the argosy february 16, 2012

February 16, 2012 Starting Spring break just a little too early since 1872 Vol. 141 Iss. 18ATHE RGOSY

Mount Allison’s Independent Student Newspaper

INSIDENewsFeaturesArts&Lit Entertainment Centrefold HumourShip’s Log Sci/TechOp/Ed Sports

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Rethinking LentRev. John Perkin offers sound advice and a different perspective on the annual observance

FEATURES, PAGE 8

Losses and a win

SPORTS, PAGE 26

The Men’s & Women’sbasketball teams had a rough weekend, but there’s still hope hope

Charting a course for the Humanities Un vrai spectacle!

Students debt continues to growCarly Levy

News Writer

Elise DolinskyFeatures Writer

With more and more funding going to research in the Sciences, can the Humanities draw some focus by being interdisciplinary? Last Saturday, Dr. Martin Willis visited Mount Allison to give a lecture on improving the study of the Humanities.

Entitled “Open Fields? The Future of Interdisciplinarity in the Humanities,” Willis’ lecture was a part of the two-day CultureWorks conference held at Mount Allison on February 10-11.

Willis has an extensive amount of experience when it comes to interdisciplinarity—combining two or more academic fields into a single discipline. He is a professor at the University of Glamorgen in Wales,

With tuition rates increasing across the nation, student poverty is an issue faced by young Canadians in every province, and with the provincial government set to release its budget this spring, students in New Brunswick aren’t getting any promises from Premier David Alward’s government. Undergraduate students in the province pay an average tuition cost of $5,516, the second highest fees in the country.

At Mount Allison, this rate is even higher. According to a recent article in The Aquinian,

St. Thomas University’s student newspaper, NB Finance Minister Blaine Higgs was not very talkative during a recent budget consultation held at the end of January. Higgs would not say whether either tuition or provincial grants to universities would increase in the upcoming budget, and only reiterated the province’s plans to develop a four-year plan that will show students how much they should

CAMP!, PAGE 10

INCREASING, PAGE 4

expect to pay for tuition over the course of their degree. The plan will also establish how much

universities receive in grants from the province.

Sociology Professor Fabrizio Antonelli teaches courses on education and social inequality and spoke to The Argosy recently about the ‘costs’ associated with high tuition. Antonelli says that there are some key barriers to overcome because of high tuition.

According to Antonelli, family income currently determines who’s allowed to attend university

and who isn’t. “It’s a different educational experience depending on whether or not you can pay,” he said, speaking about the students who have to work on top of class and other extra-curricular activities that are expected of students by employers and society. Antonelli says the situation faced by undergraduates is indicative of the polarization of our society along class lines, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the disappearing middle-class.

“We’re living in a world where these credentials are essential,” Antonelli explained. He went on

Debt is responsible for lower levels of university and college completion

Canadian Federation of Students

Julia McMillan

Arts and Literature Editor

Embrassons la nature! Embrace Nature! This was the theme of Tintamarre’s production of Camp!, and the tagline of the fictional camp’s latest

branding technique. However, the play taught theatre goers that respecting nature is more than just a marketing tool– it is a way of life. Tintamarre’s latest play, Camp!, explored the pressing issue of global warming.

The play is set at camp Quom-si-quom-ça. It tells the tale of a group of eccentric campers who learn about their relationship to nature and the

ecosystem through a series of comedic events, including searching for an elusive white horse, played by Liam Coughlin. Featuring hilarious and memorable animals and insects, the play examines the effect that human’s disrespect for nature has upon animals and their ecosystem, as well as on themselves. Si les humains ne peuvent pas respecter la nature, ils ne peuvent pas respecter eux-mêmes.

The hilarity begins the moment the play opens, when two bushes, or arbustes, roll in on little wheeled seats, upon which they sit throughout the entire play. The stage is then transformed into a forest, with a large tree in the centre, played by Brie Nelson with Ryan Mitchell and Henry Chen as her branches. Ensuite, un ourson (David White) arrive sur la scène et décrit les changments climatiques qui se passent dans la forêt. Même en décrivant des situations grâves, White est extrêmement drôle et attirant. From that moment on, the audience was in the grips of laughter, as l’ourson interacted with an owl with insomnia (Bernard Soubry) and a dramatic dragon fly. Other memorable characters included Daniel and his puppet Boris (Ian McMullen) , and prima donna Susie (Lauren Sturgeon).

Tintamarre est un effort collaboratif entre Alex Fancy, le dramaturge, et tous les acteurs. Each member of the cast and production team works together to write a unique piece of

and the founder and editor of the Journal of Literature and Science, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the publication of interdisciplinary scholarship on literature and science. Willis has an extensive publication record, and has done a significant amount of research on the connections between literature and science.

In his lecture, Willis discussed his work as co-director of the Glamorgen Research Centre for Literature, Arts and Science. According to Willis, scholars of the Humanities are currently facing a number of critical challenges, including the supposed split between the Humanities and the Sciences, which has created the “reemergence of two cultures.”

But what exactly does the broad term “Humanities” encompass?

THE FUTURE, PAGE 7

Argosy/David Shi

Argosy/Rosanna HempelIn Tintamarre’s new bilingual comedy Camp!, campers learn that climate change can be a greater challenge than their personal issues.

ONLINE February 16, 2011 [email protected]

thursday february 16, 2012 volume 141 issue 18

Rosanna Leitner, Ian Moffat, Haruho Kubota, Scott Green,

Julie Melanson, Lindsay Sherwood, David Shi

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Standing out in a Twitter-stream

For those who think the dead-tree resume is nearing the end of its life, you may be right. Fourth-year commerce student Daniel Hebert recently applied to the social media monitoring firm Radian6. But, he did not simply go the traditional route of simply of sending in a resume and cover letter and hoping for the best. He applied online but also did a lot of research and wrote a blog post Why I Should Work For Radian6, using the same language they did to craft a post that would be sure to impress. He then shared the post directly with Radian6 on Twitter and asked his influential online contacts do the same. He did this last Monday. By Wednesday, he had a phone interview with a recruiter so said she would get in touch with him again early this week.

How did this all come about? Hebert first became interested in during media during his summer internship at NuFocus Strategic Group where Dave Gallant taught him all basics for his job. At the end of the summer he went to Toronto for the Impact Apprentice and from that Keynote speaker Ron Tite he was convinced of the importance personal branding. After setting up a basic profile on the professional networking website LinkedIn, Hebert was unanticipatedly contacted by L’Oreal Canada regarding a job possibility and it pushed him to further improve his online presence.

“Without putting any effort, one of the largest cosmetics company in the world found me, and wanted to have an interview for a job.

What would happen if I put effort into it?” said Hebert. The more the effort paid off the more he was interested in a career in social media. At NuFocus, Hebert ventured into social media with the company. They created a Twitter account, started growing their online following, and together with Gallant and a consultant created a social media strategy. The company kept him on part-time to share content and engage with followers as a social media.

Hebert did not take the plunge alone. Before posting his blog, he contacted Scott Yorke, Mt. A’s Career Services Coordinator first. Yorke said he and Hebert were talked over Hebert’s idea of sung social media to augment his regular application. Yorke knew this tactic would had been successful for others in the past and was happy to discuss it with him. Hebert’s move the trend of many to use the internet to help their job search. From Matthew Epstein’s GooglePleaseHire.Me website and video to hundreds of other creative attempts to land their dream job.

Regarding his coursework, Hebert thinks there should be more emphasis on social media but he does not fault the department. “There is simply just not enough research done with social media in business. The marketing

textbooks out there acknowledge that social media is becoming important, but I don’t think that the authors have the experience to write about best practices.” He thinks once new research is included in textbooks then professors will be able to incorporate it in their courses.

Whether or not he ultimately gets the job, the move has definitely raised his online profile. Chicago-based public relations firm Ragan Communications and others have written about the move, and his boss, Dave Gallant was interviewed about his trainee on local radio state 96.5 Joy FM. Despite his relative success, Hebert wouldn’t do it the same way again. “It’s not new, so it loses wow-factor. However, I am a strong believer of doing something creative to get a company’s attention. My end goal is to get a job through social media, so I would do something online for sure. I don’t think it would be the same approach though.” For its part, Career Services is considering holding a social media-specific workshop in the future. For now, anybody interested in learning a bit more about using social media for their job search can contact Scott at syorke@mta or like the “Career Services at MTA” Facebook Page for similar job-hunting resources.

Geoffrey Campbell

Online Editor

How a commerce student got an inter-view in 48 hours

InternetPhoto/Twitter

(Top) Helen Pridmore’s Opera Workshop, The Lives of Girls and Women, tells the stories of women’s struggles throughout history, beginning in the Classical era and continuing on into the Contemporary era.(Left) Exchange Photo of the Week: Emily Mann abseiling into a moulin on the Fox Glacier, one week before classes begin at the University of Otago.

Looking for Sackville’s breaking news during Reading week?The Argosy has you covered. Any major events during the week will be posted to our website:

www.argosy.caWe’ll be back in print on March 8!

NEWSThe Argosy www.argosy.ca

MASSIEs enjoying a Mt. A winterNew session added to make MASSIE program available all year

Carly Levy

The International Centre and the University is hosting a year long MASSIE program for the first time in history. Japanese students will experience cold weather and an intensive period of English language and Canadian culture studies over the next two months. The Mount Allison Semester Studies in English is a program offered by the University in partnership with Kwansei Gakuin University in Osaka, Japan and usually takes place in the summer and fall over fifteen weeks.

For the first time, the MASSIE program has invited twenty-five students to participate in a winter session. Arriving just two weeks ago, the group will be on campus for another four weeks before completing the winter program. This session offers a more affordable and condensed term of study, two things that were in high demand by students at KGU. Robin Walker, international affairs and MASSIE program coordinator, was approached by the University last February with the idea of launching an intensive English studies program that would take place on their summer break, and be less expensive than the fall and summer programs.

Though KGU has relationships with universities around the world, Walker says Canada was the most popular choice for a winter program among students because they wanted to experience a Canadian winter, and Mt. A offers an option not available at other universities. “One of the reasons they choose Mt. A the most is because there is the roommate option here,” says Walker, who explained that other programs work with host families. They expect a true university experience when they come here, Walker commented.

News Writer

In contrast to previous years, the students here for this program are just finishing their first year at university, and for many, it is their first time away from home. “They are a bit younger than other groups [we’ve had]” says Walker, who thinks that the intensive session is a good way to experience spending time abroad. The shorter period of time and affordable price is desirable for students who are not sure whether a full semester is something they could handle. The program is just six weeks, compared to the traditional fifteen week MASSIE semester, and approximately one third the price.

Walker is optimistic about the outcome of this pilot program and considers it a great experience for the students as well as the universities involved. “There’s been a positive response on both sides,” she said, commenting that although this is a busy time of year for the International Centre, the fact that there are so many students interested in coming to Mt. A

makes it worthwhile.While the students won’t be able to take part

in as many activities as the fall and summer programs provide, Mary MacLean, MASSIE program assistant, says that over the course of their stay they will be given the chance to participate in many local opportunities otherwise unavailable during the fall and summer months. The group has plans for a ski and snowshoe trip, horseback riding, and taking in a Wildcats game. They will also have the chance to do cooking lessons with a local family, where students will learn how to cook a Canadian meal on one night, and will teach the family a Japanese dish on another night. “I can definitely see this [session] continuing,” said MacLean. Anyone interested in being a roommate or a conversation partner for the summer or next fall should contact her at [email protected].

Have you, or do you know someone who has ever felt wronged by The Argosy? Do you approve or disapprove of the direction The Argosy is taking? Is there a staff member or has there been a story that has left you offended? Talk to me; I want to hear about it.

As the newly-appointed Ombudsperson for The Argosy, my duties include being a reference for individuals seeking information on the policies, procedures and practices of The Argosy, and to investigate any complaint, injury or grievance made against it. In the latter scenario, I will also act as an impartial mediator between The Argosy and the plaintiff(s), either recommending that the grievance be settled with a change of policy or referring it to other authorities in accordance with the constitution of The Argosy.

The Argosy is funded in part by the students and the Ombudsperson’s role is designed to use your feedback to create a dialogue between the staff and the readership and to provide accountability and transparency. Along with my position as Ombudsperson, I am also a member of the Publication Board of Directors of Argosy Inc. as a student-at-large, and it has been my responsibility to represent the students of Mount Allison in a way that reflects the intelligence and engagement of The Argosy readership on campus.

I look forward to working with the staff of The Argosy and the readership in my new role, and promise to fulfill my duties with integrity and enthusiasm.

Scott T. Green ([email protected])

A message from The Argosy’s Ombudsperson:

Mary MacleanApproximately twenty-five students have been invited to participate in Mt. A’s new six-week winter MASSIE program, which began two weeks ago.

Local high school students involved in Habitat buildAffordable, energy-efficient housing project underway

John Fraser

Sackville will soon be getting its first ever low-income housing project, sponsored through the Moncton chapter of Habitat for Humanity and coordinated by the Town of Sackville. However the team responsible for constructing it will not be the standard adults construction staff. No, this house will be almost completely constructed by students at Tantramar Regional High School, volunteering their time under the leadership of their Technology teacher, Blaine MacIsaac.

The project started in December 2011, after former Sackville resident Sandra Shipley donated the land to the town. “I simply had no use for it [(the land]),” says Shipley. “I was more than happy to give it to the town.” The deed was signed over to the Moncton chapter of Habitat for Humanity in late December.

The 1,200 square foot home, to be located

Staff Writer

on Charlotte Street, will be an affordable and energy-efficient project for a low-income family, available for purchase on a zero interest mortgage. The construction teams are made up of two classes of fifteen students in grades 11 and 12, who are working on the house as a project for their technology class under teacher Blaine MacIsaac. The students are responsible for most of the construction for the house, including the plumbing and electrical configuration. “We are doing everything, from drywall to plumbing, from the framing to the

roof,” says MacIsaac. “The only job the students aren’t tackling will be the more complicated electrical wiring that needs to be done by a professional by law.” The students are currently working in a co-op program at this time, but MacIsaac is hopeful that they will be resuming work soon. “We have to overcome some timing issues with this project, but it should be moving along pretty soon.”

MacIsaac was involved in numerous other Habitat projects in his life, working to build shelters in New Orleans. When he heard

Internet Photo - Sackville Tribune PostGrade 11 and 12 students from Tantramar Regional High School help construct an affordable housing project as part of Habitat for Humanity Moncton and TEAM.

about the donated land and what the town was planning to do with it, he applied to include his students in the project, hoping that it would give his students hands-on experience with construction. Chair of the Tantramar Efficient and Affordable Model (TEAM) committee Tracey Wade is one of the main overseers of this project, and was approached by MacIsaac to allow for student involvement with the project. Wade was not available for comment at the time this article was released.

In addition to the high school students, MacIsaac says that they are looking for involvement from students at Mount Allison, as a possible summer volunteer project. Students from Mount Allison have already done fundraising for the project under the guidance of Tracey Wade and through Leadership Mount Allison. In addition to this group, the Student Administrative Council donated $20,000 through their Green Investment Fund to support incorporation of energy efficient construction into the building. The continued involvement of students at Mount Allison is now being encouraged, and MacIsaac hopes that it increases as the project moves forward. The house is scheduled to be moved to its foundation for further construction this April.

4 February 16, 2012 [email protected]

On February 8, the SAC convened for what has been one of the more spirited evenings of the year. The Council discussed a number of important student issues, including the conditional contract renewal of VP International and Student Affairs position, the possible creation of a SAC app, and the elimination of the International Sutdent Councilor position.

SAC discusses Byrne’s renewal, MountApps and International Councillors

Alex MacDonald

Op/Ed Editor

This week in the world

VP International and Student Affairs contract renewal

The Student Administrative Council (SAC) unanimously supported the renewal of the contract of VP International and Student Affairs Ron Byrne, passing the motion that the SAC “is supportive of the renewal of Ron Byrne only if this renewal is accompanied with a caveat of increased attention to residence assistant and house executive training, resources offered through the Meighen Centre, Leadership Mount Allison program, coordination between departments particularly during orientation, career services, um, those departments, as well as greater student engagement and increased opportunities for students to take part substantively

in decision-making processes.” The motion was amended to add “international students” as an area for Byrne to pay increased attention to in order for the SAC to approve his contract renewal. No details were given as to how these caveats would be enforced by the SAC under the conditional approval.

MountApps smartphone application

Next the Council heard a presentation from MountApps, a student-business that aimed to develop a smartphone application for iPhones and Androids at a cost of $3,500 plus tax. This is down from previous week’s estimated cost of $18,000. After President Joyce made the motion to pursue the creation of a SAC app, great debate ensued

within the Council. Vice-President Communications Julie Stephenson described the app proposal in the context of a SAC website that is in need of serious work, proclaiming that “it’s not the best time” for this venture. After discussion went back and forth, Council voted nearly unanimously against the original motion, including Joyce, with one abstention.

Position of International Student Councillor eliminated

Council’s discussion shifted to a proposal from International Student Councillor Mitali Sharan, who requested that the SAC create a new standing committee dedicated to international student issues, and appoint an international student

coordinator with the intention that Council eliminate the elected International Student Councillor. This action received support from Vice-President Finance and Operations Pat Losier, who defended the elimination of a voting position for international students, claiming that the SAC is “not disenfranchising international students.” Joyce added that this decision would create a “more substantive channel” for international students to express and discuss concerns. Discussion focused on the role international students could or should play on the committee, on the role of the international student coordinator, and on the hiring committee that would create the committee and coordinator. Councillor Stephen Spence called the question, forcing a vote that passed with only two votes in opposition.

It’s not really a choice. If you forgo university, you have to choose not to do what you may have always wanted to do.

Dr. Fabrizio AntonelliMount Allison Sociology

Professor

Increasing tuition rates linked to anxiety, insomnia in university students

Continued from cover

to say that most students have the unfortunate burden of having to gain even further education to work in their desired field. “It’s not really a choice,” he said. “If you forgo university, you have to choose not to do what you may have always wanted to.” If you do go to university, upon graduation, “the work you will take will be what is going to pay because you can’t afford not to,” comments Antonelli. This would mean that you would effectively undermine the work you did at university just to pay off the debt you incurred to be there.

“It’s a terrible situation where a student has to choose what they do based on finances,” Antonelli said, calling the expectations put on students unrealistic.

“Students are expected to foot the bill for their own training and the employers benefit,”

he said, calling the government nearsighted for not funding the institutions to train people in the skills that would benefit them directly. Comparing university students to indentured servants, Antonelli concluded, “It’s quite terrifying that this is happening.”

According to the Canadian Federation of Students, there is

currently $15 billion in federal loans owed by students across the country, and this impacts students in places other than their pockets.

According to information on the CFS website, “[r]esearch from the United Kingdom on student debt and mental health found that students with a high degree of financial worry showed greater levels of tension, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.” The report also concluded that “debt is responsible for lower levels of university and college completion.”

Recent Statistics Canada reports show that Canadian full-time students in undergraduate programs this fall paid four per cent more on average in tuition fees for the 2010-2011 academic year than they did a year earlier. Tuition has increased as low as 1.5 percent in some provinces and as high as 5.4 per cent in others. On average, undergraduate students paid $5,138 in tuition fees in 2010-2011 compared with $4,942 a year earlier. This increase is slightly higher than the one for 2009-2010, when tuition fees rose 3.6 per cent. Fees for international undergraduate students have also increased substantially, shooting up 5.2 per cent over the previous year.

Internet Photo - Dr. Boyce College Finance

A weekly compilation by Scott Green

Poverty rates on the rise in NigeriaThe poverty rate in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is on the rise. The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics has reported that nearly sixty-one per cent of the population of Nigeria was living in “absolute poverty” in 2010, compared with 54.7 per cent in 2004. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with over 167 million inhabitants, and this latest report suggests that over 112 million of those individuals are living on less than one US dollar a day. Nigeria is Africa’s largest producer of oil.

Vodka good for problem solving?A new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago reports that vodka can boost creativity in men. The study reports that men who drink enough vodka to render themselves intoxicated are more resourceful in verbal problem solving than men who are sober. The team that performed this study have proposed that the reason for this result stems from the loosening of a person’s attention, which is a result of alcohol, in combination with the fact that existing memory seems unaffected by the substance.

Whitney Houston found deadMusic and film star Whitney Houston was reported dead this past Saturday at the age of forty-eight. She was reportedly found unconscious, underwater in her bathtub in a Los Angeles hotel room. Ms. Houston was

one of the most prolific musical artists of the 1980s and 1990s, selling over 170 million records worldwide. She was a six time Grammy award winner and a twenty-six time nominee. Along with her music career, she also starred in five major motion pictures, including “The Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner in 1992.

US &North Korea Resume TalksAn envoy from the United States is scheduled to meet with officials representing North Korea next week in hopes of convincing the state government to abandon its nuclear program. US official Glyn Davies, the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, will meet with the North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan in Beijing on Feb. 23. This meeting will be the first between these two states since the death of North Korea’s former leader Kim Jong Il in December. Internet Photo - US Weekly

Argosy Correspondent

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 5NEWS

Some 250,000 signatures were delivered to Apple’s New York store February 9 to demand improved working conditions in Chinese supply factories that make iPhones and iPads. In the past three years, there has been a growing amount of media coverage on suicides of factory workers of Apple’s largest supplier, Foxconn Technology. As of 2011, there have been seventeen reported suicides of Foxconn workers assembling Apple products. Foxconn is a supplier for many

A bite out of Apple

Julie Melanson


Internet Photo (left) - Sumono’s Blog; Internet Photo (right) - Cosmological Cabbage Blogspot

Apple has come under intense criticism after reports of dire working conditions, leading to an estimated seventeen suicides, in their Chinese supply factory Foxconn.

Administration shuts down student protest McGill students occupy offices after rejection of referendum voteRachel Gardner

Carrying party hats, music, and streamers, McGill University students occupied the James Administration Building from February 7 to 12 in response to administrative rejection of the fall student referenda that supported the continued funding of CKUT radio and QPIRG – the Quebec Public Interest Research Group. Around twenty students hosted a ‘surprise resignation party’ for McGill Deputy Provost Student Life and Learning Morton Mendelson, staging a sit-in in his office with the demands that one, the fall referenda be recognized and two, that Mendelson resign from his position. The protests ended peacefully on Sunday, as the

News Editor

remaining nine students left the offices under the supervision of the Montreal police.

Student occupiers refused to meet and discuss their original demands with McGill administration during the protest. “We have these discussions over and over,” stated student protester Micha Stettin to The McGill Daily. “The point is all these decision come to nothing.” Stettin commented that they would only carry out discussions with administration if they met their demands. “We came to have a party,” stated Stettin. “This party has certain objectives. If they want to talk about those two specific objectives, specifically meeting those two specific objectives, then we can talk a lot. If not, we don’t have very much to say.”

During their occupation, students were unable to get new food supplies or access bathrooms. McGill administration released a statement after the end of the occupation on Sunday outlining a number of conditions that had to be met before administration would allow demonstrations or protests.

The November 2011 referendum had a 24.7 per cent turnout, with quorum at a mandatory fifteen per cent. When asked if QPRIG

McGill and CKUT Radio should continue to receive student funding, and if students should be allowed to opt-out of these fees in person rather than online, 65.5 per cent of student voters approved the existence of QPRIG, and 72.3 per cent approved the existence of CKUT radio.

The University has stated that the wording of this referendum question was confusing, particularly surrounding the option to opt-out of the funding, and is pushing for a second referendum. McGill Vice-Principal of Administration and Finance Michael Di Grappa stated that the University had been in discussions with CKUT and QPIRG regarding the referenda questions since before the student occupation.

At Mount Allison, student media organizations are funded through student levies, without the option to opt-out of these fees. CHMA Station Manager Pierre Malloy states that this allows for independent media, which promotes discussion and free thinking. “We are fortunate to be at a university where people decide to support the good things they like as a group and remain involved to make

sure it keep doing good things, because opting out of independent media is never a good idea,” said CHMA Station Manager Pierre Malloy. “Independent media is vitally important… I don’t ever want to have to listen to Wal-Mart Radio for information about the community.”

While there has been a fair amount of support for the students who occupied the James Administration Building offices, 408 students have signed an open letter to the McGill administration, SSMU, and PGSS in opposition to these protesters actions. ”We believe that the proper response to conflicts between students and the university administration is to improve the existing consultative infrastructure and use it effectively to ensure the opinions of the student body are incorporated within the decision-making processes on campus,” states the open letter, written by third-year McGill student Harmoon Moon. “Immediately resorting to protest and occupation each time a conflict arises is not a sustainable form of engagement.” Over 2,100 people are members of the Facebook group entitled, “The James sixth Floor occupiers do NOT represent me.”

different technology companies including Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Nintendo, Nokia, Amazon, and Samsung. The company is also China’s largest exporter and one of the nation’s biggest e m p l o y e r s with over 1.2 million workers. A c c u s a t i o n s against Foxconn i n c l u d e o v e r w o r k i n g their employees to the point that their legs swell, making it difficult to stand, forcing them to work two consecutive twelve hour shifts, and making them use unsafe, cheap chemicals for cleaning their products. In 2011, after fourteen suicides and eighteen attempts, the company raised wages to 1,200 yuan a month, the equivalent of about

Petition demands change in supply factory working conditions

$315 US, and set up an in-house counselling service.

Within seven months in 2011, there were two explosions at iPad factories, injuring seventy-seven

and killing four workers. The previous year, allegedly 137 workers at a Foxconn Te c h n o l o g y factory were ill because they were made to use a poisonous chemical to clean iPhone s c r e e n s . S t u d e n t s

and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM), a non-profit organization devoted to monitoring corporate behaviour and advocating for worker’s rights, claims to have given a report to Apple before these explosions occurred warning

them of their hazardous conditions.One of the most famous cases

against Foxconn Technology was in July 2009, when communications worker, Sun Danyong, committed suicide after losing a prototype for the iPhone 4G. He jumped off his twelve-story apartment building not long after he realized his error. After the press release of his suicide, Apple issued a statement stating that the company “requires our suppliers to treat all workers with dignity and respect”.

One of Mount Allison’s economic professors, Dr. Frank Strain believes that consumers and journalists need to take a hard look at the statistics. “The incentives for an employee of Foxconn to commit suicide seem much higher than for the population of China as a whole,” comments Strain. “Employees get a death benefit that goes to their family. Not many jobs in China give suicidal people a way of compensating their families for their choice to end their

life”.Sociology Professor Fabrizio

Antonelli states that this case is a clear example of multinational corporations moving to countries with less stringent domestic laws to supply cheap labour, and thus, cheap products. “It is pretty clear that this is the responsibility of Apple,” comments Antonelli. “It is not an accident that they set up shop in countries where they can avoid labour laws and practices that help protect workers. They know what is going on in these countries, so why don’t they move out to places where there are more strict labour laws? If this truly offended Apple, they have the power to move operations.” Antonelli points to Apple’s profits as proof of the corporation’s ability to make change. “Apple recorded a $13 billion quarterly profit. I don’t think that labour safety and costs would cut too deep into that profit margin… This is a layered and complex process of global exploitation.”

It is not an accident that they set up shop in countries where they can avoid labour laws and practices that help protect worrkers.

Dr. Fabrizio AntonelliMount Allison Sociology

Professor

FEATURES February 16, 2012 [email protected]

Cranberry, chocolate and pretzel granola barsHaruho Kubota

Some people share Valentine’s Day with their sweetheart, some spend time with good friends, others stay at home and enjoy alone time. Sometimes this holiday seems overrated—as if, in order to appreciate this day, a partner is necessary. However, when I looked up the historical context of this time for lovers, it made me reevaluate the importance of Valentine’s Day.

Rather than being upset over not having the option to show my affection toward a special person, I decided to make something sweet for


those who have impacted my life. For those who have taken time to write notes to me, telling me how much they care about me; for those who have helped me get through some of the hardest times; for those I want to thank for being my friend. I decided to make homemade granola bars. It’s very easy to make and not too costly.Directions:

1. Melt butter in pot with brown sugar on stove top. Once melted, turn off heat and add in

Photo Credit

Bistro 96: A reviewA student’s favourite; homemade food and cheap beer

John Fraser

Sackville’s many different downtown dining options are well known to students. Whether it’s a pint at Ducky’s Pub or a cuppa at Bridge Street Cafe, most students are well acquainted with the eateries around Sackville’s main intersection.

A new restaurant that is not often considered—due in part to confusion—is Bistro 96 at 96 Main Street. The spot is quickly becoming a force to contend with as it eases its way into the lives of Sackville residents.

I first entered Bistro 96 on January 16 while they were hosting an open art gallery for one of Mount Allison’s fourth-year Fine Art students, Shuang Liang. The full space of the restaurant was converted to viewing space for the showing, and house appetizers were provided by the restaurant. After a conversation with the owner, I was surprised to discover what Bistro 96 is offering the community. After going to Bistro 96 this past week and having a taste from the menu, I have the full verdict on the latest local restaurant on the block.

Bistro 96’s menu offers a large smattering of

Staff Writer

different options. From burgers to pizza, pasta to salads, pitas to appetizers—you name it—the place is a classic Canadian restaurant full of variation. They boast an interior design that is light, minimal and classy; this adds to the casual atmosphere and gives a comfortable-simplicity air to the place.

If anything can be said of Bistro 96, it is that they value their source of food—from homemade tzatziki sauce for pitas to whole wheat grain

items—which is prepared in house; they make most of their own sauces, dress their own meat and more. This gives the overall restaurant a genuine feel: you can taste the homemade freshness of your meal instead of wondering how long that steak’s been marinated, frozen, delivered, and then chilling in that deepfreeze before making it to your table.

The food is very good, with well balanced and wholesome flavours. I tried a variety of dishes

Fiona CaiWondering about the food at Bistro 96? Argosy writer John Fraser has the scoop.

including lemon potatoes, burgers, pizza, pita chips, chicken souvlaki and Irish nachos. The restaurant uses a special secret blend of spices to enhance the flavour of the meat, which made the burger all the more delicious. It was little touches like these that really brought the flavour of the food out and made each piece a tasty exploration overall. The restaurant also boasts an impressive amount of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. For nearly anything made with bread they have a gluten-free alternative, and also make pasta using rice based noodles.

As students, menu prices are the biggest determining factor of where we eat, but your wallet won’t shudder when you get your bill at Bistro 96. All the appetizers fit within the seven to eleven dollar range, and full meals run from nine to fourteen dollars. For many of the meals, a large plate or platter will accommodate your order. On top of that, Bistro 96 has a very fair price for alcohol: four dollars will get you any drink, be it beer, wine, shots or a cocktail. The restaurant is currently boasting house wine from the oldest winery in New Brunswick, as well as blueberry, red and amber ales. A small qualm for the beverages, however, is that they are not operating on tap.

In addition, Bistro 96 has been sending food donations to those in need, and is hoping to one day open their doors to local farmers to sell their produce at the Farmer’s Market. Bistro 96 is a restaurant worth trying. It offers a tasty spin on homemade food and is a fantastic alternative for those looking for a great place to dine.

Ingredients

2 cups oats1 cup brown sugar1 stick of butter2 tbs honey1/4 cup crushed pretzels1/4 dried cranberries1/2 chocolate chips1/4 almonds3 tbs peanut butter (optional)Some icing 9x13 inch baking pan Makes about 20 bars

oats and honey and stir. Add in crushed pretzels, cranberries, chocolate chips, almonds until combined (you can do this right in the pot).

**If you like peanut butter add it in here.2. Pour ingredients into pan, pat down with

spatula and cool in freezer for about twenty minutes.

3. Cut into the bars and decorate with icing.For a 9 x 13 inch baking pan – about 20 bars.

The article “Sackville Hosts World Premiere of ‘Qapirangajuq” should have read “Sackville Hosts Atlantic Canada Premiere of ‘Qapirangajuq”; the film was released in 2010. In addition, the article erroneously reported that Sheila Watt-Cloutier won the Noble Peace Price. The correct information is that she was co-nominated for said award with Al Gore in 2007.The article “Gender-neutral washrooms in demand” incorrectly associated Dr. Erin Steuter with the quotation, “Of seventy-five washrooms on campus, there is only one accessible and gender neutral washroom on campus, and it has been out of order for months. Though there are some single stall washrooms at Mt. A, they are either gendered unnecessarily, reserved for staff, or are largely inaccessible due to location.” This quotation is in fact from a petition that is currently circulating Mount Allison, and was not said by Dr. Steuter.Sincere apologies for the inconvenience.

Correction

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 7FEATURES

By The Sexpert

Do bisexuals spread STIs more than other groups?Dear STI-Aware,Absolutely not. Stereotypes often view bisexuals as being attracted to every person they see, of both sexes, and incapable of maintaining monogamous relationships. As such, bisexuals are often scapegoated for carrying STIs from one sex to the next. Contrary to mass societal-assumptions, being bisexual doesn’t mean having to be involved with both a man and a woman at the same time. Just like anyone else, bisexuals are capable of one-on-one, exclusive involvement. In short, sexual orientation does not increase the transmission of STIs, behaviour does.

Is it true that swallowing semen is really good for your hair and teeth? Dear Natural Nutrition,Semen also increases your metabolism, reduces acne, and increases the production of brain cells if you’re silly enough to believe it. If your male partner was the one to feed you this tale, it was only with the hope that you would fall on your knees and go at it for the sake of glossy locks and pearly whites. However, a benefit of semen is protein, but it doesn’t even have that much—its protein amount is roughly equivalent to the egg white of a large egg, so if you’re hoping to up your protein intake by a lot, you may as well buy a carton of cheap eggs at the store and save yourself an awfully sore mouth.

If I have a yeast infection, can my guy get it too?Dear Irritated Vagina,My sympathies. Sharing juices means sharing germs. If a woman enjoys sexual contact with a partner in the midst of a yeast infection, her partner will most likely catch it. Cue “jock itch” for the men: a nasty rash in the scrotal sac. But not so fast, it’s not the end of the world. These fungal infections are quite common, so over the counter help is easily accessible. So Irritated Vagina, I would suggest holding off until both you and your partner—who may be re-infecting you if your infections are frequent—are yeast free. But remember, yeast infections in the throat are no picnic, so cross out oral too.

How come when I’m drinking and in the mood, my Johnson passes out?Dear Sir Flopping,As Shakespeare once said, alcohol makes a man and mars him, it “sets him on and it takes him off.” Brewer’s droop is quite common, and definitely caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Though it can boost your libido and ego, it can also loosen you up, a little too much, since alcohol is a nervous system depressant. Stick to the bare minimum of booze if you’re planning to maintain an erection.

Every Wednesday and Friday, six Mount Allison students kick, punch and kung fu their way through Abboud Farah’s martial arts class in the studio of the Fitness Centre.

“I really liked martial arts and any kind of self-defence when I was little, so [the class] was a good opportunity for me,” said first-year student Bowen Xu, one of the hardworking participants in Farah’s kickboxing class.

To the untrained eye, Golden Dragon kung fu looks like karate with closed fists and some kickboxing moves. However, Gold Dragon kung fu is an effective self-defence training method and is featured in competitions across the globe.

Mt. A student Phil Nguyan initially took the class because it seemed like “something interesting to take.” Nguyan explained that the class teaches students how to defend themselves against attackers by incorporating kickboxing rules, ju-jitsu, basic maneuvers and fitness training into traditional kung fu.

No bodyguard necessaryAnissa Stambouli

Features Editor

Submitted Photos/Abboud Farah

The future of Humanities according to Dr. Martin Willis

Continued from Cover

Essentially, Humanities as an academic discipline is the study of the human condition. Methods are analytical, critical, or speculative.

Willis argued that this is due to the rising belief that academic research should be done solely to solve specific problems. “Knowledge has become increasingly utilitarian,” he said, “It must earn its own keep.” The Sciences have become very apt at meeting this challenge, using interdisciplinary research to work to try and solve complex problems like climate change.

This type of interdisciplinary work involves having a single question, with success being determined by the usefulness of results. When it comes to the Sciences, “‘Interdisciplinary’ is no longer about the cross-fertilization

of knowledge . . . rather now, the new interdisciplinary is talking about it in a utilitarian way,” stated Willis.

The problem for the Humanities is that they are not viewed as utilitarian—directly useful—like the Sciences. “The Humanities offer us insight into everything,” explained Willis. This can be a double edged sword, however, as often the “Humanities are seen as [being] about everything and therefore about nothing.”

This matter is further complicated, as many universities define and categorize the Humanities differently. For example, Mt. A’s Humanities are considered separate from the Arts and Letters, as well as the Social Sciences; on the other hand, universities like Dalhousie group the Arts and Humanities together.

There is increasing pressure on universities to provide research to end

current crises, and so funding tends to be directed toward Sciences which can hopefully offer direct, tangible solutions. Because of this, it is often assumed that the Humanities should take a more scientific approach to research, and use interdisciplinarity in a similar way. “The methods of discovery that are employed by the Sciences are being imposed on the Humanities,” said Willis, “the Humanities are being forced to work in Science’s territory.”

Willis stressed that the humanities shouldn’t try to focus on finding singular answers, but rather, on the multiplicity and messiness of today’s age. According to Willis, a key part of the Humanities is that “there is more than one kind of truth available to us . . . Interdisciplinarity does illuminate that the Humanities are best prepared to deal with the vast complexities of the modern world.”

Recently Farah taught the class how to defend against a knife in combat, using pens for practice. “Even if I’m not going to continue in the sport [competitively], it’s nice to know [how to defend myself ],” Nguyan told The Argosy.

Farah arrived in Sackville last year to reunite with his father Moussa Farah, the owner of Home Alone Pizza, who left Lebanon as a refugee in 2001. Due to unfortunate immigration complications, Moussa Farah’s family was unable to follow or see him for ten years. Finally reunited in 2010, the Farah family established a new home in Sackville.

Having practiced martial arts since boyhood, Farah had already earned credentials as a Golden Dragon instructor, and had experience serving the Lebanese Army through the Red Cross, by the time he arrived in Canada. Farah explained that Gold Dragon comes from kung fu wushu, which was adapted by combining kickboxing techniques, karate and more. “Change the hand position from open, to closed,” like boxing techniques, he explained, while maintaining the same kata—choreographed patterns of

movements—of the traditional kung fu style.

As a full-time Biochemistry student at Mt. A, Farah gathered peers from his program and other participants for his kickboxing class through word of mouth. Participants began training with white belts when the class launched in the fall semester of 2011.

After familiarizing his students with kata and theory throughout the semester , Farah has participants face each other in mock-combat in order to assess their application of lesson material and observe their strengths and weaknesses. “When you watch your students practice, you see what techniques they used from the information you gave them, and what [techniques] they missed,” said Farah.

Because the class is small, Farah is able to work more intensely with each individual. In mock-combats, Farah frequently interrupts to share tips and constructive criticism: “I try to make their strengths better—more powerful,” he explained. Farah also draws attention to an individual’s weaknesses, telling the individual’s opponent to focus their attack on weak areas so that the individual will

become aware of what parts of the body they are failing to protect. That way, the individual will learn, through action, to defend him or herself properly.

Now in their fourth month of training, Farah’s class will be testing for their yellow belts on February 24. If his class ascends to yellow belt status, Farah hopes to introduce them to martial arts clubs in surrounding areas in order to compare training techniques.

In addition, Farah hopes to bring his Master, Ghassan Maghames, to Mt. A for a two to three day seminar that will be open to martial arts clubs in the area. Maghames, who teaches at Premier Martial Arts in Texas, is a fifth-degree black belt and was the first Lebanese Black Belt Kung Fu champion. The seminar will mostly involve demonstrations featuring kata, not tournament combat.

Farah concluded by encouraging Mt. A students to join the class regardless of when they begin in the semester, as he is able to teach varying belt-levels simultaneously. Classes run every Wednesday, 3:30-4:30pm, and Friday 5:30-6:30pm in the fitness studio of the Fitness Centre.

Mt. A prides itself on its interdisciplinary programs, and Dr. Willis was quick to praise the work of the CultureWorks conference and other research in the Humanities. Willis concluded by saying, “Where we are, why we are here, what does it mean to be human: these are all questions for the Humanities.”

CultureWorks is a three-year, Mt. A. based research program that focuses on taking different approaches to the study of culture and community. With representatives from the Fine Arts, Music, Commerce and Theatre departments, CultureWorks attempts an interdisciplinary approach to research and creative activity at Mt. A. The conference focused on celebrating the accomplishments of CultureWorks and ended with Willis’ keynote address at the Owens Art Gallery.

8 February 16, 2012 [email protected] FEATURES

The effectiveness of alternative medicineHomeopathy: A backward step in the realm of science, or a leap forward in the world of medicine?

Elise Dolinsky

Thinking of a career in medicine? You might want to consider going into the field of alternative medicine which, according to Dr. Ravi Kancharia, is “one of the fastest growing and most needed industries.”

While conventional doctors often think of homeopathic medicine as ineffective or merely a placebo, Kancharia stressed that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mount Allison’s Health Matters society sponsored a lecture by Kancharia on February 13 in the Wu Centre, where he discussed the importance of alternative medicine and its value.

Homeopathic medicine as we know it today is credited to the nineteenth century German doctor Samuel Hahnemann. He was the first doctor to advocate for better hygiene in hospitals, and one of the first to allude to the importance of the immune system. Initially, many doctors mocked this, but “now in the twenty-first century everything is about the immune system,” said Kancharia.

Homeopathic medicine was very popular at the turn of the twentieth century, but with the discovery of penicillin in 1928, the Western world seems to have lost touch with the concept. However, India still values homeopathic medicine, with Kancharia claiming that roughly fifty to sixty per cent of people are choosing homeopathic over conventional medicine.

One could argue that the wide use of alternative medicine in India is based on the assumption that it is more affordable than conventional medical care. However, in 2007 the Disease Control Priorities Project claimed that several studies shown homeopathic approaches costing the same if not more more

Features Writer

than conventional treatments for the same conditions, and therefore patients are seeking them out for reasons other than financial.

The goal of homeopathy is to understand how a disease works, how it applies to specific individuals, and how plants affect the body to counteract disease. There is a lot of focus on the individuality of each human body, as according to Kancharia, “each person may have similar symptoms but they do not react in the same way to the same disease.”

One of the basic concepts of homeopathy is that “similar treats similar” when it comes to medicine. For example, when someone has a fever, conventional medicine uses medication to treat the symptoms and repress the fever. According to Kancharia, treating the symptoms is not really solving the problem. With homeopathic medicine, doctors use herbs that can naturally increase blood circulation so that patients feel warmer. This boosts the body’s natural ability to fight off disease, and strengthens the immune system by treating the cause of the fever. “You have to start thinking differently to understand how homeopathy works,” said Kancharia, “We are addressing the main problem, not several symptoms . . . We look at the whole system—how the whole body works.”

Kancharia is a strong believer in the

effectiveness of homeopathic medicine, claiming that at his clinic, “we have practical results of every person getting better.” Homeopathic medicine is also very safe, and there is very little risk of negative side effects. “We are using 200 year old medicine and it is still effective,” said Kancharia, “this doesn’t really happen with conventional medicine.”

Kancharia received his Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery in India which he completed before moving to Canada eleven years ago. In India homeopathic doctors go through the same kind of rigorous education as conventional doctors. However, in Canada there are no formal homeopathy-focused universities, and courses taught in homeopathy are very theoretically based, so that students have little access to regular clinical medicine. Because of this, in Canada “it’s not fully understood how [this medicine] works on the body,” said Kancharia, “You have to understand how the body really functions to practice medicine.”

Kancharia is currently working as a homeopathic consultant at the Homeopathy Health Plus clinic in Moncton.

InternetPhoto/The PatientExperience

Since the advent of the Internet, and certainly Facebook, we have been introduced to the concept of things “going viral”—articles, videos, songs that are launched into our collective awareness through reference, recommendation and repetition. One of the latest articles to go viral, especially in the Facebook realm, came from the Guardian: “Top five regrets of the dying”. A nurse working in palliative care, assisting patients in the last two to three months of their lives informally collected their last thoughts and reflections. Suggesting that we learn from the wisdom of those facing their imminent demise, she noted that common themes continually emerged, which she put into a book of observations titled The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. The most frequently cited regrets of the dying, phrased as wishes or changes that people would have been

made had they known earlier what they realized at the end of life, were the following: the courage to live for oneself and not for the expectations of others; to spend less time working; to spend more time with friends; to express feelings and emotions more openly; to be happier. Certainly these regrets come, one surmises, from the population with which the author was dealing as a nurse: primarily older men in a British culture who lived with certain e x p e c t a t i o n s of work and behaviour as determined by a previous generation of society.One might have hoped for the regrets to be a little different. Perhaps I speak from my Christian, or pastoral, perspective: one might hope for

regrets to have included more outward-looking, and less focus on one’s own satisfaction. One might hope to see regrets including a desire to have made a greater difference

in the world, or at least in one small corner of it; perhaps a worthy regret might be the desire to have done more for others, to have given more away, to have worried less about possessions and more about contributions, to be more socially or politically involved, to have strived to make the world a slightly

better place.This does raise, for me, the question of what our own regrets might be if we were to think back over our lives with the prospect of our imminent death looming over us. What would

Rev. John C. Perkin

University Chaplain

we want to have done different, what are the things we really value and spend our energies pursuing—and are they the things in which we really want to invest ourselves?With the Christian season of Lent coming up—Ash Wednesday on February 22—many of us begin to think about the Lenten sacrifice of surrender, giving something up for that six week period of time. Whether active Christians or not, many people choose Lent as a time to give something up. A time of devotion and focus on one’s spiritual life, the Lenten sacrifice is part of one’s spiritual journey into the mystery of God and into the fullness of life. Giving something up is intended to enhance that journey and the experience of life.Perhaps it is time to give up waiting until we have more money or more time, or more personal goods before we start giving those things away, offering donations to causes that matter, giving time to causes that need our assistance, surrendering possessions we don’t use to those

who need them more. Later in life it might be too late, as there are needs now, in our community, our nation, our world. Don’t wait until you have more to give: start giving now. Give up waiting until there is a challenge in life to be met, or until you have all those questions and doubts resolved. Live with the doubts and raise questions, and don’t wait to be involved in a community of faith until you have all the answers. The community is the place for asking questions.For Lent this year, give up waiting. Instead of giving up the inconsequential and the spiritually meaningless—like chocolate, beer or Facebook—give up something that really matters, that will make a difference, that will help you find meaning in life. Give up waiting for more, and start experiencing the now. Give up waiting, and enjoy what you have now, give it away now, love it now, use it now, share it now. And start living in this season of Lent, and every day afterwards.

Instead of giving up the inconsequential and the spiritually meaningless [during Lent] —like chocolate, beer or Facebook—give up something that really matters, that will make a difference, that will help you find meaning in life.

Through Stained Glass

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ARTS & LITThe Argosy www.argosy.ca

Mount Allison alumna, Anna Pidgorna, has been given the experience of a lifetime. The composition student, currently pursuing a Masters of Music degree at the University of Calgary, has won a spot in an exclusive workshop in New York. The week long intensive will culminate with the premier of Pidgorna’s piece at legendary

Mount Allison alumna to be featured at Carnegie Hall

Joel Young

Arts and Literature Writer

Carnegie Hall.From March 6- 12, six chosen

composers and seven string players will gather in New York to participate in the workshop. It will be led by Finnish Composer and Grammy award winner, Kaija Saariaho. The musicians will receive workshops from their mentors and work closely with their respective composers or performers. At the end of the week, the pieces will be performed at Carnegie Hall.

Pidgorna’s composition for the workshop is a piece for solo cello entitled The Child, bringer of light. It will be performed by up and coming cellist Paul Dwyer.

“[The piece] was inspired by Carl Jung’s archetype of the Child, which appears in myriad myths and stories. The Child is born in unusual circumstances, as if from mother nature herself. He finds himself alone

and struggles against the darkness within and around him to bring light into the world,” said Pidgorna.

She notes that she aimed to create a piece designed specifically for the cello and, that could not be played on any other instrument.

This will be Pidgorna’s second international performance, and she said she is honored that the work will be performed at Carnegie Hall.

“When I found out that I got accepted into the workshop, I spent about 10 minutes jumping around my apartment and squealing.” She adds that “Kaija Saariaho also happens to be one of my favorite composers so to have a chance to study with her for a week is unbelievable.”

But Pidgorna’s successes don’t stop there. Her piece for solo free-bass accordion recently garnered a spot as part of the Canadian submission to the International Society for

Contemporary Music World Music Days 2013.

World Music Days is a festival presented by the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). Each year, the organization puts out a call for original pieces for the upcoming festival, and each country may submit several pieces as part of their official national submission. One piece from each submission will be included in the festival. Pidgorna’s piece Light-play through curtain holes has been selected by the Canadian section as part of their official submission to the festival. It will be included on the Canadian demo CD for World Music Days, and may be featured in the festival itself.

Future plans for Pidgorna include participating in another composition workshop being held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. It will take

place in June, also culminating in a premiere. For this workshop, she will be composing a piece for a 12-person ensemble.

Pidgorna’s work will bring her back to the Maritimes for the premier of her newest mini-opera for solo voice and electronics, Mirror Mirror. It will be held in Halifax on February 18. The opera was inspired by the story of Snow White, and explores the relationship between her and the Queen. It will be performed by Janice Jackson as part of the Oscillations Festival, at Gallery 2053 located at 2053 Gottingen Street, Halifax. Check it out for some great reading week entertainment. For more information, visit oscillations.ca

For more information about Anna Pidgorma and her music, visit http://soundcloud.com/annapidgorna

Composer gains international recognition at Carnegie Hall

Student Art SubmissionsAre you an artist? Do you have a painting, print, drawing or photograph you’d like the world to see? If so, submit your masterpiece to [email protected] for a chance to appear in next week’s issue of The Argosy.

This week’s student art submission are two original pieces by Fine Arts student Fiona Cai.

Jon Juane dances like nobody’s watchingOttawa resident takes on Ellen Degeneres’ Dance Dare

Julia McMillan

Would you notice if right now, at this very moment, someone was dancing their heart out behind you? Ellen DeGeneres and Ottawa resident Jon Juane have taken it upon themselves to find out.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres recently presented her fans with a <insert dance pun here> challenge: She has dared her viewers to create “hidden” dance videos, wherein people get their groove on in public places, without being noticed by the


people around them. The winner of the challenge will receive an $100 gift card and a chance to appear on the Ellen Show.

Jon Juane immediately knew this dare was for him. He created a gut-splittingly hilarious video of himself prancing and grinding his way around the Rideau Canal and throughout Parliament building, all the while going unnoticed (or ignored) by the public. The video has now received close to 40, 000 youtube views.

“I just thought the whole thing sounded hilarious, daring and brilliant! I had to participate. I’m a huge HUGE fan of Target, and the $100 gift card was major incentive. The chance to be on the Ellen Show was pretty amazing too,” said Juane.

Juane works in Ottawa as marketing officer for Service Canada. His dance moves prove that even bureaucrats can have a wild side too.

In the video, Juane shows off some of Canada’s most historic landmarks.

He busts out his best moves in front of the eternal flame outside Parliament building. A large group of girls gathered in front of him are completely oblivious to the leaping and pirouetting man wearing a neon blue sweater directly behind them.

Juan notes that the dance dare is an important reminder that people can’t always take life too seriousl=y.

“I think the challenge is important because in midst of all of the heavy stuff people go through on a daily basis, no matter what your age is, it’s important to laugh and enjoy life. “ Juan tells The Argosy. “Sometimes, I think it’s important to be silly.”

Juan hopes the video will help him land a spot on the hit TV show. In an interview with the Ottawa citizen,

Jon Juane busts a move in the Parliamentary library for Ellen’s Dance Dare challenge.

InternetPhoto/Ottawa Citizen

the dancing king stated that “I don’t need to be on her show, but it’s pretty much what I’m destined to do,” he said. “Some people are born to do something and I was born to do this.”

On a more serious note, he told The Argosy that “I would absolutely love the chance to meet [ Ellen] and be on her show! I think the way she brings joy and hope to people who are in desperate need of it, is something truly

inspiring and I try to do the same with the resources I have in my life.”

To see Juane droppin’ low in parliament building, search him on youtube under the name “Ellen’s Dance Dare heats up in Ottawa, Canada.”

“It’s important to laugh and enjoy life. Sometimes it’s just important to be silly”

Jon JuaneEllen’s Dance Dare

Challenge Participant

10 February 16, 2012 [email protected] & LIT

activism theatre that is simultaneously entertaining and educational. This sort of collaborative process allows the actors to feel a sense of ownership over the play, exercise their own creativity, and create a play that matters to them.

Second year student Natalie Brunet said the collaborative process was one of the most enjoyable parts of being involved in Tintamarre.

“It’s so important to feel like you’re able to contribute to the show, “ said Brunet. “We work all year long, from September on, to make the show come together. We use a lot of improv to create the script.”

The props are extremely impressive and inventive. The set featured two cabin-like structures and the tree in the centre. The cast moved throughout the scenes seamlessly, allowing the audience to imagine them both inside the camp and out on the mountain. It was also interesting to see major characters doubled as props, like les arbustes and l’arbre. The lighting, designed by Justin Thomas, was brilliant. Sophisticated designs like the camp’s logo projected onto the backdrop, fire on the floor, and stars made the set come alive and fully transported the audience to Camp Quom-si-quom-ça. The costume designs by Cecilia Jennings were also noteworthy.

However, the show would not have been complete without the music. Fourth year student Eric Biskupski composed to the score. The last song of the evening was hands down the best part of the play, and you could hear audience members humming the tune as they left the theatre.

“I wanted to capture the spirit of camp and the spontaneous singing that happens there by writing all of the music acapella. It would seem insincere if there was a full band, “ said Biskupski. “The last song was intended to be the summation of all the songs in the play, and give a sense of triumph to the end of the performance.”

Even though the show is over, this is not the end for the cast of Tintamarre.

Camp! a success

Continued from Cover

Tintamarre’s production of Camp! about the need to embrace nature was a rousing success. The troupe will now take their show on the road for “Tintamarrathon,” performing in Maritime schools.

How to suit up like a gentlemanAdvice for men on how to dress to impress

Rosanna Leitner

To all the artists, athletes, business casual, lab-coat sporting and actors-listen up! Everyone is entitled to their own style and one should wear what makes them feel fly. In all seriousness though, men could use a few tips in fashion: keep these basic suggestions in mind and await whistles as you prance by.

Let us begin from the bottom and work our way to the top. The shoes (or lack of ) that you decide to wear will define your outfit. Many men (based on my observations) wear sneakers-with everything. A good pair of running shoes is a wise investment if you are hitting the gym. But


keep your kicks in the locker room and wear loafers or a pair of ankle-length boots (your feet do remain dry). If you want to remain in your comfort zone, a narrow sneaker such as Pumas still compliments a casual outfit. For a date, try the boathouse-style loafer or even a low-key dress shoe, brownie points are always scored when one wears polished foot attire.

Along with adequate footwear, one should wear properly fitted pants. I would like to stress the words PROPER and FITTED. Bottoms are meant to cover your derrière and quite frankly the jeans that the majority of men wear are below the cheeks, and that view should be left for a special someone. Classic, boot-cut jeans which hit your waist and fit loosely over your legs, are ideal. We don’t need to be exposed to everything. A dark wash is a preferable choice, even medium will be accepted. A light wash ruins the ensemble, unless you’re painting or doing something that involves stains; keep the light-wash out of public’s eye.

Trousers are also a good option and not just for classy events. Navy blue, dark brown or black

trousers pair well with a tailored shirt or polo. Keep in mind that one can experiment and express your personal style through the various fabrics: corduroy or even retro tweed pants are good options for the cooler months. Lastly fellows, can we keep the sweatpants for lounge wear and once-a-week? Women are aware of the comfort that sweats present and I admit to wearing them on a regular basis, however, balance it out with wearing hot to trot clothes the following day.

As you may be aware, the previous two snowfalls have brought out the winter jackets. Investing in a neutral coloured or navy peacoat is a wise choice. It keeps you warm and stylish and due to its classic tailoring, can be worn to class or out on a date. For those who prefer the sporty attire, purchase a versatile and size-appropriate ski jacket. Oversized jackets, or ripped-seamed shoulder wear, is something you should avoid.

Before you stop reading, the action of layering can also be applied to men. It is already done subconsciously when you wear a white undershirt under your t-shirt. Layering can be done with

cardigans, zip-up sweaters or a pullover. This season, sweaters with a larger collar and a few buttons coming down are trendy and look rather dashing. Sweatshirts, like sweatpants, should be worn sparingly. Under the sweater, try wearing a t-shirt with different necklines. A SMALL V-neck or scoop-neck is a surprising element compared to the regular cuts. Polo shirts polish a look up as well, and are attractive when paired with kaki slacks or dark-wash jeans.

To bring the ensemble to the next level, add some accessories. A belt, scarf, hat and even a bit of bling is acceptable if not overdone. Aside from a few additions, clothes without stains, vulgar language or wrinkles are widely accepted compared to the ketchup stained white t-shirt.

It should be stressed that one should wear what they are most comfortable in and what expresses them best as an individual. Adding a few new pieces to shake things up is never a bad idea, but most importantly strut your stuff with confidence (not ego) and a smile. Those two things cannot be bought.

Next issue? Bargain shopping 101!

The group is now preparing to take their show on the road, for their annual “Tintamarrathon.” Each year the troupe tours the Maritimes, presenting an adapted version of the play to schools in the region.

To learn more about Tintamarre or the Tintamarrathon, email Alex Fancy at [email protected].

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 11ARTS & LIT

On February 9 the campus was treated to the annual run of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. Crowds poured in to be entertained and informed as The Vagina Monologues kicked off to a fantastic start, selling out on the first and second nights. While each year the Monologues change slightly, their message remains the same and this years production had its own unique qualities that emphasized the excellence of the show.

If you walked into this show

Mount Allison celebrates female empowerment

John Fraser

Staff Writer

All-Black theatre company works hard this month

Joel Young

Montreal’s Black Theatre is undergoing one of the busiest months in its history. This February, the company is performing more shows than there are days of the month. Now in its forty-first season, Canada’s longest standing professional black theatre company is now under the direction of a new artistic-director, and has no plans to slow down after over four decades.

Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) was incorporated as a non-profit company in 1972, and since then has been involved in spoken-word and innovated performance work, commercially viable productions, and plays by established Black and non-black playwrights. Since its inception, BTW has aimed to tell the often untold stories of Black Canadians. The company has its roots in Caribbean-Canadian

Arts and Literature Writer

culture – before becoming incorporated in 1972, BTW was known as the Trinidad and Tobago Drama Committee. BTW is currently the only all English-speaking black theatre company in Québec.

Dr. Clarence Bayne, a professor at Concordia University, was part of the group of young actors who formed BTW. In the late sixties, they became frustrated with the portrayal of Blacks and Caribbean peoples in mainstream theatre.

“We were quite angry at the fact that we didn’t take our culture seriously,” said Bayne in an interview with the CBC. “Once we started, we realized we had an audience.”

That audience has been proudly maintained over the years – about fifty per cent of the companies patrons are from Black or other visible minority communities, and rarely attend other professional theatre productions. The company’s new artistic director, Quincy Armorer – formerly a part of the Stratford Shakespeare festival – has ambitions to grow the repertoire

of the company’s plays. Armorer is hopeful in light of increasing funding cuts to all English language theatre in Québec.

The company is currently performing Dennis Foon’s play New Canadian Kid, a story about a young teen new to Canada who experiences bullying. The play is being performed forty times this February, mainly in schools throughout the city.

expecting to get away with listening to family friendly dialogue, you would be disappointed. Looking at the name and the assorted chocolate snacks that the show offers should be enough of a hint towards its nature. From the opening scenes of playful humour to the moving acts towards the end, the Vagina Monologues do not play hide and seek. It is full frontal exposure to the topic of female sexuality.

The acting in The Vagina Monologues was absolutely wonderful. The accents, the attitudes and the quirks of each character came alive and really made the audience feel the gravity of each performance. The narrations were well done and set a great backstory for each monologue. The social stigma of not talking about vagina’s was fully explored and used to great comedic advantage. The actresses really brought to life each character, with each one shedding light on the multi faceted issue of female sexuality. However, the acting

The Vagina Monologues set the stage for activism in theatre.

brought us further than that. While each woman was playing a character based in reality, we were made to see that the story they were telling was one that applied to them personally and to everyone who identifies as a woman in the audience that night. The personal connection that the characters establish throughout the show is what gives it real power.

The characters make the activism more important than the production itself.”This production is activism before theatre” stated Rosie Gripton, one of the directors of The Vagina Monologues. This statement may not seem true as the show begins, but as it progresses further the open sexual humour fades away and is replaced by ever darkening scenes that grabs the audience with shocking performance. This is something The Vagina Monologues did so well: it blended humorous acting with issues that are not to be laughed at, while not making the humour about those

serious issues. While we all laughed at the extreme display of moaning by the lesbian dominatrix (played by Alisa Haugen-Strand), there were also audible sniffles during the scenes depicting victimized women. The quivering arms thrown in pleasure could be replaced in the next scene with the quivering body of a young woman recounting the sexual abuse she experienced.

This was by no means detrimental, the message we received was clear: female sexuality is made to be a big part of female identity, and can either be empowered for the betterment of women or abused. This year’s production was unique because it also shed light on the trans-gender communities’ struggle to include themselves with a group they were not born into. Birth was also discussed in one of the monologues, as yet another fascination aspect of vaginas.

Furthermore, there was a larger focus on trying to get men to see the

show. We are hoping by next year to have it at thirty per cent male in the audience” said Caitlin Semchuck, one the show’s three producers. “This year we had fifteen per cent , which I think is just amazing!” As a man I couldn’t agree more. This is an issue which does not target men in hatred, but challenges us to be more responsible to the women around us.

The production is not just focused on raising awareness but also on promoting V-Day, or One billion rising. This event, scheduled to take place February 14, 2013 is a day where the world is going to be asked to rise and take a stand against violence towards women. The Vagina Monologues has already raised an astounding $3500.00 at their production here at Mount Allison. With splendid and raw acting it is not surprising. If every production of The Vagina Monologues were as rousing as this one, I can only imagine success in the future of the movement.

InternetPhoto/BlackTheatreCompany

Although it seems as though a single month is hardly enough to celebrate the immense breadth of Black history and culture in Canada, Black History Month is still a great chance to take a step back and look at the importance of Black culture in this country. A number of events are being held iat Mount Allison to celebrate Black History Month – a complete list can be found at mta.ca.

The Lives of Girls and WomenOpera Workshop examines women’s issue through songJulia McMillan

Above all else, operas are intended to tell stories in a moving and meaningful way. Helen Pridmore’s Opera Workshop, the Lives of Girls and Women, tells the stories of women’s struggles throughout history, beginning in the Classical era with Mozart’s Figaro, and continuing on into the Contemporary era.

Pridmore compiled a selection of pieces that highlighted strong women, rejecting the common theatrical depiction of women as complacent lovers, or subjects of the male gaze. Instead, she chose to showcase women dealing with sexual double standards, difficult divorces, and domestic violence. The performance seemed to emphasize the fact that although women


have been faced with the same issues throughout history, they have also asserted themselves as powerful forces and have fought to ward off stereotypes and gender limitations.

The evening opened with an all girl ensemble performing the Act III chorus from Mozart’s La Nozze di Figaro. The stage was filled with ladders of different sizes, which acted as versatile props throughout the night. However, the ladders were more than just a convenient staging technique. They were meant to represent the steps and barriers that face women, and how they must continually climb the metaphorical ladders to overcome the challenges in their lives. The ensemble characters also held up signs reading “ glass ceiling,” “unequal pay,” and “violence,” pointing out recurring women’s issues. The contemporary staging methods mixed with the classical music gave the impression that women’s struggles transcend time. It was an effective introduction

to the subsequent performances.Other stand out performances were Morgan

Traynor and Jessica Collins’ rendition of Act II from Madama Butterfly and a selection from To Hell and Back performed by Maura MacDonald and Ellory Clayton.

Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly highlights the traditional view of women as passive and subservient. In the scene, Butterfly eagerly awaits the return of her American lover; however,

unbeknownst to her, he has returned with his new wife and aims to reclaim his child whom he wants to take back to America. Traynor and Collins were both beautiful vocalists and their voices complimented each other. Their costumes and props added to the overall atmosphere of the performance, and helped the singers to become fully engaged in their characters.

To Hell and Back Again was the most moving performance of the evening. The contemporary opera tells the story of a woman whom her

husband has continually abused. The scene depicts the woman and her mother-in-law, to whom she is composing a letter detailing the events of her wedding day and describing how her husband raped her. The scene was difficult to watch, and was no doubt equally challenging to perform. Maura MacDonald portrayed the abused woman and became fully immersed in the role. Her high, clear voice was a lovely contrast to Ellory Clayton’s deep rich tones, and their harmonies were absolutely chilling. The overall effect of their performance was intense and powerful, and made for the evening’s most memorable performance.

Dr. Vanessa Oliver from the Department of Sociology gave an address to the audience entitled “ Thinking Women: Reflecting on Gender in Society.” She commented on the recurring issues women are faced with and how we must continue to strive to change social stigmas regarding the roles of women in modern society. The address incorporated the themes present in the operatic performances, and forced the audience to consider what womanhood means to them.

Pridmore compiled a selection of pieces that highlighted strong women, rejecting the common theatrical depiction of women.

ENT. February 16, 2012 [email protected]

Marine DreamsMarine Dreams

The Just BarelysMad Bits

The DarcysAJA

Blunts and RosesBlunts and Roses

Money in The Banana StandGiant Steps II

The Darcys’ latest release, AJA, was a treat for my ears from start to finish. Filled with a dreamy yet dark and mysterious sound, the group never sounds stale or inauthentic. There is a distinctly old fashioned aesthetic to the music, even though it’s infused with dissonant minor keys and Radiohead-esque melodies. In truth, the song will take you right back to your teenage days of pining over Thom Yorke and listening exclusively to his lazy crooning (that wasn’t just me, right?). Radiohead’s influence is evident throughout the band’s languid tempos, layered with subtle hints of electronica. Add more gravely vocals, and substitute British band members for Canadians, and you have The Darcys. The album was actually inspired by Steely Dan’s 1977 studio masterpiece, and you can definitely sense their old school style seeping into the music. I feel that after listening to “Deacon Blues” and “Josie,” the 1970s rock band would be proud to have set the stage for this album, and would give The Darcys their nod of approval.

-Julia McMillan

Marine Dreams—both the album and stage name of its creator—Ian Kehoe, is eclectic in the very best sense of the word. The album has unmistakable pop-rock oriented roots, drawing on a solid assortment of guitars, drums, keyboard and bass. Though a standard instrumental line-up for a band of any genre, it’s what Kehoe and friends do with these instruments that’s amazing. Marine Dreams is the sonic equivalent of summer in Sackville—a soundscape that shifts from relaxed to upbeat, from sunny to dark and brooding. It is, by turns, music to dance to and music to contemplate. The lyrics are thoughtful and obviously fuelled by Kehoe’s own experiences in life, which only help to add to the impact of his soulful voice and the resonance of the acoustic guitars that seems to permeate the album as a whole. As far as indie rock goes, this album both fulfills expectations, while similarly redefining everything you thought you might expect from the genre.

-Geoff Hutchinson

Hip Hop artists Absent Minded and iLLvibe “Come Together” as the duo Blunts and Roses, blending hip hop with classic rock tunes in their self-titled album. Each track, inspired by a well-known song from this era, explores a refreshing combination of genres, such as “Fast Lane” which is based on “Life in the Fast Lane” by the Eagles, and track eight, “F.B.G.,” which integrates segments from Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.” These rhythmic beats captivate with their rapped verses and choruses devoted to the original songs.

Although this dynamic collection does not lack variety, the lyrics and musical undertones rely too heavily on the original songs. This is done to the point where entire phrases are simply reiterated à la hip-hop with questionable degrees of taste, perhaps even horrifying some classic rock junkies. Nevertheless, Blunts and Roses do not fail to energize and entertain their listeners.

-Rosanna Hempel

Aptly named, Mad Bits incorporates a patchwork of artistically combined musical components. With punchy lyrics and vocals reminiscent of New Pornographers, this art/pop duo writes fundamentally danceable tunes. Most of the songs are based around a strong drums/guitar/bass core, but every song is essentially a grab-bag of sounds. The song “Meany” contrasts twangy country-inspired banjo notes with hard driving bass rhythms, while the song “Steel Cable” combines strategic, shreddy guitar riffs with mild and unobtrusive guitar and keyboard melodies. “Lions” is the recommended track of the album, a jagged, dancey tune emphasizing disjointed guitar riffs. It’s easy to be distracted by the diverse range of musical components, but I highly recommend taking time to listen to the lyrics. Topics include building muscle, skateboarding, and the patriot missile. Overall, Mad Bits is an upbeat, thoughtfully constructed album, sure to shed a little light even in the dead of a Sackville winter.

- Taylor Mooney

Money in the Banana Stand’s Giant Steps II is an excellent showcase of the group’s diverse sound. Conceptually similar to bands like Balance & Composure, MITBS blends folky indie rock with melodically driven pop punk à la Tiger’s Jaw in a rather tasteful way. The highlight feature of this EP is the fact that the group is able to put a unique spin on the (arguably) increasingly generic genres they draw influences from; Giant Steps II makes it quite clear that pop-punk can still be awesome without d-beats, and aggressive vocals can sound great over indie rock riffs. This aside, the catchiness and energetic feel of almost all the songs were major contributors to my liking of this EP. While I can’t say I was that big of a fan of some (keyword being some) of the lyrics, it’s definitely something that can be looked past. Highlight tracks include “Lately” and “Psychiatrist.”

-Joshua Landry

Beat winter blues with Melancholia

For exploding stars, impressionistic cinema, brilliant acting, and whining members of the upper-class obliterated by a celestial bang: see Melancholia, tonight at the Vogue theatre at 7:30 pm. In Lars von Trier’s visually stunning masterpiece, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) celebrate their very lavish wedding in the home of her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). Despite the exorbitant cost and overwhelming grandeur, the wedding is an absolute catastrophe, and the celebration is eclipsed by family tensions and strained relationships. Cosmic in

scope, Trier situates the familial melt down inside of an apocalyptic vision in which the planet Melancholia is on a collision course with earth.

Trier’s initial stimulus for the film came from a depressive episode he suffered and the insight that, often times, it is those who are struggling most within themselves who remain calm and capable when the shit hits the fan: “My analyst told me that melancholics will usually be more level-headed than ordinary people in any disastrous situation,” Trier says, “partly because they can say ‘What did I tell you?’ But also because they have nothing to lose. That was the germ of Melancholia.” Trier explores this notion by playing the two sisters off of each other: the morose bride Justine, disillusioned with her world of empty ritual, and her big sister Claire, a social butterfly who finds herself manic and psychologically paralyzed at the prospect of apocalypse.

Despite the fact that she was only given lead role because Penelope Cruz dropped out at the last minute, Kirsten Dunst’s performance is sure to be a highlight of the evening. Dunst’s work in Melancholia earned

Ian Moffat


Stars, both celestial and celebrity, explode on film

her best actress at 2011 Cannes Film Festival this past summer, and has been called by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone an “incomparable performance, a slow accumulation of moods from despair to euphoria, which never strikes a false note.”

Accolades and awards for the Trier’s aesthetic prowess in Melancholia are plenty. Kim Skotte of Politiken wrote that “there are images – many images – in Melancholia which underline that Lars von Trier is a unique film storyteller,” and that “the choice of material and treatment of it underlines Lars von Trier’s originality. You sit on your seat in the cinema and mildly marveled go along in the end of the world.” On top of being awarded best film of 2011 by the US Film Critics Association, Melancholia won three awards at the European Film Awards for Best Film, Best Cinematographer and Best Designer.

Tickets are nine-dollars for non-members, and six for members. For more information, visit the Sackville Film Society Facebook page, and to see the Sackville Film Society’s full line up go to www.voguecinema.ca

Kirsten Dunst stars in the drama Melamcholia, involving a disasterous marriage and a celestial body colliding with Earth.

Internet Photo/Moviescy

Internet Photo/Radio Colorado College Internet Photo/Soundcloud Internet Photo/The Meliorist Internet Photo/Hero Hill Internet Photo/Bandcamp

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 13ENTERTAINMENT

On the bandwagonPaint for Barns

Lee MacDonald - Guitar/Vocals - 4th Year Physics - Man of the yearPat Edmonds - Bass - 4th Year Commerce - Executive Producer for Conduct BecomingLuke Patterson - Drums - Mount Allison Music Grad/Local wonder

Online: http://facebook.com/paintforbarnshttp://paintforbarns.bandcamp.com/

Albums: First and second EPs can be found on Bandcamp for free download

Upcoming Shows:Early March - Ski Epic After PartyMarch 16 – Chuggle’s Tavern in AntigonishMarch 17 (St. Patrick’s Day)- The PondA few more pending for the month of March

The essentialsTaylor Mooney

Entertainment Writer

Paint For Barns has been a musical staple in Sackville since 2009. “We had all been playing music for a long time at that point, so it came together pretty naturally,” says guitar player and singer Lee MacDonald. “We just started jamming, which eventually led to more song writing. Twenty-five or so songs later, here we are!”

“We try not to limit ourselves to a specific genre, but our songs are definitely getting louder as we define our sound,” explains bass player Pat Edmonds. The band members respectively come from diverse musical backgrounds, having played everything from metal and jazz to stage bands and concert bands. “We try to make music that we have fun playing,” says MacDonald.

The majority of the songs are written by MacDonald. “Lee usually comes up with a basis of a song with or without lyrics, and we come together as a band to finish them. A good number of songs just come from jamming for extended periods of time until something that we think is interesting comes along,” says Edmonds. “Lee writes almost all of the lyrics as well. If a song is fun to play, then we keep playing it. There is no intentional direction in which we’re heading. We’re just trying to have a great time playing music.”

The band’s name comes from an old story about… well, paint for barns. “In the old days when a barn needed to be painted in a community, everyone would just pour their house paints together to make enough to cover it. That’s why they’re always an ugly brown colour. After deciding between a few names, this one just kind of stuck for no reason,” says MacDonald.

The band notes that George’s Roadhouse is probably the most suitable venue for their style of music, but that they have yet to play there. “We always love playing Sackville

Paint For Barns has been on the Sackville music scene since 2009. The members are Lee MacDonald (Left), Luke Patterson (Middle) and Patrick Edmonds (Right).

house shows and parties. There is a lot of good energy and support which is always a good time. It’s nice to see familiar faces at your shows,” says Edmonds. “The audiences are always really engaged at the shows and aren’t just there to get wasted. That’s super encouraging for musicians,” adds MacDonald.

The trio aims to record a few more tracks before the end of this semester, and has several upcoming shows in March, including a St. Patrick’s Day show at the Pond. “We are thinking of asking a friend or two to join us…We are going to be playing a ton of covers. We are really excited for

that show and to play some good St. Paddy’s Day songs,” says Edmonds.

The band’s Facebook page sums up their genre as being “post-modern-prog f u s i on - s h o e g a z e indie pre-republican bluegrass reggae inspired indie,” listing Beethoven, JaRule, Ace of Bass, and “O-Town (early stuff )” as influences. Band interests include “celery, field hockey,

Michelle Billard, crossbows, baseball mitts, hard liquor, monthly grammar newsletters and knitting.”

Paint for Barns’ self-titled EP as well as their EP entitled 2 can be downloaded for free on bandcamp.com

Gimme some spaceLocal artists find shelter behind George’s

From the outside it’s unremarkable. But once you step inside the small shed behind George’s Roadhouse, you know it’s something special. A hodgepodge of musical equipment fills the room; the walls are adorned with posters and doodles in permanent marker. Scrawled above the door in red lettering is, “DARREN WHEATON IS A SAINT” and close by another message reads, “If you are here, do something.”

Those who use ‘The Space’ behind George’s are doing something; the shed serves as a practice space for Sackville bands, who rehearse and record music there. It’s just far enough out of town to avoid noise complaints and still close enough to be within walking distance. Its lack of windows may mean no natural light, but it also makes the shed incredibly soundproof, which means the opportunity to be loud without worrying about bothering Sackville residents. Evan Matthews, who adopted the barn and transformed it into the creative space it is today, emphasized that the space would not have been possible without the generosity of Darren Wheaton. Living in his apartment above STRUTS, Matthews was looking for a place to rehearse, but encountered difficulty in finding a space that was convenient and also reasonably priced. Wheaton (who owns George’s Fabulous Roadhouse, The Foundry

and Ducky’s) offered up the shed behind George’s and the rest is history.

There are currently around ten bands that use ‘The Space’ to practice in, there is no set ‘calendar’ per se, the sense of operation is fairly casual with musicians contacting Matthews if they want to use the space. The atmosphere is very open and amiable, a collegial relationship exists between the bands rather than a rivalry. The equipment is shared, although most of it belongs to Matthews, Chris Meaney, Zach Carriere or has migrated from George’s.

The shed has evolved over the years, from car garage to pottery kiln and now to musical co-op. Matthews and his father installed an insulated wall over the barn doors after Matthews spent a cold October evening there after a four hour practice. With rehearsals and recordings going until four AM in the morning, a space heater, blankets and mattresses also found their way into ‘The Space’. When asked about further changes to be made, Matthews stated that maintenance to the equipment is a priority. Most of the equipment has a few minor problems; if they were to be fixed ‘The Space’ would be that much better. But for the long term, Matthews hopes to keep ‘The Space’ available to Sackville musicians as long as possible.

So next time you’re at George’s keep in mind the derelict shed, hidden from sight but still present. It’s a conglomeration of everything that makes the Sackville music scene so unique: a blend of artistic camaraderie, generosity from those like Darren Wheaton who recognize its importance and the joy of music. All of that, within the four walls of an otherwise unremarkable shed.

Anna Robertson

Entertainment Editor

Argosy/Rosanna Hempel

(Above) Messages decorate the walls of ‘The Space’. (Below, Left) Musical gear fills most of the shed. (Below Right) ‘The Space’ is located between George’s Roadhouse and the Sackville Foundry.

If a song is fun to play, then we keep playing it. There is no intentional direction in which we’re heading. We’re just trying to have a great time playing music.

Patrick EdmondsGuitar and Vocals

Paint For Barns

Photo Credit/ Michelle Billard


Julia McMillan

What did I want for Valentines Day? An evening of great art, music, cakes and dancing at one of Sackville’s most beloved art galleries. That's The Sweetest Little Thing- literally. The event held at Owens Art Gallery is without a doubt one of the most anticipated arts related events of the year. The annual fundraiser for gallery programming is organized by the Owens Art Gallery, and Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre.

Each year, throngs of exceptionally well dressed art lovers from both the Sackville and university communities gather at the Owens to take in an evening of contemporary art work and good company. The Sweetest Little Thing features a silent auction containing over a hundred pieces of original artwork submitted by third-year Fine Arts Students, members of Struts Gallery, and Sackville affiliated artists from all over the world. The small size of the pieces, along with their varied prices ranges, makes the art more accessible and affordable for students on a tight budget.

But there is more to the event the Fine art. Because no Valentine's Day party would be complete without some delicious desert, The Sweetest Little Thing holds a cake walk that features beautiful and intricate deserts that seem to be better suited in the gallery than on a plate. And what's a party without some music? Rena and Justin Thomas took care of that with their spontaneous performance of "In a Little While" from the musical Once Upon a Mattress. And as per tradition, the night wrapped up with one of Sackville's best dance parties.

The Sweetest Little Thing is organized by a dedicated group of volunteers each year that help pull the evening together and transform the Owens into a. Claire Ellen Pacquet has been involved with the event for three years now.

"It was a great event to be involved with again this year," said Pacquet. “Everything ran smoothly and it was great to work with such a great group of women!"

No Sackville Valentines Day would be complete without the Sweetest Little Thing, and once again the galleries put on an incredibly cute and enjoyable event for a great cause.


Photos by Rosanna Hempel

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 15CENTREFOLD

Julia McMillan

What did I want for Valentines Day? An evening of great art, music, cakes and dancing at one of Sackville’s most beloved art galleries. That's The Sweetest Little Thing- literally. The event held at Owens Art Gallery is without a doubt one of the most anticipated arts related events of the year. The annual fundraiser for gallery programming is organized by the Owens Art Gallery, and Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre.

Each year, throngs of exceptionally well dressed art lovers from both the Sackville and university communities gather at the Owens to take in an evening of contemporary art work and good company. The Sweetest Little Thing features a silent auction containing over a hundred pieces of original artwork submitted by third-year Fine Arts Students, members of Struts Gallery, and Sackville affiliated artists from all over the world. The small size of the pieces, along with their varied prices ranges, makes the art more accessible and affordable for students on a tight budget.

But there is more to the event the Fine art. Because no Valentine's Day party would be complete without some delicious desert, The Sweetest Little Thing holds a cake walk that features beautiful and intricate deserts that seem to be better suited in the gallery than on a plate. And what's a party without some music? Rena and Justin Thomas took care of that with their spontaneous performance of "In a Little While" from the musical Once Upon a Mattress. And as per tradition, the night wrapped up with one of Sackville's best dance parties.

The Sweetest Little Thing is organized by a dedicated group of volunteers each year that help pull the evening together and transform the Owens into a. Claire Ellen Pacquet has been involved with the event for three years now.

"It was a great event to be involved with again this year," said Pacquet. “Everything ran smoothly and it was great to work with such a great group of women!"

No Sackville Valentines Day would be complete without the Sweetest Little Thing, and once again the galleries put on an incredibly cute and enjoyable event for a great cause.


Graphics by Danica LundyPhotos by Rosanna Hempel

HUMOUR February 16, 2012 [email protected]

Children’s books to break your spirit and kill your dreams

Over the past few issues, the Humour section has been running a variety of illustrations, depicting the covers of popular children’s books that never were, and, as a decent

and moral person might hope, never will be. This week, we’ve decided to take this trend one step further. Not only do we have the illustrated covers, but, having obtained

special permission from the editors at “We Hate The Children Press”, we’re able to print short exceprts from both books, for your viewing pleasure. Bon Appetit.

Pet them while you can Tommy Has Three Mommies Now

Concept and Titles by Susan Rogers, Illustrations by Ian Malcolm and Geoff Hutchinson, Excerpts by Geoff Hutchinson

Argosy Staff, Argosy Correspondent, Humour Editor

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 17HUMOUR

bobpickle chroniclesThe By Lake

Ask the Experts!“It seems that I’ve put on some...ahem, “hibernation weight” this winter. What do you suggest to

get me ready for the frolicky spring days ahead?”Sean: Hibernation? You’re either a narcoleptic human, or an impressively literate bear/squirrel/unholy hybrid. But you’re in luck, my possibly ursine friend: I just awoke from a nine-month hibernation myself, and have returned to writing for the Argosy until I can stockpile more acorns. As for your winter weight, the first thing you should know is that exercise isn’t an option. You can’t exercise outside because, well, this is Sackville in February. The campus looks like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man disintegrated into a fine dust, and the air is colder than a polar bear pointedly ignoring a walrus. What’s that, O Spirit of the Editor? I’ve used up my weekly allotment of cornball similes? Well, darn. Your only frostbite-free option would be the Fitness Centre, but I wouldn’t recommend it: I hear that the regulars are fiercely territorial and quick to anger. I admit, this is all second-hand knowledge; the only time I got within ten feet of the place, all I saw was a well-built man in bicycle shorts hugging an elliptical

machine and muttering something about ‘hobbitses.’ However, fleeing to preserve my sanity really worked my quads. This leaves us with dietary solutions. Might I suggest joining a cult that advocates continuous fasting? You’ll lose weight rapidly, and save money that would otherwise be spent on food. You’ll even hibernate again if you fast long enough, though you might not reawake.

Taylor: Chocolate cake. Thick and moist, with rich, creamy chocolate icing, covered in sprinkles and whipped cream, with a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top. Maybe add in some strawberries; strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Or, if you’re not into cake, how about cookies? Or cupcakes? How about apple crisp; crispy top made of butter and sugar, maybe with a couple of scoops of ice cream piled on top. Greasy fries, covered in gravy with decked with melted cheese. Maybe a few burgers with some onion rings.

Follow that with pizza eaten as a midnight snack; peperoni, sausage, bacon, peppers… whatever suits your fancy. Add in some garlic fingers and you’re good to go. If you want something a little more cultured, try a turkey diner. More gravy, maybe some cranberry sauce, delicious stuffing, mashed potatoes covered in butter and even more gravy, soft rolls, possibly dipped in gravy, a side of gravy and maybe some more gravy… And then for dessert, grab yourself a thick slab of cheesecake. Cherry, blueberry, chocolate… whatever you’d like. Candy, milkshakes, jam tarts, waffles, pancakes, bacon, turkey bacon, hot dogs, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, ribs covered in barbecue sauce, lasagna, that dish your mother makes that you could spend the rest of your life eating… FOOD!!!! That being said, I’ve succeeded in doing either one of two things: throwing you off food forever (you’re welcome) or making you seriously want to stuff your face. Once again, you’re welcome.

Sean Baker and Taylor Losier Argosy Correspondents

Top 8 Reasons: That Men Should Date a Woman with a MoustacheHeather Baglole


1. Since a moustache instantly makes anyone look dignified, people will be highly impressed with your new partner (and how good they make YOU look)

2. Your new girlfriend will likely be either an evil overlord… (imagine the benefits of ruling the Northern Hemisphere and living in an evil lair!)

3. … or an Amish farmer (and who doesn’t like kicking it old school?)

4. Imagine the tantalizing tickle that can be included in an… ahem… slightly indecent activity.

5. Every Movember you and your girl can get involved in a little friendly competition to see who can grow the best Mo’.

6. Your lady will dazzle you with her new innate ability to quote the likes of Albert Einstein (“Imagination is more important than knowledge) and Ron Burgundy (“Go back to your home on whore island”)

7. The food that gets caught in the hairs of her full bushy upper lip will be a nice snack later in the evening.

8. Sure, people might confuse your girlfriend with Tom Selleck… but who wouldn’t want to date Tom Selleck, man or woman?


Across

1- Just _ !; 5- Ski cottage; 10- Casino game; 14- “Whip It” band; 15- Early computer; 16- Bedouin; 17- Rat- _ ; 18- Goddess of love; 19- Not _ many words; 20- Martini liquor; 21- Hater of humankind; 23- Gulp down; 25- Follow; 26- Diners; 29- Audition; 33- Serf; 35- Nun wear; 37- Layer; 38- Garage sale sign; 39- Renaissance fiddle; 40- Amenable; 41- Early hrs.; 42- Closes; 43- Be of one mind; 44- Third sign of the zodiac; 46- Prima ballerina; 48- Comedian Carvey; 50- Fix beforehand; 53- Lottery; 58- Leb. neighbor; 59- New Rochelle college; 60- Man with a van, perhaps; 61- Currency of Turkey, and formerly of Italy; 62- Bender; 63- Clarence’s accuser; 64- Roman poet; 65- Additional; 66- Bird homes; 67- Shrivelled, without moisture;

Down

1- Maxim; 2- Take hold; 3- Missionary zeal; 4- Barracks bed; 5- Hebrew tribe member; 6- Addition column; 7- Actress Merrill; 8- Haggard; 9- Glad all over; 10- Justly; 11- Cartoonist Peter; 12- Coarse file; 13- It’s blown among the reeds; 21- Mongrel dog; 22- “Java” trumpeter; 24- Neighbor of Cambodia; 27- Greek fertility goddess, flightless bird; 28- Fine fur; 30- Burdensome; 31- Peter Fonda title role; 32- Actress Daly; 33- Dutch name of The Hague; 34- Salinger girl; 36- Of the highest quality; 39- Harness driver; 40- Eyeball; 42- Break, card game; 43- Broadcasts; 45- Think; 47- Musical dramas; 49- Compensate; 51- Aluminum-bronze coin of Iceland; 52- Commerce; 53- Locale; 54- Fleece; 55- Grandson of Adam; 56- Alamo rival; 57- Etta of old comics; 61- Acapulco article;

(CUP) — Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission.

And Now, Three Blind Mice fighting to the death with Six Geese A-Laying! (Or maybe just some puzzles...)

CRYPTOQUOTE!In this quote, each letter has been switched with a corresponding letter of the alphabet. For example, ABC could become XNE. TIGER could become MAGIC. The pairings are completely random. Isn’t language wonderful? Got it? Good! Get ready, because here we GOOOOO!

ZCOVSJN ICKO NQNFSNH, UKD QNPNO, QNPNO ZCOVND

DMNSO QRFNH. - XCMQ Z. ENQQNYI

“Somebody said to me, ‘But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.’ That’s a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, ‘Now, let’s write a swimming pool.’” — Paul McCartney

Last Week’s Quote:

Solve the quote, bring it into the Argosy Office, and be entered to win an ACTUAL prize from the Humour Editor! SERIOUSLY!

OVERHEARD @ MT. A!Whilst browsing my social network of choice the other day, I happened to rediscover a pastime that has gone largely to the wayside, in this age of “tweetering”, “myfaceing” and “redditdiggery”: the documenting of silly, inane or nonsensical things that random strangers have said within your earshot. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you…Overheard At Mt. A.

“If I was ever going to go gay for someone, it would be her, right now.”

“You were talking about a monkey jerking off on your for about an hour.”

“What? Bosnia is hilarious!”

“IT’S THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET HARD ANYMORE!”

SCI & TECH February 16, 2012 [email protected]

A biological computer — made from biomolecules — has successfully been used to encrypt and decipher images on DNA chips. This new research, emerging from The Scripps Research Institute in California and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, is the first occasion on which a molecular cryptosystem of images has been successfully created with DNA computing.

Biologically based computer deciphers images

Shawn Seeley

Science and Technology Editor

Redefining the ancestry of animalsSponge pushes origin of animals back by a hundred million years

Lindsay Sherwood

Researchers at the University of St. Andrews have discovered the fossils of an organism that is thought to predate the sponge-like creature currently known to be the earliest human ancestor by tens of millions of years.

Animal life is commonly assumed to have started between 600 and 650 million years ago, but the discovery a sponge – Otavia antiqua – pushes that date back considerably. Robert Gess from South Africa’s Wits University was quoted saying the discovery is “… extremely significant, as these organisms represent the earliest record of metazoan life.”

Argosy Contributor

Several new species are discovered on a daily basis, and although these are always important finds, this discovery is particularly striking, given that it could seriously alter our current theory of evolution.

Amthony Praye, Geologist and study co-leader at the University of St. Andrews, stated, “The fossils are small – about the size of a grain of sand – and we have found many hundreds of them.” The fossils were discovered inside a rock found in Nambia, Africa and are presumed to be between 550 and 760 million years old.

Researchers are now in the process of determining a more accurate age for the organism. If antigua was in fact the first multicellular animal on the planet, our entire theory of evolution will have to be revamped. This new theory would have to take several hundred million extra years of animal evolution into account and would centre on this organism as the forerunner of essentially everything we think of as ‘animal’, including human beings.

Dr. Bob Brain, paleontologist and co-leader of the study says that the Otavia antiqua was the first real predator that started an evolutionary

arms race. During its time, this organism managed to maintain a spot at the top of the food chain despite the fact that it had no means to stalk and hunt its prey.

The Otavia antiqua is a microscopic sponge-like organism that is thought to have fed on the bacteria and algae found in shallow, quiet waters. They thrived at some point during the Cryogenian Era, which lasted from about 635 to 830 million years ago, and contained two ‘Snow Ball Earth Events.’ During these events, the global temperature plunged substantially and the majority of the globe was covered in glaciers. These events make later ice ages –such as the one that eliminated the dinosaurs – seem no more severe than the typical Sackville winter.

The fact that this organism, no bigger than a grain of rice, was able to withstand some of the most hostile climate changes our planet has experienced is amazing and suggests that it must have been much more resilient than later multicellular organisms. Though further research is needed (and in progress), this discovery is an important step on the way to understanding how we came to be.

Professor Ehud Keinan, the experiment’s lead researcher, suggested that although biology and computing seem like very different fields of research, they can easily be viewed as the same thing. A computer, formally defined, is a machine that contains hardware and software, and is capable of both input and output.

“In contrast to electronic computers, there are computing machines in which all four components are nothing but molecules,” Keinan

Computers made of biomolecules read DNA microchips

explained to Science Daily. “For example, all biological systems and even entire living organisms are such computers. Every one of us is a biomolecular computer: a machine in which all four components that ‘talk’ to one another logically.”

In the case of a biological computer, the hardware and software is comprised of complicated biological molecules that work together in a predetermined chemical reaction. The input for such a ‘machine’ is the

initial chemical composition of the computer; the software is a chemical reaction and the stoichiometric rules it abides by, and finally, the output is yet another distinct molecule.

“The molecules start interacting upon one another, and we step back and watch what happens,” Keinan said. In the case of this specific experiment, the computer successfully decrypted separate images of The Scripps Research Institute’s and The Technion’s logos.

“Our biological computing device is based on the seventy-five year-old design by the English mathematician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist Alan Turing,” Keinan said about the design of their computer. “The input of the Turing machine is a long tape, containing a series of symbols and letters, which is reminiscent of a DNA string. A reading head runs from one letter to another, and on each station it does four actions: 1)

reading the letter; 2) replacing that letter with another letter; 3) changing its internal state; and 4) moving to the next position. Our device is based on the model of a finite state automaton, which is a simplified version of the Turing machine.”

Why use DNA chips instead of normal silicon chips? Why use a computer based on biomolecules? Although data contained and encrypted on DNA molecules may be more slowly processed than on silicon chips, because so many chemical processes can be carried out at once on each strand, the whole process is actually quicker.

DNA-encoded data can also be incorporated into pre-existing biological systems. Don’t be surprised if – in the future – humans begin incorporating mini-computers into their own bodies with great ease.

Internet Photo / Science Daily Otavia amntiqua, pictured in fossil form above, may now be Earth’s first animal.

Student research on photosystemsPaul Shaver examines bacterial photosynthesis

John Fraser

This is the first part of a series of articles that will be exploring science research happening at Mount Allison University. Innovative research in the fields of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Psychology, Mathematics and Physics will be explored in this series that will give students an understanding of how Mt. A contributes to the scientific community.

Paul Shaver, a fourth year student pursuing his honours in Biochemistry, is doing some fascinating research. Under the guidance of Dr. Doug Campbell, Paul has been delving into sub cellular structures and mechanisms, trying

Staff Writer

to find the answers to how fundamental parts of cells might work, specifically photosynthetic cells.

Shaver has been looking at different bacteria cultures that photosynthesize as test subjects. One of the structures in their cell’s body that capture light energy is called photosystem two. While this system is active, it requires water. Water, being made of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, is separated in this photosystem into hydrogen ions and oxygen gas (this is how plants make oxygen).

Shaver has been measuring how many active photosystems in a certain bacteria culture there are when exposed to light. He does this by subjecting the bacteria to quick flashes of light. During each flash a certain amount of oxygen is released. Coupled with the current understanding of how much light is used by photosystems, Shaver couples this known amount of light given with the rate of oxygen production to see how many active photosystems there are in each bacterial culture. Shaver hopes to understand the differential expression of photosystem two in two bacteria cultures: one grown under high

light and one under moderate light. Shaver is also trying to explain a strange

occurrence within the bacteria. In normal cultures, photosystems are capable of photosynthesis above and below twenty degrees Celsius. In cultures with a mutation that renders a certain protein nonfunctional, photosynthetic efficiency is greatly reduced below twenty degrees Celsius, and the Campbell lab is trying to figure out why. They are looking at the cell and how its relationship with the photosystem changes after the temperature drops below twenty degrees. This is research which may influence more than the realm of biochemistry. “I don’t want to be so bold as to say it will,” says Paul, “but it may have

Internet Photo / Science Daily New biomolecule-based computers have been able to decode the above images that were encrypted on DNA instead of silicon.

some implications for bioengineering someday.” Despite his success so far, Shaver’s work is

not without its problems. “We’ve had trouble with temperature control and external oxygen interfering with the sample,” says Shaver. “We fixed this with an airtight seal and a built-in thermoregulator to help reduce these problems.” Shaver has been successfully moving forward in his tests, but is always mindful of potential complications.

He is hopeful that his project will develop into fascinating jumps within the field of biochemistry. His research and discoveries have the potential to bring scientific recognition to himself, Dr. Campbell and the Mt. A community.

Argosy / John Fraser

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 21SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Canada’s presence at COP17Memorial delegate discusses climate talks in Durban

Richard Williams

ST JOHN’S (CUP) — The most recent fight for a legally binding global climate change agreement took place from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2011 in Durban, South Africa. There, world delegates, environmental ministers, business leaders, media personnel, NGO representatives and impassioned activists came together for the seventeenth annual Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The COP is responsible for adopting decisions and resolutions, and publishing the results to establish rules and methods of implementation in detail.

The UNFCCC is the body that is responsible for reporting to the UN on the recommended procedures to ensure its ultimate objective: to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

With 194 parties, the COP is the most political and publicized convention for global climate legislation in the world.

The results of COP17 are complex and commentary on the results varies widely in opinion. While more was accomplished than was thought possible, many believe that the results are nowhere near what the scientific community deemed necessary.

Meghan McCarthy, a student at Memorial University and a native of St. John’s, N.L., was one of the six members of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC) to attend the conference as a delegate to represent the voice of youth and students.

“In terms of COP17, I would say [that] there was no progress made,” said McCarthy.

“We knew that [the talks] weren’t going to end well, or we figured that they weren’t going to end well. In the past, Canada has been effective in actively blocking most of the negotiations. So we didn’t really have high hopes for the actual talks, but they ended up being a lot worse than I originally had expected.”

Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent announced in December that Canada would be formally withdrawing from the Kyoto agreement.

While a timeline for climate negotiations was established, many are in agreement that the time for creating timelines has passed where action is needed immediately.

“[I think] the progress that was made, and the reason why I feel our time at COP17 was successful was because of the peoples’ movements: the actions of the youth on the ground made a substantial difference in affecting people around the world [and] their views on the [political] process, but also on climate change,” said McCarthy.

“The Canadian delegation was

The Muse (Memorial University)

successful in sending the message to other Canadians that Canada is the worst country in the world when it comes to climate change, and that they’ve been putting their trust in polluters instead of people.”

The six delegates made national and international news with their coordinated protest of the speech by Peter Kent. The delegates stood up during the speech with the words “turn your back on Canada” written on their backs.

They were promptly ejected from the negotiations.

“For us, it was an opportunity to highlight that what Kent was saying didn’t represent the views of Canadian youth, and that his main goal at COP17 was to represent the interests of the tar sands and big polluters, and not the people of Canada.”

The new plans to cut emissions include agreements by the major polluters of the world, though the proposals for cutting emissions are very relative in respect to strong economies and weak economies.

“Canada was the most embarrassing and outrageous country at COP. They not only stall, but in some ways, halt negotiations and progress being made. They misrepresent Canadians, but also degrade other countries,” said McCarthy.

The COP17 may have been a political success,

but for McCarthy, it was not a practical one.“For many years we’ve tried in every other

avenue available to engage in meaningful dialogue with the government, and on all occasions, including COP17, we’ve been shut out and haven’t had our voices heard. So we thought that doing this action was the only other way that we could get the attention of our government and to send a clear message to them — and to Canadians — that what they are doing is unacceptable.

“So for the sake of our country, and our economy, and the people, and people all around the world, I really hope that people will become active and start organizing in their communities, and really start demanding the change that we need to see.”

When asked about the power of COP17 to create progress, her message of hope was in the climate justice movement’s ability to organize effectively — regardless of the outcome of the COP17 negotiations.

“I think that the process will always fail as long as there are countries like Canada that are allowed to behave as they do. In theory, the process should work, but as long as countries like Canada lack the political will, with the substantial amount of corporate influence [over Canada], then processes like that will never succeed,” said McCarthy.

“[Legislative] avenues for us have been e x h a u s t e d . We’ve worked for years within this system, and that clearly hasn’t worked. We don’t have time to continue doing things that don’t work,” she continued.

“I think it’s our time to start making some progress in terms of the social movement that we want to see.”

Back to the Future Part II assures us that hoverboards will be a common consumer product available to all in 2015. With only three years remaining until then, how are we coming along?

Unfortunately, not well. Oh sure, there are hovercrafts which are advertised as hoverboards. These board-like devices, usually mounted with leaf-blower-like engines and a rubber skirt, will support one human somewhat adequately, though the lack of friction does lead to balance and handling issues. Braking will also be an issue. In the end, using one will not feel like being on Marty McFly’s hoverboard so much as it will feel like being on an air hockey puck.

The French artist Nils Guadagnin has come up with a replica hoverboard from Back to the Future that is more in keeping with the movie’s depiction. His board depends on electromagnetism for hovering, and lasers for stabilization. Sadly, his board (though looking very much like the real thing), can currently do nothing more than float over a podium embedded with electromagnets.

In the academic world, a sort of ‘magic carpet’ has been developed by Noah Jafferis, a graduate student at Princeton. In essence, it is an electrified piece of thin plastic on which waves of electrical currents are precisely timed to flow in order. This careful manipulation of electricity displaces air underneath, causing the whole sheet to move.

The hiccup is that while propulsion capabilities have been proven, lift has yet to be generated. Currently, Jafferis’ idea is being tentatively assessed for use on rovers to Mars. Having no moving parts, the device would be ideal for use in the dusty Martian environment. As for carrying people, Noah asserts in an interview with BBC that currently, the ‘flying’ carpet would have to have a wingspan of fifteen metres in order to support a human being.

Sci-Fi Fact or Fiction?

David Shi


Internet Photo / CUP

Hoverboards

Internet Photo / Wikipedia

Pictured above is Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, just one of the many important and influential speakers at COP17.

OP/ED February 16, 2012 [email protected]

Turning their backs on the poorThe sad state of tuition in Canada

Most of us at one point or another in our lives were fooled into believing that equality of opportunity is something that is valued in Canada.

Anyone who has ever felt uneasy and like they did not belong at a Canadian university because of their fiscal position in life, were probably justified. Poor people don’t belong at Canadian universities. They belong in trades or community colleges, or as cashiers at gas stations or McDonald’s. At times in life I felt that labour was what I was expected to do. Despite enjoying to read and discuss philosophy or politics, that was an endeavour that is only meant for the elite of Canada’s population. Perhaps it was jealousy of my peers who were going off to universities, or maybe it was reading too many Ayn Rand novels growing up, that I actually believed

that despite personal circumstances there was equality of opportunity; that nothing happens to individuals that isn’t deserved. I was wrong.

I ended up deciding to go to university, only to drop out after a year because I couldn’t afford the tuition. After working for two years at minimum wage jobs as well as some jobs that paid less than minimum wage, I was able to pay off my bill from that one year of university. I thought I would try it again, this time gathering tens of thousands of dollars in debt every year. I learned that borrowing $14,000 a year isn’t enough to live on and pay tuition, so I had to make sacrifices. That sacrifice is one that too many low-income students are familiar with: grades. When the decision is between taking on an extra twenty hours of work a week to pay the heating bill or spending those twenty hours studying, it’s not really a decision.

Despite the university’s ‘financial aid’ (this is code for merit scholarships that are not accessible enough to low-income students), or even government loans, there is not enough support for students most in need. One option

proposed by student groups like the Canadian Federation of Students is to lower tuition. That option is okay and is even fair if Canada had taxation that was progressive enough. I have an alternative proposal, increase tuition, increase it a lot. If a student can afford to buy a Canada Goose coat, I think they can afford to pay a little more in tuition. If a student can afford to go vacationing in Europe over the summer, I t h i n k they can afford to pay a little more in

tuition. Universities need to use increased revenues from tuition

to subsidize the education of low-income students. If we are all to pay our ‘fair share’ in tuition, then why am I graduating with a small mortgage to pay off, while other

students are able to go travel the world and not spend time avoiding calls from government collections

agencies?All I ask is for my university to consider

levelling the playing field. Stop privileging the privileged. My parent’s income (or lack thereof ) should not be the most important consideration in whether or not I have equal access to an education. Education should be accessible to all.

High American debt level, political gridlock in Congress and what appears to a decline in its superpower status have combined to create speculation that the greenback may in fact be usurped by its European counterpart. However, the recent debt crisis in Greece, Ireland and Portugal has put any dreams of currency domination by the Euro to rest for the time being.

Now, to be fair I am by no means arguing that the Euro is doomed to immediate collapse but that is a possibility if European leaders cannot rein in the current crisis. The European Union was created through a series of treaties to create economic interdependence between European states and not to found a new state. Individual countries within Europe are still individual countries and their citizens’ allegiance is primarily still directed towards their nations and not to the greater European Union. What this means is that the current crises affecting Europe will require extreme cooperation amongst European states. Cooperation amongst states is easy during the good times, it’s during the hard times that states can rise to the challenge or fail miserably and in the case of the European Union failure could indeed be catastrophic.

The question here is can states like Greece begin to pull more weight in the struggle to save the Euro as the power house economies of France and Germany may soon grow tired of keeping the Euro afloat. Wait a minute; haven’t provincial economies like Alberta and Ontario historically driven the Canadian economy and kept smaller provinces afloat and couldn’t France and Germany do the same in Europe? This is true, but what must be remembered is that Canada is a unified federal state and Albertans are just as Canadian as New Brunswickers, but the European Union doesn’t have the same relationship amongst its states.

Currencies like the American and Canadian dollar are stable because their respective nations are unified not only by a series of treaties, but by history and culture. So what does any of this have to do with Canadians?

The biggest implication is that notions of a North American dollar need to be put to rest. The European example has shown why exactly it would be folly for Canada to enter into a common currency with the United States and possibly Mexico because of the difficulty of sovereign nations agreeing when a crisis need to be resolved. North Americans need to lean from the Europeans; common currencies are simply too difficult to manage between countries with competing interests.

Lessons from the EuroJohn Trafford

Argosy Columnist

The final part of an in-depth discussion on digital piracyJames Wilson

So here we are, the final part of this defence of piracy. I’ve gone over examples of how piracy can be good, now lets examine how copyright law can be harmful, the steps that would be required to stamp out piracy, and a proposal for a solution.

Copyright holders often cling to what I will call the ‘artists know best’ argument. That is to say, only a content creator should have total control over how their product is used regardless of other concerns. That the common good might be harmed by such actions is largely irrelevant to them. Take for instance the decision of the BBC to delete entire seasons of Dr. Who in the 1960s and 1970s. As content creators it was their right, but I’m fairly certain Dr. Who fans would be appalled. Just counting television programs

Arrr-gosy Columnist

there are dozens of examples. What the artist wants is not always the common good. For more examples of the harmful effects of intellectual property law I recommend Against Intellectual Monopoly by professors Boldrin and Levine.

The fight against piracy also has a detrimental effect on legal systems. SOPA, ACTA and C-11, all put forward as the solution to piracy, are all doomed to fail. Pirates will innovate around these laws and consumers will be left to deal with greater inefficiencies that in turn will encourage more piracy. Meanwhile rights to privacy and net neutrality will take a beating. Unless the contents of every hard drive and mobile device can be scanned at will, piracy will continue. In that case, the cure for piracy is worse than the ‘disease’.

If companies really wanted to end piracy, they should acknowledge what the real basis of the problem is. It’s not a moral, ethical, economic, criminal issue, nor a matter of maturity. It is a matter of poor customer service. Pirates succeed because, despite their own relatively terrible customer service, it is still better than what can be had from a retailer. If you want to know the number one reason iTunes exists, it is because

piracy showed that there was a market for selling individual songs online without the need for physical disks (which made the music companies happy I’m sure). It was convenient, and people pay for convenience. I wouldn’t be surprised if the current success of ebooks was partially due to the success of illegal online book scans. Ebooks have a leg up in this regard – they’re easily portable (and better quality). On the other hand, we have the video game industry which has pretty much done every thing it could to drive people to piracy except straight up tell people to pirate games. No demos to demonstrate game content, games broken at launch and requiring extensive patching, sitting on a series with no intention of developing them, DRM which makes buying and playing a game take longer and longer, and refusing to release in certain markets due to law/economic concerns.

So there we have a fairly straightforward solution to piracy: make buying a product as easy as pirating one. Will there still be people who pirate? Sure, just like there are still people who take all the little soaps from the hotel room, and like such people, their numbers will be small to the point of being irrelevant.

Internet Photo/Pirate Bay

Alex MacDonald

Op/Ed Editor

The war on digital piracy

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 23OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Throughout 2011 National Geographic published a year-long series titled “Seven Billion Special Series” to commemorate the human population hitting the big seven-oh…oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

The December issue of National Geographic brought with it the final article in the series, entitled “The City Solution.” The article was one of my personal favourites as it discussed an issue which I feel is of growing importance to our generation: how is it possible that the world can support seven billion people in this modern age? The answer lies in the twenty-first century city. While the cities we inhabit may not be the futuristic metropolises represented in sci-fi films like Back To The Future Part II, the article does make it very clear that, in many ways, mega-cities are humankind’s best option for a sustainable lifestyle.

The article (written by senior

Has the Harper Government doomed us into becoming a jingoistic petro-state? The Prime Minister went to Beijing recently to deliver an open message to our American neighbours. With the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline in the United States until at least 2013, Stephen Harper has shifted focus to the People’s Republic of China. Even without Keystone XL, America is by far the largest consumer of Canadian oil; ninety-nine per cent of Canada’s energy exports go the United States.

Harper didn’t let the Americans forget

this when he stood up in Guangzhou and advocated that if you don’t want Canadian oil sands bitumen, China is a waiting customer with a growing energy appetite. Stephen Harper has taken Canada’s foreign policy to an unprecedented level of aggression and new extreme form of nationalism.

Environmental activists and ordinary citizens groups are being labeled as “radicals” and “terrorists” and the government blames political dissent against the tar sands on “foreigners”. The Harper Government is threatening to stop money from overseas going to non-profit groups in Canada. Meanwhile oil projects are being bankrolled entirely by overseas investors like Chinese state-controlled Sinopec, who has a stake in the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project.

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver who accompanied Harper on the China trip has assured China that it is welcome to

expand investments in Canada’s oil industry. With less than four per cent of Canada’s GDP tied up in the oil industry, Canada is not dependent on oil to the same extent as other oil states. Still, our reliance on petroleum will certainly lead to and already has caused symptoms of Dutch Disease – a phenomenon in which a natural resources boom strengthens a country’s currency, making its other exports more expensive and less competitive on the world market.

While Harper and his friends, including more than forty business executives and five ministers, were in China, the Internet connections and mobile phone signals were cut off in areas around Sichuan Province that have been experiencing recent clashes between protestors and security forces, and the level of surveillance has been stepped up in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

When was the last time a Canadian citizen walked on Parliament Hill and set themselves

environment editor Robert Kunzig) attempts to convince its readers that cities are no longer the cesspools of disease and crime they once were, that, in fact, cities should be viewed as “the cure” to society’s problems surrounding environmental footprint and sustainability practices. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, with most “greenies” finding cities to be “concrete jungles” choking with smog and cut off from nature and all of the wonders it holds, these skyscraper-laden cities, which can house thousands in a one-bloc radius are, from an ecological standpoint, a far better alternative to spreading the damage of development out into what remaining natural landscape there is.

In addition to simply saving space, the average North American city slicker’s footprint is far smaller than his or her rural counterpart. To a great extent, this can be credited to infrastructural factors, such as

shorter roads, sewers and power lines. Housing styles especially make a vast difference in carbon output, with apartment buildings and multi-family houses being far more energy-efficient. However, the number one factor making cities so much more eco-friendly, is of course, that people residing in cities typically drive less than those who must commute in from rural or sub-urban communities. With buildings being close together and downtown business centres being concentrated, people have the ability to walk easily from location to location, and when walking just doesn’t cut it, public transit systems can take one pretty much anywhere in a fairly short period of time.

Take, for instance, the example of New York City. We are all aware that citizens of the United States of America produce more CO2 on a per-capita basis than anyone else, anywhere in the world. While your

average American produced almost twenty-five tones of CO2 between the years of 1994 and 2007, New Yorkers performed far better at a mere ten tones.

So, when it gets down to it, not everyone, everywhere needs to move to a city right this second, and no, you are not a bad person for choosing to live in a teeny weeny town like Sackville while conducting your grocery shopping in Amherst. Essentially, the message is simply that cities are great! While they may not be for everyone, they are possibly they best option we as human beings have for continuing our current lifestyles in a way that is sustainable and lighter on the planet. And let’s face it, when it comes to your carbon footprint, bigger is most certainly not better, because you know what they say about having big feet… finding giant shoes is pricey.

Lauren Latour

While there is good to be said for Alex MacDonald’s article on Feb 2 when he writes about organic food as being the best alternative to a supermarket food alternative, conclusively, it is insufficient. Local food primarily is the best choice of food to buy, whenever possible, with organic coming second.

Let’s start with organic labelling. The organic label is expensive for small producers to buy and maintain, and it is ultimately quite exclusive, as it has extensive regulations that need to be followed. If a small producer tries to buy the organic label, they will have to fork over a large amount of cash, as well as showing that they have abided by all the regulations, of which there are many – if they haven’t been pesticide-free for three years, say, only two instead, they would be unable to get the organic label, despite

being totally organic and safe. This is a sort of elitist method, in which small producers are losing out to companies like Wal-Mart and PC Organics, who may not have the consumers best interests in mind as much as making a profit, but they have the money to do so.

Next, let’s move onto local foods vs. organic foods, as discussed in MacDonald’s article. Local food needs to be researched, but as long as you talk to the farmer, producer or store and ask questions, you can have local meat, dairy, vegetables and more, with a full understanding of where your food is coming from and how it was made. Not only that, but you’re putting your energy and money back into the community, which will help to continue the cycle of sustainability – the community will continue to grow and flourish, which will affect all aspects of the community, not only the buyer and seller, but the social circles, people and lifestyle of the people in it.

In my opinion, local food is much more of a conscious and informed option than organic food, although it is not the only option, nor is it the only way you should shop – that would be almost impossible, especially in Sackville NB. I talked to Amanda Feindel from the Cackling Goose in Sackville, NB, and what

we discussed only strengthened my belief that local and organic should go hand in hand. To not limit yourself by buying solely local and organic – look at your options, be critical and ask questions, and then make informed decisions. Making informed and conscious choices, as well as favouring your local producers and vendors at places like Sackville and Dieppe’s farmer’s markets, helps support your community, as well as consumer education, when others ask you about your choices.

If you are still itching for more information, I urge you to check out “Food Inc.”, which is a look into America’s food industry and how it is run, as well as the behind the scenes aspect of it. While an unflattering view, this information can allow informed questioners to then ask similar questions at home. We can be informed buyers, who know what we are consuming, where it came from, and exactly what went into making the food we are eating, or we can be uninformed buyers, who contribute to climate change as well as the fall of small businesses owners, while sealing our own death sentences with things like obesity, diabetes, and toxins in our bodies. Your call.

Nicole Forbes

on fire in a demonstration against government rule? Last year, a Chinese man made an attempt at self-immolation on Tiananmen Square. It is now commonplace to read in the media about Tibetans that have set themselves on fire in apparent protest against Beijing’s rule.

Trying to sound more like a geography and environment students at Mt. A and not a radical environmentalist threat to this country and its national economic interest, I believe in a diversified Canadian economy that has the environment and basic human rights on Canada’s agenda foremost to the almighty dollar.

Unfortunately, Harper has since embraced one of the former leaders of the Communist Party Deng Xiaoping’s famous axioms: “it doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice”.

Thank you China for the loan of two Giant Pandas. in return you can keep Stephen Harper.

Trevor Donald

Harper in China

Our carbon footprint

Organic vs. Local

Organizers of Sackville’s Winterfest must be gratified – holding a number of fine events. Few could surpass the SAC sponsored ‘Mr. and Mrs. Winterfest’. The winners are Dave and Diane Fullerton.

No finer dynamic duo than the Fullertons can be imagined - worthy winners indeed. However, I plead for a different and more inclusive name for the contest identified as ‘Mr. and Mrs.’ Other terms spill forth, among them - Royal Pair, Terrific Twosome.

Of course, many of us, probably the majority, are satisfied with Mr. and Mrs. We’ve appeared before a Rev. or a JP and gladly appropriate the designation.However, not all of us fit this traditional mould.

Some couples among us have not been before a Rev. or a JP; for good reasons of our own, we do not want the tags, thank you. Some of us are gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender. For us, the designation is inappropriate and false, even if some twosomes in our midst have appeared before a Rev. or JP.

There is nothing new in this situation. Moreover, there are same sex and gender diverse couples. What is relatively new is that some – particularly us queer couples – are more openly transparent about our intimate relationships, some of us vocally proclaim it. There are some couples who are not open, not yet, and may never be. That’s okay.

As queer couples, we contribute to the community. There is no good reason why we are not included in the contest. Whatever our specific situation we can be grateful for our form, without imagining that it is the only valid constellation. Such standards of acceptance and respect are a given mainstay of any cultural capital or contemporary university campus.

The same value and respect and affirmation extends of course to persons single, separated, divorced and widowed, whatever their sexual orientation or gender diversity. We – none of us – are alone. I trust the contest will go forward in 2013 with a different designation. In 2013, ‘Mr. and Mrs.’ was yesterday.

Eldon Hay

Gender defined?

InternetPhoto/GlobalNews

THE CHMA 106.9 FM CAMPUS & COMMUNITY RADIO BULLETINATTIC TRANSMISSIONSFEBRUARY 16, 2012 THE LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR EDITION

RANK ARTIST TITLE (LABEL)

NEWCOMER SESSIONSEVERY TUESDAY

4PM364-2221

WWW.MTA.CA/CHMA3RD FLOOR

STUDENT CENTRE

THE CHARTSFOR THE WEEK ENDING TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Tonka War Cloud

31 JON MCKIEL*

(Youth Club/Saved by Vinyl)

02 SANDRO PERRI* Impossible Spaces (Constellation)

26 JOEL PLASKETT/SHOTGUN JIMMIE* Joel Plaskett/Shotgun Jimmie Split (New Scotland)

28 ATLAS SOUND Parallax (4AD)

07 THE SHEEPDOGS* Five Easy Pieces (Atlantics)

11 LONG WEEKENDS* Don’t Reach Out (Noyes)

01 BOLIVIA* Bolivia (Self-Released)

12 ADAM MOWERY* St. Joseph’s Mechanical Penthouse (Self-Released)

18 BRY WEBB* Provider (Idée Fixe)

08 KATHLEEN EDWARDS* Voyageur (Rounder)

15 SONIC AVENUES* Television Youth (Dirtnap)

23 JACK PINE AND THE FIRE* Jack Pine and the Fire (Self-Released)

06 JOHN K. SAMSON* Provincial (Anti-)

30 THE WOODEN SKY* City of Light (Blackbox)

24 THE GERTRUDES* Till the Morning Shows Her Face To Me (Apple Crisp)

21 COEUR DE PIRATE* Blonde (Grosse Boite)

19 SNAILHOUSE* Sentimental Gentleman (Forward Music Group)

27 AMY WINEHOUSE Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Island)

25 OLD MAN LUEDECKE & LAKE OF STEW* Sing All About It (Self-Released)

04 MARINE DREAMS* Marine Dreams (You’ve Changed)

29 WILLIAM SHATNER* Seeking Major Tom (Cleopatra)

20 THE WEATHER STATION* All of It Was Mine (You’ve Changed)

14 DELORO* Deloro (Idée Fixe)

17 VARIOUS* Have Not Been The Same - Vol. 1 (Zunior)

THE BLACK KEYS03El Camino

(Nonesuch)

22Deformer

DOG DAY*

(Fun Dog)

13 THE JOHN WAYNE COVER BAND* The Wheel (Self-Released)

Making Mirrors

09 GOTYE

(Universal)

16Please Don’t Meet Me

BLOODHOUSE*

(Self-Released)

05 QUAKER PARENTS* No Crime When Covered in Grime (Self-Released)

10 AL TUCK* Under Your Shadow (MapleMusic)

CHARTS SPOTLIGHT #31: JON MCKIELThis week, Jon McKiel’s Tonka War Cloud lands at number thirty-one, with good reason: this album is brilliant and contains many memorable songs. Recorded at the Con!dence Lodge by Diego Medina, and framed in lush packaging by Halifax’s Yo Rodeo, this collection of songs is getting a lot of attention at CHMA, probably due to the catchiness and listenability of its contents. A longtime Sackville favourite, Jon McKiel has played shows in the impressive Music Hall, as well as appearing at Sterephonic 2011. With this new album, McKiel picks up where he left off with his Con!dence Lodge EP and delivers a solid set of tracks, varied and darkly beautiful.

UPCOMING EVENTS & CONCERTSBOLIVIA FEBRUARY 16 PICKLES FREE all ages 9PM

A Review of “Barchords” by BahamasSCOTT BROWN

IF HE DIDN’T LAUGH, HE’D CRY

Bahamas’ principle member, A!e Jurvanen, is not a man who hides his feelings behind wordplay that twists and turns while leaving the listener continually questioning and re-examining his verses, but rather a heart on his sleeve, “here’s how I feel and that’s that” kind of songwriter. That might sound dismissive, and such a phrase could certainly be used against a musician, but in this case it is meant to highlight one of the most winning aspects of Bahamas’ sophomore album, Barchords. By being more or less straightforward with the audience, Jurvanen creates a connection almost immediately. Jurvanen holds little back as he documents his experience with love and loss, but he does so with a poppy, gospel in"uenced folk-rock backing band to lighten the mood and act as a nice counterpoint to the lyrics.

That brings us to another very enjoyable aspect of the album: the instrumentation. This is where Jurvanen’s songs have really moved forward. The debut Bahamas record, Pink Strat, certainly had some groovy moments, but nothing that could compare to Barchords tracks such as “Ok Alright I’m Alive” or “Your Sweet Touch” both of which bene!t from a pair of female backup singers. That being said, the folky side of Bahamas is still well represented with slower, quieter tracks “Montreal” and, my favourite, “Time and Time Again” (just listen to the slide guitar and not have your heart break into a million little pieces!)

Much like Blonde On Blonde decades before it, this is a record that undeniably deals with sad subject matter in a fun, catchy way. Jurvanen doesn’t take the honour of recording the most fun sounding break-up album of all time from Dylan, but Barchords is most certainly an honourable mention in that contest.

ATTENTION ALL LOCAL MUSIC FANSSticking around for reading week and looking for some excellent entertainment? If so we have the show for you! This Sunday, the 19th, George’s Roadhouse is hosting an evening !lled with energy that will chill you to the bones. This promising show will start at 9pm and cover is $8. Featured artists include Astral Gunk, The Bedroom Session, Corey Isenor, The Nick Everett Band and The Tupperware Remix Party. See you there!

SPECIAL: HOMELESSNESS MARATHONThe Homelessness Marathon began up as a radio program to raise awareness about issues facing the homeless and has evolved into an annual awareness event that involves radio stations across Canada. Nearly 40 radio stations will be airing this broadcast to raise awareness about issues facing Canada’s homeless, including CHMA. The event will be broadcast on CHMA from 6:00 PM February 22nd until 8:00 AM the morning of the 23rd.

COUSINS, PENNY BLACKS & CLIFTON CHARLTON FEBRUARY 29th STRUTS GALLERY $TBA all ages 8:30PM

SPORTSThe Argosy www.argosy.ca

Solving puzzles requires two things: all of the pieces, and a time commitment.

If one examines the Mount Allison Women’s Hockey Mounties, they are a puzzle indeed, but patience has paid off for these players and the fans loyal to them, as they have come a long way from where they were two years ago, and experience and some stellar

Hockey Mounties continue to improve

Wray Perkin

Sports Writer

Better Know a MountieJustin Baglole, Soccer

Taylor Losier

Justin Baglole has gained a lot from his five years on the Soccer team at Mount Allison. The fifth-year Bachelor of Commerce student from Summerside, PEI may have only registered three shots on goal, but when it comes to doing his part in the Mount Allison community he is more than able to provide an expertise that he has perfected over his time at Mt. A.

Baglole, who is focusing on accounting, chose to take the challenge by playing a varsity sport


like soccer and majoring in Commerce, which requires active participation, not only in class but in several group projects regardless of the functional area of study. In an interview with the soon to be graduate, he stated, “I chose to study commerce because in high school I took my first classes in economics and accounting and found it interesting to see how our economy and the financial system work. Eventually I decided that for where ever I want to go in business, accounting knowledge is a great tool to have.”

In addition to playing on the team, he is also the commissioner of the Mount Allison Varsity Indoor Soccer League (MAVISL). The league, designed to keep the soccer team in shape during the offseason, plays late on weeknights when they can get gym time. This position requires him to coordinate with Pierre Arsenault to set up gym times as well as making the rules, and coordinating with team captains on the draft.

Baglole is also the current Business and Advertising Manager at The Argosy, Mt. A’s

independent student newspaper. The jobs, which he noted were hard to balance during the season along with his course load, require him to handle all advertising opportunities and take care of the books to ensure that newspaper goes to print every week.

Things didn’t start out easy for Justin, who noted the learning curve he faced in first year. He mentioned that with soccer every day he usually made sleeping his number one priority on Monday mornings. However, like most athletes, he learned to do work on the bus, before and after practice, and any other free moment to ensure he could succeed on and off the field.

However, he took what he had learned from his on field play and adapted to it to the classroom noting, “The most positive experience I have gained from soccer is that it is the ultimate team sport, and it takes patience and commitment in order to succeed. I have learned

recruiting can be cited as big reasons for this transformation.

In 2009-10, the Hockey Mounties went a dismal 2-21-1, including going 0-12 on the road and failing to qualify for the playoffs.

Last season, they improved substantially, posting a record of 10-12-2, finishing in sixth place, but going 0-2 in the playoff tournament held at St FX.

This year, the Mounties are in a legitimate position to finish in the top tier of the AUS standings with three games to play, and have already improved on virtually all of last year’s stats, and have put their numbers from 2009-10 to shame.

Consider this: two seasons ago, the Mounties scored 37 goals all season. By the halfway point of this season, the Mounties had equalled that.

In 2009-10, the Mounties

Team, players poised for playoff success

surrendered 89 goals, and last year 72. So far, with three games remaining, the Mounties have given up only 49 goals, causing a drastic change in their goal differential from -52 to +18.

With 11 wins and 26 points on the season, the Mounties have also eclipsed last season’s marks.

No one personifies the turnaround better than Ashlyn Somers; her rookie season (2009-10) saw her post 2 goals and 6 assists, while last season she recorded one goal and 6 assists. This season, she has exploded onto the scoring scene, sitting tied for first on the team with 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists). Her plus/minus rating has done an about-face as well, going from -7 last year to +15 this season.

Last season saw a plethora of impressive rookies make their debuts, and they have all continued their strong play into this season. Lindsay

James, Kristen Cooze and Courtney King have all eclipsed goals and points totals from a year ago, while Meg Cameron has become a steady anchor on the back end.

Fourth-year forwards Katelyn Morton (13 goals, 6 assists) and Lauren Oickle (9 goals, 9 assists) have also improved on goal totals from a year ago, while rookie defender Emily Van Diepen has impressed many with her strong defensive ability as well as offensive numbers (4 goals, 9 assists).

The one constant throughout this turnaround has been the strong goaltending duo of Meghan Corley-Byrne and Jenelle Hulan. Corley-Byrne was a league all-star a year ago, and currently sits second among AUS goaltenders in save percentage, while Hulan has racked up an impressive record of 10-6-2 over her three-year career.

With the playoff stretch nearly completed, the Mounties are heating up at the right time. Winners of four in a row, and with wins this season over perennial powerhouses Moncton and St FX, things are certainly looking bright for Mt. A.

Head coach Zach Ball, now in his third year in the position, has assembled a group of players that is not just making a significant run at a playoff spot, not just at a high spot in the standings, but is a legitimate challenger for the AUS championship.

The Hockey Mounties have endured some tough times, and the pieces are almost in place. The puzzle is nearing its completion.

The Argosy/Taylor Losier

Proper nutritionDo you know how to read nutrition labels?Jenn MacKenzie

Many people believe that dieting and intense exercise is the only way to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. Proper nutrition is not a diet but it also leads to a healthy lifestyle. Promoting and protecting good health and appropriate nutrition can be as easy as paying attention to food labels. They can inform you whether the product is healthy or not.

Nutrition labels are mandatory on all pre-packaged foods. These labels include information about the ingredients and nutrition facts. The nutrition facts are usually found in a table on the product label. These facts include information about calories in a given amount of food, fat content (saturated and trans fats), cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates (fibre and sugar), protein,

Health Intern

vitamins and minerals. The nutrition fact tables also include a column labeled %DV. %DV is the percent of daily value. The rule of thumb for understanding this column is: five percent or less is too little and fifteen percent and more is too much. When comparing products, look at the %DV and determine which nutrients you want more or less of.

The nutrients that you should want more of in a healthy and balanced diet are calcium, iron, fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C. Your body needs calcium to form structures in your bones and teeth. It is also required to help your muscles work. Iron is a mineral that helps produce red blood cells and transports oxygen throughout the body. Carbohydrates such as fibre are important in lowing blood cholesterol levels and help with regular bowel movements. Vitamin A plays a role in keeping your skin healthy, promotes good night vision and is part of normal bone growth. Vitamin C is needed to help your body absorb iron, heal wounds, and can also act as an antioxidant.

To maintain a healthy and balanced diet you should avoid food products with high fat (trans

and saturated) and sodium content. Fat is a nutrient that gives you energy (calories), helps absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, and helps your body grow and develop. There are unsaturated, saturated, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are known as the good fats. Saturated fats and trans fats have been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol). The difference between trans and saturated fats is that trans fats have also been shown to lower HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). If you have high levels of LDL cholesterol then you are at greater risk for heart disease; therefore, the type and amount of fat consumed is important. Sodium is a mineral that can also lead to health problems. If you consume too much sodium then you are at a greater risk for stroke, stomach cancer, and heart and kidney disease.

Now that you know how to compare labels and understand what nutrients are beneficial to your diet you can make informed decisions about the foods you buy. For more information about food labels and nutrition visit Health Canada at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.

Internet Photo/Papasandcorn

Continued on page 26


Mounties lose close game vs STUMounties slip into third place in the ACAA Robert Murray

If there is anything that sports movies have taught us, it is that a team is defined by how they react in the face of adversity. This adage proved true for the Mount Allison Volleyball team this past weekend against STU. Despite taking a five set loss (25-19, 25-22, 25-23, 25-21, 16-14), the Mounties played well against a team from STU who had handed the Mounties their last regular season loss back on November 20, 2011.

After the game Second-year middle Jane Delahunt commented on the result saying “We went into the game with the pressure of continuing our winning streak and defending well against a strong offensive team, and though we didn’t come out with a win, sometimes experiencing those errors is the best way to ensure that they won’t happen again.”

The first and second sets followed the same progression with STU getting out to an early lead thanks to several kills and stuff blocks. The Tommies were prone to making errors, hitting several balls out of bounds after being forced by several strong Mt. A plays. The Mounties had trouble stringing together consecutive points in a consistent manner until the set was all but out of reach.

The Mounties, down two sets to none could have packed things in against the Tommies but the defending ACAA champions, led by Andrew Kennedy, refused to go out without a fight. Facing another tight spot in the third set, the Mounties rallied at several junctures to win the set 25-23. The defining moment came during one of several furious rallies when Caila Henderson sacrificed her own well being after chasing after a loose ball, flying into the row of

Sports Editor

chairs previously occupied by assistants Mitch Stewart and Daniel Richardson.

Fortunately Henderson returned to the game and was instrumental in the team knotting the game up at two sets a piece after Mt. A took the fourth set by a score of 25-21. The fourth set saw the Mounties convert fifteen kills on twenty-one attempts, their highest amount of kills in any set throughout the game. Rookie Caroline Tremaine, who was close to celebrating her nineteenth birthday, also thrived in the game with eight kills and only five errors for the third highest individual hitting percentage on the team in the game.

Delahunt also offered her thoughts on the comeback in the third and fourth, saying, “The nerves were gone and we played like we had something to prove, and we were successful in that with a “nothing hits the floor” mentality and strong defensive effort.”

The final set provided several highs and lows as the Mounties built an 11-6 lead before

running out of momentum much to the benefit of the Tommies who scored seven straight points to lead 12-11, before finishing off the set. The Mounties head into the final weekend of regular season play with a huge matchup facing them on Sunday in Halifax as they face the MSVU Mystics in a crucial playoff-atmosphere game. Be sure to catch it live Sunday on @Argosy_Sports starting at 2:00 pm.

Mount Allison/Sue SeabornMount Allison’s Caroline Tremaine of Halifax scores on an attack from the left side.

1 for 4: Basketball the roadRobert Murray

Both the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams had a rough weekend on the road, coming away with only one total victory in four total games. The opponents for the weekend, the University of Kings College Blue Devils (UKC) on Friday and Holland College Hurricanes (HC) on Sunday played tough games, but only the Women were able to come out victorious once against the Hurricanes by a two-point margin.

On Friday evening the third quarter, which had proved friendly a weekend before, turned against them resulting in a 63-52 loss. After taking a 33-25 lead into the dressing room at the half, the Blue Devils came out surging in the third, outscoring the Mounties (12-5) by a 25-7 margin. Mount Allison shot poorly from the field, only making sixteen field goals in the entire game compared to their last game versus UKC in which they hit thirty-three.

Mt. A rebounded on Sunday against Holland College, escaping with a 83-81 victory over the Hurricanes. Marlon Smith and Mackenzie Gray scored twenty-six and nineteen points respectively for the Mounties as they put up thirty in the third quarter to put them ahead for good. Chelsea Putnam and Jennifer Robinson added ten each to all but ensure that the Mounties will finish the season in third place and face either the Blue Devils or Hurricanes in the quarterfinals.

Allison Turcotte described the games on Monday, saying, “It was a rough weekend with a hard loss on Friday and near loss yesterday but we have to simply learn from it, we’re a strong team and have to stay positive as the playoffs quickly approach.”

The Men also faced challenges from UKC and HC, ending up on the wrong side of both games by slim margins. On Friday the men lost to the Blue Devils in Halifax by three points in a high scoring affair. Despite falling behind early and being down by fifteen going into the fourth quarter, they battled back to close the gap to three.

The Men shot over fifty-percent from the field for the sixth time this year, going thirty-three for sixty-five (50.8%.) They also amassed forty-nine rebounds (thirteen offensive and thirty-six defensive) to out rebound the now third-place Blue Devils.

Rookie Trevor Mann stated after the weekend games that, “We were struggling to find ways to get easy shots offensively while they were getting what they wanted and taking advantage of it.”

Sunday saw the Mounties forced to build a fourth quarter comeback as well after getting outscored 50-31 in the middle quarters. However it wasn’t enough as they dropped their second straight game, this time by a score of 88-76. The Mounties are currently part of a log jam seeing second through sixth separated by six points with two weekends left of play, meaning anything could happen.

Sports Editor

Back Row Attack

200 Kills on the year for Caila Henderson

.300 Individual Hitting Percentage for Jane Delahunt

113 Digs by Erica Cronkhite

Athletes of the Week

Hockey captain Lauren Oickle led her Mounties with three goals and an assist over two important wins this past weekend. In the 7-4 victory against Dal on Saturday, Oickle scored one marker, and the following day in Fredericton, she scored an assist and the third and fourth goals of the game, to lead the Mounties to a 4-1 victory over STU. Oickle is now 12th in AUS conference points, second in points for defence, and fourth in power play goals.

Head coach Zach Ball was pleased with the two wins and Oickle’s performance, saying, “Lauren had a powerful weekend for us. She worked hard and out-played the other team every time she was on the ice. She focused on putting lots of pucks to the net and it resulted in three great goals for us.”

A second-time Athlete of the Week this season, the 5’9” fourth-year leader with the Mounties and last year’s MVP, Oickle comes from Moncton, NB, where she is a former player with the Moncton AAA Rockets and Bernice MacNaughton High School. She was also a second-team AUS all-star last season (2010-11).

With hopes to go on to an MBA program, Oickle is currently studying Commerce at Mount Allison and majoring in marketing management.

what it takes to work with others in order to achieve common goals.”

Ultimately his passion for soccer continues to stretch far beyond Mt. A. He has worked recently at home as the Youth Program Director setting up the soccer program in Summerside. He is also closely involved with Rob Burroughs and his grassroots soccer campaign by looking towards a potential barefoot soccer tournament in the gym and other events. Good luck to Justin in his future endeavors!

Continued from page 25

Justin Baglole has learned to balance classes and play

Lauren Oickle, Hockey

Mount Allison/Sue Seaborn

Swimming Mounties’ three time AUS all-star Mitch Peters has won University Athlete of the Week honours for his three gold-medal performances at the AUS championships over the weekend, at Dal, in Halifax. Peters also led the 4x100 and 4x200-metre freestyle relays for the Mounties who captured two silvers in both events at the meet.

Peters has been named an AUS all-star eight times since 2008-09, and this past championship weekend won gold medals and qualified in both the 200 and 400 freestyle races for the CIS nationals and the Olympic Trials. He has won these two events over the past three seasons. His third gold medal was won in the ever-tough and exciting 100-metre freestyle race, which he won for the first time and also qualified with a CIS

Mitch Peters, Swimming

national time. Over the weekend Peters broke three individual University records (his own), and in addition helped his relay team set two new University team records.

Head swimming coach John Peters was excited and happy with his swimmer’s performance saying, “Once again, Mitch came through despite a touch of the flu before the meet. He worked hard all season and pulled through with an exciting couple of finishes. We are really happy that he’s qualified for not only the CIS meet, late February, in Montreal, but the national Olympic Trials in March.”

The Argosy www.argosy.ca 27SPORTS

Another sweep for the Mounties4-game win streak on the line this weekendWray Perkin

With the season winding down, and battles for placing in the AUS Women’s Hockey standings taking place, the Mount Allison Mounties are doing themselves a few favours, sweeping their second straight weekend of action with a pair of big wins.

With a 7-4 victory at home against Dalhousie, and a 4-1 road win at Saint Thomas, the Mounties (11-6-4, 26 points) have distanced themselves from everyone but the UPEI Panthers (12-9-0, 24 points) in the search for third place.

“This weekend we had no trouble finding the back of the net,” said captain Lauren Oickle. “We were able to play a systematic game because of the different drills we’ve been doing in practice.”

Saturday evening’s game was a wacky yet rough contest which saw several Mountie

Sports Writer

players get shaken up over the course of the game. They would all return to action, but all made big impacts on the 7-4 outcome.

Katelyn Morton, at the end of the first period, took a nasty hit along the side boards, but returned and on her first shift of the second, scored to put the Mounties ahead 2-1. Halfway through the period, Megan Entwistle, already with a goal on the day, broke in alone on the Dalhousie goal, but was hauled down, drawing a penalty shot.

Entwistle couldn’t take the penalty shot as she had gone awkwardly into the end boards, but Courtney King made no mistake on the attempt to put the Mounties up 3-1. There had been a penalty upcoming to the Tigers prior to this happening, and with one second remaining on the powerplay, Oickle made it 4-1.

A minute later, defender Emily Van Diepen carried the puck in behind the goal, reversed ice and deposited an easy wraparound in the goal to give the Mounties a 5-1 lead.

Dalhousie would score three powerplay goals, two of them with the goalie pulled and an extra attacker for a 6-on-4 and the other on a 5-on-3 advantage.

Chelsea King rounded out the Mounties’ scoring, banging home a close rebound in the

second period and scoring into the empty net late in the third.

Courtney finished with a goal and three assists, while linemates Entwistle (goal, two assists) and Chelsea (two goals) helped pace the Mounties offensively.

Megan Davies and Megan Cameron also chipped in from the blueline, each picking up two assists.

Jenelle Hulan made 34 saves for the Mounties, including some spectacular diving saves in a second period that was lopsided for Dalhousie in shots (outshot Mt. A 21-11 in the frame) but advantageous for the Mounties (outscored Dal 5-2 in the period).

Sunday, Meghan Corley-Byrne stopped 36 shots as the Mounties picked up their fourth win in a row 4-1 over the Tommies.

Oickle scored the final two goals of the game, while Chelsea King and Davies had the other Mountie goals. King and Oickle also picked up assists for multi-point games, and Cameron picked up her defence-leading tenth assist of the season.

Mt. A has now won five road games in a row, which is a good sign for the team, who plays two of their final three games away from home. During their four-game winning streak,

they have outscored their opponents 19-10, and several Mounties have stepped up in the absence of Lindsay James.

“There’s no doubt that the reason we’ve had so much success in the past four games is because of our team’s awesome work ethic,” commented Oickle. “We’ve outworked and outplayed each team and that’s really all it takes.”

Courtney King has two goals and four assists over the last three games, while Chelsea has four points in two games. Oickle has begun an offensive surge, with goals in her last three, and four goals and four assists in the last five games.

The Mounties sit two points in front of UPEI in the standings, making this Saturday’s matchup in Charlottetown a huge one for the playoff implications. Game time is 7:00pm, and can be heard on CHMA radio 106.9 FM.

“This Saturday is arguably the biggest game of the season for us,” said Oickle, noting that the Mounties have not had much success against UPEI this season due to their unstructured and chippy play.

The Mounties return home for their final game of 2011-12 on Saturday, Feb. 26 against Saint Mary’s at 5:00pm.

Mounties rewrite record bookMitch and Marya Peters headed to nationals

Taylor Losier

After weeks and months of training, the Mount Allison Varsity Swim Team headed down to Dalhousie University the weekend of February 10 for the Atlantic University Sport Championship. At the conclusion of a long weekend of swimming, the Mountie women finished fifth overall while the men finished fourth. Together, the Mt. A team managed to snag fourth place. Dalhousie University came in first, with the University of New Brunswick taking second. The other teams competing included Memorial University, Acadia University and the University of P.E.I.

Over the course of the competition, the Mt. A swimmers managed to set 14 new club records. Mikhel Peters broke the 50 fly record three times over; once in the main event, and twice more in separate time trials. Rookie Andrew Reeder also set multiple records in the same event, the 100 backstroke, where he came in fourth. He also set a new record and earned himself the same ranking in his 50 backstroke. Other club records were set by Mitchell Peters in the 400 free, the 200 free, and twice in the 100 free; once in prelims and once in finals. The veteran swimmer won a gold medal in each of the three events. A new record was also set by female rookie Marya Peters in the 200 freestyle. In addition, Peters finished fourth in her 50 backstroke and fifth in both the 50


Mount Allison/Sue SeabornThe Men’s relay team poses with their medals at the AUS championships. Mitch and Marya Peters are heading to nationals in Montreal.

and 100 meter freestyle events. Noteworthy performances were

done by both the men’s and women’s relay teams. The swimmers for the women’s 800 meter freestyle relay were Marya Peters, Casey Losier, Léa Raiche-Marsden and Emily Byrne. For their performance in the event they earned themselves a bronze medal. Peters, Losier, Raiche-Marsden and Byrne also came in fourth for the four by 100 meter freestyle relay, and another fourth place was won in the 400 medley relay by Losier and Peters, as well as Katherine Frise and Madeline

Crowell. On the men’s side, the team of

Mitchell Peters, Parker Vaughan, Colin Vale and Andrew Reeder finished second in the four by 200 meter freestyle relay. They also earned silver in the four by 100 meter freestyle relay; the group was comprised of Mitchell Peters, Mikhel Peters, Colin Vale and Andrew Reeder, beating out MUN and shattering the existing Mt. A record. The same group of four swimmers also participated in the four by 100 meter medley relay and came in fourth.

Coach John Peters was pleased

with the results of the weekend, “It was obviously one of the best meets we’ve had in years; usually we have one or two good swims, but this time everyone swam very well. It was very exciting; the men’s team set several records and won medals and the women’s team also swam a medal race. In total we had about eighty-percent best times.” Some swimmers, like Katherine Frise or Colin Vale, had a successful meet, managing to swim three or even four best times out of four events. Both Frise and Vale also swam in the relays, where their individual times were personal bests,

contributing to their team’s wins and records. Said Frise, “Everyone had outstanding swims; I’m so proud of my sexy Mounties! It was a great way to end the 2011 - 2012 swim season.” Things are not over for the Mount Allison swim team; two swimmers, Marya and Mitchell Peters, have qualified for CIS and will be heading to Montreal over Reading Week to compete at a competition that will include swimmers from across the country.

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Have a fun, safe February break!The Argosy will be back March 8! First Meeting: March 1

the argosy february 16, 2012

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