMayan thing says the world is endingon the 21st. If it happens, I don’twant to have wasted money on gifts.

Every guy in the world wants to beJames Bond. Even guys in al-Qaida arelike, “Death to the West. But not 007.”

The CIA director, David Petraeus,resigned. The FBI caught himhaving an affair with hisbiographer. Hey general,you work for the CIA,not the TSA.

THE LATE SHOW with David LettermanI heard an update from Con

Edison, the electricity company.They said the Republicans now willbe without power for the next fouryears.

Gas rationing. Welcome to 1974!Here’s the only good thing. We don’thave enough gas now to drive overthe fiscal cliff.

It’s the beginning of the cold andflu season. The thing I don’t likeabout the cold and flu season is theradio stations — all they play is coldand flu music.

Republicans still will not admitthat they underestimated thepower of the Hispanic vote.As a matter of fact, Latinosare calling this “CincoDenio.”

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE with Jimmy Kimmel

Colorado and Washington havebecome the first states to legalize therecreational use of marijuana. That’s abig deal because here in California, youcan use marijuana legally only if youreceive it for a fake medical condition.

The U.S. Postal Serviceannounced yesterday they areexpecting this year's holiday seasonto be their busiest ever and also theirslowest ever. That’s probably theonly business in America that com-plains about being busy.

Mitt Romney has a supporter inIndiana who thought it was a goodidea to have the Romney/Ryan logotattooed on his face.He’ll feel stupid when hefinds out about campaignbuttons.


Bus Stop

Nerds

I am just going to leave

you with this small piece of advice

my friends. If you think that

education is expensive,

try ignorance.

2

www.fsu.ca

CONNECTEDGET

twitter.com/fanshawesu

facebook.com/fanshawesu

youtube.com/fsuweb

fsu.ca

LIFESTYLESAcross1. Internet Job ___ Workshop:

theme of this puzzle

7. ___ green

10. Theme covers ways to use the

career services ___ posting website

13. Kind of artist

14. Physics units

15. 1977 double-platinum Steely

Dan album

16. Fixes firmly

17. Units of work

18. “Spy vs. Spy” magazine

19. Class-conscious org.?

20. Like falling off a log (4 words)

23. “¿Cómo ___ usted?”

25. “Fables in Slang” author

26. Bygone bird

27. Framework

31. 1995 N.C.A.A. hoops champs

34. Room D1063: ___ of theme

37. “Oh ___!”

39. Plop preceeder

40. “___ we having fun yet?”

41. Son of, in Arabic names

42. “Think” sloganeer

43. “Bambi” character

44. Come together

45. 3.141

46. Directly

48. Black cat, maybe

50. Power structure

52. Snake noise

54. Berne’s river

55. In ___ (undisturbed)

59. Routine (3 words)

64. ___, Nov. 26, 2012: date of

theme (abbr.)

65. “... ___ quit!” (2 words)

66. Frigid finish

67. Rising stars

69. Kid’s cry

70. Sentence part (abbr.)

71. Come up with

72. Theme is open to ___

Fanshawe students

73. French pronoun

74. Bread maker

Down

1. “Goosebumps” author R. L. ___

2. Chair designer Charles

3. Up, in baseball (2 words)

4. 66, e.g. (abbr.)

5. Conclusion

6. “Bonanza” brother

7. 3.26 light-years

8. Irascible

9. Indian state

10. Stuffed

11. City east of Santa Barbara,

Cal.

12. Commanded

14. Enter, as data (2 words)

21. Toronto ___ Centre

22. Former French coin

24. ___ grecque (cooked in olive

oil, lemon juice, wine, and herbs, and

served cold)

28. What a waitress wants you to

leave (2 words)

29. Leg bone

30. Hinder

32. Olin of “Chocolat”

33. Kuwaiti, e.g.

34. Titicaca, por ejemplo

35. City just south of Timpanogos

Cave National Monument

36. Heavenly

38. Pool site, maybe

42. ___ ware (Japanese porcelain)

46. Let go

47. Gold units (abbr.)

49. Code-cracking org. (abbr.)

51. Dave Winfield is the only Hall

of Famer to wear this team’s cap

53. Metal fasteners

56. “Er...um...” (2 words)

57. Bakery offering

58. Family name at Indy

59. Deep sleep

60. ___-Altaic languages

61. Acute

62. “___ homo”

63. “Cannery Row” character

68. Debussy’s “La ___”

Solution on page 26

1. You would have to walk forseven hours straight to burn off asuper sized Coke, fry and BigMac.

2. Decaffeinated coffee is not100 per cent caffeine free. When

coffee is being decaffeinated, twoper cent of the caf-

feine stillremains in it.3. Fifty years

ago Cheerios werecalled Cheerioats.4. Vanilla flavouring is

sometimes made with aningredient from beaver pee.

5. Every month, about nine outof 10 American children visit aMcDonald’s restaurant.

6. An average person’s yearlyfast food intake will contain 12pubic hairs.

7. Chocolate is lower in caf-feine than tea, coffee and cocacola. A one ounce bar of choco-late contains about 6mg of caf-feine, whereas a five ounce cup ofregular coffee contains over40mg.

8. Research has shown thatallowing chocolate to melt inyour mouth produced brain andheart rate activity that was sim-liar to - and even stronger than -that produced with passionatekissing.

9. To burn off one plain M&Mcandy, you need to walk the fulllength of a football field.

10. There is more real lemonjuice in Lemon Pledge furniturepolish than in Country TimeLemonade.

11. The largest box of choco-lates contained 90,090 Frangomint chocolates and weighed3,3226 lbs! It was made byMarshall Field’s of Chicago onNovember 14, 2002.

12. In the 1800’s, rum wasconsidered excellent for cleaninghair and keeping it healthy.Brandy was believed to strength-en hair roots.

13. The purpose of the indenta-tion at the bottom of a wine bot-tle is to strengthen the structureof the bottle.

14. White wine gets darker as itages while red wine gets lighter.

15. Orange juice naturally con-tains a small amount of alcohol.

16. Japan is the largestexporter of frog’s legs.

17. Fifty per cent of pizzas inAmerica are pepperoni.

18. All 13 minerals necessaryfor human life can be found inalcohol beverages.

19. You can overdose on caf-feine.

Aries (March 21 - April 19)Since when is Aries such a well-

spring of patience? Make sure yourpriorities are in an order that actu-ally benefits someone else. It’s notpure altruism, of course – you haveyour reasons.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)You’re at home among other

superior beings. Anyone can playif he or she is willing to be real.The stars give you permission forall the luxury that your body, mindand wallet can withstand.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)Be ready for the random move-

ments of fame and fortune. A newsituation puts you in touch withresources that you never knew youhad. Set aside old business ifsomething better comes along.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)Come back to a place where you

have every right to be. Find a com-fortable seat and don’t get up untilyou’re ready. Friends are alwayswithin easy reach these days.

Leo (July 23 - August 22)People incapable of subtlety can

still vaguely appreciate it. If youhave so much more class than thislowbrow crowd, what are youdoing here? Spend your time withthose who share your backgroundor interests.

Virgo (August 23 - Sept. 22)Virgo is both invigorated and at

peace. While you’re convinced ofa perfect world, you’re still search-ing for further proof. The light ofthe moon shines through the key-hole, beckoning you to open thedoor.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)Check in with your friends.

Their happiness and good fortunemight make you envious, but itcould also give you ideas. Be can-did and plan your strategy togeth-er over a good meal.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)You’re in the mood for a chal-

lenge or a mystery. The questionis whether your partner shares thisenthusiasm. If you didn’t have anypressing plans together, it shouldbe okay to split up for a few hours.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)You are not the only one with a

mission. Let others cut ahead inline if their needs are more urgent.Seeing events in proportion helpsyou relax and move with greaterease.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)You can’t even remember your

usual excuses. Your family ishappy to have the old Capricornback home. Do what you love, anddon’t stop until blissful fatiguetopples you over.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)Aquarius is already over the

budget. If you think that it’s toolate to change course, visualizethe bills that will be arriving in thenext few months. Sometimes sim-pler is better.

Pisces (Feb. 18 - March 20)An okay weekend will turn fan-

tastic. The moon brings grace andwit to your party. You’ll fall forany line that’s delivered this beau-tifully. Pinch yourself to makesure that it’s not just anotherdream.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid con-tains the digits 1 through 9. That means no number is repeated in any col-umn, row or box. Solution can be found on page 26.

Sudoku Puzzle

puzzle rating: hard


OCT.8 2012

KIOSK QUIZ ANSWERTHE MAILBOX IS OUTSIDE THE MAIN

PRIZES SPONSORED BY CHARTWELLS

QUPESYNERDOAUQP

W E T H V I R U S Y R W R EI F A J P L Z A X K G O I NC R S T S I R O R R E T F CA O J Y E S A C T Q K E H OH A M A N V I M H B C V G DE S B P M A E H N U A B Y ER N C N U D I S C Y C V O DT I V B D T G W Q M S K H QL S T E R C E S T O P T Z UC S I L S M G R E R T M L VF A K X I N I B S E L L I EG S O W X A L R F L O P P YI S Z A C K M O R G A N H BR A W E S O M E Y T E W P FO C K E T P R O T E C T O R

“Chuck”: Secret agent nerd(Words in parentheses not in puzzle)

AssassinsChuck (Bartowski)Buy More (Electronics)(Captain) Awesome(Maj. John) Casey

CIAComputersEllieE-mailGeek

Morgan (Grimes)NSASecretsTerroristsSarah (Walker)

Word Search


From the bubbly inner excitementof when the season starts to the heart-break of being ousted in playoffs(with the countless nights of donningyour team’s jersey and screaming atthe television in between), there isnothing more satisfying to the sportsfan than the regular season and, ifyou’re lucky, playoffs. But the ulti-mate expression of passion by anysport fanatic is assuming the role ofarmchair manager and creating yourvery own online fantasy sports team.

For the non-sports geek or fair-weather fan, it is just a waste of time,a virtual illusion that means nothing.They don’t understand. For the sportsguru, competing in an online fantasyleague, molding the perfect team,making the difficult but necessarydecisions to improve it and earningperennial bragging rights is the ulti-mate prize.

A fantasy sports pool is simple.When competing in one, you literallytake on the position of team manageras you, and the other members of apool, build a team from scratch bydrafting actual players from a league,choose who starts on game days andtrack your team’s progress as you gohead-to-head against the other teamsin the pool. The players’ performancein your league directly follows theirperformances in real life, so it’s up toyou to choose who you think are thebest possible options for game days.

There are fantasy sports leaguesfor many popular sports, such asfootball, baseball and basketball. Apopular fantasy sports host is Yahoo!Sports (ca.sports.yahoo.com/fantasy), but many league websitesalso offer the service, such asNBA.com and NFL.com.

Although fantasy sports havebecome more popular lately, it isn’tanything new. John Young is theoperations manager of the FanshaweStudent Union and is part of one ofthe very first ever fantasy footballpools made in North America, creat-ed back in 1977.

Even for someone who has been apart of a league for over threedecades, Young said the thrill to playin one will never leave him. “It’s fun.It’s a way to connect with people ofsimilar interests.”

The pool started from humblebeginnings as a simple workplacediversion. Three of Young’s co-workers – along with three otherfriends – started the game. That coregroup has stayed almost the same,though people have come and gonethroughout the years, he said. “It’smeeting with the same people, con-versing and trying to get their tenden-cies of over 30 years of fantasy foot-ball.” Now that’s sports geekery at itsfinest.

Over the past 35 years, Young hasseen a drastic transformation in theway fantasy sports is done. It’s gonefrom primitive, almost barbaric

beginnings to the technologicallyadvanced system it is today. “In 1977there was no Internet; we got all ofour information from the LondonFree Press and had to do it by hand.We’d often have to go to differentpapers, because if there was a spaceallotment problem, they would cutoff the stats so we’d have to look tofind out what the stats were for dif-ferent games when it came to passingand receiving. So a lot of hard work,analyzing and taking the informationand multiplying by longhand todetermine scores.” Okay, maybe itwasn’t barbaric, but it sure wasn’t aseasy to do things as it is today, withthe click of a mouse.

The way fantasy sports leagueshave been done may have changedover time, but the passion to win willalways stay the same for the sportsgeek. I asked Young to rate himselfon a scale of one to 10, one beingcasual and 10 being obsessive whenit comes to fantasy sports. “I wouldsay in the early years, I was probablycloser to nine or 10, but I’ve calmedit down and it’s a casual, fun thingnow,” he said. Young confessed thatalthough it is easy to becomeobsessed with winning, it isn’t neces-sary.

“I’ve seen some 10 people lose allthe time, because they overthink.You have to be knowledgeable, and Ithink knowledge is power.”

Kevin “Beef” Masterson is the BizBooth supervisor at the FanshaweStudent Union, and he is a fantasysports veteran of over 20 years. LikeYoung, he recounted how different itwas to operate your team during theglory days. “We were all baseballgeeks. Back then the commissionerwould do the stats by hand, and dur-ing the baseball season, you wouldget maybe two updates in the stand-

ings, so you would have to anticipatehow your team was doing withoutactually knowing, because there wereno computerized stats. And then webought a service that we would fax inour lineups too, and they would faxus the reports, and then the computerage took over.”

Unlike Young, Masterson said thatabsolute obsession is vital when itcomes to success in fantasy sports.“You need to be a 10. You have tobe. If you want to win, you have to bea 10, you really do,” he said. “I could-n’t do it and just be casual about it,there’s no way, it’s not in my make-up. If I’m in it, I want to win it.” But,like Young, he said that his interest incompeting in a fantasy league for somany years has changed. “Before Iwas married, it was obsessive. Youwould watch every game; there was-n’t any Sunday where you weren’ttotally obsessing over the wholething.”

Masterson did note, however, thatover time, competing in fantasysports could really take over yourlife. “You get to the point where

you’re either going to become MeatLoaf (the musician), who’s in like400 pools … It’s king of all consum-ing. You’re following it all the time,every day you’re clicking on it,you’re talking trades with guys; itreally dominates your time.”

Many people enjoy sports. Somelove to just watch it on TV, otherswould rather play it, and many loveto do both. Most people who do anyof these things proclaim themselvesto be sports enthusiasts. And that’sokay. But, for some, “enthusiast” justisn’t enough, and there’s only onelast distinction that you could possi-bly attain. That last distinction isknown as sports geek. But you’re nota sports geek until you’ve created afantasy sports team, that’s just com-mon law. There’s no greater sense ofsatisfaction than ownership of yourown fantasy team and the achieve-ment of winning the league. Butbeware and know the fine print: com-peting in one can get obsessive andalmost addictive. Once you’re in, it’shard to get out.

STUART GOODENINTERROBANG

It is the middle of November andfor Canadians across the country,we are in a state of mourning. No,we are not mourning the loss of aperson, but a national pastime.Since I was young, I alwaysenjoyed watching the NationalHockey League. It is a great organ-ization that has provided manycountless hours of entertainment,shock, despair, debate and dreams.

Many Canadian parents who gettheir children involved with littleleague hockey generally share thesame passion: to try to get theirchild to become a player in theNHL. Though the odds areextremely slim that every childthat plays Junior B, A or OHL willmake it to the big time, a lot of par-ents invest a huge amount ofmoney, time and sleepless nightsto help their children reach theirdreams of financial security andathletic prowess in the NHL.

The last lockout in the NHLoccurred only eight years ago dur-ing the 2004/05 season and causedthe entire season to pass withoutone game being played. The lock-out resulted in 1,230 cancelledgames and lasted from September26, 2004 to July 13, 2005. It wasalso supposed to be the 88th seasonof the National Hockey Leagueand was the very first season to notaward a Stanley Cup since 1919.

Recently, the NHLPA and theNHL have been meeting repeated-ly to sort out the issues between thetwo organizations that have lefthockey fans looking for othermethods of entertainment. On a

lighter note, the Hockey Hall ofFame was on display a few daysago and included new inducteesMats Sundin, who became a star inToronto; Joe Sakic, who led theColorado Avalanche to multipleStanley Cup victories; VancouverCanucks legend Pavel Bure; andWeston, Ontario’s own AdamOates.

As of mid-November, negotia-tions to settle on a collective bar-gaining agreement have yet tointroduce any results, good or bad,for hockey fans.

Sidney Crosby has been quotedas saying, “the question I’d ask iswhy would we change that? I thinkwe all think it’s the most competi-tive league in the world, so whywould you go and change that – theway contracts go and the wayteams can operate?” He has apoint. The entire discussionrevolves around the NHL’s desirefor the players to take a smaller cutthan before with regards to rev-enue splitting of arena ticket salesand concessions.

Steve Fehr, special counsel tothe NHLPA, said he expects thecollective bargaining issue to beresolved fairly soon. On November12, he said it may only take a fewdays to sort the whole ordeal andhave a deal for the players to comeback and play a reduced season.

In conclusion, this hockey fantruly hopes there is an end to thissoon so we can all enjoy gettingtogether with family and friends tolisten to the beautiful rants of DonCherry, the visionary, and to seethe lightning-quick action onlyseen in the NHL.

DAKOTA THOMPSONINTERROBANG

NHL lockout 2012:Fault of the players orprofessionals?

CREDIT: STOCK IMAGES

Many people geek out over fantasy sports.

Playing with the big boys every sports geek’s fantasy

SPORTS&LEISURE 25Volume 45 Issue No. 13 November 19, 2012 www.fsu.ca/interrobang/

According to the Chinese calen-dar, 2013 is the year of the Snake.In reality, it should be the year ofthe Horse and Snake, because ofwhat Ford has done for theMustang in 2013.

While for 2013 the Mustang isnot all new, it has received sometweaks in the styling department,plus there is more power under thehood.

How much power, you ask? Thatwill depend on your needs andbudget, and since I’ve spent a gooddeal of time in all the differentpowertrains offered for the 2013Mustang, it is my duty to tell youhow each one is, so here goes:

Let’s start with the entry-levelmodel, the Mustang V6. Thismodel used to be the joke of theMustang range, since it hardly everhad the “go” to match its sportylooks. Back then, it was the poser’scar, but not anymore. For 2013, the3.7-litre V6 motor produces 305 hpand 280 lb/ft of torque. Couple thatwith a six-speed automatic or thesix-speed manual, as in my tester,and you end up with a very pleas-ing sports car. Sure, it is not thefastest thing on the road, but workthis motor hard and it will rewardyou. This is a decently quick car(zero to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds)that sounds good, too.

My tester also came with thePerformance package, which givesyou a unique strut-tower brace, tiremobility kit, unique front springs,unique stability control calibration,upsized front sway bar and rearsway bar, unique front and rearcalipers with Performance Frictionpads, and a 3.31 limited-slip rear-axle.

What all this means is that it han-dles very well, much better than Iever expect it to handle. It seemsthat Ford is being serious with theMustang, even down to the basemodel. I like that.

Next in the Mustang range is theGT, which comes with the much-loved 5.0 litre V8 motor. For 2013,this version produces 420 hp and390 lb/ft of torque. This version isalso available with either a six-speed manual or automatic gear-box, which sends power to the rearwheels. I drove both the manualand auto version this year, thanks tonot only the press car, but also thepress launch earlier in the year,which was held in Portland,Oregon. While the manual willremain the enthusiast’s choice andis the better transmission, I was sur-prised how useable and still joyousthe car is with the automatic gear-box. The automatic has the SelectShift feature, which lets you chooseyour own gear via a button on theshift lever. While the shifts aresmooth, the shift times are less thanimpressive. A Ford engineer at theevent even confessed that thistransmission is a bit behind thetimes and that is why they don’toffer it with steering wheel-mount-ed paddle-shifters, since you’d feelits lag time even more. However,given time, I was able to work outhow to best use the shift buttonsand the car was quite enjoyable.

On the whole, the Mustang GT isvery entertaining, but then any carthat can sprint from zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and top out at270 km/h will be entertaining. Oh,one more thing: choose the optionmarked Track Apps, because thisallows you to record your perform-ance date from braking, corneringG-forces and acceleration times.

This Track Apps feature is amust with the next version of theMustang, the Boss 302. This hasthe same 5.0 litre V8 motor as the

GT, but it’s also not the samemotor. It might be the same sizeand use the same block, but this oneis tweaked. This one produces 444hp and 380 lb/ft of torque and red-lines at 7,500 rpm – this one is thescreamer of the bunch. This one isalso not for the posers as all Boss302 models only come as a coupe(while others are also available inconvertible guise) and the onlytransmission offered is a quick-shift six-speed manual.

This car, when you use its redkey, is something quite special. Itrevs harder (resulting in a zero to100 km/h sprint in just 4.2 sec-onds), brakes better and handleslike a racing Mustang should. It iscertainly one of the best, mostenjoyable cars you can buy today,but it is not my favourite Mustang.

The one I want is the one theycall the Snake. I’m talking aboutthe Shelby GT500. This is the onethat has a hissing snake as its orna-ment. Under its muscular-lookinghood, you’ll find an engine that is

quite different from anything foundin any other Ford product. It is apurpose-built, all aluminum 5.8litre V8 that has a massive super-charger bolted on. The end result is662 hp and 631 lb/ft of torque, allof which goes to the rear-wheelsvia a unique six-speed manualgearbox.

Trust me, this car is as terrifying-ly fast as you think it is. Zero to 100km/h takes just 3.5 seconds, and ifyou keep your foot welded to thecarpet, it will nudge 325 km/h. Thatis seriously supercar fast.

It is also quite lethal. While mostcars that are built to do such speedsare purpose-built speed machineswith advanced chassis and suspen-sion set ups and active aerodynam-ics, the GT500 is like a Viking’shammer in a world of laser-guidedmissiles. If you know what you’redoing, it will reward you with num-bers you’ve probably never seenbefore. Get it wrong, and it willattempt to kill you without any hes-itation. Driving the Shelby GT500

is very rewarding and will get yourheart beating a lot faster than it nor-mally does.

The really crazy thing is thatdespite its massive performance, ona highway cruise, it also manages10.0 litres/100 km. That is simplyremarkable.

Any gripes? In my view, allMustangs suffers from the sameissues, chief among them the dull,plastic interior, plus some of the fitand finish is not up to the standardof its competition from Asia orEurope.

Still, the Mustang is a greatchoice for anyone looking for a funcar. Prices for the V6 model start at$23,999. The GT starts at $39,299,while the Boss 302 is yours from$48,799. The Shelby GT500 isyours from $61,999, which makesit the most affordable car that cando over 300 km/h – not that youshould on public roads, it just feelsgood knowing you can.

MOTORING NAUMAN [email protected]

2013: Year of the Mustang

CREDIT: NAUMAN FAROOQ

Ford’s 2013 Mustang lineup offers an option for every type of muscle car enthusiast.

There is a severe problem withpredicting outcomes in soccer,specifically the MLS. Last week Imade a few predictions about whowould advance through the MLSplayoffs. I, admittedly, got all butone incorrect.

The Houston vs. SportingKansas City was the only tie that Imanaged to guess correctly, asHouston held on to their first leg 2-0 lead to come across in the secondwith a 1-0 loss.

I have been approached by peo-ple who frequent sports bettingsites or Pro-Line and asked, “Howdo I go about betting on soccer?” Itell them to not even bother.

Major League Soccer is set upjust like many other NorthAmerican sports leagues… with asalary cap. The cap controls teamsfrom overspending, obviously. Butthe MLS sees more randomnessthan any other league.

Sporting and San Jose bothcrashed out in the first round, bothof which were the top seeded

teams.The league thrives off of the

mediocrity. Almost every team inthe league can finish anywhereyear to year, sometimes complete-ly out of the blue.

In fact, only six out of the first16 seasons have seen a SupportersShield (regular season champion)win the playoff round (MLS Cup).This may all seem like a fairlycommon thing amongst NorthAmerican sports fan, as mostleagues see similar results.

But the only advice I’d give tosoccer betters is that Europeanleagues are much more straightfor-ward. There always seems to be aclear winner and loser before thegame, as leagues are sorted in classby tiers of teams. For example,there will always be a group ofteams who will finish at the top ofthe table in England, as there willbe in France, meanwhile there isanother group who will be rightbehind them. The MLS is one ofthe only soccer leagues in theworld that doesn’t have that, andinstead has parity throughout theboard.

Take the New York Cosmos forexample. Back in the 1970s and’80s, a league called the NorthAmerican Soccer League catapult-

ed into popular culture after thearrival of great players like Peléand George Best to the league. TheCosmos were a dominant team inthat era, with Pelé and FranzBeckenbauer among others. TheCosmos have been reborn, and willplay in the new reboot of theNASL next season, with MLSaspirations. However, the brass at

New York believes in a leaguewithout a salary cap, as they hon-our their history of attracting thebest players in the world. The MLScould be at a crossroad in the nextdecade; make a push to become atruly top league, or continue on thissustainable yet constrained model.

So, as the crapshoot continues,don’t throw down any bets all

willy-nilly. The MLS is very scaryto the smart gambler who does hishomework. I made my first sportsbet a few weeks ago on the MLSand managed to get all of themincorrect (including betting againstmy beloved Toronto FC team ver-sus Montreal). Never again.

FANSHAWE FCMARTY [email protected]: @martythompson_

CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Robbie Keane turned the table on the San Jose Earthquakes last round, as his two second leg goals put his L.A.Galaxy through to the next round of the playoffs.

The unpredictability of the MLS

It is time to unleash your fury atthe 16th annual Year of the DragonStrength Challenge! This year’sStrength Challenge promises to beone of the best, if not THE best.

Fitness 101’s StrengthChallenge has been an annualevent since the late ’90s. This willbe our second year in a row withthe newly improved testing format.Feedback from last year was over-whelmingly positive since itattracted more interest and allowedindividuals of varying weight andstrength to be able to compete.

The biggest and most wellreceived improvement we’ve madeis the exercise tests themselves.We’ve incorporated some moreendurance-based exercises thatwill be sure to test each contes-tant’s general ability in terms ofresistance training. We now have atimed plank exercising combininga stability ball and dumbbell hold:the longer the hold, the morepoints rewarded. There is now apush-up test and in order toachieve 10 points, males have todo 55 in one minute, and femaleshave to do 40 (modified) in one

minute. We have also brought backthe pull-ups; males performing 25in 30 seconds will receive 10points as will females performingfive using their own body weight.Females may use weight assistanceas well but will not receive fullpoints.

But what is a Strength Challengewithout our trademark strengthtests? The bench press and legpress have returned with an update.Males will receive full points forbenching 1.6 times their bodyweight for five reps. Females willachieve the same if they can per-form five reps at 1.2 times theirbody weight on the Smithmachine. The leg press willdemand 10 reps at four times theirbody weight for males and 10 repsat 3.2 times their body weight forfemales.

Another very important changeis the method of categorizing

weight classes. A middleweightdivision has been added to ensurethere is not a significant disparityamong the groups. Lightweightmen and women will be less than165 and 135 pounds, respectively.Middleweight men will weighbetween 165 and 195 pounds; mid-dleweight women will weighbetween 136 and 166 pounds.Heavyweight men and women willbe greater than 195 and 166pounds, respectively.

The Strength Challenge will betaking place on November 22 and23. You simply pay $5 if you are amember, or $10.50 if you are anon-member, and sign up for atime spot that suits you. There willbe plenty of prizes and giveawaysfrom our sponsors to up the ante offriendly competition. If you haveany further questions, just stop bythe J building front desk.

No ‘dragon’ your heels – sign upfor the Strength Challenge today

FUN AND FITNESSRICK [email protected]

Twelve teams participated inFanshawe’s first annual intramuralcricket tournament fromNovember 5 to 12. Hospitality stu-dent Ansish Sunny was an umpirein the tournament, and he said it’samazing to see cricket played hereat Fanshawe. “I’m really happybecause I come from India, it’s along way away … Here you havebaseball, it’s very popular, every-

one has a baseball in their home; inIndia, everyone has a cricket batand ball and even if they don’thave the real stuff, they’ll make it.They’ll make the bats from thetrunks of coconut trees.”

Jackie Corby, athletics officerfor Campus Recreation said she’shappy to get so many internationalstudents involved. “TheInternational Department reallywanted us to have a cricket leaguebecause it would be a big draw for

their students.” She does, however,hope to see more local players onthe teams next year. “I wish we hadmore Canadians playing in theleague … it’s very unfamiliar andvery intimidating, we don’t oftenlike to step outside our box.”

The winner of the intramuralleague will go to the University ofToronto in Mississauga and partic-ipate in the extramural tournamentin March of next year.


Cricket tournament a taste of home


Ponderingposture

Q. How do I avoid lower backpain?

A. To avoid lower back pain,you want to avoid lifting by bend-ing your back; use your legs to liftas this will help to prevent bothacute back problems and futurechronic pain. You should also con-centrate on your posture – focus onkeeping your spine straight whenstanding and even when you are ina seated position.

Furthermore, exercise is a greatway to prevent lower back pain.There is a direct relationshipbetween back pain and physical

activity volume; someone whodoes less physical activity general-ly has more back pain, and some-one with more back pain does lessphysical activity. Break this cycleby getting outside and go for awalk – increase your aerobic phys-ical activity minutes per week (e.g.walk, bike, take the stairs, swim).Also, improve your posture byincreasing the muscular enduranceof your core muscles and stretchyour full body daily. Aerobicphysical activity, muscularendurance and flexibility will notonly help you to prevent lowerback pain, you will also preventinjury in general, you will improveyour posture, you will increaseyour energy and you will maintainmobility as you age.

Submitted by Jaydip Dhakanand Kedar Upadhyay.

HEALTH HABIT OFTHE WEEK Fitness and HealthPromotion students

CREDIT: IMAGE HOSTING

There are many things you can do to avoid back pain, such as bendingyour legs when lifting and getting into a regular exercise routine.

CREDIT: MELANIE ANDERSON

International students from India enjoyed Fanshawe’s first ever intramural cricket tournament in earlyNovember. The Athletics department plans to make this an annual event, and hopes to see more Canadian stu-dents come out next year.

The Fanshawe men’s crosscountry team can bask in goldglory once again. The team fin-ished the CCAA NationalChampionship race with all six oftheir members in the top 26 of 140competitors, gaining a large mar-gin of victory over Quebec’sSainte-Foy. Clint Smith earnedindividual silver for the secondyear in a row with a time of 25:41.

For Fanshawe’s Josh Lumani,crossing the finish line was amoment he will never forget.

“It’s a lot of weight off myshoulders, just finishing. Comingthrough the finishing line, it wasone of the best experiences of mylife, to finally get redemption afterwhat happened last year. Everyonewas really happy, I’m still reallyhappy right now.”

Last year, Fanshawe settled forsilver after Lumani collapsed just200 metres from the finish line. Anunexplained injury left him in thehospital for three days and theteam three points behind winningteam Sainte-Foy.

This season, Lumani was backand stronger than ever.

“He came back with a force,”said Smith. “He had the best sea-son of his three seasons, and 10that nationals is amazing.”

Lumani was in top physicalshape heading into the race, butfaced a tough mental battle aspainful memories of last year’srace clouded his mind. “I was defi-nitely thinking about last year dur-ing the race and thinking, ‘Oh mygod, what if this happens again tome?’ I think my preparation lead-ing up to this year gave me thatopportunity to focus and run a real-ly good race,” he said.

After a gold medal win in 2010,the team was back with avengeance. “The ‘UnfinishedBusiness’ t-shirts we wore all sea-son can be packed away now andnever worn again because we fin-ished it,” said Smith.

The race was held at ChamplainSt-Lambert in Quebec, and wasn’tan easy course. “Yeah, the coursewas tough, it was all sorts of ter-rain. There was fine gravel, woodchips and a pretty steep hill we hadto hit three different times. So itdidn’t produce the fastest times,but in the end I think we wonbecause everyone ran a smartrace,” said Lumani.

Smith said it was an all-aroundteam effort. “Me and the boys hadreally good races all around, noone had a bad race, everybodyraced at the top, which is prettyrare. In sports, there’s always oneguy on a team that seems to slackoff or have a bad race, but this wasperfect on all counts.”

At the 3-km mark, Smith foundhimself neck and neck with winnerAndrew Degroot (St. Claire) in thelead pack. Degroot pulled ahead,but Smith preserved his energy fora surge at the 7-km mark to ensurehis victory over third-place finisherAlexandre Lavigne from Sainte-Foy. Smith finished with time tospare, 12 seconds ahead ofLavigne.

Smith admitted he played a saferrace, but all for the benefit of theteam. “Everything happens for theteam, I couldn’t sacrifice goingharder than I did in case I died andended up fifth and that wouldaffect the team. I can’t say I’mupset with silver, but the team goldwas definitely what I wanted andwe got it.”

It’s not just the physical strength

and training that make this team asuccess, but, according to Smith, atight bond between all team mem-bers. “I remember sitting downwith Kyle McKellar and we bothjust said we can’t believe how tightall of us are. We’d do anything foranyone on the team and that’samazing because we went from notknowing them to being their friendto now they’re all my family andI’d do anything for them … that’sthe best part. That’s one of thebiggest keys to our success, welove each other and we’d do any-thing for each other and that keepsus happy all the time.”

The players are looking forwardto celebrating and having a fewweeks off. “During season we sac-rifice a lot, you put your team infront of anything you say no to par-ties you say no to all the otherthings that friends are doing in col-lege, so we take this time to pickup those friendships that we left.”

Lumani agreed, “We’re prettydisciplined this season with no par-tying and stuff, so we’re gonnahave fun over the next few weeks.”

Lumani said his running careerat Fanshawe will end in April, butno matter what his next step is,running will always be a major partof his life. Smith will return toFanshawe next season and startracing again in January, so hisbreak won’t be for long. “I’mgonna look for some solid off-sea-son races, maybe hit the track andget some leg speed back, but stillas long as I’m at college and aslong as I’m running for John(Loney), my biggest concern iskeeping that team gold medalwhere it’s supposed to be: atFanshawe.”


CREDIT: FANSHAWE ATHLETICS

Clint Smith crosses the finish lineat the CCAA cross country cham-pionships. Smith won an individualsilver medal and the team won aNational Championship gold atSainte-Foy, Quebec.


Intramural Standings

5 on 5 BasketballGroup OneTeam W L TPtsMIA Ballers 8 0 0 16Fitness 101 7 1 0 14Cole World 6 2 0 12Milf Hunters 4 4 0 8Falcon Faculty 3 5 0 6Vikings 2 6 0 4A Tribe Called Q... 2 6 0 4Merlin Mucksquad 2 6 0 4City Slickas 0 8 0 0Group TwoTeam W L TPtsGoon Squad 7 1 0 14GTL 5 1 1 11Fanshawe Thunder 4 4 0 8Team Gerald 4 4 0 8The Squad 3 2 1 7Bench Warmers 3 4 1 7The Mob 2 6 0 4Individuals 2 6 0 4New World 1 5 1 3

Women’s VolleyballGroup OneTeam W L TPtsI’d Hit That 5 0 0 10Plaque Attack 3 1 0 6Kiss My Ace 2 1 0 4Attack Pack 2 2 0 4Dirty 1/2 Dozen 1 1 0 2Sets On The Beach 1 2 0 2Volleyhoots 1 3 0 2Bumpin Babes 1 1 0 2Practivce Safe Sets 0 5 0 0

Men’s VolleyballGroup OneTeam W L TPtsWolf Pack 3 0 0 6PHIL 3 0 0 6Super Smash Bros 3 1 0 65.0 Crew 2 1 0 4Team Lepoivre 2 1 0 4How To Kill A ... 2 3 0 4Individuals 1 3 0 2I’d Hit That 0 3 0 0MIA 0 4 0 0

Times were much differentwhen Fanshawe College athleticofficer Ernie Durocher joined theschool’s sports department as ateam trainer in 1978. The tiny Bgymnasium had a stage directlybehind the north basket, resultingin collisions at each Falcons men’sand women’s basketball game. Thecollege’s A gym had a tile floor,which also saw injuries of the slip-ping and sliding variety.

Thirty-four years later,Fanshawe has grown from a cam-pus of less than 4,000 full-time stu-dents to more than 15,000 students.Varsity athletes, intramural andextramural sports participants plusmembers of the community enjoy amodern athletic complex that rivalsany Ontario Colleges AthleticAssociation (OCAA) facility.

Durocher, 54, of Brampton,Ontario, is now the veteranamongst the Falcons’ athletic staff,and one of London’s longest-standing sports personalities.

“I’m a team person,” saidDurocher from his Fanshaweoffice, surrounded by memorabiliafrom the past 34 years, includingtwo men’s Canadian CollegiateAthletic Association (CCAA) bas-ketball championship titles in 1980and ’81. “I love the environmenthere. The people are great. AndI’m a sticker.”

As a Sheridan College studentstudying athletic training and man-

agement, Durocher did his workplacement with the Toronto YoungNats Jr. B hockey club, whose ros-ter included a 14-year-old hockeyphenomenon by the name ofWayne Gretzky.

“The trainer found out I wasfrom Brampton. Gretzky hadmoved from Brantford to Rexdale.He needed a ride to Maple fivedays a week, for practices andgames. Once we got to know eachother, he talked like crazy – and hecould eat like crazy too,” saidDurocher.

A decade after they spent hourstogether commuting to the team’sarena, Gretzky remembered his oldfriend when he invited Durocher tohis Edmonton wedding in 1988.Durocher had just finished visitinghis parents in Western Canada, anddidn’t want to make the return trip– but Gretzky had other ideas.

“Wayne called and said, ‘I hearyou are not coming to the wedding.I want you on that plane Friday.We have a flight for you, and ahotel. Bring your wife.’ How doyou say no to that?” said Durocher.

As a student reporter atFanshawe College in 1981, I inter-viewed Wayne Gretzky as part ofmy first feature story. Durocherand I have another connection.During an intramural basketballgame, I fell and twisted my ankle.Durocher brought me into histrainer’s room and taped up theswollen ankle, much to the amuse-ment of recently retired Falcons

men’s basketball coach, GlennJohnston, who quipped, “What didyou do, Scoop, drop your taperecorder on your foot?”

Today, Durocher remains asactive as he was during his earlyyears at Fanshawe, but with muchmore responsibility, playing a bigpart in the operations of Falconsvarsity sports. “Our varsity pro-grams are in full swing,” saidDurocher from his office, whichacts as the central nervous systemfor the Falcons. “We just finishedsoccer season and are now gettinginto volleyball and basketball. Itnever ends.”

Yet Durocher wouldn’t have itany other way. He’s an avid golfer,plays floor hockey and refereeswhen he’s not behind his desk orattending games at home and onthe road. He and his wife, Ruth-Anne, have two children: Andrew,25, and Alanna, 23. And Durocherloves working with today’s stu-dents, whom he also considersfamily.

“My most memorable experi-ences are dealing with so many ofthe students who have walkedthrough these doors,” saidDurocher. “Between students, theirparents and alumni, it keeps meyoung. I love the environment.”

Jeffrey Reed is an award-win-ning journalist, and has been amember of the local sports mediasince 1980. Write to him [email protected].

JEFFREY REEDSPECIAL TO INTERROBANG

CREDIT: FANHSWE ATHLETICS

Ernie Durocher has been workingin Fanshawe’s Athletic departmentsince 1978. Starting out as a teamtrainer, then eventually becomingan athletic officer, Durocher cur-rently coordinates the men’s varsi-ty sports program.

Fanshawe men reap redemption at nationals

Durocher constant face in Athletics

interrobang issue for monday, november 19th, 2012

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